First Half of Gordyville Spring Fling Racks Up 5,500+ Entries

March 23, 2017 | Filed under: Featured | Posted by:

All images courtesy of T P Creations Photography.

By: Cami Van Aken

The ILQHA Gordyville Spring Fling Show is off to a great start! So far there have been over 5,500 entries and they are setting up even more stalls for the coming weekend. Dean Bogart, Buddy Fisher, Bruce Walquist, Clint Ainsworth, Carly Parks and Jeff Mellot judged the first half of the show.

The highlight of the first weekend was the inaugural $9,000 NSBA Level 1 Western Pleasure Slot Class with 11 horse showing. The class paid 1-5th and 10^th and had a separete Limited Division. Chris Jones and Amazin Dream and Kenny Lakins and She Had Me At Hello shared the top prize as co-winners. Chris was riding a 5-year-old sorrel mare for Amy Bauer. Amy’s daughter Jaclyn is currently showing her in the Novice All Around classes. Kenny Lakins was riding for Michael Vargo and will continue to show his mare in the 3-year-old futurities throughout 2017. The prize money for 1^st and 2^nd was split in half with each horse taking home $2375 and several other prizes. Casey Willis and KM Best One Invited took home third place and $1,000 for Masterson Farms. Jennifer Burton and Wheres My Cowboy won the Limited Division of the class as well as fourth place in the Open to take home $1,500. Jennifer was riding for owner Adam Berge.

$9,000 NSBA Novice Horse Western Pleasure Slot Class

1. Amazin Dream, Chris Jones for Amy Bauer- $2,375

1. She Had Me At Hello, Kenneth Lakins for Michael Vargo $2,375

3. KM Best One Invited, Casey Willis for Masterson Farms $1,000

4. Where My Cowboy, Jennifer Burton for Adam Berge $750

5. Money Making Machine, Steve Heckaman $500

6. Made For Show, Bradley Pitts for Christy Kanipe

7. Summers Lazy Impulse, Jeff Cochran for Debbie Ketelsen

8. Lazy In The Dark, Clint Collingsworth for Randy Kimmel

9. Whos On Fire Now, Jamie Zuidema for Kaleigh Gasperi

10. One Kool Fool, Brad Kearns for Nicole Barns $500

Limited Division

1. Wheres My Cowboy, Jennifer Burton for Adam Berge- $750

2. Made For Show, Bradley Pitts for Christy Kanipe- $500

Class sizes have been strong all year and continued to show a nice increase. Some of the largest included a 5 point Senior Trail class, 4 point Green Western Pleasure class, 4 point Amateur Showmanship class, and a 3 point Amateur Western Pleasure class. Amateur Exhibitor, JD Stoever, said “It’s great to be riding in such large Western Pleasure classes here at Gordyville. It seemed for a few years that the class was shrinking, but the numbers have made a healthy rebound.”

The upcoming weekend is sure to be another great show with 4 judges and several special events. There are 3 more slot classes: the $2,500 NSBA Level 1 Trail, the $500 Showmanship, and the $500 Horsemanship. The second half of the show is also the Illinois Youth Show and they are going to host special breakfasts, exhibitor parties, and a $200 added Bouncy Horse Calcutta with barn teams and silent auction.