In this year of uncertainty and plans that change quickly, Kristen Galyean feels blessed beyond measure – thanks to a couple of special mares.

“This year has had its share of craziness, but it’s definitely had its bright moments and I’m very thankful to AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) for holding an epic World Show. It was so refreshing to be able to do what we all love again,” said Galyean.

Galyean returned to the AQHA World Championship Show this year as defending World Champion in the Amateur Western Pleasure. But when she jogged down the center of Norick Arena for the finals, it wasn’t with her 2019 partner, VS Lady In Red. She had a new face looking through her bridle.

Kristen and KM Suddenly So Easy, sired by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Easy Zippin, Machine x A Good Machine) actually made their show ring debut at the World Show, thanks to the qualifying set aside due to the pandemic. They would carry out the gold globe.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Galyean, even though she found it a bit nerve-wracking to have their first show be the World Show.

In late August, when Kristen learned the World and Congress Champion known as Penelope was available she jumped at the opportunity to purchase her.

“I’m very grateful the Mastersons trusted me to take the reins on such a special mare,” said Galyean.

The chestnut mare had first caught her eye in 2015 as a 2-year-old. She was crowned the World Champion 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure horse with Galyean’s VS Lady In Red named Reserve World Champion. Bred and owned by Ken and Marilyn Masterson, KM Suddenly So Easy would go on to win the World title in Junior Western Pleasure in 2018, trained and shown by Casey Willis.

The short victory lap with Penelope in the arena would have to suffice for celebration, as Galyean would switch gears to prepare for the very next class, where she and VS Lady In Red would compete in the Amateur Western Riding finals.

The red roan mare is sired by their homebred stallion, VS Code Red, making her a granddaughter of Vital Signs Are Good (Lucy), the one that launched Galyean’s success in the Amateur Western Pleasure and Western Riding arenas. It was Lady who returned Kristen to the AQHA World Show arena in 2017, after a 10-year hiatus, and they won their first World Championship in Amateur Western Pleasure.

The pair flowed through the pattern of green cones with flawless lead changes to her reward as World Champion. Galyean adores the mare who she says reminds her of both Lucy and Code Red. When the score was announced, it caught her by surprise. Their 238.5 broke the record 237.5 Galyean and Vital Signs Are Good set 15 years ago.

“When I heard the score, my jaw dropped.”

Lady and Penelope still had work to do that week, as both were entered in Senior Western Pleasure. Lady would be shown by Aaron Moses and Penelope would be paired again with Casey Willis.

When Penelope earned the Senior Western Pleasure World Champion title, by unanimous judges’ decision, she became the only mare in history to win the elusive triple crown – AQHA World Champion in the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure, the Junior Western Pleasure and the Senior Western Pleasure.

As a repeat of her 2-year old year, VS Lady In Red was Reserve World Champion in the Senior Western Pleasure. It was Lady’s final appearance in Senior Western Pleasure, as Kristen plans to focus her competitive career in Western Riding and new events.

The purchase of Penelope brings Galyean’s brother and sister-in-law into the family horse business with the 3G’s Partnership. They look forward to breeding Penelope to both VS Code Red and VS Flatline and raising a new generation of outstanding show horses.

“We’re very excited to start raising her babies and especially doing it as a family now,” said Galyean.

In addition to continuing to show with Kristen in the Amateur Western Pleasure and Aaron Moses in the Senior Western Pleasure, Penelope will join Lady as the family’s star broodmares, utilizing embryo transfers that allow them to continue competing. Galyean is enjoying the mare side of the breeding business, raising the foals and dreaming of their futures.

Galyean already has a couple of Penelope babies, through the embryos she purchased. The first is a 2019 colt by VS Code Red who shares his daddy’s red roan color with a blaze from momma. A second Penelope foal by VS Code Red will arrive in January 2021.

Kristen is very excited about Lady’s coming 2-year old, a red roan stud colt now getting his start with Aaron Moses. 

Girl Power

As Dealer Principal of the Jim Glover Chevrolet dealership in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kristen balances her professional career with family life as a wife and mother of two girls, along with the family’s stallion and breeding business, showing both Pleasure/Western Riding and Cutting horses, and husband, Wes’ cutting horse training business. It’s a busy life.

The next generation of Galyean girls just might have their eyes on Lady and Penelope. Gracelyn made her debut in the Small Fry all around events and Aislynn showed in Lealine at the 2020 Redbud Spectacular, a preview of things to come, no doubt.

It’s definitely been a year with moments to cherish for the Galyean girls. Another mare has Galyean celebrating in 2020. Her cutting mare, Coureygous, was named National Cutting Horse Association’s Non-Pro Horse of the Year for 2020. 

Continuing The VSAG Legacy

Kristen began her Amateur career with Vital Signs Are Good, just after the mare captured her first of many Congress and World Championship titles as a 2-year-old. The two shared a connection and success that was one for the history books, as well as storybooks. In their seven years together, Lucy earned nine AQHA World Championships and 27 Congress Championships and the pair stole the hearts of many.

Kristen and Lucy would twice win the double World Championship in Amateur Western Pleasure and Western Riding. In 2005, Kristen and Lucy earned the World Championship in Amateur Western Pleasure with a unanimous decision and came back the very next class to mark the record high score to win the Amateur Western Riding. That was the score that her granddaughter, VS Lady In Red, would break in 2020.

After parting with Lucy, Galyean returned to the show ring with two homebred sons of the legendary Vital Signs Are Good – VS Code Red and later VS Flatline. The family partnership owns and stands both stallions today.

With VS Code Red, Kristen would become the first Non-Pro rider to win the Open, Limited Open and Non-Pro 2-Year Old Western Pleasure at the Congress.

The stallions known as Waylon and Kobe have surpassed the $1.5 million mark in offspring earnings already, with more world champions crowned at both the AQHA and APHA World Shows this fall. With foals that have won the prestigious Congress Master’s 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure, several World and Congress championships and two AQHA World Show Pleasure Versatility championships, both stallions are making a name for themselves producing successful all around horses beyond the Western Pleasure rail.

AQHA 2020 World Show Winners: Snap It Send It (VS Code Red) Champion Level 1 Western Riding Stakes; VS Code Me Lucky (VS Code Red) World Champion Amateur Select Western Pleasure; Won Vital Code RV (VS Code Red) Reserve Champion Level 2 Senior Western Riding; Cool Aidy (VS Code Red) Reserve Champion Level 2 Senior Western Pleasure; Phat Tuesday (VS Code Red) Reserve Champion Level 2 Performance Halter Mares; Gotta Glo Slo (VS Code Red) Champion Level 2 Senior Trail; Scenics High Voltage (VS Flatline) Champion Level 2 Performance Halter Stallions; Florida Georgia Line (VS Flatline) World Champion Junior Trail;Cool Cruzen Lady (VS Flatline) Reserve World Champion Amateur Western Riding, Champion Level 2 Amateur Trail; Line Up Behind (VS Flatline) Reserve World Champion Junior Western Pleasure, Reserve Champion Level 2 Amateur Western Pleasure Certainly Flatlined (VS Flatline) Champion Level 2 Senior Western Pleasure; Flat Out Blazing (VS Flatline) Champion Level 1 Amateur Select Horsemanship.

APHA 2020 World Show Winners: VS Bettin On Red (VS Code Red) World Champion Breeders Gold Futurity Open 2 Year Old Western Pleasure; The Pleasure Code (VS Code Red) World Champion Breeders Futurity Open 2 Year Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes; VS Total Heartthrob (VS Flatline) World Champion Green Western Riding Intermediate. Open, Reserve World Champion Junior Western Riding Intermediate. Open, Reserve World Champion Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation, Reserve World Champion Tobiano Color Open and Amateur.

You can find the complete list of VS Code Red and VS Flatline 2020 winning offspring on the QStallions.com performance activity reports.

VS CODE RED – 2007 Red Roan Stallion

Blazing Hot x Vital Signs Are Good

Multiple Congress Champion/NSBA World Champion

Foals have earned over $910,348 and 19,453 AQHA points

VS FLATLINE – 2010 Bay Roan Stallion

Lazy Loper x Vital Signs Are Good

Multiple Congress Champion/AQHA World Champion/NSBA World Champion

Foals have earned over $643,523 and 7,796 AQHA points

Both stallions are 5 panel negative and stand at EE Ranches in Whitesboro, Texas, where cooled and frozen semen is available. Visit  www.vscodered.com or www.vsflatline.com for more information.

Contact Kristen Galyean at kristen.galyean@jimglover.com for available prospects by VS Code Red and VS Flatline, as well as foals out of these two great mares.