It was a jam-packed schedule at the NSBA World Championship Show on Sunday, with four arenas of classes as well as the Heroes On Horses parade and competition as well as the NSBA Honors awards banquet..
Honoring Heroes
A huge class of 20 veterans competed in this year’s Heroes On Horses Walk Trot Western Pleasure class, which was held Sunday evening. Prior to the competition, a parade honoring the veterans was held, and each veteran was recognized for their military service. A riderless horse, color guard and national anthem presentation was held.
Helen Voss came all the way from Ohio to compete in this year’s Heroes On Horses class and emerged as the world champion, showing Cowboy Causin Mayhem. Helen is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having won the Heroes On Horses class at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
“The experience here at the NSBA World Show is Heroes on steroids,” she said. “NSBA started this class, and they take our experience and knock it out of the park. We had a great dinner with all the veterans that were showing, and got to visit with each other. I think the comraderie is what really makes this experience.”
Helen, who worked in military mental health for 15 years, understands how working with horses can help veterans. “I think having this class gives us something to focus on. Especially those veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, having something on the other side to look forward to is a great help. Horses have a healing power, and just being around them is therapeutic.”
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Champions Crowned
Over fences champions dominated the day in the Ford Truck Arena.
Aloha Sky and Lisa Ligon, showing for Ashley Bland, were repeat world champions on Sunday, winning Green Working Hunter and Green Hunter Hack. “I got him in December so this is really his first year showing,” Lisa said.
“He’s very charismatic when he shows, and he had a Hunter Under Saddle career before we started him over jumps. He is a reserve world champion with APHA, and he’s double registered.”
It was the first world championship for owner Ashley Bland. “I don’t even know what to say,” Ashley said. “It’s still sinking in.”
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A not so great dress rehearsal led to a great go for Neil Godfrey and Investment Hunter when they won Amateur Working Hunter. “We didn’t have a great go yesterday in the Show Your Colors, but today everything just flowed,” he said.
“I’ve had him two or three years, and I think he is 20 this year. He’s just very honest.”.
In Youth Working Hunter, Denim Wellhouse took Naturally Immortal to the world title. “We call him Ricky, because we got him from Rick Skelly,” she said. “He’s really fun to ride, very soft and flowing. We’ve had him for three years.
"Honestly, I really like my other horse better, but he’s was being tough today.”.
Jerry Erickson and AE Hot N Sonny repeated their success from the Working Hunter Derby yesterday into the Open Working Hunter, earning their second world championship for owner Peter Sloane.
“Sometimes when they’re just on a roll, they are really fun to show and you just go with it,” Jerry said.
Jesilyn McCarroll has been competing at the NSBA World Show for several years, and she took Get Me To Hollywood to the world championship in Amateur Equitation Over Fences. “Our goal was just to have a solid go, and he was so dialed in to every jump,” she said.
“There were lots of turns and options, and that made it a fun course. I’m lucky that this horse allows me to balance working full time with trying to show. I am an ER nurse, so I show when I can. I’m lucky in that I can make my own schedule most of the time, so I show around Oklahoma and Texas primarily, but we went to the Big A, Florida and hope to go to the Congress.”
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Jax Bound traded her normal Reining, Ranch Riding and Boxing classes a year ago to begin showing over fences classes, and in just her second year with her horse, Havn A Supreme Time, she won her first world championship.
Known as Taco, Jax noted her horse has a big personality. “He loves eating and is addicted to mints,” she said. “He’s 11 years old, and he likes to try to make decisions for me. He didn’t do quite what I wanted in the class, but it worked out. We just came from the AQHA Youth World Show, and this show is a lot of fun and not as stressful. It’s our second year to show here and I really like showing here.”
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Former champion futurity Hunter Under Saddle horse Al Wayz On Your Mind is transitioning very well to his over fences career, with Linda Crothers taking him to a world champion title in Junior Hunter Hack for owner Gerrie Leigh Pratt. “He’s five years old and Linda has had him a year and half,” Gerri Leigh said. “He’s beautiful and he’s an awesome mover. He’s really Linda’s pet.”
“He was very good today,” added Linda. “He put his game face on and went to work. He had quite a fan club. He’s such a fun hunter.”
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Lauren Kiyota has only been showing over fences classes for a year, and she earned her first world championship with Do U Wanna Dance. “This is my first trophy ever,” Lauren said. “Our go went better than I thought it would go. I don’t know how I even feel about it yet.”
Known as Clayton, Do U Wanna Dance is by Hot N Blazing. “He’s like a little kid, but he’s fun,” she said.
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Madison Scheiner made her first time to the NSBA World Show count by winning a world championship in Youth Hunter Hack. “I showed the Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation before, and I always wanted to do this. We got Prince a year and a half ago to do this.
“My trainer Jessica Johnson was pregnant last year, so we didn’t show here. This is his green year, and I am still a Novice, so we are figuring it out together. He’s so sweet and he tries so hard. We had a really nice go in the Green Hunter Hack and got fourth, and I was just hoping we could replicate that in our Youth go.”
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Pam Stubbs had her eye on DGS Dont Tell Tales for a few years before she bought him after last year’s AQHA World Championship Show. Now, she owns the Senior Hunter Hack world champion. Gretchen Lof showed ‘Dillon’ to the win.
“He’s by PR Tells The Tale, and out of a Skys Blue Boy mare,” Pam said. “Lainie Deboer had him, and he’s won AQHA world championships in Junior Working Hunter and Junior Hunter Hack. I kept texting Lainie telling her I wanted him after I watched him go at the Congress last year.”
“It’s just his first year as a Senior horse, and he was so good after going in several classes with both of us today,” added Gretchen. “He and all of us were tired at the end of the day, but he had a beautiful round in the Senior Hunter Hack.
Western Winners
Lane Kail continued his winning streak that started at the AQHA Youth World Championship Show by adding NSBA world championship titles in Novice Youth Western Pleasure and Youth Western Pleasure 13 & Under with A Good N Hot Machine.
“I usually ride every day before I show, and then the day I show I try to get a good night’s sleep, and wake up and get dressed and ready to go. Then I sit down and listen to this song, ‘All I Do Is Win,’” Lane said. “Taylor Searles suggested it to me and it really worked at the Youth World so I did it here too and it helped.”
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Another competitor continued her winning streak from the AQHA Youth World Show when Sydnie Ochs showed No Doubting Me to win the Youth 14-18 Western Pleasure world championship. “I decided to show off the rail before I went in, and I pushed him forward a little bit,” Sydnie said. “Brian told me if I found a spot on the rail that I should put him there, and it all worked out.”
No Doubting Me is a graduate of the Yearling Sale program. “We have a lot of Maturity classes yet to show,” she said. “He’s pretty tired after being at the Youth World, so I was waiting for something to happen, but he was good. He’s just four, so he’s really doing well.”
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Kaitlyn Smith showed Southern Comfort Zone to win the Color Youth Western Pleasure world championship title. Kaitlyn also came from the AQHA Youth World Show. “I went out a week and a half before the AQHA Youth World show to practice,” Kaitlyn said.
“I’ve had him for five years, so I know him pretty well. He’s so perfect and is just such an honest soul. We showed here four years ago for the first time and won, and now we’ve come back and won, so it’s been really fun.”r.
In the Horsemanship, Jacqueline Frimodt and Designed To B Blonde earned the world championship title. Color Youth Horsemanship – ApHC. It definitely challenges me to show against the other breeds,” Jacqueline said.
“I was first to go, and there were no lines whatsoever. That pattern had a lot in it, including an extended jog and transition to regular jog, lope, extended lope and a lead change. I was worried about getting my lead change, but it all worked out.”
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Isabella Buckley was surprised to be named the world champion in Novice Youth Horsemanship. “I was so nervous and didn’t know if it was good enough, but she was so good for me,” Isabella said.
“I’ve done the NSBA World for three years, and I won the Walk Trot before, but this is my first big one. My favorite part of the pattern was the spins, because I’ve had trouble with them and worked really hard on them. I love the pattern classes. I feel like you have to set really high expectations because there are really good competitors.”
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Sunday ended with the NSBA Honors awards banquet, which recognized year-end award champions as well as Hall of Fame and other special awards. Couture Blue Genes, owned by Debbie Hodde, earned the 2018 Horse of the Year award after an outstanding show year in 2018.. NSBA welcomed its two newest Quarter Million Dollar riders to the list of exhibitors earning $250,000 in lifetime earnings - Jason Martin and Vicky Holt Parker. Zippo Tiger Bar became the first living horse to receive the Legacy Award. Rachel Kruchten was recognized as the 2019 Youth Of The Year. NSBA President Chris Darnell presented the Leo Barbera President's Award to the NSBA staff. Three entities were inducted into the NSBA Hall of Fame. R-11/BSB Quarter Horses, otherwise known as Hedy Levin, Shelly Donovan and Kim Donovan, were inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with Vested Pine in the Breeding Horse category, and One Hot Krymsun in the Show Horse category. Steve Heckaman received the Jack Benson Award for promoting the pleasure horse industtry and its mission.
The NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity continues through Sunday, August 18. Please visit the NSBA website at www.nsba.com to view results as well as the live video feed to the arenas.
