Evening Winners at APHA World Show Include Bradshaw, Silverberg, Gillespie, Watkins

By: Brittany Bevis

A full slate of Western Pleasure classes kicked off the competition at this evening’s APHA World Show. Winning the Novice Amateur Western Pleasure in unanimous style was Jill Silverberg with Send Roses Please. The Reserve Champion was Ashley Hershberger with My Lucky Hour. Third place was Michael Tidwell with GoodHotgal. Fourth place was Michelle Reynolds with Heavenly Machine. Rounding out the top five was Elizabeth Sanders with One Fancy Invitation.

In the Classic Amateur Senior Western Pleasure Erin Bradshaw rode her APHA stallion John Simon to the win. The Reserve Champion was Tami Dietrich-Dobbs with Seems Like Heaven. Third place was Taylor Dixon with My Sensational Cookie. Fourth place was Kylee Johns with Krymsunized. Fifth place was Desarae Gilley with A Sudden Legacy.

John Simon has been a very busy boy this year. When he’s not preparing to compete at major events, he’s helping to sire the next generation of colorful champions. “He’s been prepping for the World Show and, when he’s not doing that, he’s either making babies or hanging out in the pasture in my front yard,” Erin says. “He will go back to Joan Schroeder on February 1st, so it was pretty special for her to get to see him win tonight, since she does all the breeding work for us.”

Thus far at the World Show, John’s foals have been having success. In addition to several yearlings that have placed in the Top Ten in their respective classes, Jeffrey Gibbs showed Miss Simon Sez to place seventh in the Farnam 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Sweepstakes. Tomorrow, Erin plans to show a three-year-old named I’m Johnny Cash in Amateur Junior Western Pleasure as well as in 3-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure. Another JS baby set to compete is Music Row, a 2013 stallion. Also, Scott Weiss will show John in Senior Western Pleasure on Thursday. “That’s it for him here at the World Show,” Erin says. “We’re leaving the rest to his babies!”

Erin’s mount for tomorrow morning, “Cash,” reminds her of John in more than just looks. “Cash reminds me a lot of his dad when he’s loping. I’ve noticed a lot of the same things I would do on John, I’ve tried on Cash, and they’re very similar, so it works. It’s very cool.”

As far as John’s performance in today’s class is concerned, Erin was pleased with his consistency in a packed pen of 20 horses. “There were a lot of us out there, and it was a lot of traffic for a Western Pleasure class, but he really handles that well. I would’ve liked to have let him move out more, but in a class like that I think consistency is one of the things we’re really good at. He will literally make his own spots on the rail; if a horse comes up beside him, he will speed up  or suck back. I think, in a deep pen of horses, like it was tonight, that sets you apart.”

Winning Green Hunter Under Saddle was Shannon Gillespie with Take No Captives. The Reserve Champion was Alyse Roberts with Thefairestofthemall. Third place was Laura Spell with Iron Your Own. Fourth place was Julie Schmidt with I’m All Good. Fifth place was Teresa Sullvian with All Fancy In Red.

The winner of the Masters Amateur Senior Western Pleasure was Alan Watkins with Lopealicious. The Reserve Champion was Marylyn Caliendo with Inthesweetshop. Third place was Marcie Griffin-Michaels with Box Office Sensation. Fourth place was Sandra Wiggins with Special Red Shoes. Fifth place was Pamela Heisinger with Sensational Cookie.