The 13 year old gelding AE Hot N Sonny had seen his share of titles at the Congress and the AQHA Level 1 championships, however ‘Jazz’ had not taken home an NSBA world championship. That all changed when Jerry Erickson piloted the gelding over a go-round and finals to win the 2019 Working Hunter Derby for owner Peter Sloane on Saturday night.
“He’s by my old stallion Sonnys Hot Jazz, and was bred by a lady in Texas,” Jerry said. “I didn’t see him until he was about four years old, and I had to go back to the stallion breeding report to see what mare he was out of. The first time I saw him, he wasn’t very broke, but I loved him. He has a very long, slow-legged canter, and he covers a lot of ground without getting quick. It’s easy to find where you want to go with him, and we can show him very confidently.”
Jerry and Jazz won the Working Hunter Derby, the very first class of this year’s NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity, which was held along with the Show Your Colors AQHA classes on Saturday. “The Derby is relatively new to the stock horse world, but it originated with USEF. It’s fairly challenging. People like to watch it and exhibitors get an adrenaline rush showing in it,” Jerry said.
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“You have a base course with a three-foot jump, but you also have a higher, three-foot, three-inch option beside it that you can jump instead and earn an extra point. For example, our base score in the first go was 85, and I took the high option for an additional point, so the total score for the round was 86. In the Handy (final) round, I didn’t take the high option, but I showed off the gallop and moved him out a bit. We scored 90 in the Handy round.”
At 13, Jazz is a seasoned fence horse who makes the perfect partner for his owner. “I was attracted to Jazz because I love how fluid he is,” Peter noted. “He loves his job, and he never changes. He’s honest and happy. Since I don’t live with him – he lives in Texas while I live in New York - he is a great fit for me.”
“Peter bought him during the NSBA World Show last year, and the first time he showed him earned the All Around Novice Amateur title at Lakeside Arena, and they had top tens at the Congress last year as well,” Jerry noted.
“Since Jazz wasn’t heavily shown when he was young, he has really gotten better with age,” Jerry added. “He’s got several years left as a show horse. He’s actually one of those horses that I hope gets to retire with me someday.”
The NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity continues through Sunday, August 18. View the live video feed as well as show results at NSBA’s website, www.nsba.com..
