Featured 2026 Western Pleasure Futurities at the March To Virginia AQHA and NSBA Show

From NSBA:

The 2026 Virginia Maiden Three Year Old and Older Western Pleasure Futurity featured a deep field of tough competitors who were vying for $70,000 in total payouts to Open, Intermediate and Limited divisions in Lexington, Virginia. The title class was one of six added money Western Pleasure futurities featured at the March To Virginia AQHA and NSBA Show.

Open Division Champion: Girl Code and Aaron Moses

Girl Code and Aaron Moses had figured out the code to win the Open division of the class, earning the $16,250 first place prize. The three year old mare by VS Code Red and out of Missy Machine gave a strong, consistent performance. “I love this horse,” Aaron said of the mare known as ‘Annie.’ “I loved every part of her go. She handled it really well for the first time being shown.”

“I was really proud of her today. She showed out there like she’s done it before. She’s really special,” added owner Kristen Galyean. “It seems like we’ve been waiting a long time to debut her, but it’s really just been trying to make all the best decisions for her and making sure that she was ready to be her best version. I feel that Aaron did a fantastic job getting her there and presenting her. I’m very thankful to Aaron and our team.”

Kristen, Aaron and Annie will compete in Non-Pro and Open three year old events throughout 2026.

Intermediate Champion: VS Im No Doubts and Dillon Vaughn

In the Intermediate division, Dillon Vaughn piloted VS Im No Doubts to the win, earning $1,500 for the division win and eighth in the Open division for another $3,250 for Superior Care Management LLC.

“We call him Buster,” Dillon explained. “We partnered on him with the Herman family. Robby Herman bred him, and he’s just a special horse. He’s a really sweet horse. We got him last year and we’ve had him for probably six months. He’s just a dream, because he’s fun and he makes it easy.”

The three year old gelding is by No Doubt Im Lazy and out of Vital Signs R Stable. “He has a lot of presence to him, he’s beautiful and a lot of expression, as well as a lot of self-carriage,” Dillon said. “It just makes showing him easy.”

Dillon will continue to show Buster for the Herman family, and he may be offered for sale at some point. “We’ll just see how things go,” Dillon said.

Limited Champion: Now Or Neverr

Kaitlyn Hutchinson and Now Or Neverr took the Limited division win, earning $1,200 as well as fourth in the Open division for an additional $6,500. “We call him Murphy,” Kaitlyn said of the gelding by Machine Made and out of an RL Best Of Sudden/Sweet Talkin Chip mare

Murphy is a great example of the importance of maiden and limited division classes for horses. “Murphy is seven years old,” Kaitlyn explained. “We were supposed to show him as a three year old and he got hurt, so he’s been out in the broodmare pasture for the past few years. 

“We didn’t have a maiden horse this year, so we brought him out of the pasture a couple of months ago and got him ready. It just goes to show that a good horse is a good horse. Life happens. I think it’s important to have this avenue for horses that maybe have a little later start or had some extenuating circumstances. It still gives them an avenue to shine.

The Virginia Maiden class allows an opportunity for horses like Murphy to compete, Kaitlyn said. “We sometimes think of this class as a three year old class, but we’ve shown four year olds and older horses here. Kelby was second last year on a four year old and won it a couple of years ago on a four year old, so it’s definitely something that allows us to wait on a horse and let it take its time to get ready when it gets ready.”

Kaitlyn acknowledged the tradition of great sponsor support for the Virginia Maiden. “It always pays out so well, and this year exceeded all expectations,” she said. “We’re very blessed to have the people who support us.”

Kaitlyn and Murphy will continue to show in Limited Horse classes this year.

Three Year Old & Older Limited Horse Western Pleasure: Kenny Lakins and Makin Me In Lace

Kenny Lakins guided Makin Me In Lace to win the $7,500 Added Three Year Old and Older Limited Horse Western Pleasure, but it was a bittersweet win for owner Bill Napier. The team earned $3,680 for the win. 

“We raised this mare from a baby. She’s four years old, and she’s by Makin Me Willy Wild. We still have her mother, who is A Sudden Impulse mare, and every baby she’s had has been good. This is the first one we’ve ever kept and showed ourselves,” he said. 

“She showed for the first time in Florida, and my wife and I got to go see her win there. She was great there and she won everything down there. When we got home from Florida and my wife, Sherry, passed away. Now, I own her with my daughter, Brandy. Her barn name is Nora – Brandy names all the babies.”

Kenny noted that Nora impressed him from the start. “Ashley and I said she was probably one of the nicest two year olds we had ever started,” he said. “We had let her grow up and they turned her out for a while. We got her back last April and we were going to show her last year at the Congress, but we decided to wait to show her in Venice and show this year as a Green and Novice horse and it’s worked out very good.

“She’s sweet, she’s great minded and she reminds me a lot of Gifted Invitation when I got to show her – very smooth, very soft and just easy to ride. She’s big, probably 15.3, and just a sweet, sweet horse. I think Bill and Brandy are going to keep her and raise babies with her when we’re done showing her.”

Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure: Ricky Noiseux and Icee Hot

Ricky Noiseux showed the stallion Icee Hot to win the Three Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity. The duo earned $496 for owner Stephanie Janis. Known as Shaq, the stallion is by Fiire N Ice, and out of A Good Sweet Peach (Good Hotrod).

“He has such a presence,” Ricky said of Shaq. “He’s beautiful with his white legs and this neck that comes out so well and you notice when he shows. He’s a big horse, at 16 hands, which is a little different than most Western Pleasure horses you see, but he’s so soft and fluid, and has such great balance. It’s a rare quality to see a horse that has put all that together. He makes it look easy, and that makes him stand out in the show pen.” 

The March To Virginia was the duo’s second outing for 2026. “We won the Limited Three Year Old Western Pleasure earlier this year in Venice at the Fun In The Sun circuit,” Ricky noted. “We’ll continue to show in the three year old events this year and we will begin collecting him for breeding in 2027. He’s a once in a lifetime horse for me.”

$10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure: Blake Britton and Got Em Saying Wow

Blake Britton had the judges saying wow for the horse Got Em Saying Wow in the $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure, after guiding the gelding to the win for owner Kylee Wiseman. 

“We kind of saved him back a little bit and let him grow up, and worked with him all winter with the plan to show him in the $10K classes this year. He’s changed dramatically as he’s grown up. He has so much self-carriage now and has gotten a whole lot stronger,” Blake said of the gelding known as Dodger. “He jogs really well and he’s really a pretty horse that looks out through the bridle. He’s really rythmatic when he lopes.”

Having the limited classes is important to Blake. “I think it’s hugely beneficial, because there are a lot of horses that might not be ready as two and three year olds and this is another avenue for them to be successful as they get older. You can keep showing them for additional money. I think it’s something we need to move toward – allowing the horses to physically develop and show to the best of their ability.

Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure: Daphne Evans and Heartstoppinsmokeshow

Daphne Evans showed Heartstoppinsmokeshow to win the Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, earning $1,000 for the first place finish.

“I bought him last year as a two year old. He’s just a good boy. He totes me around and never gives me any problems,” Daphne said of ‘Smokey.’ “He had a really good two year old year. I’m getting back into showing and he had been good all weekend so I decided to show in this class and have a good time.

“He listened really well and came back to me when I asked him too. That can be hard for three year olds and their baby brains. He did everything I asked him to do.”

Maturity Non-Pro Western Pleasure: Kylee Wiseman and Salt Liife

Salt Liife took Kylee Wiseman to the win in the final futurity class of the 2026 March To Virginia in the Maturity Non-Pro Western Pleasure.

“We bought him at Back To Berrien last year from Holbin Quarter Horses. We were in the market for a new Amateur horse since my old show horse wasn’t going to be showing any more,” Kylee said. “We connected instantly. He has some quirks but he’s a sweetheart, and he tries really hard. His barn name is Sage.

“In our go today, he stayed with me the whole time and listened to my feet, and wanted to be a good show horse.”

To view complete show results from March To Virginia, please visit the Horse Show Tracker app.