A total of 19 unshown Western Pleasure prospects are slated to compete for a total purse of $46,125 in the Virginia Maiden 3-Year-Old & Over Open Western Pleasure Slot Class later today at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington.

The winner will collect $10,053.52 and the class will pay all the way down to 10^th place. In addition, there will be a $1,000 bonus for the highest placing Limited Rider and $500 for Reserve.

The $30,000 added money class, which is approved by the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA), is scheduled to get underway following the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle futurity classes at the end of the show day. The approximate start time is 5 p.m. Eastern Standard time (EST) for the futurity classes and they will be livestreamed on Facebook by InStride Edition so like and follow the page to get notification when the class goes lives. The Maiden Western Pleasure class will run in one go using a five-judge system and is projected to start at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time). 

Formerly known as the Hylton Maiden Western Pleasure Class, the event was sponsored for many years by the late Cecilia Hylton, owner of Hylton Quarter Horses in Gainesville, Virginia.  Hylton introduced the class at the Reichert Celebration to encourage trainers to refrain from pushing young show prospects. The class was moved to Hylton’s home state in 2011 and is now managed by Cameron Van Sickle and Meghan Tierney, and held as part of the Virginia Quarter Horse Association’s Spring Breakout Circuit.

Katy Jo Zuidema showed in the event for the first time in 2009 when it was at the Reichert Celebration and she tied for Reserve riding Blazing Hot Leaguer. She has had an entry most every year since.

“It’s a great class that has been around forever,” Zuidema said. “Back in the day, it was the Hylton Maiden Western Pleasure and now Meghan and Cameron have taken it over and they are doing a great job. I think any time you can keep from going broke entering a class and it pays as well as this does, it’s something you need to nurture a bit.”

Zuidema also stressed the importance of a class that allows horses to develop at their own pace.

“The maiden classes encourage us to make good decisions for horses and take our time,” she stressed.

Zuidema will be competing this year on My Blazing Version (Archie), a 2020 bay gelding, sired by Blazing Hot out of Credit R Version, bred by Louise Simoneau and owned by Karen Wood of Ocala, Florida.

“We bought Archie in October of his 2-year-old year and brought him along slowly because he was slow to mature and frankly when you own them yourself they tend to go to the back burner,” she said. “This winter he really came along and we sold him to our good customer Karen Wood.  “He is old-school bred, by Blazing Hot and out of a Good Version mare, and I love him for that. He’s throwback for sure and absolutely my kind. He’s like a 15.3 hand version of Slow Burn….really even and cadenced with an exceptional topline. He jogs great has a Blaze neck and tiny fox ears.”

Since this is by far not the first time Zuidema has competed in a maiden event so she knows what it will take to be successful.

“I’m going to ride my class as it comes to me,” she explained. “I’ll try not to make any mistakes and enjoy the ride. I’m excited to have the opportunity to show a major event on a Blazing Hot again and Joan (Logan Smith, who owned, showed and stood Blazing Hot for his entire life) is even here and she gets to watch. It all feels good in my soul.

Ohio trainer Ashley Lakins is also a class veteran. She has had an entry in the Virginia Maiden almost every year it has been in existence.

“I love the Virginia Maiden,” she said. “It’s been a long-liven maiden futurity that we look forward to every year.”

This year Ashley will be competing on Southern Made Dixie, a 2020 bay mare, sired by Machine Made out of Available By Invitation, that was bred and is owned by Peek Owen, of Laurens, North Carolina.

“We started her late in her 2-year-old year,” Ashley said. “She’s a cool mare because she jogs and lopes. Plus, she has a beautiful appearance about her.”

But as everyone knows, when you are showing a Western Pleasure contender for the first time, anything can happen.

“I need to be able to stay out of her way to be successful,” she explained. “She’s really good on her own so I just need to be able to show her off.”

The following is a list of entries for the class.

• Thatswhatbiggirlsdo, a 2021 chestnut mare, sired by VS Code Blue out of Dont Skip Afoxy Lady, bred and owned by Shannon Fisher, of Eastover, North Carolina. She will be shown by Allen Fisher.

• Southern Made Dixie, a 2020 bay mare, sired by Machine Made out of Available By Invitation, bred and owned by Peek Owen, of Laurens, North Carolina. She will be shown by Ashley Lakins.

• My Blazing Version, a 2020 bay gelding, sired by Blazing Hot out of Credit R Version, bred by Louise Simoneau and owned by Karen Wood of Ocala, Florida. He will be shown by Katy Jo Zuidema.

• The Awesome Machine, a 2020 sorrel mare, sired by The Lopin Machine out of Akin To Awe, bred by Timothy Kutchler and owned by Gayle Underwood. She will be shown by Karen Hornick.

• Maybe Its Maybellene, a 2021 bay roan mare, sired by VS Goodride out of Aj Mi Corazon, bred and owned by Julia Pezold, of Ashland, Illinois She will be shown by Danny Desmond.

• VS Flat Broke, a 2021 red roan mare, sired by VS Flatline out of A Special Blaze, bred by Brad Johnson, and owned by Christine Steer, of Ionia, New York. She will be shown by Jeff Steer.

• A Touchdown Machine, a 2019 sorrel gelding, sired by A Touch Of Sudden out of Born A Lopin Machine, bred by  Painted Plantation LLC and owned by Joyce Hoff, of Hanover, Pennsylvania. He will be shown by Andrew Groves.

• Made Xtra Lazy, a 2021 chestnut gelding, sired by Machine Made out of Locked N Loping, bred by Karen Perkins and owned by Suzanne Lougee, of Rougemont, North Carolina. He will be shown by Steve Reams.

• Whats Stoppin Ya, a 2021 bay mare, sired by Heart Stoppin out of I Kissed The Cook, bred by Capital Quarter Horses and owned by Justin and Julie Voge, of Whitesboro, Texas. She will be shown by Brian Ale.

• Georgia Gurl, a 2020 bay mare, sired by Machine Made out of Shes Pleasure Made, bred by Barbara Clifford and owned by Bryan Reger, of Volga, West Virginia. She will be shown by Brian Cox.

• The Best Barreta, a 2020 brown mare, sired by Lopin My Best out of Blazing Mustang Sally, bred by Nancy Kunkel and owned by Greg and Michaela Rainforth, of Murdock, Nebraska. Will be shown by Bill Hatton.

• Made To Bee Happy, a 2021 bay mare, sired by Machine Made out of Krymsun Kitty, bred by Susan Peed and owned by Sheryl Biondalh, of Thor, Iowa. She will be shown by Dillon Hatten.

• Scandal Maker, a 2020 sorrel gelding, sired by Machine Made out of Certain Affair, bred by Linda Petrie and owned by Annika Rear, of Ripley, Ontario, Canada. He will be shown by Taft Dickerson.

• What You Wanna Do, a 2021 sorrel mare, sired by The Lopin Machine out of Good Goin Danika, bred by Karen Boxell and owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Wilkes, East Dublin, Georgia. Will be shown by Kenny Lakins.

• The Town Bluezy, a 2021 grey mare, sired by VS Code Blue out of Holiday Barbie, bred by Sam Ford and owned by Nettie Olsen, of Denver, North Carolina. Will be shown by Pasley Mathis.

• Hot Dayum, a 2020 bay mare, sired by One Hot Krymsun out of Injoy The Ride, bred by Penn State University and owned by Tali Terlizzi, of Reddick, Florida. She will be shown by Kelby Hutchinson.

• Wherez The Beef, a 2021 bay gelding, sired by Machine Made out of Certainly A Certain, bred by Jean Brooks and owned by Jessica and Shawn Landry of Titusville, Florida. He will be shown by Chase Barnes.

• Candi Cane, a 2021 sorrel mare, sired by Hay Goodlookn out of Becky Best, bred by Melinda DeFreece and owned by Pinnacle Quarter Horses, Grove City, Ohio. She will be shown by Blake Britton.

The Virginia Maiden is run in conjunction with the Virginia Spring Breakout AQHA Circuit at the Virginia Horse center in Lexington.

Van Sickle said some of the highlights of the annual event include the people and the facility paired with great payouts.

“We have some of the most supportive and loyal exhibitors that a horse show could ask for,” he said. “The overall vibe has been exceptional. We’ve been blessed with great weather this year allowing everyone to show outside and has given maiden exhibitors unlimited time in the Coliseum to prepare so everyone has super happy this year.”

Last night the 3-year-old and Over Hunter Under Saddle slot contenders competed for a total purse of total of $34,539.60. Southernaire, a 2021 chestnut mare, sired by It’s a Southern Thing out of Sleepy Pleasures collected a check for $10,016 for a win in the class of eight entries with North Carolina trainer Kaitlin Hutchinson in the irons for owners Lee and Brenda Looney. Reserve was When Im Good, sired by Good Better Best and out of WhenOnlyTheBestWillDo, owned by Denise Quick and shown by Tami Thurston, earning $7,598.

Also featured last night was the 3-Year-Old & Over Maiden Working Western Rail with 16 entries. Winning the class was Just Saay When, owned by Erika Sterling and shown by Matt Gouthro, earning $5,452. Reserve was bet Boon Hoje Blue, owned by Marion Valerio and shown by John Roberts, collecting a check for $3,925.