The 2025 Markel AQHA and Adequan® Select World Championship Shows come to a Successful Close

From first-time exhibitors who got their very first gold globes to two long-time professionals who won their first AQHA world championships, the 2025 Markel AQHA and Adequan® Select World Championship Shows were a huge success.

The show saw more than 8,500 entries competing for 104 Markel AQHA world championships, 44 Adequan® Select world championships, 99 Adequan® Level 2 championships and 26 AQHA Level 1 Champion of Champions titles at this year’s event, October 30 – November 19 at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.

Payout and prizes at the show totaled more than $4.75 million, and more than $1 million of that was paid out in the open, amateur and Select roping classes.

New this year at the Markel AQHA World Championship Show, AQHA presented divisional high-point awards in the open, amateur and Select divisions in four categories: working western, roping/speed, English and western. Each first-place high-point winner received $4,000, a custom Montana Silversmiths belt buckle, neck ribbon and a custom horse cooler. Each second-place winner earned $3,000 and a custom horse cooler, while third place received $2,000 and a custom horse cooler.

Each year at the World Show, the most prestigious title is AQHA Superhorse, given to the open-division horse that earns the most points and was shown in a minimum of three Level 3 open classes in at least three categories.

 

For the second year in a row, the Superhorse title was captured by Sumac Gunnabeflashy, owned by Leslie Vagneur Lange, an AQHA Professional Horsewoman from Greeley, Colorado, and shown by AQHA Professional Horseman Bud Lyon of Whitesboro, Texas. “Romeo’s” top placings included world championship wins in working western rail and senior ranch riding, where he logged a record score of 257.

Sumac Gunnabeflashy is a 2017 chestnut gelding by Gunnatrashya and out of Chics Graceful Whiz by Whiz N Tag Chex.

Other highly sought-after awards are the All-Around Amateur and Select All-Around Amateur.

This year’s all-around amateur is Paige Rogers of Dallas, showing Ima Savvy Investment, a 2018 red roan gelding by Hot Sleek N Savvy and out of Dixie Assets by Iota Invest. Paige received $10,000, a neck ribbon, a rose bouquet and a Lisa Perry bronze.

This year’s Select all-around amateur is Dana Avila of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Always Do, an AQHA Ranching Heritage-bred 2018 gray gelding by Cat Man Do and out of Greyt Little Steps by Greyt Whiz. Avila received a neck ribbon, rose bouquet, $10,000 and a Lisa Perry bronze.

 

The top AQHA Ranching Heritage-bred horses were recognized in the open, amateur and Select divisions. In each division, the owner received a specially created ranch-horse trophy, and both the owner and breeder received $250. The top Ranching Heritage-bred horse in the open division is Smooth Smoken Boon, bred and owned by Michael and Kim St. Clair of Kahoka, Missouri. Smooth Smoken Boon

is a 2020 red roan stallion by Once In A Blu Boon and out of Smooth Smoken Cat by Smooth As A Cat.

In the amateur division, Cowpuncher Cadillac was named the top Ranching Heritage-bred horse. He is a 2017 bay roan stallion by Royal Blue Quixote and out of Miss Dakota Eyed by Two Eyed Red Buck. He is owned by Jimmy Daurio and David Renier of Loveland, Colorado, and was bred by the Pitzer Ranch/Dack Cattle LLC of Ericson, Nebraska.

The top Ranching Heritage-bred horse in the Select division is Always Do, owned and shown by Dana Avila of Scottsdale, Arizona. Always Do is a 2018 gray gelding by Cat Man Do and out of Greyt Little Steps by Greyt Whiz. He was bred by AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder W.T. Waggoner Estate of Vernon, Texas.

The Nutrena Senior Athletes Award recognizes an exhibitor and his or her American Quarter Horse for having the highest combined age competing at the Adequan® AQHA Select World Championship Show. AQHA has proudly teamed with AQHA Corporate Partner Nutrena on this award since 2012. For the third year in a row, the honor went to Donald Tisdall, 84, of Castle Rock, Colorado. He was riding Pistol Packin Mister, 25, a 2000 sorrel gelding by Mister Dual Pep out of Taffy Remedy by Doc’s Remedy.

Tisdall and Pistol Packin Mister also earned the AQHA Century Club Award, which was new at the 2025 World Show. This award was presented to all Select horse-and-exhibitor combinations with a combined age of 100 years old or older.

The Gene Graves Super-Select Special Recognition Award goes to the Super-Select exhibitor, age 70 and over, earning the greatest number of points in Level 3 Select competition at the 2025 Markel AQHA and Adequan® Select World. This year’s winner is Debbie Wolaver of Mocksville, North Carolina, showing Impulsive Details, a 2014 bay mare by MDR Impulsified and out of Late Night Details by Last Detail.

The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau Leading Owner Award is given to the owner whose horses accumulate the highest number of points at the Markel AQHA and Adequan Select World Championship Shows in both Level 3 and Adequan® Level 2 classes. Horses shown in the amateur, Select and open divisions are included. The owner must have at least three horses entered and shown to be eligible. For 2025, the leading owner award goes to Iron Horse Ranch of Granbury, Texas, which had horses competing in halter classes in all divisions.

 

Full World Show results, as well as videos of the winning horses, are available at www.aqha.com/worldshow.