Competition in Venice, Florida today centered around Fun In The Sun futurity classes in the Main Arena as Huntfield action filled the Hunter Arena.

Jay Starnes got things started this morning by winning the seven-entry Open Western Pleasure Maturity aboard A Lazy Holiday, owned by Adria Smith, of Allen, Texas. Claiming Reserve honors was Made N The Shade, with Rusty Green in the saddle for Natasha Blanchard.

Natasha returned later in the day to ride Made N The Shade to victory in the Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity and said she was more than pleased with her horse’s performance.

“I think my ride went fantastic today,” she said. “My trainer warmed him up and then I got on, loped both directions and jogged both directions and they were ready to go. “Many thanks to Rusty for having everything ready.”

Natasha says she thinks Made N The Shade is successful in the pen because he is “big, beautiful and carries himself properly.”

She said they plan to hit all the major shows this year in an effort to get Made N The Shade qualified for the AQHA World Show in both Junior and Amateur Western Pleasure and will likely attend some big futurities as well.

Reserve Champions in the Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity were Rock County Kid and Alexandra Chavez.

Gavin Patterson, Frankfort, Ohio, who recently teamed with Onlythebestchocolate, rode the 2007 bay mare by RL Best of Sudden and out of Chocolate Only, to victory in the five-entry Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity.

Patterson said Onlythebestchocolate listened well and made his ride enjoyable.

“I think her expression in the show pen and her movement set her apart,” he said. “She is such a good mover and pleasant horse to be around. She loves to show the pleasure.”

Patterson said he spent as much time riding over the winter as possible before attending the show with trainers Kenny and Ashley Lakins. He said he plans to keep showing her in the maturities and in Amateur Western Pleasure classes at AQHA shows and that his dad plans to show Onlythebestchocolate in Performance Halter classes.

“I’ve waited a long time for horse like this so I’m just going to enjoy her and have fun,” he said.

Gavin Patterson

Reserve Champions in the Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity were A Lazy Holiday and Adria Smith.

Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle (4 shown): Champion, WF Big Assett owned by Courtney Rebecca Suthoff and shown by Keith Miller; Reserve Champion, Al Mine, owned by Amy Walls and shown by Allison McDonald.

Limited Open Western Pleasure Maturity (9 shown): Champion, Makers Markie owned by Halie Harner and shown by Lauren Louw; Reserve Champion, One Hot Bay B, shown by Tyler Achtenhagen.

Novice Select Hunter Under Saddle (4 shown): Champion, A Cool Invitation owned and shown by Linda Williams; Reserve Champion, U Aintseen Nuthinyet owned by Charters Family Trust and shown by Donna Senick.

3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure (8 shown): Champion, No Doubting Me, owned by Sue Sancken and shown by Brian Baker; Reserve Champion, Im Really Classy owned by Stanley and Susan Scott LLC and shown by Rusty Green.

Novice Select Western Pleasure (2 shown): Champion, Code For A Good Time, owned and shown by Robert Wingo; Reserve Champion, Just Call Me Lazy owned and shown by Charles Munger.

3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle (8 shown): Champion, Im All Diva owned by Nicole Kuklinski and Gary Kulklinski and shown by Allison McDonald; Reserve Champion, Feeling Lazy owned by Angela and Brian Stanhope and shown by Carmen Mayabb.

Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (5 shown): Champion, Al Wayz On Your Mind, owned and shown by Sara Nimigan; Reserve Champion, Feeing Lazy owned and shown by Cheyenne Ausberger.

Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Maturity (5 shown) Champion, One Hot Kat owned and shown by Cheyenne Ausburger; Reserve Champion, All Mine owned and shown by Amy Walls

3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure (7 shown): Champion, The Batt Machine shown by Ryan Painter; Reserve Champion, KM Flat Out The Best shown by Carmen Mayabb.

3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure (8 shown): Champion, Get Radical In My RV owned by Vickie Kent and shown by Justin Clay Arrington; Reserve Champion, The Batt Machine owned and shown by Russell Kimbrell.

3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure (3 shown): Champion, The Batt Machine owned and shown by Russell Kimmel; Reserve Champion, The Best Ryde owned by Big Rock Farms and shown by Faith Small.

3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle (1 shown): Champion, Im A Diva, owned and shown by Nicole Kuklinski.

$10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure Maturity (8 shown): Champion, To Cool to B Hot, owned by Suzan Vonessen and shown by Jason English; Reserve Champion, Unanimously Too Cool, owned by Cheyenne Ausburger and shown by Jay Starnes.

Several other Fun In The Sun classes will be sprinkled between a full slate of AQHA classes during the Fox Lea AQHA Circuit which continues through Sunday. The L1/Green Hunter Under Saddle will run concurrently with the Fun In The Sun $1,000 added and the Youth Hunter Under saddle will also run concurrently with the $250 added Fun In The Sun event. Both will be featured on Friday, along with the other Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation classes in the Main Arena while Western Riding judging takes place in the North Arena, including the Fun In The Sun $500 Green Western Riding which runs concurrently with the AQHA class.

Over Fences classes take center stage in the Hunter Arena on Saturday while the Main Outside Arena will be dominated by Trail competition, including Fun In The Sun classes in Amateur, Select, Youth and Senior Trail.

Complete results from the Florida Gold and Gul Coast Circuits are posted here and results from the Fox Lea Circuit are being added as they become available: https://www.anequineproduction.com