After the Equine Chronicle Masters Hunter Under Saddle concluded tonight, everyone took a quick break to head over to the Sweet Shop for some hot chocolate, while the western horses prepared to compete. The line-up for the Equine Chronicle Masters 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure consisted of some of the top professionals and most promising young prospects in the nation.
One of these industry professionals was Gil Galyean, who piloted Suddenly A Cool Lady, to a Congress win in this prestigious class. Galyean tells us that “Venus” is actually the very first foal by Cool Krymsun Lady, who was Reserve with Galyean in the Masters when she was a two-year-old.
“She is by RL Best of Sudden,” Galyean says. “When I was showing her mother, Brett Parrish kept saying that I needed to breed her to RL, but I said I didn’t know about those Sudden Impulses. Finally, he talked me into it, and it worked out great.”
“Tom and Leslie Lange and Heritage Farms first owned the mare, and then we sold her to Starland Ranch this spring. This win is very special because [her mother] has been very good to me. This is her first foal, so we are lucky to get to show her. She was riding so good that we didn’t have to work her that hard this week.”
Galyean’s wife, Becky, and client, Jenna Dempze, apparently came up with the nickname “Venus,” because this 2-year-old mare is out of this world.
Although he has multiple Congress and World Champion titles, this is Galyean’s first time winning the Masters at the Quarter Horse Congress.
“I was second here on her mother, and I have won the Equine Sports Medicine Challenge, but never the Masters,” he says. “It was something I have wanted for a long time. The Congress is the pleasure horse capital of the world. I am very fortunate and thankful.”
Also taking place this evening was a live auction to benefit the Shirley Bowman Nutritional Clinic with several items generously donated by horse show vendors and sponsors. A few of these items included a black and pink custom show jacket by Berry Fit, black Lagrange Leather boots that were bedazzled with pink breast cancer ribbons, a “Wings of Hope” necklace by S.R. Gold, a Salopek golf cart, a jewel-encrusted breast cancer ribbon hat by Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, a pink Congress jacket by Schneiders, and a custom sculpture signed by equine artist Don Bell.
