The NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity rolled into the middle of the week with some new world and futurity champions named and some returning champions named.
Western Winners
The Senior Western Riding saw 58 horses show in the pattern that is unique to the NSBA World Championship Show due to the center stage in the Ford Truck Arena. For the first time, a Limited Open Rider division was also part of the class. Blake Weis showed Snap It Send It to win the Open division for owner Evon Werner.
“Blake was wonderful with her,” Evon said of her gray mare’s performance. “I loved watching this class and seeing this pattern, because the horses could move forward and show so pretty.” Evon has not owned Snap It Send It very long, but has big plans for her. “We will continue to campaign with Blake Weis, and we’re looking forward to having some babies. She’s so beautiful, and bred so well, that I can’t wait for that.”
Troy Lehn piloted No Question Im Lazy to win the inaugural Limited Rider division of Senior Western Riding. “Jethro is by Lazy Loper and is owned by the Graves family,” Troy said. “We’ve had hi about a year. He shows in Western Riding, Trail and with Lauren Graves in the All Around events. He’s a very sweet, kind soul, and always wants to please you. He’s so much fun to show.
“I really love showing this pattern. It’s actually easier than showing one of the usual patterns, because the horses can’t expect what’s next. This is a big arena and you can get your pace and go around a little faster. I was able to have a lot of fun with it. It was very exciting to win the first Limited class, too.”
Taft Dickerson showed Gone Commando to win his first world championship in his career, showing for owner Karen Carter. “This horse is kind of special to me because it’s the last one my dad and I picked out before we moved and started our own training business. She’s by Gone Viral and from his first foal crop, and I had shown him before.
“It’s also coming full circle for us, because Paul Thurston bred her and Jamie Hylton owned her mom. Paul worked for my dad, and we’re really close with Jamie Hylton. It’s probably the only one I begged my dad to keep, and it’s literally the only one that he’s kept.
“She’s really a straight shooter – very honest. She got ran into yesterday, and she didn’t even flinch. I can put her wherever I want and she just shows, on the rail, off the rail, she just goes. We will be showing her at the Congress and the World Show.”
Line Up Behind added two more world titles to his resume, with JR Cook showing him to win Amateur Western Pleasure and Cole Baker adding a win in the Breeders Championship Futurity 4-6 Year Old Open Western Pleasure.
Colton Andrews showed EZ Breezy to win the world title in the Two Year Old Limted Open Western Pleasure. “Brittany bought her last year here at the yearling sale,” Colton said. “She just has a great personality. She’s always happy. She’s by WillyBeUpToNoGood and out of Endless Breeze. We call her Breezy.”
The win was special for Colton because he showed against, and placed just ahead of, his bes friend, Jeffrey Gibbs, who started the mare. “She has been easy since we started,” Jeffrey said. “We loved her size, her soft eye and she’s just big and pretty.”
In the Color Breeders Championship Futurity Two Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, Robert Herman showed Calamadey J to the futurity championship. “I just bought Josie the first of March from Corey Seebach and Candace Hall. She has AQHA and Pinto papers. She’s by Invitation Only and out of Made By J, so she’s really got royalty in her bloodlines.
“I love how easy she is. She’s just easy-going and very sweet, and wants to do her job. We will be taking her to the Congress, and maybe the AQHA World Show, and later she will be raising some babies.
Hunter Highlights
Elizabeth “Spike” Brewer showed a gelding that she and her husband Joseph bred and raised, when she took Well Al Be to win the Color Breeders Championship Futurity Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. “He’s by Allocate Your Assets, and honestly I’ve liked everything about him from the time he was a baby,” Spike said.
“Jody did all the ground work on him, and then we took him to Joy and Justin Wheeler in December. We took him to the APHA World Show and won the Amateur and Non-Pro Three Year Old Hunter Under Saddle. He is the most fun Hunter Under Saddle horse to show. Our class here today was a little intense since we had someone have a bobble right in front of us, but he was very good – I was like ‘I got this.’”
Melissa Jones showed If Im Honest for the Shoemake-Doles Partnership to win the Breeders Championship Futurity 4-6 Year Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle.
“He’s by How Bout This Cowboy, and he’s six years old now,” Melissa said. “He’s such an easy horse – everything is so natural for him. He is just so happy to do his job. I knew that Evie Doles would have Equitation with him this afternoon so I was trying to conserve his energy a little bit and not overdo it. I’m pretty excited because this is my first BCF championship. We were second in this class last year.”
Im Willy Fabulous proved that he could live up to his name when he was crowned a world champion in the Two Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle with his owner and breeder Sandra Morgan. “We sort of created him from scratch,” Sandra said. “We did ISCI with Good I Will Be and Fabulicity, and used a recipient mare. I loved him from the moment he was born. He was perfectly balanced from the beginning, and loped everywhere, and he’s great minded.
“Today, he was great when we showed. I had to push to get every step out of him, but that’s my favorite kind to ride. He was steady and stayed with me the whole class. We are planning to take him to the Congress, and we will show him next year in the three year old classes.”
Sheyenne Nelson showed Heart Stopper to the duo’s second world show win in the Two Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, following up their win on Tuesday.
The final world show class in the Ford Arena prior to the Cinch Horsemanship Invitational was the Three Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, which saw Give Me A Good Alibi and Beth Case take the world championship for owners Michelle and Sheila Bauer.
“He is a really great trotter, and he’s very serious about his job,” Beth said of the gelding known as Harold. “He’s big and really attractive when he moves, and he’s pretty honest.” Michelle Bauer approved of his go. “I thought they were great,” she added. “I was sitting in the stands with Charlie (Cole) and he thought so too.”
The final world show class in the Ford Arena prior to the Cinch Horsemanship Invitational was the Three Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, which saw Give Me A Good Alibi and Beth Case take the world championship for owners Michelle and Sheila Bauer.
“He is a really great trotter, and he’s very serious about his job,” Beth said of the gelding known as Harold. “He’s big and really attractive when he moves, and he’s pretty honest.” Michelle Bauer approved of his go. “I thought they were great,” she added. “I was sitting in the stands with Charlie (Cole) and he thought so too.”
CINCH Horsemanship Invitational
The nightcap class in the Ford Arena was the CINCH Horsemanship Invitational finals, which saw the top 15 finalists perform a pattern that they learned just ten minutes prior to the start of the class and could not watch the other exhibitors perform. Payton Boutelle bested the field and won the $3,000 first place prize, with a $1,500 trainer bonus going to her trainers, Chris and Melissa Jones.
“Just to make the finals was obviously an honor,” Payton said. “Making the best 15 riders was huge for me. Coming out, I just wanted to have fun and have a good pattern, a clean pattern. Payton said.
Showing patterns cold is nothing new for this exhibitor, who rides on the equestrian team for TCU. “We were given four possible patterns, and they gave us ten minutes to practice after they gave us the patten when we were up here ready to show. School has really helped with that. The ten minutes was really good, because I used it to lay out my pieces where I wanted them and get my spots. It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I won.”
CINCH sponsored the event.
The NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity continues through August 21. To view the complete show results, view the live video feed or learn more about NSBA or the show, please visit nsba.com.
