The 2022 A Sudden Impulse Futurity, which includes six AQHA shows and two AQHA World Qualifying shows in addition to its NSBA and All Breed classes, has seen an increase in entries and horses in the second year of the new event.
“We’re up more than 500 stalls in 2022,” noted Kathy Avolt, whose An Equine Production is managing this year’s show. “It’s been a great show so far and everyone seems to be enjoying the facility, the weather and the classes.”
The A Sudden Impulse began on Wednesday, April 20, with over fences classes, followed by Working Hunter and Trail classes on Thursday, April 21. A number of AQHA and NSBA futurity classes have been woven throughout the show schedule.
Tops In Trail
On Wednesday, April 27, a few highly anticipated classes were held, including the $15,000 Added MSNA Four Year Old and Older Maiden Open Trail. Blake Weis showed Snippity Snap to the win for owner Kent Ray Taylor, earning $3,895.58 for the win. He won the same class in 2021 with Hot Lopin Lily for owner Caroline Cavallo, making him undefeated in the class.
“We’ve had this class planned for Boo for a while,” Blake said of the pretty five year old gray mare. “She is very stoic. She likes to have a job to do, and she is really a thinker when she goes about the pattern. If you have trouble when you are practicing something with her, if you take her back to it, she figures it out.
“Today, she was just so easy. She went around and did everything I asked her to do. She just always knew where her feet were and just thought through the pattern.”
Boo and Blake won Green Western Riding earlier in the show, and are showing additional Trail and Western Riding classes as well, while Kent Ray will show here in Amateur Select Western Pleasure.
In the $2,000 Added Three Year Old Limited Open Western Pleaasure, Amateur Owner Teresa Balkcum took her horse, JustSayTheCode, to win the $903.95 first place prize. “I’ve had Sawyer since he was a yearling,” Teresa said.
“I am a Non-Pro, and I do all my own training and preparation with him,” she said. “We show Showmanship, Horsemanship, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation and Halter. He takes it all in stride, and he did almost all of the elements perfectly. There was one spot where I was off by a half a stride but he just reached and got it done. It was great.”
Brad Jewett showed If U Say So for owner Hannah Olaussen to win the Four and Five Year Old Limited Open Trail, earning $965.42. “Susie is five years old, and we bought her from Rusty and Katie Green and Tyler Achtenhagen,” he said.
“From the first time I loped her over a pole, she just looked like she was ready to go do Trail. She’s very quiet and has no motor, and is just a fun, easy horse to work with.”
The VS Flatline mare has been building quite a resume, with wins at the Arizona Sun Circuit in Three Year Old Trail and Four and Five Year Old Trail. “She does Western Riding too, and both Hannah and her mother Ann have shown her. Ann will be showing her in Level 1 Amateur Horsemanship,” Brad said.
On The Rail
The Grand Arena showcased several Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure classes on Wednesday. Andy Cochran and Start Ur Engines took the top spot in the $1,000 Added NSBA Junior Western Pleasure for Capital Quarter Horses LLC. They earned $457.66 for the win.
“He’s four years old now, and he’s just gotten so much more mature and stronger,” Andy said of the gelding by Machine Made and out of Momma Knows Best. “His top line has really gotten stronger too.” The 2021 AQHA Level 1 world champions continue to add to their winnings which have in the past included Hillary Roberts, but there is an additional rider for him as well.
“He’s going to become Susan’s new horse so she is starting to show him,” Andy said.
Kristen Galyean has waited a long time for a plan to come together for her horse, VS The Fireman, but the stars aligned at the A Sudden Impulse Futurity. The duo won the $10,000 Added Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, earning $3.980.07 for the win.
“We call him Gronk for Rob Gronkowski, and we raised him,” Kristen said. “My husband Wes picked him out from the start, because we just loved his conformation, he’s built how you want those elite horses to be. He’s strong and stout.
“We’ve had to wait a while for Aaron to get to show him, because he (Aaron) got hurt at the Congress last year, and Jay Starnes showed him for us at the AQHA World Show and did a great job, but Aaron has finally got to show him – they won the Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure unanimously here the other day. It’s been a long time coming.
“I was a little nervous, because it was my first time to show him and just my fifth time or so to ride him, but he was really good. Aaron will continue to show him quite a bit, and I will show whenever I’m able to.”
Courtney Stephens and Pistol Packin Man were the champions in the $2,000 Added NSBA Amateur Western Pleasure. “I’ve had Pistol for four or five years now,” Courtney said. “We had a really nice go today in the class. Honestly, he is so easy to ride, he makes it fun.”
Hunting Wins
The 13 & Under and 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle classes saw tough competition for the youth.
IE Thumptin Special and Alyssa Bates earned the $1,000 Added NSBA 13 & Under Hunter Under Saddle champion title, and found the win bittersweet. “This was actually Kason’s very last class and his last show, because he’s retiring,” she said. “He is pretty old, so it was time.”
The duo have shown in in Hunter Under Saddle and Hunt Seat Equitation, and allowed Alyssa to complete most of her last year as a 13 & Under youth. They earned $536.90 for the first place finish.
If Im Honest and Evie Doles won the $1,000 Added NSBA Youth 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle, winning $466.64. “I’ve had Moose for two year now, and he’s just really fun,” Evie said. “We had a great day today because we also won the Youth 14-18 Hunt Seat Equitation. He was really good today!
Evie and Moose have a full summer schedule planned. “We will be at all the major shows this summer,” she said. “We’re heading to the Pre-Madness and Madness, the Big A, the AQHYA World Show and hopefully the Championship Show here in the fall.”
The $2,000 Added NSBA Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle saw a tough group of horses, but Michelle Bauer and Give Me A Good Alibi took the top spot in the class, earning $944.56 for the win. Highpoint Performance Horses had the top two horses in class, with Makin Me Happy and Angela Fox taking reserve honors.
The A Sudden Impulse Futurity continues through Saturday, April 30. To view complete show results, please go to the Horse Show Tracker app or visit anequineproduction.com.
