He is the top National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) Open Western Pleasure money earner with over $1.3 million in lifetime earnings. So when Rusty Green selects, trains and shows a young contender, people pay attention. The industry pays attention. That’s exactly the case with the young Western Pleasure sire Top Gunn (Cruz), a 2020 […]
Bestselling children’s author JK Rowling, who penned the Harry Potter novels once said that “family is a life jacket in the stormy sea of life.” Sisters Allie and Madeline (Maddie) Rippeon, of Mount Airy, Maryland would agree. As fierce competitors on the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) show circuits Maddie, 17, […]
If you ever watched the 2005 movie “Batman Begins,” starring Christian Bale, you surely recall the line “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do, that defines me.” Back then, Batt Man, an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) leading sire of Western Pleasure contenders wasn’t even born yet. But all of the astute […]
The Glover Galyean Partnership (Jim and Debbie Glover, and Wes and Kristen Galyean) is thrilled to announce the acquisition of one of the most decorated Western pleasure horses in the industry, Waffle House. This remarkable mare, a multiple AQHA World, NSBA World and Congress Champion, has captured the attention and admiration of equestrian enthusiasts everywhere. […]
Sometimes, no matter what the discipline, a show horse hits a brick wall in the training process and just fails to perform at the level expected. There are many potential reasons for the change – stress, horse show burnout, a change in rider or discipline. The first thing that needs to happen is that any […]
Anyone with even the slightest bit of experience in the show pen knows that there are many variables that go into the making of a champion. Conformation and genetics have big roles. And of course there’s the training aspect. But when you start with an animal that is a natural things just seem to fall […]
Some of the most talented 3-year-old American Quarter Horses will demonstrate their versatility at the AQHA Pleasure Versatility Challenge, held during the 2024 AQHA and Select World Championship Shows in Oklahoma City. Total purse for the event, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, is anticipated to be $50,000, plus prizes again in 2024. […]
Competition in the pattern classes at top breed shows and futurities has improved so much in the past decade that course designers have had to add maneuvers and to the degree of difficulty just to keep up and make the classes challenging. Some of today’s Showmanship Horsemanship, Equitation, Trail and Ranch patterns can get extremely […]
When she was just a kid, growing up in rural Brill, Wisconsin, Ann Lapacinski was lucky to share a passion for horses and showing with her mother. “When I was in kindergarten I can remember getting picked up by my mom on our old horse Rusty who was a Quarter Horse/Welsh Pony cross and we […]
Western Pleasure. In terms of entries, it’s traditionally been one of the most popular classes at American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and other breed association events. Large purses and prestigious titles have traditionally drawn big numbers to the pen to be evaluated on quality of movement. The National Snaffle […]
If you are watching the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle or Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Maturity at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Futurity this month or at the Quarter Horse Congress, it will be easy to spot Amanda Smith. She will be the one with the big smile on her face, courtesy of her […]
We’ve all seen it – those competitors in a Showmanship class who “run funny.” Maybe they stick their behind out too far. Maybe they resemble a duck. Or maybe they are just running on their toes and their stride appears off. Many times, this is happening unfortunately because handlers simply don’t know the correct way […]
