Ashley Lakins and Bettin The Goods

Moonrageous’ win with Aaron Moses in the 3-Year-Old $1,000 Novice Horse Open Western Pleasure on Thursday at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show in Tulsa, was the highlight of the year for owner Annee Miller, of Starland Ranch in El Reno, Oklahoma.

“He just goes in and does his job,” Miller said. “I’ve never been around a horse like him, he just is all about business.”

Moonrageous, sired by Only In The Moonlite and out of Congress Masters Western Pleasure Champion Suddenly A Cool Lady, was bred and raised at Starland Ranch.

“He’s just a great horse. What I like about him most is his cadence and rhythm,” Miller said. “We are really thankful his mom has become just a good producer.”

Moonrageous will next show at the Congress with Moses in Open and with Miller in Non-Pro.

In other Western Pleasure action, Ashley Lakins rode Bettin The Goods to a win in the 3-Year-Old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure for owners Mr. and Mrs. William Wilkes, East Dublin, Georgia.

“I think it was a really good ride,” Ashley said. “He was a little more tired and it’s toward the end of the show but he showed his best. His movement is very catching. I think even an average person would like him because he’s very natural and free-strided

Lakins said Bettin The Goods, sired by Keeping It Good and out of Bettin With My Heart, is a lot like a little kid.

He’s always into things, wanting to see what everyone is doing,” she said. “He’s just very busy minded.”

Bettin The Goods will next show at the Quarter Horse Congress in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure and possibly the Green Western Pleasure.

Tony Alderman

Aaron Moses rode VS The First Lady to a win in the Open Division of the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure for owner Kristen Galyean, Claremore, Oklahoma. Joanie Zelnio has only owned The Dark Impulse for a few short months but she is already making it clear she is a major contender in the Western Pleasure arena. The new team won the Maturity $10,000 Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure, in a very tough class of 22 entries, earning $1,471.56. In the BCF 4 to 6-Year-Old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure, WhatILikeAboutYou, owned by Debby Brehm, Lincoln, Nebraska, edged out 15 other competitors to take home the top prize and a check for $1,622.21. Aaron Moses rode VS Lady In Red to a win in the Open Division of that same class for owner Kristen Galyean, earning $1,541.10. Sarah Nimigan, Paris, Ontario Canada, teamed with Best Brew At The Bar to win the BCF 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure in a very tough class of 28 entries. Sarah takes home a check for $2,298.99 in earnings. Born Sophisticated captured the top prize in the 13-entry BCF Color 3 to 6-Year Old Open Western Pleasure for owner Laura Bracken, Trafalgar, Indiana. Born Sophisticated was shown by Kenny Lakins and collects a check for $844.81. InTheSweetShop bested 36 entries in a tough $2,500 Limited Horse/$2,500 Limited Rider Open Western Pleasureclass on Thursday. InTheSweetShop is owned by Mc’s Dragon Ranch LLC, Pilot Point, Texas, and was shown by Rylee Morgan. Stylist Chocolate claimed bragging rights in the Color Junior Western Pleasure with 12 entries. Stylist Chocolate is owned by the Dryden family, Argle, Texas and was shown by Sara Simons.

Hunter Under Saddle – Top Shelf Fancy captured a World Championship title in Color Green Hunter Under Saddle with Stacy Huls in the irons for owner Carolyn Haney, Tuttle, Oklahoma. Shelby Ratliff piloted Willy Has Potential to a win in the Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle in a very competitive class of 10 entries. Beth Case piloted Hez A Dancin Hubba to a win in the 2-Year-Old  Open Hunter Under Saddle class of 11 entries, for owner Chris Lagerblade. Case also won the 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under saddle aboard Couture Blue Genes for owner Debbie Hodde, Brenham, Texas.

Angela Stanhope and Good As Expected

Showmanship – There was plenty of action in the Showmanship pen on Thursday as competitors competed for bragging rights in several divisions. Tony Alderman, St Cloud, Minnesota, captured the top spot in Amateur Showmanship by outscoring 42 other competitors in Amateur Showmanship with his show partner, Solo Invested (Mac).

“Mac is a very good Showmanship horse,” Alderman said. “Today we had really, good lead work, stops and our turns were very square. He is just very consistent.”

Alderman said the most challenging aspect of the pattern was the ‘question mark’ shaped back because you had to back a couple different directions.”

In other Showmanship action on Thursday, Good As Expected lived up to his name as he helped Kaylee Swanigan, Johns Island, South Carolina, win the 34-entry in the Novice Amateur Showmanship. The 2006 sorrel gelding is owned by Angela Stanhope who later in the day won the Amateur 50 & Over Showmanship with him in a tough class of 32 entries. A total of 16 competed in the Color Amateur Showmanship and when the judging was complete Abby Buckwalter, Westminster, Maryland and her show partner, Chexs Certain Look were crowned champions and Holly Ebelberger, Ostrander, Ohio, teamed with Good Directions to win the Color Amateur 50 & Over Showmanship to round out the day.

Trail – Trail action continued on Thursday with big numbers and tough competition. Anthony Montes rode Suddenly Best Vested to a win in Color Junior Trail, edging out 12 other competitors in the class. The 2014 sorrel gelding by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Vested Vixen, is owned by Jeanne Kavanaugh, Montgomery, Texas.

Anthony Montes and Suddenly Best Vested

“He is a fabulous horse,” Montes said. “He is a brother to Cruise, and reminds me of him with a lot of lift and strong over poles. He loves the trail. Today he really shined and went through the course like a senior trail horse would have”

In the largest Trail class of the show to date, with 97 entries, Jennifer Paul and One Hot Potential claimed a World Championship title in Senior Trail. One Hot Potential is owned by Emma Brown, Zanesville, Ohio. Legacy Made, owned by Janet Gunn and shown by Jason Gilliam, won the 3-Year-Open Trail class of 36 entries.

Longe Line – The Peace Movement continued an impressive winning streak by capturing the top spot in both the Limited Non-Pro Hunter Longe Line and the Open Division of that Class with owner Donna Shirey, Ocala, Florida, on the end of the line. They also won the BCF Non-Pro Hunter Longe Line collecting a check for $1,396.42.

Judges for this year’s NSBA World Show, Breeders Championship Futurity and Show Your Colors show include: Sissy Anderson, Jon Barry, Kelly Boles Chapman, Buddy Fisher, Robin Frid, Clint Fullerton, Lori Gingrich, TW Grose, Derek Hanscome, Mike Hay, Steve Heckaman, Holly Hover, Debbie Kail, Ryan Kail, Will Knabenshue, John Kunkle, Clay MacLeod, Kim Myers, Scott Neuman, Dean Ross, Chris Thompson and Dan Trein.

Competition continues through Sunday at Tulsa Expo Square. A Yearling Sale, featuring some 90-plus youngsters enrolled in the NSBA Breeders Championship Futurity program, will be held today. For details on the sale visit: https://www.nsba.com/yearling-sale.

Larry Williams is the official photographer of the NSBA World Show and Breeders Championship Futurity. You can view and order images from the event at www.larrywilliamsphoto.

For more information, including complete results, visit www.nsba.com.