American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World and Congress Champion Queen Ov Hearts, who won the AQHA World 3-Year-Old Versatility Challenge in 2024, has been sold to Nancy Hernandez Riggs, of Rancho Santa Fe, California, it was announced today.

“It was a very difficult decision,” said Dr. Candice Hall, who has owned and shown Queen Ov Hearts (Lulu) for the past three years. “we love this mare so much, but know that she is going to the best home that will love her as much as we do.”

Hall and her husband, Dr. Cory Seebach, of Black Creek, British Columba, purchased the pretty 2020 bay mare by their own stallion, leading AQHA Western Pleasure Sire Machine Made and out of HP Only The Best (by RL Best Of Sudden), from her breeder, Marianne Harrington, in May of 2022.

            Later that year Hall rode Lulu to a win in the 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes at the Quarter Horse Congress. A month later she and Oklahoma trainer Gil Galyean claimed an AQHA World Championship title in the Level 3 division of  the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure.

In 2023 Lulu and Galyean won the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure at the Arizona Sun Circuit and they were Reserve Champions in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure at the Premier in Lexington, Kentucky.  Hall also claimed a Reserve title in the Level 2 Non-Pro 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure. In November Lulu and Galyean won the $50,000 Pleasure Versatility Challenge at the AQHA World Championship Show.

Texas trainers Bruce Victory and Anthony Montes took the reins in 2024 to start preparing Queen Ov Hearts for Trail competition.

“I had always loved watching Lulu with Gil Galyean,” Vickery said. “She always displayed such natural movement and great cadence. Gil won the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the (AQHA) World show and the following year I was Reserve to them in the 3-Year-Old Versatility Challenge so I knew that Lulu had athletic ability to do more events.”

After Vickery got Lulu and started riding her he knew instantly she had immense talent for Trail.

“It was very natural for her to negotiate the poles and she was very careful.,” he said.

And he was right.

Just a couple of weeks ago Lulu made her Trail debut by placing fourth in the $25,000 4-Year-Old & Over Trail at the Orange Blossom Classic, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala Florida with Vickery in the saddle.  She was also Reserve Champion in the NSBA Green Junior Trail at A Sudden Impulse Futurity the following week.

Riggs is a long time customer of Vickery and Montes. She owned Signature Absolute, the 2009 gray gelding by Absolute Investment that Vickery won the Junior Trail aboard at the AQHA World Show, Quarter Horse Congress and NSBA World Show.

“Nancy recently decided she wanted a new show partner and we thought Lulu is the perfect fit because she is very quiet, great-minded, has excellent self-carriage and the aptitude to do the events Nancy loves,” Vickery said. “She also has impeccable breeding to be able to be a great producer for her in the future.”

Lulu will be shown in open events with Vickery and Montes and in Non-Pro classes with Riggs.

“We are so excited for Nancy to get to own Lulu and thank Cory and Candice for making this such a smooth transaction,” Vickery said. “I know how much Cory and Candice love this mare and what a difficult decision it was for them to part with her. Nancy will continue loving her just as much. We are so excited for their future.”