Around the Rings: 2026 GQHA Stars & Stripes and The Big A
All photos courtesy of Cody Parmenter Photography.
June 26 – July 5, 2026, saw the 2026 GQHA Stars & Stripes and The Big A at Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA. The event offered more than $80K in added money and prizes, with 9 AQHA Shows, 2 AQHA World Qualifying Shows, and 3 NSBA Shows.
An event of such proportions required a significant judges’ pool:
Stars N Stripes Pool: Becky George, Jamieson Gross, Matt Claypool, Tanya Green, Brad Kearns, Katie Green, Rick Baker, Shannon Walker, and Steve Heckaman.
Big A Pool: Lisa Moden, Eric Hubbard, Gayle Lampinen, Sandy Curl, Mike Hawkins, Jamie Hartman, Daren Wright, Jeff Allen, Bobbie Jo Stanton, and John Tuckey.
Famous for its stiff competition combined with family fun, the show boasted events such as a silent auction, a taco bar, the World Famous Painted Ponies table, and The Shot Heard Round the Salsa Bar Welcome Party and Barn Family Feud (Glenn Wells Quarter Horses declared the winners)!
The annual Heroes Horsemanship Challenge was also a hit as expected, by honoring veterans, active-duty military, and their families.
Congratulations to all the Georgia Quarter Horse Association Stars & Stripes and Big A winners!
High Point Champions:
Small Fry — Champion: Ultimate Ryde & Knox Weakly; Reserve: SimplySomethingElse & Trinity Kincaid
L1 Amateur Walk/Jog — Champion: My Best Assets & Nicole Paliobeis; Reserve: Shes A Single Lady & Tracy Morse
L1 Youth Walk/Jog — Champion: Ultimate Ryde & Knox Weakly; Reserve: SimplySomethingElse & Trinity Kincaid
L1 Amateur — Champion: Born Fashionable & Morgan Shue; Reserve: Too Sleepy To Drink & Jennifer Zervas
L1 Select — Champion: VS Sassy Senorita & Sheri Weiss; Reserve: Extremely Good Too & Abbey Turner
Amateur — Champion: No Doubtin K & Kamiah McGrathh; Reserve: Sleepn Around & Alexis Potts
Select — Champion: Vito Latini & Bettin Im Best; Reserve: Happy In The Dark & Scott Reinartz
L1 Youth — Champion: Shiney Red Kadillac & Skylar Kincaid; Reserve: Breeze Past Me & Gray Fernandez
13 & Under — Champion: Shiney Red Kadillac & Skylar Kincaid
14-18 — Champion: Southern Honor & Makenna Harrison; Reserve: Good Boys Are Best & Lena Sater
L1 Open Horse — Champion: Sheza Fancy Mechanic – Teresa & Brett Bell; Reserve: Dive Bars – Kelly Summers
Junior Horse — Champion: Dive Bars – Kelly Summers; Reserve: StillRockinTheHouse – Becky Durrett
Senior Horse — Champion: Legacy Won – Autumn Patterson; Reserve: Cowboy Kruzer – Melissa Chasten
L1 Open Ranch — Champion: Legally High & Kelly Young; Reserve: Steamboatt & Duke Williams
L1 Youth Ranch — Champion: Dunits Nite Rider & Olivia Woody
Youth Ranch — Champion: Dunits Nite Rider & Olivia Woody
L1 Amateur Ranch — Champion: Koolio & Noel Pickel; Reserve: CHE Jersey Sparks & Melissa Andrews
Amateur Ranch — Champion: Legally High & Kelly Young; Reserve: Koolio & Noel Pickel
Open Ranch — Champion: Legally High & Kelly Young; Reserve: CHE Jersey Sparks & Melissa Andrews
High Point Open Halter Mare — Rumerz Voodoo & Jeffrey Pait
High Point Amateur Halter Mare — Rumerz Voodoo & Sarah Headley
High Point Open Halter Gelding — Secret Cowboy & Jeffrey Pait
High Point Amateur Halter Gelding — Millie Corder & Secret Cowboy
High Point Youth Halter Gelding — Shiney Red Kadillac & Skyler Kincaid
Champion of the Big A Three-Year-Old Trail:
Show Off Machine
Owned by Chad & Doreen Moore
shown by Carmen Mayabb
Champions of the Big A Open/Non-Pro Team Trail Derby,
Hayley Riddle and Ashlynn Brack
Champion of the Big A 4-5 Year Old Open Trail:
Dive Bars
Owned by Kelly Summers
Shown by Nick Mayabb
Limited Bonus
Cookin Somethin Up
Owned by Elizaeth Ann Maggert
Shown by Marcos Mogueira
Winners of our Big A Hunter Derby and AQHA English Versatility, presented by VS Code Red:
Hunter Derby Champion
Mostly Moxie
Owned by Debbie Wolaver
Shown by Cassidy Holder
Open & Non-Pro English Versatility Champion
Never Forgotten
Owned and shown by Allison McCulley
Winners of our Georgia Gold Open Futurities:
3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Champion
Aint Whistling Dixie
Owned by Jill Apperson
Shown by Cole Baker
3-4 Year Old Open Hunter Under Saddle
Thee Legend
Owned by Jean Ann Jordan
Shown by Jamie English
Maturity Limited Open Western Pleasure
Loook Whos Lopin
Owned by Pam Hunter
Shown by Hayley Riddle
Champions of the Big A NonPro Futurities:
3-4 Year Old NonPro Hunter Under Saddle
Season Six
Owned and Shown by Sunni Duke
NonPro Maturity Western Pleasure
Loook Whos Lopin
Owned and Shown by Pam Hunter
Big A Ranch Versatility Challenge
Champion Anthony Douglas
From GQHA: Congratulations to these outstanding horses and exhibitors on their Big A Futurity victories!
Find more winners here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vTGgHYehF6aYyzNBLg3gfSCEK_qA_s41/edit
All scribe sheets, added money classes, complete results, and more can be found here, thanks to An Equine Production:
https://www.anequineproduction.com/stars-n-stripes-big-a
Arena photos from the Big A can be found on the Cody Parmenter Photography website:
