Dana Avila and Always Do Set New Arena Record at 2025 AQHA World Show

November 7, 2025 | Filed under: Around The Ring Galleries,Featured,Show Results & Gallery | Posted by: Delores Kuhlwein

When Dana Avila entered the arena at the AQHA World Show on Thursday with Always Do, Angela Newton and Royal Peppinc Whiz had just set a new arena record in the Select Ranch Trail.

And then, maybe as no surprise to the horse community that loves her, Dana smashed that record and set a new one, a 239.5!

It seemed everyone present was in tears including Dana when she and Always Do were announced as World Champions. The community had lost Bob Avila suddenly at the World Show in 2024.

In the stunning pattern, Dana explains, her very special horse, Always Do, was simply Dewey. “If he makes a mistake, it’s an honest mistake, but 90% of the time he comes and does his best. It may not win every time, but doggone it, he’s amazing. He is like that every day, and every day and every year, he gets better and better. I think he knows he’s special. I mean, I have two Australian shepherds and he kind of acts like both of them. He is just one-of-a-kind, truly.”

She says the pattern itself was a little tighter in the far end than she expected, and she had a little trouble coming around the corner to the extension over the log, but Dewey came right around and did everything she asked spot on. “I’ve been working on really a ton of steering. So when they threw those bushes in the pattern, I thought, okay, we’ve been working on this, and he was really good.

Bob was a through and through AQHA guy, so that’s pretty special. I have no doubt he would have wanted me to be here, and he would be proud. He loved this horse show and it’s great when it just comes together.”

Dana explains she has a village to thank and the list is long – Leslie Lange and Jeff Burley, Ken and Laina Banks, the Kimes family are just a few who stand out. “Everybody at the horse show has been incredible and so supportive. I mean, the list is so long, but there are some that are so close that they’ve been incredible. They’ve called me every day for a long time and checked on me. I mean, it’s overwhelming. This horse show family is pretty incredible.”

And just in case she didn’t know, Dana is very much loved. “I feel it – I really do. Last year I felt it and I feel it this year, too.”