No matter how times you’ve heard it, when you are sitting in the stands you can feel the excitement in the air when they get ready to announce a new champion. That was the case in Fort Worth all last week as new Appaloosa National Champions were planned in a variety of events.

The Judges really kept the exhibitors on their toes in the Senior Western Pleasure arena. They had the class reverse at the jog and lengthen the stride at the lope both directions. The big winner was Tim Zuidema and Sheza Charlie Chip.

“She’s a great show mare and loves to be in the spotlight,” Zuidema said following his win.

Pat O’Dell showed RSVP Platinum Only to a win in the 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure for owner Joanne O’Dell of Knoxville, Tennessee. He also rode My Daddys Chocolatey to a win in the 3-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure for owner Noelle Schmidt of New Jersey.

The Novice Horsemanship pattern had lots of pivots, a side pass and was all about straight lines. The last one standing in the arena and bringing home the National trophy after a challenging pattern and rail work in the Novice Non-Pro Horsemanship was Laura Grass and Hezsweeter Bythehour.

The Senior Trail was one of the biggest classes with 54 entries. The pattern was designed by Robert Dehn and it was tight with many transitions. The big winner with three firsts and one second was Invaluable, owned by the Keller family of League City, Texas and ridden by Jesse Jones. Robin Change piloted Iza Stylish Jet to a win in Junior Trail for owner Shelley Golden-Drury of Whitesboro, Texas. Lora Marshall and her horse, Macho In Levis won the Masters Trail in a tough class of 18.

In the Hunter Under Saddle arena Sandy Jirkovsky piloted Powered by Diesel to a championship title in the 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle while Handsoffmyartifacts won the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle with Ryan Painter in the irons. Haley Gleeson of Kalamazoo, Michigan won the Novice Hunter Under Saddle aboard Undue Influence and Karen Lewis and Arti Sings The Blues were victorious in Masters Hunter Under Saddle.

Before starting the evening classes on Saturday the Appaloosa Horse Club put on an egg toss contest for all exhibitors. All the money raised went to breast cancer research. The egg toss was sponsored by Dennard’s Western Wear and the winners received a hat can and a $150 gift certificate toward a new hat. The last team standing with an unbroken egg included members Christi English and Brenden Lee.

Competition this week turns to the youth exhibitors as the World Championship Appaloosa Youth World Show continues through Saturday.

Lauren Beniger of Seattle, Washington and Hot Krymsun Angel won the Novice Western Horsemanship 18 & Under on Monday in a very tough class of 43 entries. Brooke Dryden and DZS Mac Dandy won the Western Horsemanship 13-15 while Eva Marcelis of Seattle, Washington captured top honors in Horsemanship 16-18 aboard Better Be Scotch.

Austin Ray of Stewart, Minnesota, got things started on Tuesday with a win in the Walk-Trot Western Pleasure 10 & Under on Monday aboard Shes Mega Hot. Jacqueline Frimodt and Chocolate Hotpants bested nine other competitors to capture a title in Westyern Pleasure 12 & Under.

For complete results from this year’s 67^th National Appaloosa Horse Show and 2014 World Championship Appaloosa Youth World Show visit: http://www.appaloosa.com/show/2014NationalShow/topten/ZShow.htm

For candid photos from the show, courtesy of Courtney Archer, click here