“I thank God every day for the blessings, the horses, and the people I get to be around.”

Although Lydia has never come out at the top of the judges’ cards at a major event like the Congress, she’s well-known around the show grounds as one of the nicest and most appreciative young equestrians, always congratulating her fellow competitors. Now, it’s Lydia’s turn to be in the spotlight!

Competing against some horses nearly twice her age, Hazel is just three years old. Earlier this year, she won Junior Western Riding and BCF Limited 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show.

This was a historic night at the 2017 All American Quarter Horse Congress with two very special wins.

“I was waiting for the callbacks in Western Pleasure, and I could see Kelly smiling. He mouthed, ‘You won!’ In the middle of the lineup, I yelled, and everyone looked at me. I was crying.”

“He’s my best friend and my once in a lifetime horse, and I can’t imagine doing this with any other horse!”

As a result of his back-to-back wins, Josh found himself in an interesting situation with two horses to show in Grand and Reserve. We chatted with Josh to find out what he planned to do about this fortunate dilemma.

Class 144004 Level 1 Hunter Under Saddle Place BackNo Earnings Horse Name Owner(s) Exhibitor 1 6347 400.00 Miss Goody Hoo Shoes Tammy Thompson Dyer Beth Case – Pilot Point, TX 2 2691 350.00 Al Wayz On Your Mind Sarah P Nimigan Katy Jo Zuidema – Micanopy, FL 3 7947 250.00 N A Heartbeat Raulston Lee […]

“This is my first time showing at the Congress, so it’s kind of overwhelming.”

“There is no doubt he is one of the best, as far as conformation. Look at the head on him! That’s a key factor. He’s real correct, and, for a stud horse, he’s really easy to handle.”