Mozan McKibben and Ruftimeintinseltown

Four new All American Quarter Horse Congress Champions were crowned in Ranch Riding on Friday at the 50^th anniversary of the world’s largest single breed horse show in the world, held annually in Columbus, Ohio.

Mozan McKibben, of Whitesboro, Texas was the star of the show as he piloted two different horses to victory.

McKibben rode his own horse, Ruftimeintinseltown, a 2011 palomino gelding by Hollywoodstinseltown and out of Lil Lady Has Pep, to victory in the 25-entry Junior Ranch Riding. He then bested 70 other competitors to take home the Congress Championship in Senior Ranch Riding aboard Lil Ruf Catalyst, a 2006 black stallion by Lil Ruf Peppy and out of Foxy Catalyst, owned by the Mozan McKibben-Zimmerman Partnership.

Karen Johnson, of Burns, Tennessee returned this year after winning both the Junior Ranch Riding and Amateur Ranch Riding at the 2015 Congress with her horse, GQH Summer Camp, to place fourth in Junior Ranch Riding but claimed a Reserve Congress Championship in Senior Ranch Riding with her new horse, Gotta Hot Gun.

“I haven’t had this horse very long. This is only the fourth time that I have shown him,” Johnson said. “Everything is pretty new and it has all been a learning process. There are still some things that I would like to smooth out during our rides.”

Gotta Hot Gun is a 2010 bay gelding is by Spooks Gotta Gun and out of Hot Coated Candy. Johnson calls him Kangaroo.

“He was a reiner that didn’t make it,” Johnson said. “He is a little nervous, a little scared. He really needs to learn how to trust me, which he is just starting to do. He really tries to be good. I have had him for a few months, and during our first four rides he tried to buck me off. I am really just trying to learn his personality. He is a very talented horse.”

Erin Mask and Figured Out Vegas

Johnson is right at home aboard GQH Summer Camp, a 2011 chestnut mare by Little Blue Lynx and out of South Camp, but said the two horses couldn’t be more different.

“Summer Camp is very sweet. She doesn’t like to go, so everything is pushed when I ride her,” Johnson explained. “The minute you quit kicking, she comes down because she doesn’t want to exert the energy. Kangaroo is just the opposite. I have to be careful not to get him too revved up.”

Johnson said the most difficult parts of the pattern for Gotta Hot Gun were the down transitions.

“For Kangaroo it is always the down transitions that are the toughest. He hasn’t gotten that figured out yet,” she explained. “But for Summer Camp, that was the easiest part for her. When we are doing spins I have to kick her forward, but then I have to pull Kangaroo back during them.”

Gotta Hot Gun will be shown in Amateur Performance Geldings on Oct. 24.

“He is a very, very pretty and correct horse,” Johnson said.

Sarah Anne Lesh, of Lake Kiowa, Texas, rode Chex Are Cashin, a 2007 palomino gelding by Nu Chex To Cash and out of Smart Lil Chiquita, to victory in Amateur Ranch Riding.

Friday was also a big day for youth competitor Erin Mask, of Newnan, Georgia. Not only did she ride Figured Out Vegas, her mother, Angie Watts Schmeck’s 2009 blue roan gelding by Vegas Resort and out of Sticky Power, to a Reserve Championship in Youth Ranch Riding out of 46 entries, but the team also placed eighth in Senior Ranch Riding.

Kaylynn Debernard, King George, Virginia, claimed the Congress bronze aboard Shiners Surprise, a 2011 palomino mare by Hang Ten Surprize and out of Berrys Shiner. Steve Meadows also rode Shiners Surprise to a Reserve Congress Championship in Junior Ranch Riding.

According to Debernard her Congress ride was one of her best yet aboard Shiners Surprise (Ruby).

“I have had Ruby for a year and a half. She is really sweet and loving. She is super easy to prepare,” she said.

There was one part of the pattern she found challenging.

“Having to turn and then go straight into the extended lope was a little bit difficult,” DeBernard admitted.

Before the class Debernard was a little nervous.

“Once I got on her I was completely fine,” she said.

Erin Mask said her ride in Senior Ranch Riding went well but she did have a few things that she wanted to fix before she went back into her youth class.

“I actually hadn’t even ridden Ruger since we won the Open and the Non-Pro Ranch Riding at the NSBA (National Snaffle Bit Association) World Show, but he was really good in the senior here,” she said. “I wanted to work on our stops a little bit more before we went into our youth class.”

Mask says she actually needs to get Figured Out Vegas a bit fired up and ready to go for a class.

“He is kind of a lazy horse.,” she explained. “He was a rope horse before this, so I just lope some circles right before we go in and that is about it.”

Mask said Ruger is a true performer.

“He likes to show, but I have noticed, the less I show him the better he is when we go in the class,” Mask explained.

In the Youth Ranch Riding Mask said she was pretty happy with her ride, with one exception.

“Everything was going great in the youth class, but when we got to the logs, Ruger pretty much fell over them,” she said. “Other than that, everything was really good.”