Inaugural Yearling Maiden Open Limited Halter Stakes A Resounding Success At The 2025 Congress

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104 – January/February, 2026

By Megan Sacia Ulrich

The first ever Yearling Maiden Open Limited Halter Stakes was a great success at the 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress. The stakes boasted $30,000 guaranteed money added to the purse, and offered divisions for mares, geldings, and stallions who were making their show pen debuts. The stakes, which paid out $32,625, were met with enthusiasm, especially by the fourteen participating yearlings and their teams.

“The goal was to give another opportunity for people to show their young horses. Since it is a maiden class, it gave a chance for people who either raised one or purchased one that wasn’t ready to show as a weanling (or they chose not to show as a weanling) to start the horse’s career at a prestigious show,” says Amateur Sarah Headley of Headley Show Horses, one of three original sponsors. “We think it was a success. We were very pleased with the quality of the horses entered and heard chatter of people looking forward to entering next year.”

There are even more reasons to look forward to the 2026 Yearling Maiden Open Limited Halter Stakes classes. According to Executive Vice President of Operations Justin Billings, next year’s purse will be $50,000.

Click here to read the complete article
104 – January/February, 2026