Hashtag Hunting and Pat Heeley

Hashtag (#) winner.

A 2-year-old Appaloosa stallion, sired by Chocolately and out of the highly-decorated Quarter Horse mare Whos Cheating Who, lit up social media during the 2015 World Championship Appaloosa World Show this week by winning two titles – first in the Open 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure on Friday evening and then returning to win the Open 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure on Saturday, the final day of competition. Both wins were unanimous as Hashtag Huntin was the winner on all judges’ cards.
Iowa trainer Patrick Heeley was the natural choice to ride Hashtag Huntin (Luke) for owners Scott and Linda Berwick, of Clarence Creek, Ontario, Canada. He rode his sire and he showed his dam.
“We usually send our yearlings for training in November,” Linda says. “And for us, it was never questionable. Even before the colt was born, we knew we would be sending him to Pat for training. Pat trained Chocolatey and Whos Cheating Who.”
Hashtag Huntin made his show debut just a week ago in the Quarter Horse Congress Masters 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Class with Heeley.
When the Berwicks first heard that the Masters was being opened up to horses other than Quarter Horses, Scott Berwick told his wife that he would not be surprised if Heeley called and wanted to enter the stud.
“I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” Linda says. “I thought it was just another idea. But when it came time to send in the entries, I then found out they were both serious.”
The Berwicks are pinching themselves today to make sure they are not dreaming. Just over a week ago, Hashtag Huntin’s maternal half-sister, Whos Chasing Who (by Only In The Moonlite), won a Quarter Horse Congress Championship in the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurity with Purcell, Oklahoma trainer Angie Cannizzaro in the saddle.
“Just like Luke, she’s very pretty and loves to have all the attention,” Linda says. “I think the two are more alike than different. They are both trainable, very talented and extremely good minded. They just want to do their job.”
Hashtag Huntin comes by wining honestly. His sire is a three-time World Champion and National Snaffle Bit Association Reserve World Champion. His dam has recorded over 300 AQHA performance points (over 200 in Western Pleasure and $12,000 in NSBA earnings.
What I love most about this business is watching our babies grow,” Linda says. “I love studying them. It brings a smile to my face when I see one lope like their mama or dad. And that’s exactly what happened with Hashtag Huntin. He had a great front leg like his mama and the looks from his dad.”

This year the World Championship Appaloosa Show, held in Fort Worth, Texas, added Ranch Horse Pleasure and Ranch Horse Trail to the show roster for the first time. Both classes were non-qualifying for this year’s show and have had a strong amount of interest on the regional level.
A total of 43 competed in Ranch Pleasure and when the judging was complete, Liz Truax And One White Chip were declared the winners by a half point. One White Chip, sired by The Miracle Chip and out of And One White Sock, scored a 219.5 to take home the win for owner Vanessa Cherry, of Falls, Texas. Hazard was the Reserve Champion scoring a 219 with Janelle Stelk, of Phillips, Nebraska, in the saddle.
Randi Yokum teamed with Im Fred to capture the first Ranch Horse Trail World Championship by scoring a 360. Im Fred is sired by Zip’n Paradise and out of Clouds Paper Doll. The same team won the Masters Trail by scoring a 316 to top the 28-entry class.
Western Pleasure

Pat Odell teamed with Sleeping Beauty Too, sired by Too Sleepy To Zip and out of Impulsive Bet to win a tough Open Senior Western Pleasure Class at the World Show on Saturday, Oct. 24. Sleeping Beauty Too is owned by Trish Doyle, of Killingworth, Connecticut. On Monday, Rock My Motion, sired by Hot Chocolate Chip and out of Shes Radical, took the top spot in the Open Men’s Western Pleasure with Robert King in the saddle for Janis Semmelmayer, of Corona Del Mar, California. That same team won the Junior Western Pleasure on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Lonnie Cruse and Rose Rageous, sired by Ziprageous out of One Hot Version teamed to capture the top spot in the Limited Open 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure for breeder and owner Stormi Carpenter, of Sour Lake, Texas. Later that day Sara Simons rode Big Time Money, sired by A Good Machine and out of Dixies Chip to a win in the Open Ladies Western Pleasure. Bred by Wilburn Archer, Big Time Money is owned by Beck Farms, Stockton, California. To close out Western Pleasure events on Tuesday Laurel Odell-Clapp teamed with Certainly A Charlie to win the Novice Western Pleasure.
Sara Simons returned on Wednesday to take a “slow ride” to the top of the Open 3-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure Class aboard Slow Ride. Owned by Lauree Adair of San Dimas, California, A Slow Ride is sired by Chocolatey and out of Hot Kisses. Then A Slow Ride’s full sibling, Taking Hits bested 17 other entries to claim a World Championship in the Non-Pro Masters Western Pleasure with owner Brenda O’Neil, of Fort Denaud, Florida, in the saddle.
As Western Pleasure classes continued on Thursday, Rock My Motion recorded another win – this time in a tough Non-Pro Western Pleasure with Jordan Semmelmayer aboard. There was no time for a nap later that evening as Tim Zuidema rode Power Nap to victory in the World Sale 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure for owner Hanna Ring, of Micanopy, Florida. Sired by Sleepy Impulse, Power Nap is out of Miss Can Do Attitude.
On Friday Sara Simons and A Slow Ride returned to captured their second World Championship title – this time in the Open 3-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure.
In addition to the Open 2-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure on Saturday the Non-Pro 35 & Over drew a crowd of spectators and 18 entries. Brenda O’Neil, of Fort Denaud, Florida, rode Taking Hits to a win in the class.

Powered By Diesel and Katy Jo Zuidema in the Open 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle

Hunter Under Saddle

​Katie Jo Zuidema rode Powered By Diesel to a win in the Open 3-Year-Old & Over Hunter Under Saddle Maturity on Tuesday and then returned on Wednesday to capture another World Championship in the Open 3-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Hunter Under Saddle class as well. Powered By Diesel is sired by Diesel Only and out of All Elegance and is owned by Jessica Knox, of Fort Forth, Texas.
​William Grant, sired by All Hands On Zip and out of My Zips Too Sleepy, won the both the Open 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle and the 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Sale Incentive Class, with Dale Sullins in the irons for Sid Karr, of Aubrey, Texas.
On Monday Priceless Portrait, sired by Arts Self Portrait and out of Hunters Miracle bested 16 other entries to win a World Championship title in the Non-Pro Masters Hunter Under Saddle with Kisa Krueger in the irons. Later that same day Jesse Jones rode Handsoffmyartifacts to a win in Junior Under Saddle for owner Megan Wagner. Handsoffmyartifacts is sired by All Hands On Zip and out of Ms Artifactual. The Non-Pro 35 & Over Hunter Under Saddle drew a total of 22 entries and Priceless Portrait topped the class with Lisa Krueger in the irons.
For the second straight year Jesse Jones teamed with Play It Again Hunter, sired by The Hunter and out of Texas Tough, to capture a World Championship title in Senior Hunter Under Saddle. Play It Again Hunter is owned by Katie Shepherd, of Norwell, Massachusetts.

On the final day of competition McKenzie Gee, of Stafford, Kansas, teamed with Dirty Art, sired by Artfully Designed and out of Cara Riva, to win the Novice Hunter Under Saddle.

Lonnie Cruz and Hes All Sonny in Senior Trail

Trail

​Lonnie Cruz and Hes All Sonny won the Senior Trail by besting a class of 38 entries. Hes All Sonny, sired by All Hands On Zip and out of She’s Sweet N Sonny, is owned by Lesla Andrews of Peoria, Arizona. Jesse Jones rode Charlie Chowder to the top spot in Junior Trail. Megan Wagner, of Pilot Point, Texas owns Charlie Chowder, sired by Colored by Charlie and out of Principle And Chips. Lopin In Chocolate and Kayti Bjorklund-Strandlund captured the top spot in Non-Pro Trail by marking a 345 and Zippos Golden Levis won the Non-Pro Trail with Austin Peacock, of Collinsville, Texas, in the saddle.
Western Riding

Junior Western Riding drew a total of four entries and when the scoring was complete, A Chip Of Sudden and David Parlier, were World Champions. Jesse Jones rode Invaluable to the top spot in Senior Western Riding. Megan Wagner owns Invaluable, sired by Inpassable and out of The Passing Lane. Luann Bickford rode Resurrected Zip MMR to a win in the Masters Western Riding by marking a 215. Owner Tristanna Bickford recorded her own win in the Non-Pro Western Riding by scoring a 215 as well in the 14-entry class. Resurrected Zip MMR is sired by Zips Strawam MMR and out of A Star For Sure.

For more information about this year’s show and a full list of events visit www.appaloosa.com. Be sure to download the digital World Championship Appaloosa Show Premium Book and show schedule for the most up-to-date information regarding this event! To donate or sponsor a giveaway at this year’s show, contact marketing@appaloosa.com. For more information about the Appaloosa Horse Club and its events, please visit www.appaloosa.com or call ApHC at 208-882-5578