The 56th All American Quarter Horse Congress got underway on Tuesday, September 26, and for NSBA members, Ranch classes were front and center with both Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail classes featured as well as the inaugural Four and Five Year Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes.
Lion’s Share For Bud Lyon
Trainer Bud Lyon couldn’t do any better than the top three placings in the Four and Five Year Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes. He showed Chillinlikeavillain for his wife Kim and himself, earning $5,197; Winn Like Flinn for Lane Kail, earning $3,742.32; and Pale In Comparison for Lynn Walker, earning $2,702.85.
“We’ve had ‘Storm’ about a year and a half,” Bud said. “He primarily does Reining, so we added this as something else he can do. This is only his third show doing the Ranch classes. He seems to really like it, and he’s done with Reining for the year so we’ve kept showing him in the Ranch classes.”
The Four and Five Year Old class was a new addition to the Congress. “I think the futurity classes are the way the industry is going,” Bud said. “Although we enjoy showing for points and titles, showing for added money is really exciting for the trainers and the customers, and it’s great for the industry. We also love having this class for our four and five year old horses where they don’t have to compete against the Senior horses with more experience. It’s a great addition.”
First Class, First Champion for Bud Lyon in Senior Working Western Rail
Bud also won the first Ranch class of the 2023 Congress when he guided Sumac Gunnabeflashy to win the NSBA and AQHA division of Senior Working Western Rail. “I’ve had Romeo since he was a three year old,” he said. “Leslie Lange gave me some specific orders to find a really special horse, and it took me a year and a half of looking to feel comfortable making the purchase. He’s lived up to being a very special horse. He’s won the Junior Rail, Senior Rail and the Headley Stakes class. He’s a great horse.”
Bud spent any moments that he wasn’t in the saddle in the Congress salt water spa, but not for his horses, rather for himself. One of Bud’s horses tripped and fell on him at the NSBA World Show in August, causing a radial fracture of his right tibia. With a normal recovery time of four to six months, Bud is doing all he can to stay healthy while still meeting his obligations.
“When the accident happened, they put me in a fiberglass cast for four weeks, and I got cut out of it about a week before the Congress,” Bud said. “I was in a walking boot but was not weight bearing. I told my doctor that I had a very important event comping up, and he told me it sounded like I was going to do it anyway. I’m riding as much as I can, and my assistant, Logan Pluhar, is also riding and showing if I can’t. I’ll try to do as much as I can.”
Karen Johnson and "Kangaroo" Win Amateur Select Working Ranch Rail
A familiar face stood at the top of the placings in the Amateur Select Working Ranch Rail when Karen Johnson and Gotta Hot Gun, affectionately known as Kangaroo, were named the winners.
“We almost didn’t get to bring him,” Karen said. “He got hurt at the APHA World Show. He overreached and clipped his shoe and we had to give him some time off. It took until now for him to get healed up, and we were able to bring him. He’s my once in a lifetime horse.”
Kyla Thurlow and Kachina Olena Tag Win Level 1 Amateur Ranch Riding
A long-time partnership resulted in a first-time Congress championship for Kyla Thurlow and Kachina Olena Tag.
“I’ve known him since he was three, and I bought him when he was four,” Kyla said. “He’s ten years old now. We’ve shown the Reining a lot, and we just started doing Ranch classes about a year and a half ago. He really likes it. He’s my whole world and I just love him. This is our first time to win a Congress title. We were reserve champions in Reining a few years ago.
“I show with the Rafacz family, so they help me with the Reining, and their daughter Madison does the Ranch classes too.”
Eric Mendrysa and Magic Mike Earn First Congress Title
Eric Mendrysa is a familiar competitor in the NSBA All Around classes, and he can now add Congress champion in the Ranch division to his resume after winning the Amateur Ranch Riding with Xtra Magic Doctor.
“I’ve only had him since June,” Eric said. “I just wanted a project to keep at home and keep legged up, because I have a couple of NRHA Derby horses with Trevor Dare. ‘Magic Mike’ has won about $70,000 with NRHA, and the Ranch classes are all new to him. I ride him about three days a week, and I take him on trail rides and just hang out. He is a stud, but he is so great minded and I can do anything with him.
“We took him to a show about ten days after we got him and won a bunch of circuit awards. He really seems to like it. We won the NSBA World Show, and now here. As many years as I’ve shown here, I had never won a Congress class until now. I think I have been a Congress reserve champion seven times – not that I am counting!"
The 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress continues through Sunday, October 22. To view complete show results, please visit the Horse Show Tracker or quarterhorsecongress.com. You can also view the show’s live video feed at quarterhorsecongress.com/livestream.
