A total of 25 unshown Western Pleasure prospects are slated to compete for a total purse of $51,900 when the Virginia Maiden 3 & Over Open Horse Western Pleasure class gets underway this afternoon at the Spring Breakout circuit at the Lexington Horse Center.

The class will run in one go using a five-judge system, with an tentatively slated to start at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time). Judges include: Gretchen Mathes, Jennifer Goss, Brad Leuben and two surprise judges.

 Taft Dickerson, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, will be showing Gone Commando, a 3-year-old bay mare by Gone Viral and out of Only A Sterling Moon, owned by his dad, Donnie Dickerson. Taft has competed in the class a total of six times. He’s won it twice and has been Reserve twice.

“She’s ready and she’s broke,” Taft said. “It took a lot of preparation but we came ready to show so now all we need is a little luck.”

It’s was a chilly 40 degrees this morning in Lexington with some snow flurries, and some riders had some adjustments to make.

“Now that we live where it’s cold, the weather shouldn’t be a problem,” Taft said.

Jamie English, of Madison, Georgia, will show Simply Rocking, sired by The Rocknroll Cowboy and out of Simply A Goddess, owned by Mr. & Mrs. William Wilkes.

 “To win today we will need to be consistent, true to gait, soft looking and make it look easy,” she said. “And well, lucky too.”

Jamie has been showing in Lexington, Virginia since she was a kid. She has helped her husband, Jason, prepare many horses for this event in the past but today will mark the first time she has shown in it herself.

She’s a big fan of the class.

“It showcases the up and coming show horses for the year and all the new talent,” she said.

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 assisted by Meghan Tierney.

Van Sickle said this year’s class will have the largest payout since they took over management of the class.

“The Hylton family has once again sponsored in memory of their mother,” he said.

Taft says the class is important to the industry.

“It gives us a great reason to take our training slower and not push them (prospects) all to be 2-year-olds. And, it’s really better for the horse to wait for the 3-year-old,” Taft said. “Plus, and you can also see how this has helped the show here as a whole because the industry follows the money.”

The winner today will take home a paycheck of $12,000. Reserve will earn $10,000 and the class will pay all the way down to 10^th place. In addition, there will be a $1,500 bonus for the highest placing Limited Rider and $1,000 for Reserve.

The following are entered in the class:

• Butch Cassidie (Certainly A Vision x Only Couture), owned by Knapp Quarter Horses, Van Meter, Iowa, shown by Katy Jo Zudema.

• It Wasntt Me (Machine Made x Notmyonly Invitation), owned by Stephanie Janis, Groton, Massachusetts, shown by Ricky Noiseux.

• Betty Broke The Code (VS Code Blue x Blazing Betty), owed by Stuart or Karen Banstra, Pella, Iowa, shown by Lexie St Cricq.

• Willy Huntin (Winnies Willy x Huntin Red Roses), owned by Heather Pelon, Cohoctah, Michigan, shown by Pat Heeley.

• A Cinchy Cowgirl (Riginal Cinch Brand x Loves Legacy), owned and shown by Virginia Peterson, Waterford, Michigan.

• Made By Da Mob (Machine Made x Shez Relentless), owned by Angela Burgess, Horseheads, New York, shown by Danny Desmond.

• Gone Commando (Gone Viral x Only A Sterling Moon), owned by Donnie Dickerson, Mt Airy, North Carolina, shown by Taft Dickerson.

• Lopin Thru Fire (The Lopin Machine), owned by Michelle and Sheila Bauer, shown by Garth Gooding.

• Blazin My Blues Away (VS Code Blue x Blazin Hot Legs), owned by Jackie Schall, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, shown by Dan Rawlings.

• Forever Be Good (Good I Will Be x Mamma Made Me Good), owned by John N. Hughes, Cayuga, Ontario, Canada, shown by Darci Ann Rapley.

• Waitin On A Ride (No Doubt Im Lazy x Good Pulsations), owned by Mr. & Mrs. William Wilkes, East Dublin, Georgia, shown by Ashley Lakins.

• Well Theres That (Machine Made x Invited On Impulse), owed by Doug and/or Debra Wetherell, Linn Grove, Iowa, shown by Saul Sliss.

• VS Enjoy The Ride (VS Goodride x My Only Impulse), owed by Vincent Arnona, New Gretna Louisiana, shown by Katie Green.

• Heyy June (Machine Made x Two De Cadillac), owned by JR & Melissa Cook, Cypress, Texas, shown by Cole Baker.

• Scene Your Daddy (The Sugar Daddy x Scenery), owned by Tim &Cindy Snapp, New Carlisle, Ohio, shown by Robert Fowler.

• Doubting Im Good (No Doubt Im Laxy x Get Down Version), owned by Tammy Conroy, West Sunbury, Pennsylvania, shown by Brian Cox.

• Daydrinknnitedreamin (Machine Made x Suddenly Iresistable), owned by Michael Warren, Knoblesville, Indiana, shown by Keith Byers.

• Ima Little Lazy (No Doubt Im Lazy x Ima Potential), owned by Linda Berris, Sparta, Michigan, shown by Randy Wilson.

• Aint Nothin To It (Machine Made x Shez Immortal), owned By Capital Quarter Horses, Pilot Point, Texas, shown by Andy Cochran.

• Its Ur Thing (It’s a Southern Thing x Pine Ventures), owned by Madison Hallas, Bucyrus, Ohio, shown by Melvin Yoder.

• Test Driven (Mechanic x Adios Mi Amiga), owned by Ann Ashley Morley, Ogdensburg, New York, shown by Zach Favorite.

• Maid My Day (Machine Made x Silk Satin N Sudden) owned by Ditty Up LLC, Ocala, Florida, shown by Jason English.

• Simply Rocking (The Rocknroll Cowboy x Simply A Goddess), owned by Mr. & Mrs. William Wilkes, East Dublin, Georgia, shown by Jamie English.

• Time To Be Sleepy (Too Sleepy To Zip x Hourradicalvalentine), owned by Hannah Marie Hedman, Granger, Indiana, shown by David Matthew Wagner.

• A Perfect Invite (A Winning Invitation x Perfection), owned by Shanon Fisher, Eastover, North Carolina, shown by Alan Fisher.