Ranch Trail dominated the schedule in the Coliseum at the 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress. The day saw a few new winners named and more wins for a familiar face.
‘Jimmy’ and Deborah Win Select Amateur Ranch Trail
Deborah Deschamps-Baker showed her horse Hava Cocktail On Me to win the NSBA division of Amateur Select Ranch Trail, and finished reserve champion in the AQHA portion of the class.
“This is just the start of my Ranch Riding career,” Deborah said. “This is my third year showing Jimmy. He is by Wimpy Needs A Cocktail and out of a Smart Chic Olena mare. I came from the hunter world. I just wanted to get back into riding and the Ranch classes looked like fun. I knew I didn’t want to go back into the All Around classes, and this has just been fun to do.
“I felt like this was the best pattern I’ve ever had. I had a little booboo in my lope over, but other than that he just felt like he was dialed in. It’s the feel I need every time I show him. We show in all the Amateur Select Ranch classes and my trainer Steve Meadows shows him in the Open classes.”
"This is our second Congress Ranch championship title. We won the Level 1 Amateur Ranch Riding in 2021. It's pretty exciting."
Roy and Shannon Dudley Win Amateur Ranch Trail
It was Congress title number two for Remies Smokin, better known as Roy, this time with the Dudleys’ daughter, Shannon Dudley. “My dad found him for a client when he was young,” Shannon said.
“The client had said that he would never sell him. They had actually put him out to pasture and let him retire, but the client called my dad and said he really doesn’t like to be a retired horse. So originally my dad was supposed to sell him. At the same time, the bay mare I had wasn’t doing very well and we knew she wasn’t going to make it to the Congress last year, so I rode Roy and I told my dad that he had a problem – that he couldn’t sell this horse, because I’m buying him.
“Last year at the Congress was our second show together, and we did pretty well, but we just couldn’t quite put it together. So this year we kind of put it together. And Susie’s mare didn’t make it to the Congress this year either, and so we all decided to share Roy. So Susie won yesterday and I won today. He’s such a great horse. He’s taken care of all of us this week.
“In the pattern today, I was really happy with our back because he can really rock the back going fast with control and he did. The extended lope over logs has kind of been our nemesis, so we practiced and practiced it and finally got it done.”
Romeo And Bud Rack Up More Wins
Sumac Gunnabeflashy and Bud Lyon racked up two more Congress wins on Saturday in Senior Ranch Rail and the Open Ranch Rail Stakes. They earned $6,118.80 in the Stakes class for owner Leslie Lange. The gelding by Gunnatrashya and out of Chics Graceful Whiz has been a consistent performer throughout the 2023 Congress. As of Saturday, the gelding had won three class titles, while Bud has won eight classes and more than $21,400 on his various mounts at the 2023 Congress.
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.
