The Tom Powers Christmas Challenge kept on rolling through Saturday starting with Open Yearling Longe Line and then moving to Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure classes including the Sale Stakes and Western Pleasure Super Sires classes.
Yearling Longe Line
The day began in the crisp sunshine as Open Longe Line exhibitors showed in the outdoor arena to judges John Dean, April Devitt, Jonathan Meilleur and Stephen Stephens. Gritt N Grace remained undefeated in her classes at this year’s Tom Powers, with Jason English on the lead for Nancy Ditty.
The filly, who is by Machine Made and out of Huntin A Cowboy, won the Non-Pro Longe Line class on Friday with Nancy Ditty.
Hunter Happenings
Two Year Old and Three Year Old Hunter Under Saddle horses were judges on Saturday in Open and Limited Open divisions.
Judy Zeitler piloted Outlaw Enterprise to win the Three Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle for owner Lauren Danielson. In the Limited division, Beckey Schooler took Its A Northern Thing to the win.
Farley McLendon showed Im Always Sleepy to win the Two Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, showing for Deanna Darroh. Known as Shrek, the gelding is by Too Sleepy To Zip and out of Miss Allocation.
“I had a full brother to Hank (Sleep Alilbit Longer) that broke her leg, so I was looking for another two year old. I bought him off of a video from Jim and Deanna Searles and Barbara Liska, and once we had that first ride, I knew he was going to be good,” Farley said.
“He’s a really fun horse and he’s not high maintenance. He even goes to the ropings. We were reserve champions in the NSBA Breeders Championship Futurity, won the two year old class in Arizona and were ninth at the AQHA World Show in the Junior Hunter Under Saddle.”
In the Limited Open Two Year Old Hunter Under Saddle, Ashley Rastall showed a horse she owns, Blue Al My Assets, to her first Tom Powers win. “She’s by Allocate Your Assets and out of Blue By Nature, and we call her Kelli,” Ashley said.
“She’s awesome. She’s the best Hunter Under Saddle horse I’ve ever had. She’s very easy going, has a great personality and is just great legged. We’ve really been ready for this class since the original show dates in June and we’ve been patiently waiting for this show.”
Western Winners
Western Pleasure was a large part of Saturday’s class schedule, starting with the heavy hitting horses in the Open and intermediate Open Maturity Western Pleasure.
Aaron Moses piloted Moonrageous to win the Open division of the class for Starland Ranch LLC. The trio received one year’s use of a Shadow gooseneck trailer for the win.
“I think he is the best he’s ever been right now,” Aaron said of the gelding known as Spider. “He’s so great minded and so talented. We kind of pick and choose the shows we show him at, and he’s just come along great.
Radical Signs R Good and Saul Sliss, showing for Allen and Marilyn Wade, were named the champions in the Intermediate division of the class.
In the Tom Powers Sale Stakes Two Year Old Western Pleasure, horses that were sold through the 2019 Tom Powers Yearling Sale were eligible for their share of the purse.
My Dad Is The Best, shown by Shane Dowdy for Stanley Scott, were the champions in the Open division of the class, earning a $13,500 paycheck, plus $1,300 was awarded to the consignor. In addition, Shane won an additional $3,000 bonus for riding in a Harris saddle.
“She rode really well,” Shane said of the mare, who is by RL Best Of Sudden and out of A Cowgirl Margarita. “She’s a fun horse to show.”
Melvin Yoder piloted Gunna B Allright to win the Limited Open Maiden division of the class, earning $3,000 for owner Suzanne Cooper, and also winning an additional $1,000 for riding in a Harris saddle.
“We bought him last year. Kim and Randy Haines raised her and were half owners of her with Suzanne, and she bought them out and became full owner,” Melvin said. The gelding by Batt Man and out of Ima Fancy Version is a full sibling to Im Fancy Schmancy.
“He’s just really steady, jogs great and lopes great. He just has lots of try and he’s really pleasant to show,” he said.
The gelding’s future plans are uncertain, as he is for sale. “If we have him next year, we will show in the three year old events, and we might do the Three Year Old Trail classes with him,” Melvin said.
In the Three Year Old Open and Intermediate Open Western Pleasure, Cole Baker showed JR Cook’s gelding Line Up Behind to the win. Houston Huff showed his wife’s horse, Batterang, to win the Intermediate division of the class.
“His name is Judi, and he’s named after a friend of Mary Kay Skeystal’s because he was her favorite of that foal crop,” Harley said. In fact, it was Harley who put the first 30 days on the colt, and now he has come back into her life. “It’s sort of come full circle,” she said.
“He really doesn’t take a lot to get ready,” Houston added. “In fact, I’ve been busy building stalls after the World Show, so I didn’t do a lot with him over the past few weeks. It’s so easy for him and it’s so natural for him that he’s like that kid who gets bored in class because he’s too smart for his own good.”
Kaitlyn LeBlanc and Pinball Machine won the Intermediate Open Two Year Old Western Pleasure for owner Tali Terlizzi.
“We call him Jeffery, and he’s by Machine Made and out of a Lazy Loper mare. I usually show English, so I knew if I was going to get a Western horse, it was going to have to be a good one,” Tali said of the gelding. He’s very exotic moving, so pretty, and really good natured. He had been in Kelby and Kaitlyn’s program, so I kept him there. He’s pretty special.
“If we keep him, I’ll probably show him in the Non-Pro classes, but we have a lot of interest in him,” she said.
In the Two Year Old Open Western Pleasure, KM You Make It Easy helped Karen Hornick reach a long-held goal to win the two year old class at the Tom Powers. Showing for Debbie and Dennis Martin, the duo also earned $5,000 as the champions in the Western Pleasure Super Sires Two Year Old Open Western Pleasure, which showed concurrently with the Tom Powers futurity class.
“We bought her from the Mastersons back in June,” Karen said. “She was going to be a Congress maiden horse. We’re a huge fan of her dam, KM Suddenly So Easy, and she’s by the Lopin Machine, so when she came up for sale and everything came together, we jumped at the chance.
“She’s one of the nicest Western Pleasure horses we’ve ever had. I would put her right up there with Vino and several of the other ones we’ve had. She’s so natural from front to back, and she has that front leg, the hock and a great top line. We love her!”
The largest checks of the day came at the end of the day with the Western Pleasure Super Sires champions in the Three Year Old Non-Pro and Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure.
Steve Wheat showed Sweet Southern Susie to win the Limited Non-Pro division of the class, earning $10,000. Steve proved to be a quick study of his horse, whom he had only had a short time to get to know.
“I’ve really only been riding her this week,” Steve said. “She’s really sweet and fun to be around.”
The Non-Pro division of the class saw Ty Paris and If It Aint Dixie earn the top spot and a check for $10,000. The mare by Its A Southern Thing is known as Francis. “I sort of stole her from Todd (Yoder), but he had the chance to show her last year as a two year old and he didn’t,” Ty said.
“She’s sort of become a family horse, because my mom has shown her, and my fiancé Kyle has shown her too. She’s just so consistent, and she’s really honest. We won the Level 2 Amateur Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show and won the BCF Three Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show. She’s been on the top five in the Non-Pro all year.”
If It Aint Dixie helped cement the Western Pleasure Super Sires Sire of the Year. AQHA stallion Its A Southern Thing earned the award.
The Tom Powers Christmas Challenge concludes on Sunday. To view the show’s live video feed, please visit www.tompowersfuturity.com.
