The 2020 Madness AQHA circuit hosted the first of its added money NSBA futurity and slot classes at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio, on Wednesday, July 22, and saw some large paychecks handed out to exhibitors.
Leaving A Trail
The morning began with 70 head of AQHA Senior Trail horses, many of whom competed in the $1,500 Added NSBA Senior Trail Maturity class. Familiar faces stood at the top of the score standings at the end of the class as Heza Radical Zip and Ashley Dunbar-Clock, showing for Bonnie Sheren, took the win with a score of 237 and $846.60 in earnings.
“This is just my fourth show getting to show together with Troy,” Ashley said. “This course had a lot of transitions, and it had a lot of high poles, so you had to be clean. It also had a lead change in sort of a tight spot. He was right with me throughout the pattern.”
Fellow Highpoint Performance Horses trainer Jason Martin has shown the gelding in previous years, and now it is Ashley’s turn. “He is just so naturally talented and so easy. He wants to be good, and that makes it fun to show him. He’s very kind hearted,” she said.
Ashley appreciated the chance to compete for an added money purse. “It was kind of nice to win some money,” she said. “We don’t always get to do that in Trail.”
Rounding out the money earners were:
2 – Bettin Im Best, Colton LaSusa for Vito Latini, $672.30 with a 233
3 – Check Required, Carly Veldman Parks for Cynthia Figueroa, $498.00 with a 228
4 – Rockin In The Blues, Colton LaSusa for Lindsay Hall, $249.00 with a 227
5 – HP Satin Dream, Ashley Dunbar-Clock for Jannee and Dominic Pugliani, $224.10 with a 227 score
First Time Bronze Earner
In the $2,500 Limited Horse/$2,500 Limited Rider Open Western Pleasure, Elizabeth Yoder won her first Western Pleasure bronze trophy aboard Ima Loping Machine, showing for Mr. and Mrs. William Wilkes. In addition to the hardware, they earned a paycheck for $860.63
“We call him Trevor,” Elizabeth said. “He’s four years old. He’s a big, pretty gelding, and he’s gorgeous to look at. He’s a ten jogger, and you can’t help but look at him. It felt really good to win our first NSBA bronze!
Others earning paychecks in the class included:
2 – Sleep N The Moonlite, Denny Jones for William Cox, $669.38
3 – KM WeKnowShesBest, Taylor Thayer for Masterson Farms LLC, $382.50
From Trail To Rail
Two added money Hunter Under Saddle Classes took place in the afternoon in the World Equestrian Center’s beautiful Sanctuary arena.
Katy Jo Zuidema showed Hows That For Ya to win the Three Year Old and Older Novice Horse Hunter Under Saddle in a class that was new to the Madness for 2020. The duo won $2,500 for owner Sarah Nimigan.
“We call him Howdy Doody,” laughed Katy Jo. “He’s a three year old by Hot N Blazing, and this is just his fourth horse show. We started in Venice (Florida) and won the three year old class there, showed in Raleigh and won the circuit in Green Hunter Under Saddle and reserve circuit champion in Amateur at the Big A.
He’s everything I want in a Hunt Seat horse. He’s got a great trot and a great canter, and Sarah gets along with him great. He’s my favorite Hunt Seat horse.”
Other money-earning placings in the class included:
2- Hez Really Exotic, Jamie English for Kelly Smith, $1,500
3 – Good Lookin Mechanic, Beth Case for Rebekah Kazakevicious, $1,000
4 – Skye Miles, Carly Parks for Sandy Vargo, $750
5 – Its A Northern Thing, Beckey Schooler for Sarah Merkatoris, $500
6 – Hes Al Right, Mallori Bordic for Sandra Hornig, $250
.
Silbing Rivalry
You can’t get much closer than tied to win, and that’s just want two exhibitors from the same show barn showing full brothers did in the $500 Added All Age Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.
Hesa Dancin Hubba and Chris Lagerblade tied for the win with Hubbout A Dance and Madison Nirenstein, with each receiving $231.53 in earnings. The tiebreaker saw Chris winning the hardware for the class.
“Hubbout A Dance, or Henry, is the older brother,” noted Madison. “I bought him at the NSBA World Show two years ago, so we’re coming up on two years together. He was easy to get used to because I stayed in the same barn at Highpoint Performance Horses.”
“This was a very large class, and they made us work for it,” Chris said. “What I love about the Hubba Hubba Huntin horses is that they are so good minded. I just love working with this horse.”
Madison agreed. “Henry knows when it’s game time. He knows his job and likes what he does. It’s fun to show him,” she said.
Completing the money earning exhibitors in the class were:
3 – If Im Honest, Sunni Duke, $162.93
4 – Al Be Bleu, Tali Terlizzi, $85.75
5 – HBF Hot Expectations, Lacy Watson, $77.17
6/7 – N A Heartbeat, Jennifer D’Onofrio, $34.50
6/7 – Hubba Hubba Dancin, Jennifer Morrow, $34.50
Sibling Rivalry, Part 2
Two other full siblings took first and second in the NSBA Three Year Old and Older Novice Horse Western Pleasure Slot Class. Nothin But Nett and Rusty Green were the unanimous champions showing for Susie Johns in the Open division, earning the $15,000 first place check. The second place horse, Yall Hash Tag This, showed by Aaron Moses for Brent and Kate Bamford, is a full sibling to Nothin But Nett. Both horses are by Machine Made and out of KM Hot Number.
“We bought him a couple of months ago from Kelby Hutchinson, and he did a great job starting him,” Rusty said of the unanimous champion, Nothing But Nett, known as Steph, after Golden State Warriors basketball star Steph Curry.
“I hadn’t seen a horse like this one in a long time,” Rusty said. “He does all three gears and he just really tries. We’ve already got him changing leads, and we’re working toward the Three Year Old Challenge at the AQHA World Show, and plan to add more events for him. He’s a cool horse.”
.
The Novice Slot Class included three additional awards including a special payout for the highest placing offspring of VS Code Red or VS Flatline. Brian Baker showed Stone Cold Sober for Joe Whitt to fourth place in the Open division, earning the $20,000 check for the Great American Payout, in addition to the $3,500 paycheck for the class.
In the Limited division of the Novice Horse Slot Class, Made Mighty Cool and Erik Parsons, showing for Starland Ranch LLC, earned the $1,000 check in addition to placing tenth in the Open. Ive Been Mooned, shown by Jessica Duffy for Taylor Kungle took the reserve Limited award and $500.
E.H. Pait Jr. and Shez A Hot Moonlight, showing for Amy Black, won the Intermediate division and a $1,000 paycheck while Son Of A Machine and Brian Ale took the reserve title and $500 for Amanda Mehaffey.
Rounding out the Open division money earners were:
3rd – Martina McRide, Katy Jo Zuidema for Robert Roger, $5,000
4th – Stone Cold Sober, Brian Baker, $3,500 plus the VS Code Red/VS Flatline payout
5th – KM Made By The Best, Bret Parrish, $3,000
6th – A General Consensus, Gil Galyean for Kenneth and Lana Banks, $2,500
7th – Made In Madison, Jason English for Melanie Parker, $2,000
8/9 – The Range Loper, Ashley Lakins for Mr and Mrs William Wilkes, $750
8/9 – Mastering The Lope, Angie Cannizzaro, $750'
The Madness continues through Sunday, July 26. For more information, please visit www.anequineproduction.com..
