The Tom Powers Triple Challenge got off to a strong start Thursday in Berrien Springs, Michigan, with big numbers, big strides and big paychecks.

The Non-Pro Maturity Hunter Under Saddle riders trotted into the arena first and when judges Steve Meadows, Jon Barry, Jonathan Meilleur and Randy Wilson finished marking their cards, Tails N Assets, was called out the winner with Taylor Kuehn in the irons.

Next up was the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle for Limited Riders. Farley Sliss, of Gainesville, Texas, rode Sleep Alibit Longer, sired by Too Sleepy To Zip, to a win in the class.

Olivia Hoecker’s HRZ Elegant And Blue captured top honors in $2,500 Limited Horse Maturity with Katy Jo Zuidema in the irons. Owned and raised by Oivia Hoecker of Tipp City, Ohio, Elegant And Blue is a 2011 bay gelding by Hoecker’s stallion Hotroddin Zippo and out of Elegant And Blue (by Skys Blue Boy).

Then it was Rebecca Kazakevicious’ turn to collect blue in the prestigious 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. With three firsts and a second, Kazakevicious sailed to victory aboard Not Just Anyhoo, sired by Hot Ones Only and out of Skys Strawberry. Kazakevicious rode Not Just Anyhoo to a unanimous victory in the 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle at the Congress last year. She says she has plans to make him her amateur horse after this year.

Color Yearlings were next up with No Doubt Im Blazing Hot the first to record a unanimous victory in the Yearling Non-Pro Color Longe Line with Kurt Heling at the end of the rope. No Doubt Im Blazing Hot is sired by No Doubt Im Lazy and recorded first place scores across the board.

Withouta Doubt, also sired by No Doubt Im Lazy made it two in a row when he, too was judged the winner of the Open Color Longe Line by all four presiding judges. Kathie Kennedy showed Withouta Doubt for owner Darlene Morawski, of Hampshire, Illinois.

Adam Mathis showed Sleep Machine, owned by William Cox, to victory in the 3-Year-Old Novice Horse Novice Rider Western Pleasure. Sleep Machine is sired by Machine Made and out of Too Sleepy To Speed.

One Lazy Investment and Virginia Owen, of Piedmont, South Carolina, claimed victory in the Maturity Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Sired by Lazy Loper and out of January Investment.

Rusty Green and Momma Knows Best, sired by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Hot Little Mama, fresh off their win in the 3 & 4-Year-Old $1,000 Novice Horse Western Pleasure at A Little Futurity in Raleigh, North Carolina, took top honors today in the $2,500 Limited Horse Western Pleasure. Momma Knows Best is owned by Capital Quarter Horses, Pilot Point, Texas. The biggest class of the day, the $2,500 Limited Horse Western Pleasure had to be run in two splits and a final to determine a winner. Reserve Champion was Made By J, sired by Machine Made. Gil Galyean rode for owners Candice Hall and Cory Seebach.

A Chrome Cookie marked the next unanimous winner today at the futurity in the Maturity Novice Horse Western Pleasure. Troy Lehn rode the 2011 sorrel gelding sired by RL Best Of Sudden and out of A Good Cookie, for owner Alexandra Chavez.

The first tie of the day occurred in the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure when Tonya Carmean, of Orangeville, Pennsylvania and Lopin By The Lineup matched scores with Katie Bossart, of Sunbury, Ohio, and Batmans Loping Lady. Lopin By The Line is sired by Only Intuition while Batmans Loping Lady is sired by Batt Man and out of Quite Radical.

The Maturity Limited Horse Non-Pro Western Pleasure got interesting when there was a three-way tie at the end for first place. Splitting the winnings were: Carrie Chown, of Pilot Point, Texas, aboard Hot Precious Lexus; Robert Stein, of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, aboard RR Whisper My Future; and Lori Ward, of Tupelo, Mississippi, aboard KM Jazz It Up. A total of seven showed in the class.

Alezandra Chavez, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, teamed with Hot Lopin Goodbar to win the Limited Open Maturity. Hot Lopin Godbar is sired by Zippos Mr Good Bar and out of NSBA Horse of the Year Hot Lopin Louise.

Miss Famous Maker, a 2007 sorrel mare sired by Hes Suddenly Famous and out of Maker Love (by Ironmaker) captured top honors in the All Age Color Breed Western Pleasure. Cole Baker rode for owner Susan Ostrander of Westerville, Ohio.

Alexandra Chavez finished up the day’s activities with another win…this time in the Non-Pro Color Breed Western Pleasure class of five entries. Chavez rode A Chrome Cookie to her final championship of the day.

Friday’s competition gets under way at 8 a.m. with the Non-Pro Yearling Longe Line and concludes with Maturity $2,500 Limited Horse Western Pleasure. Check back often as we continue to post results from the day’s events.