PHBA World Show Blog With Allison Hinson

EC Blog by: Allison Hinson

Midway through the 2018 Palomino Horse Breeder’s Association World Championship Show, this year’s events are proving more memorable than ever for old and new PHBA exhibitors alike. Veterans and newcomers are coming together to form lasting friendships centered around the breed they know, show, and love.

One of the many fun events is the Ice Cream Social on Wednesday after the show sponsored by the PHBA Amateur organization. You also can wake up with caffeine daily from the Coffee Mobile and beat the heat with all-you-can-eat snow cones while waiting to see if you won the raffle for a Bob’s saddle or Kathy bridle among other fabulous donated items. The ever-popular Amateur Team Tournament runs throughout the entire show. Exhibitors from all over the country are randomly selected to form teams, which, in turn, form lasting bonds.

Representing the South Carolina Quarter Horse Association as their Queen affords me the opportunity to be deeply involved in a show of this magnitude. My second consecutive year showing under the guidance of Carey Ready Performance Horses with my fabulous partner, TheseIronsAreStrait, (Dillon), a 2013 AQHA/PHBA gelding, has been a dream come true. Kicking off my 2018 World Show, Dillon and I placed fourth in Amateur Color. This is a prestigious and highly competitive class. For those of you who are new to PHBA, the color classes are judged on the coat color that most closely resumes a newly minted United States gold coin combined with a pure white mane and tail.

Also, on our first day of showing, we were named World Champion in both the Amateur Hunter in Hand and the Amateur Road Hack, a humbling experience given the level of competitive we faced. I’m so excited for my trainer, Carey Ready, who also won a World Championship in the NSBA All-Aged Hunter Under Saddle Stakes with Dillon. We are looking forward to this week’s events and the memories and new friends that will be made in Tunica.