Pat Heeley aboard Gettin My Sundis On (left) and Jamie Zuidema riding Six Ways From Sundi.

The 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Class at the All American Quarter Horse Congress is always one to watch. It’s a place to witness the best movers in the pleasure industry compete for what’s one of the biggest purses at the annual event in Columbus, Ohio.

But this year’s class will be especially interesting … especially for the Jamie Zuidema and Pat Heeley training programs, both located in Iowa. Jamie is entered on Six Ways From Sundi while Heeley is slated to pilot Gettin My Sundis On.

With Zuidema just a month out from his nuptials with longtime fiancé, Anna Terry, when the horses enter the Celeste arena, it will be a showdown of brother-inlaws aboard full sisters.

Heeley is married to Anna’s sister Sara and Six Ways From Sundi and Gettin My Sundis On are full sisters, both 2013 embryo foals out of Hotroddin On Sundi and sired by VS Code Red. Six Ways From Sundi is owned by Liz Rice, 24, of Grimes, Iowa. She first spotted the pretty sorrel as a yearling loping around in the field at Zuidema’s training facility in Cumming, Iowa.

“She is a really pretty horse but the first thing that caught my eye was her front leg,” Rice said. “I haven’t seen anything like it. It is bionic. I knew right away that I wanted her. I just had to find a way to get my family to agree. I made Anna and Jamie name her Ruth, which is actually my real first name.Then I told my family that Jamie had this yearling that I loved and that it was fate because we shared the same name. We purchased her the following week.”

In 2015, Six Ways From Sundi showed just once – at the National Snaffle Bit Association World Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There she and Rice placed in the Top 10 in the Limited Division of the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Jamie also rode her to a Top Five placing in the Intermediate Division of the Open 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure.

Liz Rice and Sundi Night Invite

“We did not want to push her too hard and overdo it as a 2-year-old so we gave her the rest of the year off so she would be ready for her 3-year-old year,” Rice explained.

In June Blake Weiss rode Six Ways From Sundi to an eighth place finish in the Premier Quarter Sires 3-Year-Old Limited Horse Limited Rider Western Pleasure, held at the Cornhusker Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Then in August Heeley piloted Six Ways From Sundi to a Top 10 in the 3-Year-Old Novice Horse Western Pleasure at the 2016 NSBA World Show and Rice placed 11th out of 30 in the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Rice has always had a passion for horses. Her dad played polo when she was growing up so she was constantly around horses, but polo was too fast paced for her. She started riding in 2005 when she and a neighbor began taking lessons.

“I quickly learned that Western Pleasure was more my style,” she said.

Since that time Rice has graduated from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, with a degree in Business Management and started working for the family’s business, ServiceMaster by Rice, as the Regional Marketing Coordinator.

“We are a disaster restoration company so whenever there is a flood, fire, tornado, hurricane, etc., we come to the rescue,” she explained.

Over the years Rice has had the opportunity to show numerous talented horses, including No Trouble Mac, One Hot Sinsation, Ty Dyed, Toucht, all under the guidance of Iowa trainer Shannon Vroegh.

Liz Rice and Six Ways From Sundi

In 2014 a chance encounter ended with Rice showing a 2006 bay gelding named Sundi Night Invite, also out of Hotroddin On Sundi but by Invitation Only.

“It’s a funny story,” Rice recalled. “Jamie had rented out my parents’ barn and at that time, by brother, Trey Rice, started showing with him. I was between horses at the time so my brother talked me into going to a show with them in Nebraska. While we were at the show a tornado had hit in northwestern Iowa so Trey had to leave the show early to go work. I was planning on leaving with him because I did not know Jamie or Anna that well. They ended up convincing me to stay and show Trey’s horse, Sundi Night Invite. I ended up getting along really well with him and got to show him the rest of the year. Jamie and Anna have become some of my greatest friends since then.”

Rice is especially excited about watching Jamie show her horse in the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the Congress and about showing herself in the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure.

“I have shown the 2-Year- Old Non-Pro three times at the Congress but never the 3-Year- Old Non-Pro so I am excited to have the chance to do that this year,” she said. “To be competitive I know I will have to have a really nice ride with no bobbles. No matter what happens, as long as I have a good ride, I will be happy!”

Rice will also show Sundi Night Invite in the Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity and in Amateur Western Pleasure and after that he will be offered for sale.

After that she will start focusing on next year when she and Ruth will compete in Amateur Western Pleasure and Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity classes while Jamie shows her in Junior Western Pleasure.

Jamie Zuidema’s Cummings, Iowa facility

“I absolutely love her personality,” Rice said. “She is very laid back and easy going but at the same time she is not lazy. She will always do what you ask and give you 110 percent every time. I can trust her and she wont cheat me in the show pen. I love her expression. She always looks like a happy horse. I don’t think I have ever seen her pin her ears. I’m very excited about her future.”

It’s no accident that Zuidema has such a connection with Six Ways From Sundi and Gettin My Sundis On. Their dam, Hotroddin On Sundi, is a horse Zuidema started riding in 2004 and had in his program, with various owners most of her career. Hotroddin On Sundi earned over 250 performance points in American Quarter Horse Association competition, numerous futurity championships and Reserve Championships and Top 10 placings at the Quarter Horse Congress. She is the dam of such decorated performers as Invite Me OnSundi, Sundi Night Invite, Sundi Funday and Six Ways From Sundi.

Zuidema is very excited about this year’s Congress and especially for the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. He wants both of his 3-year-olds to do well and feels good about having Heeley saddle up Gettin My Sundis On.

The pretty red roan mare, owned by Jamie’s father, Jack Zuidema and his long time client, Annie Gravett, of Sussex, England, was Zuidema’s Congress Masters Western Pleasure entry last year but she got sick last August and had to have three months off. That’s when it was decided that she would be saved for her 3-year-old year.

When the year started Zuidema had six 3-year olds so it was hard to devote enough attention to her.

“She was just taking a little longer than the other ones so we didn’t push her because she was too good,” Zuidema said. “At the NSBA World Show Pat mentioned that he didn’t have a 3-year-old for the Congress so we agreed that it would be a good idea for him to give her a try and get her finished.”

Jamie Zuidema with his fiancé, Anna Terry

Zuidema said it has been a really good fit so far.

“Nothing ever bothers her, she doesn’t get worked up about anything and she is beautiful to watch, she floats,” he said. “Pat has put a lot of time into her and she looks great.”

Heeley is happy to have the opportunity to ride Gettin My Sundis On (Margaret).

“When Jamie and Anna asked me if I would show Margaret at the Congress I was really excited,” he said. “She has a beautiful overall look and great self-carriage. Although I’ve only been riding her a short time she has impressed me greatly and adapted to the program with ease. I also love the way she is bred, I was a huge fan of her mother and she reminds me a lot of her.”

The arrangement also allows Zuidema to stay focused on getting Six Ways From Sundi ready for both himself and for Rice.

“This way both mares can be shown in the same class and neither has to sit out,” Zuidema said.

Once the Congress comes to a close Jamie and Anna will turn their attention to their November wedding in St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. After that they will head home to their Cummins, Iowa facility and get to work on next year’s show horses.

His facility has 18 heated stalls as well as an indoor arena, viewing room and office, turnouts, pastures and outdoor riding space. Jamie’s program focuses on Western Pleasure futurity horses and putting together a good Amateur program.

Family has always been important to Jamie. He and his older brothers, Tim and Bill, grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and his family was involved in showing Appaloosa horses. His brother Tim and his wife, Katy Jo, still train out of Micanopy Florida and Hotroddin On Sundi now resides at Jack and Faye Zuidema’s Cedar Lane Farms in Alachua, Florida. There she is bred and her foals spend the beginning of their lives.

“I feel lucky to have Sundi as a broodmare,” Jamie says. “I have always had a strong connection with her and I really enjoy training her offspring. A great part of my success as a trainer is because of her and her babies”