WEC- Ocala, FL – Day two of A Sudden Impulse brought a full slate of featured classes to the WEC Grand Arena, including the $6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure and $1,500 Super Sires Stakes, the $6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old & Older $2,500 Limited Horse Open & Intermediate Open Hunter Under Saddle, the $5,000 NSBA $25k Limited Horse Non Pro Western Pleasure and $1,500 Super Sires Stakes, the $4,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle, and the $4,000 NSBA Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle.
Aaron Moses started his week strong, taking home the victory in the $6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure riding Shannon Walker’s 2023 stallion, Boifriend Material (Its A Southern Thing x Krymsun Belle). The pair also claimed the championship title in the $1,500 Super Sires Stakes.
Moses shared about his partnership with the stunning stallion, saying, “He’s been a special horse since I started him. I’ve loved him all along. He just stepped up really early and showed that he was going to be this kind of horse. I just hope I’m doing him justice.”
When asked what sets him apart in the pen, Moses thinks, “This horse just has a ton of flow to his step. He can go on the rail and off the rail, it’s all the same to him. His flow, his talent, his beauty, he does all the gaits. I think that’s what really makes him stand out.”
Moses smiled, reflecting on his time at the venue. “It’s amazing, as always! The weather’s great, the facility’s great—we love coming here.”
$6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Top Three Results
1 Boifriend Material, Aaron Moses, Shannon Walker
2 Momma Im Comin Home, Katy Jo Zuidema, Karen Wood
3 Its A Holiday, Kristy Starnes, Jay & Kristy Starnes
Kristy Starnes rode Jay & Kristy Starnes’ 2023 mare Its A Holiday (No Doubt Im Lazy x Shes On Holiday) to the Intermediate title.
The $6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Limited Horse Open Hunter Under Saddle concluded competition Wednesday in the WEC Grand Arena with Amber Hanson Pickard claiming victory aboard Deeds Family Farms’ 2023 gelding, En The Kruzin Lane (Enticed x Kruzin Pretty).
Pickard shared the special story behind the winning mount, “My owners, Deeds Family Farms, bred and raised him. He’s by the stud that I showed and out of the mare that I absolutely loved when I showed against her. We showed him in the Maiden, he’s stayed steady and a true show horse all the way through so far.”
As for what helped secure the win, she noted, “He just has that rock back and swings his legs, he fires through like a pendulum. He’s very even each way and has great expression. The footing always being so well done, and how pretty this facility is, makes a difference too. But overall, he’s just a true show horse, just like both of his parents.”
$6,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Limited Horse Open Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results
1 En The Kruzin Lane, Amber Hanson Pickard, Deeds Family Farms
2 Good Times Roll, Alyse Roberts, Lauren Allen
3 Against The Laww, Jesse Jones, Simons Show Horses LLC
Jesse Jones secured another Intermediate title aboard Simons Show Horses LLC’s 2023 stallion Against The Laww (Outlaw Enterprise x Al Mine).
The $5,000 NSBA $25K Limited Horse Non Pro Western Pleasure kicked off the day in the WEC Grand Arena with eight horse-and-rider combinations vying for top honors. In the end, it was Jan Shepherd Pittman who secured her third win of the two-week circuit, piloting her very own Good Miss Lazy to yet another victory. The pair also captured the $1,500 Super Sires Stakes.
Shepherd Pittman reflected on the moment with emotion, “It’s overwhelming, a good overwhelming. We’ve had a couple of setbacks over the last few years. My health has had some challenges, and I hope I can be an inspiration for people with cancer to keep going. I’ve battled stage four for 12 years, and I am still going. I hope people never give up.”
Good Miss Lazy holds a special place in Shepherd Pittman’s heart. “She’s phenomenal. She’s the perfect horse for me. One day I’ll pass her to my granddaughter, but I’m not ready yet,” she laughed. “She’ll stay in our family forever. One day, she’ll go into our broodmare band and retire, and she’ll continue to have the best life.”
$5,000 NSBA $25k Limited Horse Non Pro Western Pleasure Top Three Results:
1 Good Miss Lazy, Jan Shepherd Pittman, Jan Shepherd Pittman
2 She Made A Scene, Melissa Wilkes, Mr. & Mrs. William Wilkes
3 Never Again, Kenna Slater, Kenna Slater
Nine horse-and-rider combinations took to the rail to contest the $4,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle, but it was Calli Rouse who guided Rebecca Heckel’s She Enticed Me to the top spot.
Rouse spoke about the 2023 mare by Enticed x Expecting Champagne, “Her name is Lucy. My client, Rebecca Heckel, bred, raised, and owns her. It’s the first time she’s ever raised a baby, so her first experience with breeding, and we ended up with an exceptional horse. We love her,” she shared. “Even early on, in the baby videos, we saw something special. You proceed with caution and hope they stay bubble wrapped and make it to this point. We’ve had a few setbacks along the way, but we made it here, and I’m really proud of her.”
Heckel was equally impressed in her first visit to World Equestrian Center – Ocala. “This is my first time here, and it’s absolutely incredible. I don’t even know how to think about showing anywhere else now,” she said. “It’s designed for the horses. The stalls, the mats, the fans, and the horses are happier here. We even turned out yesterday, which is unheard of at a lot of facilities. The fact that they put the horse first is really, really incredible.”
$4,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results:
1 She Enticed Me, Calli Rouse, Rebecca Heckel
2 IHeartYou, Julie Schmidt, Kristin Roman
3 Hubbout Those Eyez, Macie Lawren Soderquist, Sofia Roberts
In the $4,000 NSBA Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle, 10 horse-and-rider combinations competed for the win, but it was Tyler Haney who piloted Flentje Enterprises LLC’s Easy Peazy (Easy On The Eyez x Treatmelikealady) to victory.
Haney spoke about the 2021 gelding, “His name is Bradley. He is five years old and by Easy On The Eyez. We just got him after the Congress to teach him how to jump, and now we’re showing him in the Hunter Under Saddle,” he shared. “He was so good this morning. He had three or four jumping classes over in the Hunter Arena, and then we came over here, and he showed really well.”
Haney is no stranger to World Equestrian Center – Ocala and enjoyed the opportunity to step into the spotlight. “We show here all the time. We were here all winter, but it was fun to get to show in the main arena today. It’s always fun when I get to show down here.”
Looking ahead, Haney has plans to continue developing the gelding’s versatility. “We’re going to finish teaching him how to drive so he has three different categories of events, and then he’ll start being an all-around horse.”
$4,000 NSBA Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results:
1 Easy Peazy, Tyler Haney, Flentje Enterprises LLC
2 Hot Love N Emotion, Rebecca Sue Spellman, Marcie McClenon
3 Well All Be, Jennifer Gross, Ivanny Franklin
A Sudden Impulse continues through Saturday, April 18. Spectators are welcome to enjoy competition throughout the week.
Join us on Friday, April 17 at 7pm for the $142,000 NSBA All-Age Open Trail Finals, featuring the first-ever $100,000 winner’s payout.
There is no charge for admission or parking. *Times are subject to change.
Learn more about the Orange Blossom Classic & A Sudden Impulse here.
Photos courtesy of Shane Rux Photography.