He’s big. He’s beautiful. He’s great-minded. He comes from a family of successful show horses. And now, at just 2 years old, He, himself, has two Quarter Horse Congress Championships and a Reserve Championship to his credit.

It’s safe to say that Shannon Walker’s bay stallion by Its A Southern Thing out of Krymsun Belle is living up to his name – Boifriend Material. But they call him Hollywood.

Hollywood’s dam earned over 1,500 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) points, four Quarter Horse Congress Championships and two Reserve Congress Championships. She also claimed an AQHA World Championship title, two AQHA Reserve World Championship titles, three National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) World Championship titles and a Reserve NSBA World Championship. Teamed with Walker’s daughter, Mallory Vroegh, Krymsun Belle captured a Congress High Point Youth 15-18 Championship and AQHA Superiors in Showmanship, Horsemanship, Trail and Performance Halter.

When it came time to breed Krymsun Belle, Walker selected Its A Southern Thing, a Reserve AQHA World Champion in Western Pleasure and AQHA World & Reserve World Champion in Western Riding.

Her first foal, It’s A Southern Belle, a 2018 sorrel mare, is a successful Western Pleasure and all-around contender with over $60,000 in lifetime earnings.

Boifriend Material is well on his way to surpassing that.

At his very first show, the Quarter Horse Congress last month, Hollywood captured two Championship titles and a Reserve, earning more than $25,000. Teamed with Texas trainer Aaron Moses Hollywood won the Super Sale 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure, collecting a check for $9,027 and they were Reserve Champions in the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure winning an additional $10,629 plus $4,000 in Super Sires earnings. Vroegh also rode Hollywood to a win in the Congress 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes collecting another $2,625.24.

Hollywood was born in South Carolina under the care of Kristy Starnes.

“It is very hard for me to raise foals in Iowa with our nasty weather and I like to have them outside as much as possible,” Walker explained. “Kristy did an amazing job foaling him out and keeping him for me until the beginning of his yearling year.”

Like most foals, Hollywood went through many stages.

“One time I would love him and the next time I was like… oh my goodness I hope he grows out of that,” she admitted. “But he turned into one of the most beautiful animals I’ve ever owned. His conformation now as a two year-old stallion is more than I could’ve ever hoped for.”

Hollywood spent his yearling year with Missouri trainer Mike Tivoli, who taught him to longe and fit him up for the NSBA Yearling Sale in August and the Congress Sale in October.

“Going through the NSBA and Congress sales was about eligibility,” Walker explained. “I wanted him to be eligible for every possible thing – both sales, the Super Sires and Premier programs and the NSBA Breeders Championship Futurity and Stallion Incentive Fund.”

When it came time for a saddle, Walker turned to Moses.

“Aaron had It’s A Southern Belle in training and got along well with her so he was our first choice to work with the stud,” she said. “I was very adamant. I didn’t want to show him early in his career, even though he was eligible for the sale stakes at the NSBA World Show. I wanted to give him every opportunity to grow up and mature so we waited until the Congress. It was a decision we made with Aaron’s help.”

Since the Congress lasts such a long time and Hollywood was entered in so many classes, his team had to pick and choose in which he would actually compete.

“He started off so strong with a win in the Super Sales Stakes and the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro,” Walker said. “I think it is a very big testament to Hollywood’s mind and Aaron‘s training ability to have a non-pro show a 2-year-old stud. Studs aren’t easy for anyone but we were beyond excited to win the non-pro twos at the Congress this year with him.”

It was a dream come true to win the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, especially with the stallion that they raised.

“He was right there for me every step, but I also had to be prepared to ride every step,” she explained. “He is so easy and good-minded. I’ve never had the opportunity to have one so laid-back that you have to push every stride and it’s really fun.”

Vroegh feels his strength is that he is extremely equal to the left and to the right.

“I’ve never ridden a horse so well-rounded in his pleasure career,” Vroegh said. “He trots better than anything I’ve ridden. It is truly an honor to get to ride and show this horse, and I am so looking forward to his 3-year-old year when he is even bigger and stronger.” 

Vroegh said Hollywood will show at the AQHA World Show this month with Moses and then get a long, well-deserved break before showing in 3-year-old open events with Moses and non-pro classes with Vroegh and hopefully move into the versatility by the end of his 3-year-old year.

“Our long-term goal for him will be to show his 3-year-old year and then possibly stand to the public in 2027,” Walker said. “Hollywood is 16 hands tall as a 2 year-old with excellent conformation and soft legs so we feel like he will be an excellent breeding stallion.”

In addition to Boifriend Material, Walker will also have Cool Sultry Lady showing at the AQHA World Show this year in Green and Junior Trail. The 2021 black mare by RL Best Of Sudden out of Cool Krymsun Lady, will be Vroegh’s all-around partner next year.

Vroegh will show Made Of Money, a 2020 bay mare by Machine Made out of Huntin A Tune, in Level 1 Non-Pro and L3 Amateur Horsemanship, Showmanship and Trail there as well. They won the L1 Horse Non-Pro Showmanship at the Congress and placed fourth in L1 Horse Non-Pro Horsemanship. They also won the Green Non-Pro Horsemanship at the NSBA World Show.

“We leased her at the beginning of the year from Ben and Rachel Schoepf and we could not thank them more for letting us show her,” Vroegh said. “She has been an incredible mare that has only kept gaining on her wins and abilities with time.”

Made Of Money has been learning all of these events as a green horse,

“While she won the Showmanship at the Congress, we felt like one of her biggest accomplishments was her top 10 placing in the L3 Amateur Horsemanship,” Vroegh said. “That’s an extremely salty class for a green horse to make the top 10. After we are done showing her at the world show this great mare is offered for sale and I can’t wait to see someone go on with her and enjoy her as much as I have.”

In addition to owning and managing these decorated show horses, Walker owns and operates Show Horses by Shannon out of Avis Farms.

“We have a completely heated facility in an arena big enough that we can set up a trail course and still work other patterns,” she said. “A lot of time Mallory’s horses are with trainers down south because she lives in Dallas, Texas so she can ride often. Made Of Money has stayed with me in Iowa so it’s been really fun for Mallory and I to get to work together again and also it’s a testament to the mare that they don’t get to practice as much as we would like.”