The All American Quarter Horse Congress prepared to roll into “youth weekend” with a number of Youth classes as well as the Congress Super Sale Two Year Old Western Pleasure Stakes classes..
The 2018 Congress featured two classes for yearling graduates of the 2017 Congress Super Sale. Mallory Menard piloted Say Somethin to win the Two Year Old Non-Pro and Limited Non-Pro titles of the Super Sale Two Year Old Western Pleasure Stakes classes.
This year marks the second year in a row that Mallory has won the Non-Pro Super Sale class at the Congress. “We bought him from the Mastersons at the Super Sale last year,” Mallory said.
“When we saw him last year, he was pretty, well made and had a good mind. He was a little tough to bring along, but Pat Heeley helped me a lot with him and got him ready for me today. I think he was so consistent, his top line never changed."
The Congress show management awarded a special Vic Clark Memorial trophy to both class champions in memory of Vic as the chair of the Super Sale Committee. It was Vic who spearheaded the development of the yearling section of the sale and Two Year Old Graduate classes.
“I knew Vic because I grew up in the sales and I worked with him a lot,” Mallory said. “Getting this trophy in his name is very special.”
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In the Open division, Aaron Moses showed Rasscal Flatts the win for Jeff Temple and Dr. Gail Mason. Known as Rusty, the striking bay roan stallion stood out in the crowd of more than 20 exhibitors. “He’s been really easy,” Aaron said of the stallion. “He’s very good minded. I have to give credit to my assistant Jess Duffy, because she spent a lot of time on him this year.”
Jeff Long and Dancin N Themoonlite won the Limited Open division title and third overall in the class, showing for his wife, Liz. “She is by Its A Southern Thing,” Jeff said. “She’s very beautiful and strong, and incredible legged. We will also be showing in the finals of the Coughlin Two Year Old Western Pleasure Futurity.”
Dawn Baker and Mito Been Me won the Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle Stakes for owner Janae Walker.
“She was really ready to show today,” Dawn said of the gray mare known as Daisy.
“She’s a great show horse, she loves to show. She was really consistent from the time she went in the pen until the time she came out.”
In the Non-Pro Maturity Hunter Under Saddle Stakes, Too Blazin Cool and Olivia Tordoff took top honors. It was the duo’s second Congress championship so far, having won the Youth Hunt Seat Equitation earlier in the week.
“It’s hard to balance a getting a horse ready for both Equitation and Hunter Under Saddle,” admitted Olivia.
“The contact (for Equitation) isn’t his favorite thing, but he was so good. In the Hunter Under Saddle, what sets him apart is how slow his legs are, he has a really big split behind and is so flat-kneed. He’s not the biggest trotter, but he makes up for it with his canter.”
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A catch ride led to a Congress championship for Karen Hornick when she showed Made N The Shade to win the Limited Open Western Pleasure Maturity for the Blanchard family.
“That was so much fun,” Karen said. “He has so much lift and carriage, I didn’t have to do anything but show him.”
“Katie (Green) realized that Karen was eligible for the Limited division by the Congress rules, so we asked if she would ride Mikey,” Natasha Blanchard said. “It worked out great and she got along really well with him.”
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The Trail pen in the Celeste Center had all the performance action Friday morning. Alexandra Falk showed Lets Ride to win AQHA and NSBA Junior Trail, scoring a whopping 236.5. They showed for Rickie Bryner.
“We were 40th in the draw out of 105, so I had to wait another 60 horses to see how the scores went. I was kind of freaking out,” she said.
The five year old gelding, called Ali, is by Blazing Hot. “We got him as a three year old from Jay and Kristy Starnes and taught him Trail that winter,” Alexandra said.
“We showed in Florida and little bit his three year old year. We also showed in Western Riding and were 12th. It’s my first Congress championship. It feels awesome!”
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Paige Smith and the Pineapple Xpress were named the AQHA and NSBA champions in Youth Western Pleasure 11 & Under, earning their first Congress championship. It was a great birthday present for Paige, who turned 12 the day before.
“We call her Apple and she’s six years old,” Paige said. “This is my second year to show at the Congress, and the first time we’ve won here. I’m pretty excited.”
She noted that she had some specific instructions from trainer Steve Reams.“He told me to push, have fun and be brave,” she said.
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Cassidy Fritz showed Sleep Walkin to win the Level 1 Youth Hunt Seat Equitation 13 & Under. “We’ve only been together for seven months,” Cassidy said. “Equitation is one of my favorite classes, so it’s especially cool to win that class.”
Cassidy noted she had to watch her emotions as the judge’s cards were being read. “I knew I had a third, but when the last two judges put me first, I knew I was the champion, and I tried to keep it together,” she said.
She and ‘Stilts’ also shows in Showmanship, Horsemanship and Hunter Under Saddle, and is often found showing in AQHA shows around Indiana.
Many more champions were named on Friday at the Congress. To view the complete show results, please visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com, and the view the live video feed, go to nationalsportsbroadcasting.com/congress/. The show continues through October 28.
