It was a terrific Tuesday for several NSBA members as the final week of the All American Quarter Horse Congress continues.
Level 1 13 & Under Showmanship
Reagan Thenhaus and Sudden Top Notch won the Level 1 13 & Under Showmanship on Tuesday. It was her second year to show at the Congress.
“Elvis is very fun once you get him dialed,” Reagan said. “I work with Chad Evans, and he has me do some things in practice that have really helped me. I really love doing the Horsemanship with him, we were reserve champions the other day in the Level 1.”
The Showmanship was the final class for Reagan and Elvis.
Jennifer Paul and Ur Ride Has Arrived Win Six And Older Trail Stakes
Jennifer Paul guided a horse that has been in her barn but has a new owner to a win in the Six Year Old and Older Trail Stakes.
“Thomas has been in the barn for a while, but Emma Brown just purchased him,” Jennifer said. “This was a very challenging course but he handled it great. He flowed right through it and I couldn’t have asked for much better.
The pattern on paper looked a little challenging. The diagonal lopes were especially tricky. I had three horses in the class, and my first horse got through it well, but with my second horse, I ran over the tree. So with Thomas I was a little nervous about that. The last trot through was also a little tight.”
Jonathan and I Am The Party Earn Limited Six And Older Trail Stakes Win
“Benji is nine years old, and he just gets better and better,” Jonathan said. “We started adding the Trail his four year old year. When he was three, we strictly showed him in Western Pleasure and Performance Halter, and as a four year old we added Green Trail.
“I think this horse always tries so hard for me, he has such a huge heart. Every year he just keeps getting stronger. He loves what he does. He goes to breed six months out of the year and the first of July and we pick up where we left off showing. He has a phenomenal mind. The best minded horse I’ve ever had.
“The first right lead lope on the pattern was a little bit tricky for me because he’s such a big horse and it’s such a tight spot. I practiced it right before I went in and it was kind of a disaster, I did it three times and it was worse and worse so I just stopped and I just trusted him to help me out and bail me out, and he did. There were two or three times in that pattern where I just told him he was on his own and he carried me.”
Tali Terlizzi and So Youre The One, Three Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Champions
So Youre The One proved to be the one when Tali Terlizzi showed the gray mare to win the Three Year Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Stakes on Tuesday.
“I’ve had this horse since she was a yearling. She’s beautiful. She trots, she lopes and she’s made really pretty. I actually bought her to breed to my stallion in the future. She’s an Allocate Your Assets out of a Skys Blue Boy mare.
She was pretty good in the prelim, and I knew if I could just get her head set and she was going to do what she does in the finals.
“I am not sure of her future plans. We have her up for sale, so we’ll see.”
A Disney Moment for Rebecca Spellman
Rebecca Spellman certainly had a “Disney moment” when she showed Jiminy Cricket to win the Coughlin Two Year Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Futurity on Tuesday. Not only did she win by unanimous decision among the judges, but she won to the tune “When You Wish Upon A Star” playing in the background.
It was a team effort to get to the win. It started when Tom and Dominique Powers bred and raised the gelding, who is by Batt Man and out of Dominque’s mare Two Krickets On The Wall.
Karen Ripper purchased the gelding and took him to his next step in the process. “Matt and Julian Harris did an awesome job starting Zooma and a few weeks ago the plan came together for me to show him,” Rebecca said. “I love this horse, and it was so much fun.
“He was awesome. He was tired, but he still gave me everything he had. This was my first Congress finals ever, so to be pulled out first under all four judges, I’m just overwhelmed. He’s going to get a very long nap now!”
Heading To Waffle House: Katy Jo Zuidema Celebrates Another Win
Katy Jo Zuidema and Waffle House added one more win to the talented mare’s resume when they won the Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity.
“This horse is the queen. She was tired today, but she was a really good girl and she showed really well. She’s an angel. For me it was gravy, because my son already won the Non-Pro, and it was awesome.
“I never thought I’d win this class. The Open Three Year Old class is different. You have to buy the horse and not sell it, and then keep it and show. It’s easier to come with a two year old because there are all these unknowns, but as a three year old, you’ve usually been showing all year. To come in here with all the pressure around this horse, I was a little tight. But it was great, and her new owner was here to see it too.”
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.
