The Congress took on its more usual temperatures on Sunday, causing many to bring out their winter coats and horse blankets, but the competition continued to be hot as the show continued into its third week.
Final Equestrians With Disabilities Champions Crowned
Sunday saw the final EWD classes on the schedule for 2023, and a mix of familiar faces and new champions were named throughout the day.
Erin Bates has been coming to the Congress for three years, and on Sunday she was named a Congress champion with her horse, Details N Assets, in the EWD Walk Jog Hunter Under Saddle - Independent. It was her first Congress championship.
“My mom cried,” Erin said. When asked if she cried, Erin replied “a little bit.”
“I wanted to come and show here at the Congress for the competition – it’s a big show,” she said. “I’ve been with my horse for eight years. His name is Bob. We also show at the NSBA World Show. It is a little closer than the Congress because we live in Oklahoma. I really liked our walk in our (Hunter Under Saddle) class today.
“We show in all the classes. My favorite is Trail because it is always different, but Bob’s favorite is Hunter Under Saddle. Working with the horses helps me improve my riding skills and my balance, and they make me happy. I’ve been riding horses all my life. I have chromosome 18 myosomy. I have had over 20 surgeries all over my body.
“Riding give me confidence. My mom is my coach and Bob is at our barn. I go to the barn every day and ride, and help out at the barn. My mom has 12 horses, so I help take care of them.”
When asked how she will top her 2023 show year, Erin said “Next year, I want to hit all my diagonals and place in all my classes.”
Autumn Zundel celebrated her birthday in style on Sunday when she took the top two placings in EWD Walk Trot Trail, Supported Rider. Autumn showed Shuldacalldhimwhisky, owned by Alyssa Schipani, to win the class, scoring 221.5 for the Congress championship.
She also showed Riveting Rose, owned by Ben Debrouwer, to the reserve award and scored 219.5 on that ride. She had also shown Riveting Rose to a reserve Congress championship in EWD Supported Western Pleasure on Saturday.
Kelsey Weick had a very good day in the EWD classes, winning the Congress NSBA championship and reserve champion overall in EWD Walk Jog Trail- Independent, Independent with Very Good WhenImGood, owned by Corbett Ryan, as well as the Congress NSBA championship and reserve champion overall in EWD Walk Trot Hunt Seat Equitation- Independent.
Earlier in the show she earned a Congress and NSBA championship in EWD Walk Jog Western Pleasure – Independent and a reserve Congress and NSBA championship in EWD Walk Jog Horsemanship with Superwomann.
Big Wins For Small Fry
Calla Ross showed her 14 year old gelding Flashy Invite to her second Congress and NSBA title, this time in Small Fry Trail, where they scored 233. The duo had won Small Fry Horsemanship on Saturday.
“We’ve been together for about a year,” Calla said. “Ty has been really good for me. He’s taught me how to ride. I work with Reid Thomas. The Trail is probably my favorite.
“I was worried about my spin because a lot of people got confused on it. I was worried because he is big, and the box was really small. My favorite part is I like going over the poles.”
In Small Fry Western Pleasure, seven year old Aislyn Galyean showed her horse VS Lady In Red to the Congress and NSBA championship. The day before, her sister Gracelyn had borrowed ‘Lady’ to win the Level 1 Youth Walk Trot Western Pleasure. It was not Aislyn’s first time to show in the Small Fry Western Pleasure. She had showed Lady in the class in 2022 to earn the reserve champion title.
“We’ve had Lady all of her life,” Aislyn said. “I love everything about her. She was really good in our class. I was nervous in my go, but it was better in the finals. Between our go and our final, we jammed to some Taylor Swift – Bad Blood. I really like the Western Pleasure.”
Circling A Win In Longe Line
John Sparks and Makin Me Pretty made a very good go in the Non-Pro Western Yearling Longe Line, and the judges agreed. John and his filly won the NSBA, Southern Belle Breeders and Super Sires portion of the class, earning more than $5,300 in total earnings.
She’s a filly and is by Makin Me Willy Wild and out of a Zippos Mr Goodbar mare. She’s been such a blessing this year. She gives me the same longe every day, day in and day out. She’s very special to me,” John said. “I’ve had her since June. She was in the barn and I had the opportunity to lease her and I couldn’t pass it by.
“She won the Non-Pro and the Open Western Longe Line at the NSBA World Show, so she’s really on a roll. Chandler Marks just purchased her, and she will have a date late with VS Flat Line, after she shows.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better go. She did everything I asked her to do, and at one point I thought to myself that I was overworking myself, and I had to just stand there and let her go. When I gave her the commands, she just did what she was supposed to do and I just stood there and thought it looks pretty good.”
DeBoer, Niffenegger Win Hunter Classic Titles
The Congress Working Hunter Classic has been a tough class for Lainie Deboer, but she guided DGS Dont Tell Tales to the win Sunday night for owner Pam Stubbs. “This class has kind of been a challenge for me and it’s been a running joke with all of the other professionals,” Lainie said. “Something always seems to happen and I don’t do well. I don’t know how to describe it . So I'm officially retiring from the class now.
“I think I have more anxiety for this class because of it, and when I am waiting for the second go round, I’m just waiting for the shoe to drop. He did trip in the warm up but I just reset my head and keep calm. A really good friend of mine just won the WCHR finals, Kate Conover, so I was channeling Kate the whole way.
“David Miller has just elevated the whole event with his jump designs here. He encourages the horses to jump at their very best and it just shows off our breed. I feel like the horses jumped really well tonight. There was a lot to look at, but it was also inviting. It’s tough to find that balance where it’s not spooky but yet challenges them and is inviting, and I think he’s done that.”
“We’ve had Dillon since he was three and he’s ten now. MJ Fowler found him as a three year old and we cultivated him until he was five and sold him to Pam (Stuffs). He’s won 20 some world champion titles. He’s such a great Amateur horse, and I think that’s what sets him apart. He’s a very intelligent horse, and each jump he studied. It was a pleasure.”
“In the handy round, I just wanted him to stay cadenced, and I just wanted everything to be consistent. Just tried to let him shine, and he was wonderful.”
In the Non-Pro Working Hunter Classic, Ryan Painter Show Stables riders took the top two spots with Jo Ann Niffenegger and Thrift Shop taking the win and Morgan Ratkowski and Better Buy The Minit earning the reserve award.
“I have never won this class before,” Jo Ann said. “He won the Select Amateur Working Hunter earlier today and came back to win this tonight. I just started showing him in April. We seem to click, and we don’t panic each other.
“In the handy round, my strategy was to get into the bridle and commit to the hand gallop at the end of the course, and we did that – he did gallop!”
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.
