While many people don’t look forward to Mondays, we suspect seveeral NSBA members could agree with Gracelyn Galyean's description of Monday as “the best day ever.”
Gracelyn showed KM Suddenly So Easy to win Youth Walk Trot Western Pleasure. “I just started riding her,” Gracelyn said. “She was really amazing. I love her so much. The hardest part was just keeping her trotting (in the class).
“It was kind of difficult because there were a lot of horses and they were passing me, but I just tried to keep her listening. This was just my first class with her. We show in Equitation, Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Trail and Showmanship.”
Putting The Show in Showmanship
Penni Himes also had a good Monday morning with her horse, Essentially Good, winning the world championship title in Novice Amateur 50 & Over Showmanship. “It was a cool pattern. It was really fluid and had a lot of forward movement to it,” she said. “You had to be accurate, because it had a lot to it, from a walk, slight extended walk that I really liked and a trot on an arc and a square corner walk.
“We call this horse Rico Suave, and he’s really my daughter Gracie’s horse. She’s at college, so he’s taking care of grandma. This is our second NSBA world title. We won the Novice Amateur 50 & Over Horsemanship last year.”
The Amateur 50 & Over Showmanship class saw a familiar duo in the winner’s circle when Scott Reinarz and Investin A Goodbar were named world champions. “Hank and I have been together for nine years now,” Scott said.
“I was actually the one who taught him Showmanship, so it’s kind of special to us. It’s one of my favorite events, and he loves it too. It suits his personality. He likes to be coddled, and he just likes to hang out with me. He’s really good at not anticipating movements, but we don’t practice the whole pattern a lot – we just will do some pieces of it and then do something else. Today’s pattern was one that you had to be very correct because it had a lot of straight lines to it, and you had to back straight.”
Winning the world champion title in Novice Youth Showmanship was an emotional time for Sydney Sisil and her show partner Hoep To Be Hot. “I had been leasing another show horse, but after the Novice Championship Show, the owner wanted to potentially sell that horse so I had to find another horse,” Sydney said.
“I was horseless for about six weeks, and then Tanya Brown made us an offer on Timmy. He’s such a good man. He’s 17 years old, and he and I do the All Around in Horsemanship, Trail, Showmanship, Western Riding and English classes. I actually stayed here instead of doing some senior high school activities at my high school, Liberty High School in California, to get to show here, but it was worth it!”
June Roberson had a busy day showing her buckskin gelding PS Bringin The Bucks. She showed to third place in Youth 14-18 Showmanship and came back to win the world championship in the Color Youth Showmanship. “He is 11 years old, and one of the Amateurs in our barn had him,” June said. “I was able to lease him the past few years but this is my last year to get to show him since his owner wants to start showing him again.
“Huck was really good. We just came back from the AQHYA World Show and we made the finals in Showmanship and Equitation there. I really liked the pattern today. You had to back really straight from the judge and in line.”
If the Roberson name sounds familiar, you might remember June’s sister, JoJo, who had a very successful career winning the Congress and AQHYA World Show in Showmanship. “I have to leave to move in to Oklahoma State,” June said. “I’m going in as a freshman, and I’m currently majoring in marketing, but I’m thinking about changing to pre-law or psychology. My sister is a senior, and she’s already there.”
As the placings counted down in Amateur Showmanship, Ann Oldfather was just hoping to be top five, then top three with her horse, One Exclusive Cookie, when the duo were named world champions in the class. “I’ve never even placed here before,” Ann said.
“We only do Showmanship so this is a very special pony. I work with Jenny and Robin Frid, and Jenny has put so much time in with us to get us prepared for this show. I am so grateful to Jenny and Robin. It’s very exciting.”
Eric Mendrysa and his horse Never Sudden were named world champions in Color Amateur Showmanship. “I’ve had Beauford for about a year. He’s probably the quirkiest horse I’ve ever owned. He has the biggest personality, and if you see his stall, you’ll see he has a jolly ball and a cone to keep him busy. But as soon as you put the chain on him, he’s all business,” Eric said. “I kind of took a break from the All Around classes and did Reining for a while, but got back in. We do Showmanship, Horsemanship, Trail and Western Riding.
“I really liked the pattern today a lot. He has a huge trot, and I got to go in and show it off to the judge. He had really clean transitions and backed really well. We did the Amateur class first, and I wasn’t sure how he would be in the Color, but he showed even better. We had won the Western Riding before, but this is my first world championship in Showmanship.”
Halter Highlights
Performance Halter horses took center stage in the Ford Arena on Monday evening, with Non-Pro and Open classes showing.
Two horses dominate the Mare and Gelding divisions. Al Of A Sudden swept both the Non-Pro Performance Halter Geldings with owner Jordan Macan and Open with trainer Kendra Weis. “His name is Tulsa,” Jordan said. “We do Trail, Horsemanship, Western Pleasure and Halter. I just love his personality, because he gives you 110 percent every time.
“He is built so stocky, and big and buff. He has one of those personalities where he just loves to show off too. His ears are always forward. I had never won here before, so this was really special.”
Snap Chat Diva swept both the Non-Pro and Open Performance Halter Mares. Owner Roxanne Doogan showed “Ruby” to the world title for a second year in a row in the Non-Pro class. “She’s almost 17 hands tall, and that’s really tall considering her bloodlines. She’s by VS Flatline and out of a Radical Rodder mare,” Roxanne said.
“Jeff Mellott found her for us when she was three years old. She has taught me an awful lot. She’s still a mare, and she has her opinions, but we show Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Hunt Seat Equitation, Horsemanship, Western Riding and Trail.”
Leslie Lange showed Ruby to win the Open division of the class. “Performance Halter was never our goal when we started working with her,” Leslie said. “When we first got her, she was 15.3, and then she kept growing, and a few people suggested we start showing her in Halter. She’s very pretty, and she’s really balanced.”
The final Performance Halter world champion to be named was Best N Radical, shown by Ted Turner Jr. for Tracey Thompson. “He’s very pretty, extremely balanced and correct, but not overdone. Everything fits on him,” Ted said of the two year old stallion.
“He’s by Lopin My Best, and out of Black N Ready,” Tracy noted. “We are pretty excited about him.”
Longe Line Champions Named
Two Longe line class divisions saw futurity and world champions crowned on Monday.
The Color Open Western Longe Line and Breeders Championship Futurity Color Open Yearling Longe Line classes showed concurrently, but with the same result, with Peter Mead’s Willy Rockn Thehouse winning both parts of the class. The yearling is by Makin Me Willy Wild and out of Bestseatnthehouse (RL Best Of Sudden).
In the Open Hunter Longe Line and Breeders Championship Futurity Open Hunter Longe Line, the same horse also won both divisions when Sleepn Around, owned by Kevin Griner and shown by Sara Simons, won the world championship and futurity champion award. The filly is by Too Sleepy To Zip and out of Blue Skys Movin In.
The NSBA World Championship Show continues through Sunday, August 21. To view the live feed, learn more about the show or the association, please visit nsba.com.
