Today marked an exciting milestone for Ruby because this was her first trip to the APHA World Show in fifteen years.

Laura Spell was in the irons for the first class of the morning at the 2013 APHA World Show for her sister, Tracy Stenroos. Spell piloted LX Just Call Me Fancy, aka “Junior,” to a win in the Breeder’s Gold/Silver 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Futurity.

“He’s actually in the sale tonight,” Baker says. “I think he should wear his neck ribbon in the sale!”

“I went out there wanting to hit my marks straight on and push it all the way. I wanted to push the mark. That was the only way I could go out there and win, because there were a lot of great horses.”

This is Prince’s fifth World Championship title in horsemanship, but it is her first as an amateur competitor.

Exact is a colorful yearling stallion by AQHA stallion, My Intention, and out of Traditionsmistres Too. Horse owners, Jim and Georgia Snow, bred and raised Exact and own both the sire and dam.

Originally, Luneack hadn’t planned to show a horse in the class this morning, but a last-minute purchase by a client necessitated that he step in.

9:35 pm UPDATE: Not to be outdone by her new hubby, Carly Veldman Parks took to the reins in the 3-Year-Old Novice Horse Limited Rider Western Pleasure Stakes and was named the Champion with I’m Good With It.

“I knew it was down to the last judge, so I was just holding my breath…”

This afternoon’s APHA World Show showmanship patterns were certainly not for the faint of heart. The Novice Amateur, Classic Amateur, and Masters Amateur divisions were challenged with extremely complex patterns that utilized maneuvers like extended trots, multiple tight turns, and speed changes.