By: Brittany Bevis
This afternoon at the 2015 NSBA World Championship Show has been all about Western Pleasure futurity horses.
First, Marilyn Masterson rode her six-year-old mare, Suddenly It’s Time, to win the BCF 4-6 Year-Old Intermediate Non Pro Western Pleasure. “Susie,” aka “the princess,” is by the Mastersons’ stallion, RL Best of Sudden, and out of Huntin Tee Time. Masterson Farms has been attending the NSBA World Show for many years, and the entire group thoroughly enjoys the competition as well as the chance to spend time with members of their extended horse show family.
“They’ve made it so fun,” Marilyn says. “Dianne Eppers has done a great job with the show.”
Marilyn has prior NSBA Reserve Champion wins, but this is her first NSBA World Champion title. She will try for a hat trick later this week with performances in the Maturity Intermediate Non Pro Western Pleasure on Friday and Select Western Pleasure on Saturday.
Marilyn describes Susie’s best attributes as her soft, flowing movement and sweet personality, both of which she gets from her sire.
“Her personality is what we love about her,” Marilyn says. “She’s the sweetest and a lot of fun. She reminds me a lot of [RL Best of Sudden]. He passes on his personality, good mind, good movement, and looks.”
Susan Roberts rode Only A Breeze to win the Open Non Pro Western Pleasure division of the BCF 4-6 Year-Old class.
Kenny Lakins rode Available By Invitation, aka “Georgia,” to her third big win in a row, making her undefeated in competition thus far this year. Her debut performance was at the Larry Little Futurity, where she received four firsts. Then, she earned four firsts at the Tom Powers Futurity. Today, she was named the champion in the BCF 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure.
“Peek and Virginia Owen bought her when she was a long yearling,” Kenny says. “They took her home and loved her and then I got her around the first of January. I could tell from the first ten rides that she was kind of special. She’s so good-minded and sweet.”
“She’s by Invitation Only and she’s a full sister to Only Rave Reviews, the horse Jay [Starnes] showed and won the Masters with, so she’s got a little bloodline there. To be honest, when we started her, we didn’t make a plan for her. I thought she was good enough to be a Masters horse, but we did that last year and then didn’t show. Peek decided that when she was ready, we would go show her. I didn’t decide until about two weeks before the Larry Little Futurity.”
Then, later on this afternoon, Lakins and the Owen family won big again, this time with One Lazy Investment in the Maturity Open Western Pleasure.
In the very next class, Amanda Ringer rode KM The Best Brandy to win the BCF 2-Year-Old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure. “Clooney” is by RL Best of Sudden and out of Brandys Silver Sheik, which makes him a full sibling to Snap Krackle Pop and Tootsie Roll. Earlier this year at the Tom Powers Futurity, Amanda and Clooney were named the co-champions in the 2-Year-old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure.
As luck would have it, Amanda wasn’t even supposed to be in the saddle today, per doctors orders. However, she was able to rely on her best friend, Shannon Curl, to prepare Clooney. In a fun turn of events, Shannon was named the Reserve Champion aboard Suddenly A Cowgirl.
“I didn’t get to ride him until two days ago,” Amanda says. “I’ve been off for over a week because of a lacerated spleen. I’m not supposed to be on a horse, but that wasn’t really an option for me. If I had to duct tape myself in that saddle, I was going to ride!”
Clooney will show later this week in the 2-Year-Old Limited division of the class with Jennifer Burton.
The afternoon took a colorful turn when Courtney Chown rode She’s Bucking Hot to win the BCF Color 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. “Bucky” is by Blazing Hot and out of Zip In Trouble. Courtney describes this eye-catching buckskin mare has having “a mind of her own.”
“She jogged in really good today,” she says. “This is only her second time showing, so I think she gave me all she could and did everything she knows how to do, at this point. She’s so big, 16.1 at the hip, so it’s taken her a little bit longer than most.”
Bucky is owned by Courtney’s mother Carrie, who is very fond of the big buckskin. “She is my mom’s horse, and she loves her. She thinks she’s the greatest horse ever. I want my mom to show her; I wish she would here!”
Later this week, Courtney will show her other horse, Chumlee, in the 3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure and 3-Year-Old Intermediate Non Pro Western Pleasure. Chumlee also plans to make an appearance in the Novice Horse Western Pleasure class. Both Courtney and Bucky would like to thank trainer Troy Oakley, Carrie Chown, and the entire barn family for their continued support.
Congratulations to all of the big winners this afternoon!
Additional Results:
Non Pro BCF Yearling Longe Line/Limited Non Pro Hunter Longe Line- Craig Harms/Seattle Time Fancy
Intermediate Open Western Pleasure Maturity- Blake Britton/Im Sleepin Single
BCF 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle- Katy Jo Zuidema/Like A Boss