The $50,000 Marsh McLennan Agency NSBA All-Age Non Pro Trail Finals brought the nation’s top Non Pro competitors to the WEC Grand Arena for a night of high-stakes competition under the lights.

In the end, Siena Holyoak delivered a standout performance to claim top honors aboard her own Wrap Me In Red (VS Code Red x Gifted Invitation/A Gifted Invitation).

Course designer Tim Kimura, alongside Gary McAllister and the WEC crew, crafted a technical pattern featuring more than 100 poles that tested precision and rideability.

“She is so good at just floating and loping over the poles, so I felt super good about that,” Holyoak  said. “The trickiest part, I thought, was the drawn serpentine; it was super tight, and it was kind of intimidating not getting to test it. And all the slow work at the end was really stressful, especially with the side passes where people had trouble. But, I knew today that she was going to be there for me. I just had to trust myself that I would put her in the right spots, and everything came together well.”

Holyoak and Wrap Me In Red earned a winning score of 243. 

“From the very first time I rode her, I loved her so much that I thought she was too good to be true, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up too quickly,” she said. “She is the most incredible horse I’ve ever ridden and my favorite horse of all time. She is so special to me. Every time she steps into the arena she gives 110%.”

Competing for a purse of this caliber made the victory even more meaningful for Holyoak.

 “I think it’s a really amazing opportunity getting to do something different. It feels like a different kind of pressure, and I’ve never experienced it before, so it was really nice getting to do something different for once,” she said.

The win marked a special milestone in Holyoak’s career, and her plans for the future with the mare are just as heartfelt. 

“I’ll keep her forever. I’ll never sell her. She’s my favorite horse ever. And we just want to have as many baby ‘Evies’ as possible,” she said.

Jeffrey Johns followed closely behind to secure second place with Susan Johns’ Nothin But Nett (Machine Made x KM Hot Number) on a score of 240.5.

Third place overall, along with the Limited title, went to Susan Wilson and her own Hez Blazin Trouble (RL Best Of Sudden x Roubles A Blazin), earning a 231.5.

$50,000 Marsh McLennan Agency NSBA All-Age Non Pro Finals Top Three Results 

1 Wrap Me In Red, Siena Holyoak, Siena Holyoak
2 Nothin But Nett, Jeffrey Johns, Susan Johns
3 Hez Blazin Trouble, Susan Wilson, Susan Wilson 

$55,000 NSBA Maiden 3-Year-Old & Over Open & Limited Open Western Pleasure

Seventeen of the nation’s top horse-and-rider combinations took to the WEC Grand Arena on Saturday afternoon for the $55,000 NSBA Maiden 3-Year-Old & Over Open Western Pleasure. In the end, Aaron Moses captured the lion’s share of the prize money aboard Kristin Chariety Kern’s I Wrote The Code, a 2022 gelding by VS Code Red x Suddens Leadin Lady, marking an impressive return to the pen after time off.

 “He’s a pretty special horse,” Moses said. “He’s four this year and had an injury last year, so he had to take the year off. I was planning on showing him here last year, so it’s pretty cool to come back this year.”

Back in competition, I Wrote The Code rose to the occasion. 

“He was just really soft,” Moses said. “He let me ride him wherever I needed to. It’s pretty great for his first time back showing. I’m so proud of him.”

$55,000 NSBA Maiden 3-Year-Old & Over Open Western Pleasure Top Three Results 

1 I Wrote The Code, Aaron Moses, Kristin Chariety Kern
2 Flire It Up, Andy Cochran, J R & Melissa Cook
3 Ur Heart Or Mine, Mark Zeitler, Aubrey Jacobs 

Mark Zeitler scored not only the Limited Rider win but also captured the Intermediate Rider win riding Aubrey Jacobs’ 2023 gelding Ur Heart Or Mine (Heart Stoppin/VQH Heart Stoppin x Why So Lazy). 

$10,000 NSBA Senior Open & Limited Open Trail 

Nearly 90 horse-and-rider combinations gathered in Indoor 2 for the $10,000 NSBA Senior Open & Limited Open Trail, but it was Jason Gilliam who came out on top, riding Tammy Gagliardo’s 2019 gelding Under Warranty (Mechanic x Natural Indeed).

“He’s been special from day one,” Gilliam said.  “I’ve had him since he was five, and he’s seven now, so I’ve shown him for about two years. He’s been really good for me. I was second or third at the Congress and second or third at the NSBA World in the Green. Last year was his first year as a Senior horse, and I was top 15 at the Congress and in the Senior. Since then, he’s done nothing but get better. He has so much try. He’s super level-headed, fun to show, and easy to prepare.”

$10,000 NSBA Senior Open Trail Top Three Results: 
1 Under Warranty, Jason Gilliam, Tammy Gagliardo
2 Im Chasing My Dreams, Lauren Elizabeth Martin, Cynthia Rasmussen
3 Wrap Me In Red, Carly Parks Veldman, Siena Holyoak

Kendra Weis scored the Limited win with Hot Four Teacher (One Hot Invitation x Graceful And Good), a 2015 mare owned by Jordan Macan. 

$10,000 NSBA Junior Ranch Riding & Limited Rider

The $10,000 NSBA Junior Ranch Riding & Limited Rider saw 17 competitors, but none could best Jonathan Meilleur riding the 2022 gelding, Spooks Lil Cash (Spooks Gotta Spark x Lil Roseanne Cash), owned by James Norrison. Meilleur also claimed the Limited Rider title.

“This is a four-year-old by Spooks Gotta Spark that’s owned by Jim Norrison from Massachusetts,” Meilleur said. “We’ve had him since he was a 2-year-old. He’s been a great-minded horse to train. He just loves his job, loves to work and loves to be out and about. He doesn’t have a lot of energy, but he just likes to go do stuff. He’s just a fun little horse.” 

Meilleur was especially pleased with the overall feel of the ride. 

“He was really flowy,” he said. “I was happy with the trot and my extended lope to slow down,” he explained. 

$10,000 NSBA Junior Ranch Riding Top Three Results:

1 Spooks Lil Cash, Jonathan Meilleur, James Norrison
2 Daytona Five Hundred, Shannon Quinlan Hill, Debbie Kuffer
3 Whiskey Glassus, Bud Lyon, Colleen Kurtz

$10,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding & Limited Rider 

Jumper 1 welcomed 24 horse-and-rider combinations to the ring for the $10,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding, all vying for top honors. In the end, Bud Lyon returned to World Equestrian Center – Ocala in winning form, sweeping the top two placings.

Lyon secured the victory aboard Jennifer Greenleaf’s 2018 gelding Double Tapn (Lil Joe Cash x Whiz N Snap) with the high score of 245. He followed up with a second-place finish riding Rancho Verde LLC’s 2017 stallion Alpha Black (Wimpy Chic x Chexanicki), earning a score of 240.

$10,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding Top Three Results 

1 Double Tapn, Bud Lyon, Jennifer Greenleaf
2 Alpha Black, Bud Lyon, Rancho Verde LLC
3 SS Wrecking Ball, Elizabeth Yoder, Alexius Dorsey 

Tyler Garrett Ashby claimed the Limited award riding Gott This (Gotta Twist It Up x Beat This Enterprise), a 2020 gelding owned by Kerry Papendick. 

$6,000 NSBA Maturity Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure

In the $6,000 NSBA Maturity Open Western Pleasure, 12 horse-and-rider combinations competed for the win but it was Katy Jo Zuidema who rode Lyle Hanson’s The Drinkz R On Me to the victory. 

Following a standout performance, Zuidema reflected on her partnership with the 2021 gelding by CP Surely The Best x Absolut Martini Girl.

“I’ve had him for about a year now, actually, since just before this horse show last year,” she said. “We’ve done really well together. I was second with him in the Junior Pleasure at Congress and top five at the (AQHA) World Show. He’s just been a really awesome, nice horse.”

They also highlighted a unique detail that sets him apart in the pen. 

“Fun fact about him, he’s actually a true 17 hands,” she added. “It’s crazy, right? I’ve never seen a Western pleasure horse that big before, at least not one this successful. He’s a good boy. I think he’s a 10 jogger, and he’s very slow-legged. He’s just so massive that he really overpowers the pen. I think those things have served him well. He’s exactly my kind of horse. Very correct, honest, and beautiful. That’s the kind of horse I want to produce.”

$6,000 NSBA Maturity Open Western Pleasure Top Three Results: 

1 The Drinkz R On Me, Katy Jo Zuidema, Lyle Hanson
2 Waffle House, Aaron Moses, Glover Galyean Partnership LLC
3 Certainly Persistent, Jay Starnes, Richard & Betty Jo and Richard Carr 

Rebecca Britton claimed the Limited NSBA Maturity Western Pleasure title riding Starland Ranch LLC’s 2021 gelding City Limit Signs (Hay Goodlookn x No Doubt Im Lucys) to the top prize. 

$6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non Pro & Intermediate Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle

In the $6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non Pro & Intermediate Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle, an even 10 horse-and-rider combinations vied for top honors, but it was Lauren Allen Nichols who secured the win and the Intermediate title riding her own Good Times Roll.

The 2023 mare by All Time Fancy x Shes A Hot Asset is extra special to Nichols. 

“I actually bred this horse, so this is a really special moment for me,” Nichols said. “I was at the farm when she was born, and Alyse [Roberts] and I actually had to pull her because her mom wouldn’t push, so that was an interesting experience for us.”

The victory carried even deeper meaning given recent circumstances. “We unfortunately lost her mom this year, so it’s really bittersweet to win on her today,” she added. “It makes it that much more special.”

$6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results: 

1 Good Times Roll, Lauren Allen Nichols, Lauren Allen Nichols
2 Sunday In Augusta, Meaghan Pye, Meaghan Pye
3 Willy What You Want, Sandra Morgan, Sandra Morgan 

$5,000 NSBA Maturity Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle 

Eighteen flashy horse-and-rider combinations took to the rail in the WEC Grand Arena for the $5,000 NSBA Maturity Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle, but it was Laurel Champlin who rose to the top aboard her own CoolKrymsunLadyLike (VS Code Red x Cool Krymsun Lady).

The 2019 mare, owned by the Laurel A. Champlin Family Trust, has been a longtime partner for Champlin. 

“She is seven this year. I bought her when she was three, almost four. Beth Case got her ready for me. She trained her and went a lot on her, and I have won a lot on her. She is a funny little red mare with freckles,” she said. “She is the easiest horse I have ever owned in my life. You just get on and go do your thing. She loves cookies and is very affectionate.”

$5,000 NSBA Maturity Non Pro Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results: 

1 CoolKrymsunLadyLike, Laurel Champlin, Laurel A Champlin Family Trust
2 Al Right All Right, Rebekah Kazakevicius, Cindy Kazakevicius
3 Walk N After Midnite, Isabella Stanley, Jeffrey Stanley 

$5,000 NSBA Level 1/Green Ranch Riding

A competitive field of 23 riders took center stage bright and early in Jumper 1 for the $5,000 NSBA Level 1/Green Ranch Riding. Clayton Jerrell rode Brandi Susanne McGonagill’s Ohh What A Nite (Lucky Special Nite x JF Haidanita), a 2022 gelding, to victory with a score of 236.5.

“I got him last summer as a 3-year-old. We showed him here in September and had some growing pains to work through, but he’s very good-minded and just a really nice horse,” Jerrell said. “He is a gentle giant. He is the biggest one out here but he is such a cool horse. I really enjoy him. We spent all winter getting him figured out and finished up, and his owners, Brandi and Jason McGonagill, have been awesome. They have never told me no if I said he needed something or we should take him to a show, they are all in.”

$5,000 NSBA Level 1/Green Ranch Riding Top Three Results: 

1 Ohh What A Nite, Clayton Jerrell, Brandi Susanne McGonagill
2 Magic Mann, Shannon Quinlan Hill, Kylee Faith Wiseman
3 IceWater InHis Veins, Clayton Jerrell, James Sneed

The Orange Blossom Classic continues through Sunday, April 12, followed by A Sudden Impulse beginning Tuesday, April 14 and running through Saturday, April 18. Spectators are welcome to enjoy competition throughout both weeks.

Friday, April 17 features the $142,000 NSBA All-Age Open Trail Finals, featuring the first-ever $100,000 winner’s payout.

There is no charge for admission or parking. *Times are subject to change.

Learn more about the Orange Blossom Classic & A Sudden Impulse here.

Text courtesy WEC.

Photos courtesy of Shane Rux Photography.