In her decades-long career in the show arena, Rebekah Kazakevicius has ridden some of the top Hunter Under Saddle contenders out there – horses like Cool Assets, Huntin My Zipper and Not Just Anyhoo.

But there’s something about her current show partner, Give Me The Moves (Titan), a 2019 gelding by Give Me The Goods and out of Boys Move Over, that sets him apart.

“The only horse I’ve ever intentionally trotted in first on before now was Not Just Anyhoo. He had so much power and a big-strided trot,” she explained. “I think this horse has a lot of those characteristics. I did trot in first in both of my 3-Year-Old Non-Pro classes at the (National Snaffle Bit Association) NSBA World Show (in Tulsa, Oklahoma in August), so that was a great feeling when you can trust them to do that. He is also easy to maneuver so I can put him exactly in the spots where I want him to have nice passes in front of the judges.”

And Kazakevicius would know. She’s currently ranked third on the NSBA list of Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Lifetime earners with $172,631.36.

“Every year and showing in general, I set a few goals for myself,” she said. “Some seem pretty far fetched at the time but I’ve come to realize nothing seems out of reach. A few specific, and really significantly special ones that come to mind are winning the Amateur Western Riding at the AQHA World Show in 2010 with Cool Assets; 2014 NSBA Horse of The Year with Huntin My Zipper; winning the Junior Hunter Under Saddle and Open All Around Champion at the All American Quarter Horse Congress with Not Just Anyhoo in 2015; and most recently winning the NSBA and (Breeders Championship Futurity) BCF 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle at the NSBA World Championship with Give Me The Moves.”

Kazakevicius spotted Titan when he was a yearling in the fields at Highpoint Performance Horses in Pilot Point, Texas. Bred by Nancy Sue Ryan, he was owned at the time by NSBA’s leading Open Hunter Under Saddle rider Beth Case, with whom Kazakevicius has a special relationship.

“I started with Beth Case when I first started training with Highpoint in 2012,” she said. “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already and we’ve shown some pretty great horses along the way.”

Titan was out in the yearling pasture at Highpoint when Kazakevicius stopped by in the summer 2020.

“I saw him canter across the field and told Beth, ‘I want that one!’” She wouldn’t price him to me at the time, then a week later called and said, “I’ll price him because if I don’t, something will happen”

Titan’s training regimen has been a bit unorthodox by some standards – slow and more like a team effort – but it has worked for him.

He was started as a 2-year-old by Ashley Bailey and then turned over to Case to show in Green and Novice Horse classes this year.

In March Case rode Titan to a win in the West Coast Breeders Futurity L2 Junior Hunter Under Saddle and Kazakevicius rode him to a Reserve Championship in the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and a third place in the Sun Circuit’s tough 3 & 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.

Then in April, Kazakevicius piloted Titan to a third place in the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Futurity at the Spring Breakout in Lexington, Virginia.

At the Premier in Lexington, Kentucky in June, Bailey rode Titan to a win in the Level 1 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle and a Reserve Championship in the Breeders Futurity 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle-Silver Division and Kazakevicius earned a Reserve Championship on him in the Premier Magazine Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and a third place award in the Breeders Futurity 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle-Silver Division.. Titan was also third in the Level 2 Junior Hunter Under Saddle there with Case in the irons; third in the $2,500 Limited Horse Limited Rider Open Hunter Under Saddle Stakes with Jessica Johnson in the irons; and third in the 3 & Over Novice Horse Hunter Under Saddle  Stakes with Baily riding.

Kazakevicius and Case recently brought in North Carolina trainers Kelby and Kaitlin Hutchison to help take Titan to the next level.

Results were immediate when Titan and Rebekah were named World Champions in the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle at the NSBA World Show and also won the Breeders Championship Futurity 3-Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle. Kaitlin also piloted him to a Reserve in the Green Hunter Under Saddle there.

“This horse in particular has been a total team effort,” Kazakevicius explained. “From Ashley starting and putting the foundation on him as a 2-year-old, to Beth showing in the Green and Novice Horse classes, to Kelby and Kaitlin helping execute the finish work. They are so much fun to be around and have such great drive and work ethic. Both have taught me a lot in such a short amount of time, especially learning a few new buttons and really taking the time to work with us and make sure we were on our A game in Tulsa. I feel like this really works for us because Kaitlin is very calm and keeps everything together, where as Kelby and I are super intense and competitive. The additional support from everyone at Highpoint, along with Beth and Charlie (Cole) being my eyes on the rail make this a winning combination.”

Next up for Give Me The Moves is the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Rebekah will show him in the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle and in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. Kaitlin will ride in the 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle and in Green Hunter Under Saddle.

Kaitlin says Titan’s strengths are his trot, presence in the pen and topline.

“I think when he comes in the pen he just has a ton of presence,” she explained. “His trot is absolutely beautiful. He profiles great. You just want to watch him.”

Kaitlin says she is very thankful that Beth and Rebekah trusted them with Titan and that he just keeps getting better.  They have high hopes for Rebekah and Titan in Columbus.

“Rebekah is an exceptionally talented showman and rider,” Kaitlin said. “She knows how to maneuver through traffic and get a spot. She has a ton of poise and confidence and is not afraid to go for it. She is very competitive and coachable.”

That competitive nature has spilled over into Rebekah’s business venture as well. In 2017 she and her boyfriend, Kevin Glover launched Brinks Hattery, which offers the finest handcrafted felt hats, along with top quality brands and Brinks Hattery apparel.

“Originally selling retail, we’ve moved to building our own inventory and creating a brand,” she said.

Armed with a BA degree in business from the University of Florida, Rebekah especially enjoys advertising and the aesthetics of what the couple wants the image of the company to portray.

“It’s been a lot of fun to navigate the horse shows while competing and vending,” Rebekah said. “It’s definitely been a learning experience for the both of us.

But after waiting patiently for Titan to mature and all his success at the NSBA World Show, she is laser focused on having a successful Quarter Horse Congress.

Saving a horse Green and Novice Horse contests can be tough both mentally and physically. But, more often than not, the results are worth it.

“You want them to be perfect from the start, but this is a waiting game,” Kazakevicius said. “One (of many) really important things that Jason Martin (of Highpoint Performance Horses) has taught me is that you want them to peak at the right time. I feel like we have done justice to this horse, in particular because we did just that, and I’d say it paid off.”