The 40th anniversary of the Tom Powers Futurity concluded on Sunday with the final day of show classes at the brand-new World Equestrian Center Ocala.
“We were very pleased to be able to have our show this year,” said Tom Powers. “When Ohio shut down, we tried every fairgrounds and facility around the country including some in California, but no one could host us over the summer due to COVID-19.
“We had also tried to fit the show in between some of the fall shows like the NSBA World and AQHA World shows, but we couldn’t get dates at facilities at that time either, and then we had the opportunity to move the show here to the World Equestrian Center. We were down on entries and stalls when we started the show because of the date and location change, but our entries were up 25 percent once we got here. It has been a wonderful facility to have our 40th anniversary show.”
The Tom Powers Triple Challenge will return to its normal dates at the end of June in 2021, and the Tom Powers Christmas Challenge is tentatively scheduled to return to Ocala in December of 2021.
Morning Champions
The final day of the 40th annual futurity began with Ancillary Hunter Under Saddle classes in the outdoor pavilion. Just a few of the morning’s champions included Red Carpet Debut, shown by Keith Miller for owner Callie Adams, who won Junior Hunter Under Saddle, and Onn Cloud Nine, shown by owner Anya Danielson, winning Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle.
Repeat Winners
Farley McLendon added another Tom Powers champion for two year old gelding Im Always Sleepy, showing for Deanna Darroh. Im Always Sleepy and Farley McLendon also won the Two Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle on Saturday. Fashion Statement and Madeline Rippeon added two more Tom Powers titles to their resume. They won both the Youth Hunter Under Saddle and Novice Youth Hunter Under Saddle. The duo also won Youth Hunter Under Saddle earlier in the week.
Radical Signs R Good and Allen Wade won the Maturity $2,500 Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure to ‘Rad’s’ accomplishments. The stallion and trainer Saul Sliss won the Maturity Intermediate Open Western Pleasure. “I just got him in June, and he’s an awesome horse,” Saul noted.
“I’ve got to ride a lot of really nice horses, but he’s one of my favorite horses to prepare and show, and he’s been a trooper here at the Powers. Allen hadn’t ridden in ten years, and he was fourth in the Select Amateur Western Pleasure here earlier. He’s just a wonderful horse – unbelievably naturally a great loper and mover.”
Katie Heflin Steele and Made To Ride also won their second Tom Powers championship by claiming the Two Year Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure title, adding to the Sales Stakes Two Year Old Limited Rider Western Pleasure win the duo earned on Friday.
Three In A Row
Moonrageous also earned his third Tom Powers title, winning the 50 & Over Western Pleasure with Anneene Miller. The duo won the 50 & Over Non-Pro Western Pleasure, and trainer Aaron Moses also won the Maturity Open Western Pleasure, earlier in the week.
Dean Oliver's Fourth Tom Powers Titles
Enchanted Lexus and William Dean Oliver also added their fourth Tom Powers title. Earlier in the week the pair won the Limited and Intermediate Non-Pro Maturity titles, Novice Amateur Western Pleasure, and on Sunday they added the Novice Amateur Non-Pro Western Pleasure title to the list.
Final Champions Named
Aaron Moses’ barn closed out the 2020 Tom Powers Triple Challenge by earning the final titles of the 40th anniversary show.
Clara Ashlock and Made In The Dark won the Youth and Novice Youth Western Pleasure titles. “This is only my second time to show him,” Clara said. “We just got him after the AQHA World Show in November. He’s a lot of fun to show.” Clara, whom Courtney Moses has ‘adopted’ as a daughter, quickly put on her Tom Powers champion buckle and proudly displayed it after the class.
Courtney Moses made her final ride with Isthatcoolwithyou count, winning the Two Year Old Non-Pro and Intermediate Non-Pro titles with ‘Coolaide.’ Although she did most of the work starting the gelding, Courtney said her husband Aaron helped her quite a bit with her work.
“He’s so natural, and it’s so easy for him that he’s been a lot of fun to work with,” she said. “He’s so laid back that it makes it fun. Now the final Powers class is over, he officially belongs to Carrie Williams in Arizona. He’s going to be in Karen Graham’s program, and he’ll probably be in all the three year old events next year.”
Additional Final Day Champions
In the Two Year Old Color Western Pleasure, Kenny Lakins piloted VS Bettin On Red to the win for Superior Care Management LLC, while Christine Shidler and James Deen Daydream won Senior Western Pleasure.
To view complete show results from the 40th annual Tom Powers Christmas Challenge, please visit www.tompowersfuturity.com.
