Another Title for Undefeated Duo of Curl-Holbin and Ten Kinda Southern

Tuesday at the 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress, Shannon Curl Holbin racked up another win with Ten Kinda Southern (Its A Southern Thing x KM Perfect Ten) for Gumz Farm Quarter Horses LLC, in the Coughlin 3 Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity NSBA.

Shannon explains that Adam, the 2022 gelding, has gotten stronger every time they show him. “We started in March, and I thought he was wonderful then, but he just keeps getting better and better.”

The duo are undefeated together this show season, also winning the Level 1 Western Pleasure earlier in the show.  They have a Super Sires class on Thursday, and then they head to the AQHA World Show.

In fact, the pair has become so recognizable as an undefeated team, Shannon wears the same outfit each time, with a beautiful shirt by Unbridled Couture. “This has been the Adam outfit. We all said if we go the whole year now, and if we make it through Oklahoma City undefeated, I’m going to shadow box the shirt. I’ll never wear it again.”

What makes him stand out to the judges, Shannon says, is that Adam is “just magnificent when you look out there and he’s so big and he’s so soft and everything’s so steady.  I think they love his flow.  She says he’s very natural at his job, and he just loves it.

For Shannon, it’s a dream come true. “I mean, I can just load up and go home now. It doesn’t get any better than this. It does. This horse, he just makes every day better.”

She’s also living the dream this show with both parents, Tom and Sandy Curl, here to watch and support. “It’s a very rare case I can get either one of my parents in the same place at the same time. They’re even busier than me. So my dad flew in to watch me, and my mom came and she’s been doing “mom things” for a week now. So they actually both are here, and they got to watch me today.”

Owner Amy Drake Gumz, renowned for her breeding program, told us earlier this fall that raising Adam is “what you dream for.  We knew he was going to be special, but we didn’t know he was going to be this special. I raised the stallion, Its A Southern Thing, and I’ve owned KM Perfect Ten for many years, so it’s the best of both worlds to have the mom and dad.”

Gumz also has a history with Shannon at the reins of her horses. “I was Shannon’s very first customer in 2012 when she went out on her own, then she went back and worked for someone else, and when she married Chris, I was her very first customer again in 2019, so it’s a lot of firsts,” she reveals. “Shannon actually rode his sire, It’s A Southern Thing, and she also rode his dam, KM Perfect Ten. Soon, Shannon and possibly me, will be showing the baby brother at Congress, so hopefully we keep the streak going.”

 

Coughlin 3 Year Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity NSBA – Finals

Champion: Ten Kinda Southern with Shannon Curl Holbin for Gumz Farms Quarter Horses -$9800.87

Reserve: Feeling Groovey with Casey Willis for MNM Stoneridge LLC -$5965.75

Bronze: All Nett with Courtney Laney for Ditty Up LLC -$4474.31

Fourth: Saltt Life with Blake Britton for Kylee Wiseman-$3835.12

Fifth: Dang Theres No Doubt with Erin Lieurance -$3409.00

Sixth: Forever In Always with Cole Baker for Elizabeth Baker-$2982.87

 

Level 1 Western Pleasure

Champion: Ten Kinda Southern with Shannon Curl-Holbin for Gumz Farms Quarter Horses

Reserve: SmallTownSouthrnMan with Aaron Moses for Dr Gail Mason

Bronze: Iressiatable I Candy with Shane Young for Gerri Leigh Pratt

Fourth: Cool Liike Me with Katie Green for Debby Brehm

Fifth: Machine Gun Maggie with Katy Jo Zuidema for Jessica Hartwell

Sixth: Bottle Service with Taft Dickerson for Jason and Samantha Stine

Seventh: Saltt Life with Blake Britton for Kylee Wiseman

Eighth: Dangerouss Woman with Garrett Streit for SSH Partnership

 

Complete results for all Western Pleasure classes are on the QH Congress website:

2025 Results :: All American Quarter Horse Congress / AQHA / OQHA / NRHA / NCRHA / NCHA /