It’s mid-week for Ranch classes at the 2024 All American Quarter Horse Congress, and new and repeat champions were crowned.
Jenny Honey Picks Up Win #3 In Non-Pro Rail Stakes
Jenny Honey picked up Congress championship number three of 2024 on Wednesday. She showed her mare, Katie Chex Your Gun, to win the Non-Pro Working Western Rail Stakes, with 43 horses shown. They earned $6,776.80 for the win. Earlier in the week, Jenny had won the AQHA portion of Amateur Select Western Working Rail and with her stallion, Hollywood Hot Gun, won the AQHA Amateur Ranch Riding.
“I got Katie at the Congress Super Sale here three years ago,” Jenny said. “We bought her from Cooper Smith. The older she gets, the more she comes together. She’s six years old now. I’m very blessed to be able to win this class.”
Jenny noted that she converted to the Ranch classes about eight years ago. “I did Western Pleasure forever and ever,” she said. “When I started the Ranch, my family thought I was crazy. But now they’ve all come over to the ‘dark side.’ I have to give the glory to God, and my husband, Jeff, who helps me tremendously. This has been an unbelievable week. I keep saying I should just go home now.”
Jenny isn’t ready to stop showing Katie yet, but she is starting to think about breeding her. “I would like to breed her to our stallion. I think she’d have nice babies,” she said. “Maybe we could do an embryo transfer, because I’m not ready to stop showing her.”
When asked about her attraction to the Ranch events, Jenny said “it’s just fun. You don’t have ride as much or prepare as much. I admire all the pleasure people and I love a good pleasure horse. But I guess I’m getting lazier. I enjoy going faster and it’s been fun to do with my family.”
Emilie Mathisen Earns First Congress Championship
Emilie Mathisen earned her very first Congress championship in the Level 1 Senior Ranch Riding aboard Pale By Comparison. She showed for Rancho Verde LLC, and earned both the AQHA and NSBA championship and bested 71 entries to become class champion, earning a score of 241.5. She not only won the class but took second with Ara Lobo, also owned by Rancho Verde LLC, earning a score of 238.
“I’m from Denmark, and I’ve worked for Bud Lyon off and on for the past three years. I’ve got to show with Bud at the World Show and the Congress the past two years,” Emilie said. “This year we got a visa so I’m able to stay here for the year. I’ve been here since April.
“Both of the horses are owned by Ava Smith at Rancho Verde, so it was exciting to see her get two horses in there,” Emilie added. “We haven’t had either horse very long. It was just my first time to show the second place horse the other day.
“Bubbles, the first place horse, is a really fun mare. She has so much personality and she tries really hard. We’re still getting to know them as horses and in the show pen.”
In talking about her pattern, Emilie said “With it being a walk-in pattern, you have a lot of time to get your horse settled and I liked that. Especially with Bubbles, she has a beautiful extended trot, so going down to the extended trot to the stop I was really excited about, to get to show that off.
“On both horses, to me the tricky part is the sidepass going into the poles, because you can easily get trapped there. You can get too close to the walk overs or not have enough forward momentum to get over them. I was happy that worked out, that spot was a concern of mine.
“I’m super happy that Bud lets me show such nice horses, and it’s really cool to be part of such a fun group.”
Quincy Clagg and Bluey Win Youth Working Western Rail
In the largest class of the 2024 Congress so far, that saw 85 entries and five splits and a final, Quincy Clagg and Old School Bluez came out as the AQHA and NSBA champions. It was the second Congress win for Bluey, but the first championship for Quincy and Bluey.
“We bought him here at the Congress last year,” Quincy said. “We saw him in the Three Year Old Futurity here last year with Cody Crow and thought he was really cute, so we bought him. His dad is the same dad as my show horse Fancy Blue Roo, and they’re so special.”
Quincy has been a quick study with the gelding. “I showed him at the AQHYA World Show and now here,” she said. “I love him. He’s so fun and so easy. He definitely loves to do it. He and Roo are really similar. They have the same quirks, kind of. Bluey is a little bit more lovey than Roo.”
The duo worked hard for the win after showing in both a split and the finals. “I thought it was a good,” Quincy said. “I tried to stay out of traffic. He was running out of gas, but I kept him going.”
Quincy is no stranger to Congress championships. “I think this might make six or seven,” she said.
Bud Lyon And Double Tapn Win Open Ranch Riding Stakes
With 50 horses shown in a tough Ranch Riding pattern in the Coliseum, the competition was stiff, however Bud Lyon guided Dan Fox’s Double Tapn to win the Open Ranch Riding Stakes and a $5,921 paycheck.
The pattern included plenty of transitions and movement around the pen as well as a corral with two metal gates and walkover logs in between. “I haven’t had to do this pattern for a few years, and honestly it’s a little stressful,” Bud said. “This arena is a little smaller than some that we show in, and there are a lot of maneuvers to get through in a short space. But LJ is just so solid, and he just does what you ask of him.”
The gelding has been a staple in Bud Lyon’s barn for a few years. “Three years ago, Katie and her dad Dan told me they had this horse that they thought could be a good one, and they asked me if I’d like to work with him, and of course I said yes,” Bud said. “He’s turned into a really great show horse for me and for Katie.”
It’s been a banner year for the six year old gelding in 2024, who won the IRHA Ranch Rail Pleasure at the APHA World Show, the Senior Ranch Trail at the Redbud Spectacular, and Senior Ranch Riding and Amateur Ranch Riding at the Sun Circuit. At last year’s AQHA World Show LJ won a world championships in Level 3 Junior Ranch Riding and reserve world championships in Amateur Ranch Rail, All Age Non-Pro Working Western Rail and All Age Open Working Western Rail.
Thursday’s Congress show schedule will include Senior Ranch Trail, Amateur Select Ranch Trail, Amateur Ranch Trail and the Open Working Western Rail Stakes, as well as Senior Reining and the Non-Pro Reining Stakes.
To view complete show results or to view the schedule, please visit quarterhorsecongress.com or check the Horse Show Tracker app.
