Bridle & Bit Horse Magazine

By Tracy Wager

We sit down with Gabriel Borges, a sensational new star in the competitive realm of reining horses. Born with a passion for horsemanship and an unyielding determination to succeed, Borges has quickly risen through the ranks, earning himself a coveted spot in The Run For A Million this August in Las Vegas.

Gabriel Borges was born in Brazil, where his love for horses first took root.

Q - When did you come to America?

A - I came to America in 2015.

Borges embarked on his American journey driven by dreams of conquering the equestrian world.

Q - In Texas, you cowboyed riding young horses. How did that go?

Interview with Gabriel Borges

Rising Star in the Reining Horse World

A - I worked for Tom McCutcheon & Duane Latimer in Texas. Then I tried to go out on my own and rode 2 year-olds around for multiple people until I moved to Arizona. When I got to Arizona I worked for Andrea Fappani. After that I worked for Martin Muehlstaetter and then went out on my own.

Q - How did winning the 100X make you feel?

A - Winning at the 100X made me feel real. I had worked so hard for all of this and had dreamed about it. When it happened it made me feel REAL and it gave me the strength to keep going even harder on my journey.

Borges’ partnership with 007 has been a pivotal force in his career.

Q - You’ve been close but never qualified for The Run for A Million before what was the difference this year?

A - I have been trying to qualify for The Run For A Million for the past 3 years. Two years in a row, just a simple half a point kept me out. This year, I was the most prepared and had the horse to do it!

Amidst the pressure and high expectations at the Cactus Classic resulting in a 4-way run-off, Borges’ qualification for The Run for A Million was a testament to his skill and dedication, evoking a sense of accomplishment and anticipation.

Q - Qualifying for The Run for A Million amidst intense competition must have been exhilarating. How did it feel when you realized you had scored well and qualified?

A - When I realized that I qualified, it was amazing.

Borges reveals his strategy for maintaining composure amidst stiff competition.

Q - How did the the pressure of the run-off make you feel?

A - The pressure of the run-off really put my horsemanship to the test. Something that I stand behind is horsemanship and how I communicate with the horse. I had to trust these skills and I had to trust my horse. That is what helped me with the pressure of the run-off. Everything that is REAL is put to the test when we are in situations of REAL pressure.

Q - Working alongside your wife Macy adds another dimension to your journey. How does it feel to pursue championships together?

A - It always feels good to have somebody by my side that loves this as much as I do. Someone that I can trust and count on every time! Macy & I are in this together and she always pushes me when I need it, she

is behind the scenes making sure that I can keep my focus on the horses and the competitions only.

Borges expresses gratitude for the resources at Vargo Ranch, recognizing the instrumental role they play in fostering success and nurturing a winning team.

Q -- Vargo Ranch provides the ideal setting for success in the competitive world of reining horses. How does it feel to have all the necessary tools at your disposal?

A - Working at a ranch like Vargo’s facilitates my journey. It has everything I need and there is never a hesitation on anything that is needed to make it better for the horses. It is always there and that is a big deal at the level that we are competing. Nowadays, if you do not have the right tools to work, you simply cannot get the job done the best you can. The Vargo’s provide that! For that I am thankful.

Q - 007 holds a special place in your heart and career. What sets him apart from other horses?

A - Why is 007 different? The fact that I have known him since he was born. I was able to make him from the very start. He has already proven that he is very consistent and does not let me down. I can really count on him to go every time I push him, or put pressure on him at difficult moments. At tough competition he is always there for me. I know he is a horse that is there for me anytime that I need.

Sandy Vargo owner of 007 and Mike Vargo

“Let’s Keep it Real”

A Series by Clinton Anderson with

So how Honest do you want your Horse Trainer to be?

At first glance that is a stupid question, of course I want my horse trainer to be honest with me! But my question is, having been in the industry for 25 years, is that I am not sure that people really do want their horse trainer to be THAT honest with them. You might say, why not? So, in my 25 years, I have been a trainer, I have been an owner and I have been a breeder. I have been all 3 at different times. I have seen the industry from every perspective. From the guy getting paid, from the guy spending the money and from the guy breeding horses. So, I have a pretty good feel for everyone’s side of the team.

At first glance, you may say, that is a stupid question, of course I want my trainer to be honest. But, in my experience I will say that at least 50% of owners do not want their trainer to be honest. Because, when a trainer calls a customer and says, your horse is not good enough to compete on, or your horse is not good enough minded, or lacks athletic ability, or whatever it is, for me to continue training him. It seems like owners fall into two categories; 50% of the owners say, “Thank You very much, I appreciate it, where do you think I can go with the horse, where can we sell it, what do you think he would be good for? Maybe he is good for Level 1, or maybe he can be a Ranch Riding horse? What would he suit, where can we put this horse in the industry that he might excel at?” So, instead of trying to pound a square peg into a round hole, let’s find the horse a place where he is good at. That is what 50% of the owners will do, because the trainer was being extremely honest with them. Remember, trainers have NO incentive to send a horse home. They lose money by sending a horse home. So, other than him being honest with you and not wanting to waste your money and his time (his time gets paid for whether your horse is there or somebody else’s). There is no incentive to call you up and tell you potentially bad news.

Tracy Wager EXCLUSIVE

about it. They do not want to hear the truth. They think their baby is special, they raised it, they think the trainer is wrong! So, what those 50% of owners do is they will go thru a typical cycle where they will send that horse to the next trainer. He will milk it out 6 months to a year, tell them the horse is great. Then after about 9 or 10 months, they will call and say, “Well, he is not doing as well.”

So, then he says your horse is not good enough. Then they get upset again and send it to the next guy. Typically, it takes between 2 and 3 horse trainers of each milking the bills for another year apiece for the owners to finally realize that now they are into this horses training for 3 or almost 4 years and they still have the same average to below average horse that they had when the original guy tried to fire it halfway thru its 2-year-old year. But, instead of accepting their horse wasn’t very good, they blamed every trainer along the way. Now, there is some blame for some of the trainers, because most trainers, if they are really paying attention to their 2-year-olds, they know what they got. Within 6 months of you riding a 2-year-old, if that trainer is actually paying attention or he sees them ridden by an assistant every day, (he may not be riding them all, just watching them get ridden) he knows whether you have a below average horse, and average horse, and above average horse to a great horse. He may not be exact, but there are only 4 categories that they will fall into.

Now, when that trainer starts riding that horse, in the fall of his 2-year-old year he will have a much better idea. So, yes, every horse needs a good 6 months of Reining foundation. No matter whether this will be a Rope horse, trail horse - good reining training for 6 months, 6 days a week, for any 2-yearold, will make a good foundation for any horse, no matter what the discipline. Even if it is a below average horse, it still has to be a productive citizen. So, basically, the original trainer that fired the horse, he gets the blame. He fired my horse; he is the problem.

So, when I say to you…..ask yourself honestly, what kind of an owner are you? Are you a logical, unemotional, fact driven owner that can accept average to bad news? Or are you emotional, illogical and want to blame everybody else when your horse is just plain crappy? Sometimes we have good kids, sometimes we just have crappy kids. That is just the way it is. They are good parents, but they are crappy kids. OK, that is just the way it is. It doesn’t make anyone right or wrong. It is what it is.

So, then the other half of the owners, they kind of get butt hurt

Me personally, I loved it when trainers fired my horses when I was an owner. Because it meant they were being honest with me. But see, I never let them have a chance to be dishonest. Because I personally flew and saw my horses every 6 weeks. Wherever

they were in the Country, right on the dot every 6 weeks I was on a plane. So, they couldn’t fool me even if they tried too because I was there, and they knew I was going to be there every 6 weeks. Now, it may have still been an average horse, but at least an average horse would still keep getting better.

Most people are naive. They put their horse in training, and they might check on it every 6 months! They have no idea what’s going on with the horse. Again, horses and horse trainers are like employees, and employees will do what you inspect, not what you expect. 1 out of 10 employees will do what you expect whether you are on the job or not as a boss. The other 9 will only do what they think you are going to inspect. So, when they know, you are going to inspect their work, they will probably do average or above average work to keep your foot out of their ass. Most horse trainers know if you are an owner that is going to be involved. Now there is a huge difference from being involved and being a pain in the ass. Calling the trainer every day, showing up every week unannounced. That is very unhealthy.

But as a good rule of thumb, so see your horse every 6 to 8 weeks. Be respectful, let the horse trainer know you are coming. Pick a time that works for you both. So, it is not a time where he has 5 other customers there. Try and be respectful and not take up the trainer’s entire day. Remember, he is not there to please you, he is there to ride horses. If you get half an hour or an hour of his time you are lucky. If he spends half a day hanging out with you, there is a half a day that everybody’s horse did not get ridden either. So, understand that you might be the most important person in your world, you might have center of the universe disease, but there are 40 other horses there in training and those owners’ horses deserve to be ridden as well! Yes, most horse owners have center of the universe disease!

you might become a bigger client and bring more horses to him, or buy Open horses for him, he might take that on.

It’s like selling gas. All gas stations tell you, there is no money in selling gas. There is money in soda, ice cream and convenience items. Because when you go in there to go to use the restroom you walk out with crap in your hand. There is no money in the gas, they make very little off of that. That’s just something to get them in the door. So, if gas stations had to make money only off of gas, they would all go broke. So, they need something else to get you in there. Just like a horse trainer, if he only had to make money off of training a non-pro horse or starting a colt for 90 days.

Me personally, I think horse trainers need to charge more. If somebody is just going to say to you, “I’m just going to send you the colt for 90 days to start.” They need to be charged a higher rate. What’s the incentive there for a trainer to do it? He doesn’t get to show it, but he does get to put up with all the dangerous stuff, which is the first 90 days. The first 90 days is the most important that it gets done well, so what incentive does he have to do it? I think that the less time that the horse is in training, the more the bill should be. The longer the horse stays in training, the cheaper the bill should be. You go to a dealership and buy ten cars, the better the deal will be, compared to if you walk into a dealership and want to buy one car.

So, getting back to the original question. How honest do you want your horse trainer to be? I loved it when horse trainers were honest and fired horses. Because what I did when they fired them, I said, “What level do you think they can play at?” He might be a Level 2 horse and one might put that horse with a Level 2 rider. It does not mean I have to sell the horse; it does not mean I have to junk it. I just find where he will excel at.

The bottom line is this. Unless the trainer is going to show your horse, or you are a non-pro and you’ve got 2 or 3 horses with that guy. Your horse is not going to get the most attention. Let’s just knock it down to what it is. Training a Non-Pro Futurity horse, for a trainer, is the most losing profitable part of the business. Because he gets zero percent of the prize money. When that non-pro wins, he gets none of it! At least when he wins in the Open, he gets 50% of the prize money. So, for him to train a Non-Pro Futurity horse, and they are soooo good now, (these Futurity Non-Pro horses) you basically must have an Open horse to compete at that level. That Non-Pro Futurity horse actually takes more time to train than an Open horse. Because the non-pro horse must be idiot proof! It has to be button proof; it must be able to put up with some bad cues and still do his job.

So, most trainers have zero incentive to train a Non-Pro Futurity horse for you, unless there is something in the pie for them. Which is that you are going to buy them an Open horse! Or maybe you are a good enough customer that sends them 10 or 15 colts every year? You have to sweeten the pot some way. For him to just take 1 Non-Pro Futurity horse and train it for you, there is nothing in it for him. Now, if he thinks he will do a really good job for you and

Back to the original question is: How honest do you want your horse trainer to be? I found that a lot of trainers have told me over the years that honesty does not pay. It is sad to actually say that, because when I ask them why, 9 out of 10 of them will say that “I have lost more good customers by telling them the truth then whenever I did B-Sing and lying to them. Because when I tell them the truth, they get upset with me, they blame me and take it personal. It’s not personal, if anything I am trying to save them money! Basically, and unfortunately in the horse show world, the reining and cow-horse world there is a general stigma that honesty does not pay. Sad, but it’s kinda true. Because owners have really screwed that up. That is insane, yes insane! And when you get done reading this, you may hate me too. You may say after reading this, well that’s stupid, I want my trainer to be honest. But really! Ask yourself in a quiet place with nobody around, “How honest do you want somebody to be?”

It’s kinda like if you have an ugly kid. Do you want to believe he is good looking, or do you want to believe he’s ugly? You may love that little ugly guy, he could be as ugly as a heifer’s butt, that’s a fact! It doesn’t mean that you don’t love him, or you don’t care for him, but he ain’t no Brad Pitt. That is a fact of life! It’s easy for me to be objective about people’s kids, because I don’t have any! So, I can be really objective.

Me, even writing this article will anger half the people. The people that are emotional about their horses, will hate this article. Because it basically calls them out. The people that are logical, fact driven and honest and like honesty, will love this article. Most trainers will like this article. Because I am basically saying that, if you are willing to be an owner and can handle good honest news, that’s your trainer! You should be thanking your trainer for firing your horse. Thanking him! What you don’t want to do is get that call in September of his 3-year-old year and hearing that he is just not making it. Now you just wasted 20 months of training and money, when that horse could have been 5 or 6 months into his 2-year-old year.

So, ask yourself, how honest do you want your horse trainer to be?

19TH ANNUAL 82% SOLD $21,500.00 AVERAGE

HERSHBERGER PERFORMANCE HORSE SALE

Hershberger Performance Horse Sale Company, Jason and Nikki Hershberger, held their 19th Annual Performance Horse Sale Friday, March 1st, at WestWorld in Scottsdale. The sale kicked off the AZ Sun Circuit, the biggest AQHA show in the west. Horses were previewed Thursday afternoon in Ranch Riding, that was won by Gunna Chromeya, shown by Taylor Cherry.

The futurity heading and heeling preview format showed the horses well in their respected age group. The Jr. Heading was won by Reed Boos, riding the rank bay horse, Ultimate Game Of Tag. In the Jr. Heeling, the cool horse, Believen, was the champ piloted by Dakota Kirchenschlager. The Sr.Heading champ was Smart Peppy Doc ridden by JD Johnson, with the Sr Heeling, Bowmans Lil Fox, with Ranger Hill aboard.

Horses were previewed again Friday morning. Horses were demonstrated in the roping, reining, barrels, and cow horse. The sale began at 1:00. Joel White and Blake Thompson called the bids. Wyatt Hershberger read pedigrees; Zane Yates did a great job announcing the preview.

The High-Selling Horse, South Ram Gradie was consigned by Kale and Tatum Peterson. The gorgeous gray gelding is an awesome rope horse. He sold for $65,000.00, going to North Dakota. Other top sellers were, My Stetson 801, consigned by Brad and Barrie Smith for $62,000.00 The awesome bay, Hashtags gelding, Ultimate Game Of Tag, commanded the price of $55,000. The great looking bay was consigned by Reed Boos. Smokin Hot Chex, consigned by JD Johnson, a beautiful buckskin gelding sold for $52,000.00. Rounding out the top ten horses sold, Colton Klassen and Taylor Cherry, Lance and Kaitlyn Knutson, Jared Meyer, Javon Kropf and Triple T Livestock. The top ten horses averaged $48,500.00.

We are excited to see good horses from the sale go on to be successful with their new owners. This year was an exceptional group of consigned horses! The over-all average sale price on the horses sold was $21,500.00. Eighty-two percent of the horses sold. A big thank you to the consignors who brought these quality horses.

This year’s lucky buyer was Kanden Coronado. He took home the Corriente trophy saddle (sponsored by John Holt and Terry Larsen, Southwest Risk Management). The lucky ticket was drawn at the end of the sale. He had purchased the beautiful palomino gelding, Hydrive Shine.

The outstanding Arizona weather, the climate-controlled indoor arena, shopping, and great horses to watch and bid on made this year’s performance horse sale a success. Jason and Nikki would like to thank all that attended. We are grateful to all of our buyers that trust in the quality brought to the Hershberger Performance Horse Sale.

$65,000 High Seller SOUTH RAM GRADIE

SPOT N CAT

$55,000 ULTIMATE GAME OF TAG

Kale and Tatum Peterson

DDR SUGARSPOON

Arizona’s Biggest & Best Kentucky Derby Party returns to Turf Paradise with Trackside Party Tent

The Only Place In Arizona Where You Can Watch And Wager On Kentucky Derby and Live Local Horseracing Saturday,

May 4th

It’s the only Kentucky Derby party in Arizona where you can watch and wager on a live simulcast of the Kentucky Derby while also enjoying and betting on live local horseracing just a few feet away. Tickets are on sale now for The Stella Artois Derby DayClub presented by Sanderson Lincoln.

The Stella Artois Derby DayClub returns to Phoenix’s Turf Paradise, at 19th Ave. and Bell Road, with live racing and betting on Saturday, May 4th. In addition to heart-stopping horseracing, the day also features live DJ’s, dancing, over the top fashions, and a Derby party experience found nowhere else in Arizona.

The event is organized and produced by The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, America’s most attended and dynamic polo event, combining the fun and excitement of the polo event with the tradition and history of the Kentucky Derby.

There are two track-side VIP experiences. Guests can choose between The Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge or The Nütrl Vodka Seltzer Pavilion. Follow this link for tickets and tables.

“It’s our distinct pleasure to be sponsoring and helping to host an event that brings four-legged horsepower to Arizona as we celebrate the fastest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby,” said Patrick Heigl, Brand Manager of Sanderson Lincoln. “It’s a day of red hot horseracing, cool drinks, beautiful fashion, and fun.”

The Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge offers reserved tables on the grass in a track-side tent near the finish line. Enjoy views of

the horse racing plus convenient access to betting terminals, nohost bars inside the tent for Mint Juleps, champagne, cocktails and close proximity to food trucks for additional refreshments and 65” TVs to watch the Kentucky Derby and live horse racing at Turf Paradise. Space is limited. Table options include a complimentary bottle of champagne. Table prices range from $550 to $1,400.

The Nütrl Vodka Seltzer Pavilion includes reserved tables in an open-air tent that includes a complimentary bucket of Nütrl Vodka Seltzer. The Nütrl Vodka Seltzer Pavilion is near the finish line but further off the backstretch than the Black Label Lounge but is still conveniently located to betting terminals, 65” TVs to watch the Kentucky Derby and live horse racing, no-host bar inside the tent for mint juleps, champagne, cocktails and close proximity to food trucks for additional refreshments. Pricing for tables in The Nütrl Vodka Seltzer Pavilion range from $400 to $525.

Individual tickets are also available. General admission is $50 between April 1st and May 3rd. General admission includes entry to Turf Paradise, betting terminals, no-host bars including Mint Juleps, beer, wine and cocktails, DJ and 65” TVs to watch the Kentucky Derby and live horse racing at Turf Paradise. General admission tickets do not include a reserved seat. General admission tickets are $55 at the door on the day of the event.

In addition to an exciting day of partying and horseracing, guests can also enjoy great food and onsite shopping, and a display of several of Sanderson Lincoln’s top luxury vehicles for 2024.

The Stella Artois Derby DayClub

Presented by Sanderson Lincoln opens at 10:45 a.m. with live thoroughbred racing at Turf Paradise in North Phoenix beginning at 11:30am. Attendees can bet on local races as well as the Kentucky Derby itself. The Derby will be broadcast live at approximately 3:25p.m. Arizona time throughout the Derby DayClub’s tent experiences. Onsite horse races will continue into the late afternoon.

The event has sold out in all previous years and is likely to sell out quickly this year. Tickets are on sale. Or call (480) 423-1414.

Starting at 10:45am Arizona’s Only TrackSide Derby Party Offers Two Exciting Experiences

65” TVs to watch the Kentucky Derby and live horse racing!

By Jessica Hein

Paint Horses sweep the 2024 The American Performance Horseman Championships

A trio of Paint Horses validated their positions as the best of the best at the 2024 The American Performance Horseman competition. Storyteler, Down Right Amazing and SJR Talkin Diamonds each won their respective events at the competition, in which the top five Open money-earners in cutting, reining and reined cow horse faced off for huge cash prizes. The event took place March 8 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Cutting

Returning champion Adan Banuelos picked Storyteler to defend his 2023 TAPH title. Storyteler is a 2019 sorrel solid stallion by Smooth Talkin Style and out of Show Biz Kitty (QH); the stallion is owned by Double Dove Ranch. Together, Banuelos and Storyteler marked a huge 230 to clinch the 2024 TAPH cutting title.

“This horse is phenomenal,” Banuelos said. “He comes to work every day enjoying what he does; he thinks it’s a game, and I want to keep it that way as long as I can. I can’t tell you how proud of this horse I am. He loves what he does, and so do I. This is unbelievable.”

Reining

APHA member Casey Deary brought back his 2023 partner, Down Right Amazing), to defend their TAPH championship. Down Right Amazing is a 2017 sorrel overo stallion by APHA Hall of Famer Colonels Smokingun and out of Shesouttayourleague (QH); he’s owned by DAG Ventures LLC. The pair were last to go in the reining and secured their second championship with a 226.5 score.

“Protecting that horse’s reputation was important to me,” Deary said. “He’s fantastic. He always shows up to work.”

Reined Cow Horse

Corey Cushing was ready to put on a show at his second The American Performance Horseman competition. This year, Cushing paired with SJR Talking Diamonds, a 2017 palomino solid stallion by Smooth Talkin Style and out of Shiners Diamond Girl (QH); San Juan Ranch owns the stallion. The team ranked second after the reined work go-round and received a new cow shortly after their fence work finals began. The golden team deftly worked the second bovine, marking a 218.5 down the fence. That effort gave them a 439 cumulative score for the win.

“I believed in that horse ever since I started taking him down the fence as a 3-year-old,” Cushing said. “We’ve been the bridesmaid quite a few times

but never the bride. Tonight was his night. If I had to do it all again, I would turn around and call on him again because he gave me all he’s got.”

Each of the three discipline champions took home $100,000 for their event wins.

Team Champions

Blue was once again the color of winners, and Team Royal Blue emerged victorious when the dust settled. Adan Banuelos, Casey Deary and Clayton Edsall composed the team. Their individual scores created a team composite, and they split the $75,000 team prize.

The team contest, which pairs a professional from each of the three disciplines together to compete for overall honors, is a unique hallmark of The American Performance Horseman event. The American Performance Horseman took place as part of The American Rodeo’s Western Weekend extravaganza, produced by Teton Ridge in association with APHA, American Quarter Horse Association, National Cutting Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association and National Reined Cow Horse Association. Eight Paints and five APHA members were among the 15 horse-andrider teams vying for $1 million in total prize money offered at the event. For more information, visit americanrodeo.com/ events/american-horseman.

Reprinting all or part of this news release is permitted, so long as credit is given to the Paint Horse Journal.

Adan Banuelos

Corey Cushing

Casey Deary

By Jessica Hein

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA joins as an APHA corporate partner Value Through Innovation

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, a world leader in the prediction, prevention and treatment of diseases in animals, has joined APHA’s corporate partnership lineup. As part of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim is the official Intermediate division buckle sponsor of the 2024 APHA World Championship Show.

An animal-health leader, Boehringer Ingelheim has deep roots in the United States, starting when it was founded in St. Joseph, Missouri, more than 100 years ago. The Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health family of products contains widely used and respected vaccines, parasite-control products and

therapeutics for pets, horses and livestock.

“We are pleased to have Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as our newest corporate partner and thank them for their sponsorship of the Intermediate division buckles,” Director of Business Development Kurt Crawford said. “Boehringer Ingelheim is known for its commitment to innovation

and animal health, and we are thrilled to have such a gamechanging organization join our team. We are excited to give our APHA members access to their great products as an added benefit to our association.”

All-Around added money nears $100,000 for 2024 APHA World Championship Show

By Jessica Hein

All-around added money at the 2024 APHA World Championship Show has swelled to nearly $100,000 this year. The exclusive bonus purses are available in tons of hunter under saddle, Western pleasure, longe line and trail classes at the 2024 World Show.

Challenge, sweepstakes, stakes and Gold Breeders’ Futurity classes are open to Regular Registry and Solid Paint-Bred horses, giving them all a shot at the all-around added money. Southern Belle Breeders’ classes are open to Regular Registry horses only and take place concurrent with the respective world championship class.

The World Show takes place June 21-July 7, 2024, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Don’t forget to enter corresponding APHA world championship classes, too. Also, all Youth world championship classes pay out up to four scholarships worth $1,250 total. All told, the 2024 World Show will award more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes. Preentries are due May 15 for the best rates. Online entries will open in April.

No qualifying required!

THE HORSE SALE AT RANCHO RIO

“Twizzler” Marks Wilson Cattle Company’s Third Consecutive High-Seller at The Horse Sale at Rancho Rio

Wickenburg, Arizona—The Horse Sale at Rancho Rio presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka took place Saturday, March 16, in Wickenburg, Arizona, in conjunction with the National Team Roping (NTR) National Finals X. The 66 consignments that ran through the ring at the 10th annual sale drew spectators and buyers from all over the nation and brought $2.66 million in total sales. With 52 horses sold, the overall sale average was $51,154 and the top 10 average was $94,800.

Early in the sale, auctioneer Steve Friskup dropped the gavel to the tune of $180,000 at Lot 8 on the 6-year-old red roan gelding Rusty Peptoboosmal. Consigned by Brooke and Rodey Wilson, Wilson Cattle Company, of Canyon, Texas, “Twizzler” marks their third consecutive high seller in as many years. Their first-ever high seller was in 2022 when they sold Sportin Roscoe (“South Point”) for $200,000, and in 2023 when they sold TRR Kadabra Kat (“Honkey Tonk”) for $160,000.

Arizona. “Jube Jube,” a 2016 chestnut gelding, was consigned by Kale and Tatum Peterson, Peterson Performance Horses, of Wittmann, Arizona, and Buck Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Rounding out the top three high sellers was Lot 30, Gin N Guns Dont Mix, who sold for $110,000. Consigned by Chad and Paje Turner, Turner Performance Horses, of Congress, Arizona, and East Helena, Montana, the 2018 palomino gelding was purchased by James Hunter, of Eagle, Idaho. “Townes” is by the NRHA Open Futurity Reserve Champion Gunners Tinseltown and out of a daughter of Nu Chex To Cash and is eligible for APHA Chrome Cash.

Superior Productions broadcast the event live bringing the sale to additional spectators and potential buyers worldwide. Renowned auctioneer, Steve Friskup, Muleshoe, Texas, was joined on the auction block by long-time team roping announcers Ferron Lucero, Stephenville, Texas, and Doug VanDyken, Bozeman, Montana, along with sale clerk Katie Yost, Billings, Montana. The Horse Sale at Rancho Rio continues to be the premier rope horse sale of the world and will once again take place in March 2025 during the NTR National Finals XI. You can find additional information and sale results online at RanchoRioAZ.com.

Sale Results:

“It’s nerve-racking,” said Brooke. “You don’t really know what’s going to happen, or who is going to show up, or if there’s something better that they’re waiting on. You just have to bring a good horse and see what happens.

“Twizzler is the winningest horse we’ve ever had,” continued Brooke, who won the #10.5 Riata Buckle heading on the horse in 2022 for $62,000. Twizzler was then on the winning team of the exact roping in 2023, this time on the heel side with a #5 roper. “It doesn’t matter who’s riding him.”

Twizzler was purchased by Javier Rodriguez, of Las Vegas, Nevada, who also purchased Honkey Tonk in 2023.

“He actually came out to ride him,” Brooke said. “I went back and watched his videos over and over and that horse was unbelievable for him. He’s a #3 and that horse made him look like a #6. It was unreal. I’m just so glad he’s going to someone that’s going to enjoy him.”

Hooks Flintrock, Lot 24, followed as the second-high seller at $115,000 and was purchased by Roberto Brembilla of Scottsdale,

Total Consignments - 66

Horses Sold - 52

Sale Average - $51,154

Top 10 Average - $94,800

Top 20 Average - $79,150

Top 30 Average - $66,900

About Rancho Rio: Sitting on 55 acres just minutes from downtown Wickenburg, Rancho Rio is one of Arizona’s premier multi-use facilities. Each year our location hosts a multitude of equine events, gives visitors and snowbirds a place to spend the winter and serves as a trailhead for horseback rides through the scenic miles of the Hassayampa Riverbed. Complete with two outdoor arenas Rancho Rio will see more than 25,000 team roping teams annually. In the month of December alone, there are more than 60 ropings scheduled. Rancho Rio is home to National Team Roping (NTR). You will find opportunities for team roping practice, roping clinics as well as weekly barrel racing events throughout the winter months. Rancho Rio also hosts a number of events benefiting the Wickenburg community. For more information, visit RanchoRioAZ.com. For more information on National Team Roping or to become a member visit nationalteamroping.com.

$180,000 TOP SELLER 6-YEAR-OLD RED ROAN GELDING RUSTY

PEPTOBOOSMAL

Rounding out the top three high sellers was Lot 30, Gin N Guns Dont Mix, who sold for $110,000. Consigned by Chad and Paje Turner, Turner Performance Horses, of Congress, Arizona

Hooks Flintrock, Lot 24, followed as the second-high seller at $115,000 and was purchased by Roberto Brembilla of Scottsdale, Arizona.

$200,000 ADDED TO THE 2024 NCHA WORLD FINALS

FORT WORTH – For the second year in a row, the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) is proud to announce the NCHA World Finals, presented by Broke Spur Ranch, will take place during the 2024 Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity. Broke Spur Ranch, along with the World Finals Task Force, aka the silks program, and the NCHA, have committed and collaboratively raised an additional $200,000 to be spread throughout all

divisions of the World Finals.

This will increase payouts in all classes, and NCHA will provide more information in the coming days. We want to thank all those involved in making this happen this year, and a special thanks to Broke Spur Ranch for returning as our title sponsor. Good luck to all the haulers running for the world this year.

For more information on the NCHA or upcoming events and schedules, please check out our website at nchacutting. com.

THE NCHA ANNOUNCES VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

FORT WORTH - The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) is pleased to announce the candidates for the position of Vice President. The 2024-2025 term candidates are Byron Green of Campbellsburg, IN and Kathleen Moore of Madill, OK.

The NCHA Vice President is an essential position within the organization, responsible for working closely with the President and other board members to help shape the future of the NCHA and the sport of cutting.

Both candidates have extensive experience within the cutting horse industry and deeply understand the issues facing the NCHA and its members. They have demonstrated a commitment to the sport of cutting and a willingness to work hard for the NCHA and its members.

Mr. Green states, “I have been a life member for over 40 years and served on several Standing Committees, elected as a District Director for Indiana and Region 4 representative to the EC, plus an officer on several local affiliates. I was on the EC when the Circuit Program was initiated, and NCHA Weekend returned to the

calendar. Weekend cutters are a vital part of NCHA.

My goal is to continue to see the purse for the Futurity grow to a million dollars, and purses for the weekend programs match that growth. My main interest is to see NCHA grow. It’s been good to my family, and I want that to benefit future generations.”

Moore states, “I’ve been with the NCHA since 2000 when I started showing. I have always loved horses and animals, so the NCHA was always an easy fit for me. I started in the $2000 Limited Rider and have worked my way up to where I’m in the Non-Pro.

I served on the Stallion Foal committee, which led to several other sub-committees, the LAE Committee, and the EC through Region 8. The NCHA is very important to many people, and I want to see it grow and continue to be a vital entity promoting the amazing cutting horses. I would help contribute to the continued growth and future of the association. Right now, the cuttings are bigger than ever, and I hope to see that momentum continue. The NCHA has become a vital part of my family’s life.”

NASHWA FARMS

GENERATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE FOR THE RANCHING & FARMING LIFESTYLE

Nashwa Farm, Equestrian Center, and Performance

Horses sit proudly in the heart of Camp Verde, Arizona, owned by Tonya Freeland Wiertzema and Terry Wiertzema, both hailing from a lineage deeply rooted in ranching and farming traditions, span-

producers for over 20 years. The entire families competed in USTRC, America West, Wpra, PRCA and AQHA events.

“Our parents have imparted invaluable lessons on transforming our passions, dreams, and sense of purpose into enduring careers,” Tonya reflects.

“It’s about laying robust foundations in horsemanship and professional acumen right from

ning four generations. Ray and Marge Freeland were team roping producers for over 20 years plus 4H & FFA leaders for a decade.

Terry, a fourth-generation farmer from Minnesota, and Tonya, bred and raised amidst Arizona’s rich equestrian culture, stumbled upon this historic farm over three decades ago. It was love at first sight as they envisioned it as the perfect canvas for their aspirations of farming hay, raising horses, and nurturing their family. Established in 1876, this farm has a storied past, once catering to the needs of miners in Jerome with its produce and beef.

You’ll often find Terry immersed in his work, whether tending to his tractors on the hay farms or gleefully casting lines on a fishing boat. Tonya, deeply rooted in Arizona’s horse and ranching heritage, has not only excelled in the rodeo arena but has also instilled the same passion in her family, ushering them into the vibrant rodeo and ranch lifestyle. Marge and Tonya have been barrel racing

AQHA World Reserve Champion Heading, besides consistently ranking in the top tier across various competitions.

Frenchmans Magic Mike’s performance in barrel racing demonstrates exceptional skill and consistency, especially considering the fierce competi-

in the 1D on Sunday running a 17.0, 11th out of 693 horses, is a testament to the horse’s abilities. Winning the 1D Average at the NBHA Arizona Super Show is an accomplishment that brings to light how consistent and talented this stallion is.

Another standout is ASNY

the outset.”

Nashwa Farms & Equestrian Center and Performance Horses, once known as the Legacy Ranch/Farm, represents more than just land; it’s a repository of history, culture, and conservation values passed down through generations. This legacy is evident in the family photos, untold anecdotes, and the unique ethos that transcends traditional agriculture.

Versatility reigns supreme in Nashwa’s breeding program, boasting some of the finest stallions in the industry. Among them is Frenchman’s Magic Mike, a 2014 Palomino stallion sired by Frenchman’s Guy out of Dashing Katye by Dash Ta Fame. Frenchman’s Magic Mike exceptional skills span barrel racing, team roping, and breakaway roping. Notably, he clinched the Palomino World Champion Heading title and emerged as the

Nashwa Farms & Equestrian Center and Performance Horses, once known as the Legacy Ranch/Farm, represents more than just land; it’s a repository of history, culture, and conservation values passed down through generations.

tion at events like the Royal Crown Open Barrel Race with Jockey Karsen Jackson Team Nashwa. Placing 16th out of 726 competitors, with a 17.185 on a standard pattern and 11th

Prime To Be famous, a 2015 Buckskin stallion sired by Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet out of Buckett Bear by Orphan Bear, boasting prowess across disciplines such as barrel racing, heading, heeling, breakaway, and versatility ranch riding. His pro rodeo debut at the Yuma Pro Rodeo showcased his blazing speed with a 17.79 just behind fast time Kathy Petska with a 17.54.

ASNY Prime To Be Famous’ achievements at the Xtreme Million and NBHA Super Show in Arizona are certainly impressive. Placing 12th out of 240 riders in the 1D at the Xtreme Million demonstrates excep-

Tonya Freeland Wiertzema and Terry Wiertzema

Ray & Marge Freeland, Tonya Freeland Wiertzema & Tammy Freeland Smith

IN THE NEWS -

Barrel racers

kicked off the NBHA tour season with a bang at the NBHA Arizona Super Show held in of Buckeye from January 18–21

The spotlight shone on Karsen Jackson and Frenchmansmagicmike as they clinched the Open 1D Average Championship. Despite not meeting NBHA membership criteria for awards, Jackson and the impressive 10-year-old stallion delivered stellar performances, setting the pace for the competition under the ownership of Tonya Wiertzema.

In the opening race on Friday, Jackson and “Magic” blazed through the course, clocking in at 17.471, securing a commendable third place and a prize of $552. Saturday witnessed another impressive run, with a lightning-fast time of 17.188, earning them fifth place and a prize of $613. The duo’s consistency paid off handsomely on Sunday, with a time of 17.405, netting them $718 and the distinction of the fastest average across three races, totaling 52.064 seconds.

tional speed and agility, while finishing in the top 5 in the 1D average at the NBHA Super Show and running a 17.3 on a standard, highlights consistent performance over multiple runs.

Tonya really gives credit to Karsen Jackson, her Jockey. “She’s an exceptional athletic with a heart of gold. Our Stallions just love her they try so hard to please her. We are

sponsors for her and for her goal to try to qualify for the NFR...she’s only 19 yrs old” exclaims Tonya.

Nashwa’s breeding program extends comprehensive professional services catering to broodmares, foals, weanlings, and yearlings, ensuring their optimal growth and development in a natural environment. With lush pastures tailored for boarding, senior turnout, and broodmares with foals, along with meticulously managed care programs, horse owners can rest assured of their animals’ well-being.

For those seeking a getaway with their equine companions, Nashwa offers a perfect retreat just four miles off I-17, conveniently close to Sedona and Cliff Castle Casino. Whether it’s vacation boarding, short-term stays, layovers, or camping with horses, the ranch provides a range of options. Trails meander through the farm and hay areas, offering serene vistas and river access for leisurely outings with or without horses.

The facility caters to diverse

boarding preferences, including retirement, seasonal turnouts, pasture boarding, indoor stalls with runs, and outdoor covered stalls, ensuring a comprehensive care regime. Moreover, professional services such as veterinary care, farrier, dental care, chiropractic sessions, and therapeutic treatments are available on-site for clients’ convenience.

In essence, Nashwa Farm embodies a harmonious blend of heritage, excellence, and holistic care, promising an enriching experience for both horses and their owners alike.

Learn more at:

www.nashwafarms.com

Reprinted with permission from Horseman’s News

Karsen Jackson and Tonya Freeland Wiertzema

Karsen Jackson and Frenchmansmagicmike

Tonya’s grand-daughter Steelie & her pony Flower

Texas A&M veterinarians diagnose cause of mysterious colic

Koche, a 7-year-old American Paint Horse was brought to Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Large Animal Hospital after his owners noticed he was in pain (Image courtesy of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences)

Cedrick Harvey brought Koche to Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences after Koche started to experience flareups of colic. According to Harvey, Koche had been healthy for her entire life up until March 2023 when the family began noticing she was presenting with signs of pain. Koche holds a special place in Harvey’s heart because of her family history with the family.

“Her grandmother was an amazing Paint horse named Apache that grew up within our family,” said Harvey, “We really wanted to keep her bloodline alive, so we bred her and got Cody, who was Koche’s father. So, I’ve had Koche since her birth.”

Koche was brought to her local veterinarians to try and determine what was causing her pain, but the doctor was unable to diagnose her but recommended her to the Texas Texas A&M College of Veterinary

Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Large Animal Teaching Hospital (LATH). There, she was able to be treated with more advanced equipment to help diagnose and treat her pain.

“[Horses with colic] do what I call the ‘no-pants dance,’” said Dustin Major, DVM, DACVS (LA), a VMBS clinical assistant professor of large animal surgery. “They circle around and posture like they’re about to lay down, but then they never do. Koche was doing that little dance and kicking at her belly, so we knew she was in pain.”

The X-ray of the cantaloupe-sized stone found in Koche’s colon and the stone next to a one-inch needle

Major then performed an abdominocentesis and an abdominal x-ray, but both provided no answers as well. With no other options, he decided that he needed to go for the final option, colic surgery. Major studied her abdominal organs during the procedure to look for what was causing her pain, and the answer became clear, she had a tone the size of a cantaloupe inside her large colon. The stones, known as enteroliths, are formed in the horse’s right dorsal colon, the section designed to contract and pack things together. Major explained that this is common in horses in California, but is relatively rare in Texas, which could be why it was tricky to diagnose.

“It’s sort of like making a pearl; the horse ingests a piece of wood, gravel, or something else and then the colon compacts minerals around it, layer upon layer upon layer,” explained Major.1 “The stone then goes down to the transverse colon, where it lodges and backs everything up. The stone can come back out of the transverse colon and then lodge in it again, which is why these horses can be intermittently painful.”

Major was able to remove the 5-pound stone during the colic surgery and after discussing with Harvey, they determined that the enterolith was caused by a high diet of alfalfa combined with high calcium content in the water in Crosby, the town they are from. X-rays were performed on the stone to see if they could determine what was at the center, but the results came back inconclusive.

Her successful treatment was accredited to her local veterinarian, the LATH team, and Harvey’s pushing for someone to help find the source of her pain. Horses that do not receive treatment for their source of colic, including enterolith like Koche, can be at risk of death.

Veterinary college partners with Make-A-Wish Arizona

Dayson Judd practices haltering a horse on a model

Dayson Judd was 3 years old when his family welcomed home Tilly, a miniature schnauzer. Dayson, who was lonely now that his sister started kindergarten, found a

new best friend in Tilly, and soon, the duo began playing together. Through Tilly, Dayson learned how veterinarians took care of animals, inspiring him at a young age to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

Since then, Dayson Judd worked hard to complete steps

toward his goal and now in his senior year, he will graduate from Tanque Verde High School and attend the University of Arizona. He hopes to enroll in the W.A. Franke Honors College to earn a degree in veterinary sciences with hopes of attending the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine.

However, unlike most inspiring veterinarians, Dayson was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 8 months old after he presented to his doctors with a persistent cough, but his doctors were able to manage his symptoms. At age 7, his health took a turn and he began to have more frequent hospital visits and dozens of medications and treatment plans. According to Dayson Judd, he was in the hospital 15 times between the ages of 7 and 12 due to low lung function. Before his teenage years, Dayson Judd joined a drug trial for Trikafta, causing an immediate improvement in his health.

Now, as Dayson Judd prepares to begin his college career, Make-A-Wish Arizona, PAWS Veterinary Center, and the University of Arizona collaborated to grant his wish of becoming a veterinarian for a day.

“His first response was to give his wish away to help someone else,” said Chet Judd, Dayson’s father. “He’s a very empathetic person. We support him in whatever career field he wants, but choosing veterinary medicine makes perfect sense to me, as far as his personality. He cares for animals. He’s a great person.”

Dayson Judd kicked off his day with a tour of the college, College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was given a stethoscope and scrubs.

“Today was better than I could have imagined, it’s just amazing,” he concluded. “The connections I have made, the people I have talked to, have all been amazing. It’s helped a lot, and I am very excited.”

Arizona Humane Society opens state-of-the-art campus

The $51 million facility was designed to improve the health and welfare of pets, and those who care for them

Arizona Humane Society (AHS) announced that its Rob & Melani Walton Papago Park Campus is now officially open. The new $51 million state-of-the-art facility was built from funds provided completely by donations from animal lovers and friends of AHS.

“As the doors of the Rob and Melani Walton Papago Park Campus open to the public, so do the possibilities for the future of animal welfare in Arizona and across the country,” said Steven Hansen, DVM, president and chief executive officer of AHS.

“This transformative campus will have an undeniable positive impact on the Valley’s most vulnerable pets and the state’s future veterinarians for decades to come. Our new campus enables us with the physical resources to best serve the pets in our care and delivers a key list of improvements that will benefit pets and people alike,” he continued.

The facility was built to maintain the health and welfare of the animals who enter the facility as well as the people taking care of them. The facility contains features such as a heavy-duty HVAC system to reduce airborne pathogen movement between separate kennel rooms, improved sanitation from drainage systems located in 90% of rooms on the campus, and hundreds of windows to increase the amount of natural light in the rooms and kennels, 5 ‘catios’, and 13 designated play yards.

Those coming to the facility to adopt a pet will greet their new pet in the Nina Mason Pulliam P.E.T. Center. Adopters will have access to AHS’s in-house pet supply shop Petique and Echo Coffee, a locally owned and operated business that contributes 1% of every purchase to AHS.

The 5-acre campus is home to the largest shelter-based trauma and acute medical center for homeless pets in the United States.

US Equestrian Announces Athletes for the 2024 FEI World Cup™ Finals for Dressage and Jumping

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athletes who will represent the U.S. in dressage and jumping at the 2024 FEI World Cup Finals. The Finals will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 16-20, 2024.

U.S. Dressage

The following athlete-and-horse combinations will represent U.S. Dressage in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final and are listed in alphabetical order:

Ben Ebeling (Wellington, Fla.) and Indeed, a 2008 Danish Warmblood mare (Hofrat x Gorklintgards Indeera) owned by Vantage Equestrian Group II, LLC.

Groom: Morad Almasri

Kevin Kohmann (Wellington, Fla.) and Duenensee, a 2009 Hanoverian gelding (Dancier x Doublette) owned by Diamante Farms.

Groom: German Rodriguez

Anna Marek (Dunnellon, Fla.) and Fayvel, a 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zizi Top x Ofra) owned by Cynthia Davila

Groom: Katherine Esterline U.S. Jumping.

The following athlete-and-horse combinations will represent U.S. Jumping in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and are listed in alphabetical order:

Kent Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) and Greya, a 2014 Oldenburg mare (Colestus x Contessa) owned by Kent Farrington LLC; and Toulayna, a 2014 Warmblood mare (Toulon x Vuelta) owned by Rabbit Root

Stables, LLC and Kent Farrington LLC.

Groom: Denise Moriarty

Jill Humphrey (Sacramento, Calif.) and Chromatic BF, a 2011 Oldenburg gelding (Connor x Sonnengirl BF) owned by Branscomb Farms LLC.

Groom: Porfirio Rodriguez

Devin Ryan (Long Valley, N.J.) and Eddie Blue, a 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zirocco Blue VDL x Silvana) owned by LL Show Jumpers, LLC.

Groom: Angela Baugh

Sophia Siegel (Portola Valley, Calif.) and A-Girl, her own 2010 Swedish Warmblood mare (ADur x Sandburgs Carina).

Groom: Javier Ibarra

Skylar Wireman (Bonsall, Calif.) and Tornado, her own 2014 Swedish Warmblood gelding (Diarado x Chiquitita)

Groom: Alicia Thompson

The FEI Dressage World Cup Final will take place Wednesday, April 17, through Friday, April 19.

Wednesday, April 17 –Grand Prix at 1:15 p.m. GMT+3/6:15 a.m. ET

Friday, April 19 –Grand Prix Freestyle at 5:15 p.m. GMT+3/10:15 a.m. ET.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final will take place Wednesday, April 17, through Saturday, April 20.

Wednesday, April 17 –Final I at 7:00 p.m. GMT+3/12:00 p.m. ET.

Thursday, April 18 –Final II at 6:50 p.m. GMT+3/11:50 a.m. ET.

Saturday, April 20 –Final III at 5:30 p.m. GMT+3/10:30 a.m. ET.

AQHA honors Robin Frid, Nancy Sue Ryan and Art O’Brien as the 2023 AQHA Professionals of the Year

The American Quarter Horse Association is proud to announce the 2023 Nutrena Don Burt AQHA Professional Horseman of the Year, Nutrena AQHA Professional Horsewoman of the Year and Most Valuable Professional award winners.

Robin Frid

The 2023 Nutrena Don Burt AQHA Professional Horseman of the Year is Robin Frid of Pilot Point, Texas. Frid and his wife, Jenny, own and operate Robin Frid Show Horses where they specialize in all-round show horses. Frid has had a very successful career winning both AQHA World Show and Congress championship titles. He has also coached many youth and amateur exhibitors to championship titles. He mentors many trainers and is sought after for advice by many trainers.

Not only is Frid a respected trainer, but he has spent countless hours giving back to AQHA. He goes above and beyond to assist at the state and national level. Frid has served as the chairman of the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Council, Show Committee, and Show Council, and currently chairs the AQHA Animal Welfare Commission. He has also been very active with his state affiliate, the Texas Quarter Horse Association, including serving on the board of directors and as TQHA president.

Nancy Sue Ryan

The 2023 Nutrena AQHA Professional Horsewoman of the Year is Nancy Sue Ryan of Nocona, Texas. Ryan has dedicated her life to promoting and bettering the American Quarter Horse both inside and outside the arena. She owns and operates Show Stop Farm, one of the leading breeding farms in the country. As the breeder of multiple AQHA World Show and Congress champions and reserve champions, Ryan’s passion about the care of the American Quarter horse does not go unnoticed. She has earned a spot at the forefront of the industry raising some of the best horses in the show pen today.

She has not only bred but also trained multiple AQHA and NSBA world champions and reserve champions. She was inducted into the NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club in 2010. Ryan has donated horses for competitions, judges’ education and free clinics on top of donating to the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s annual online auction. She has also hosted AQHA educational videos and played a role in the development of many young professional horsemen, mentoring them and devoting her life to the betterment of the industry.

Ryan has been an AQHA Professional Horsewoman since 1994 and an AQHA member since 1991. She received her AQHA judges card in 1993. She is also a 2021 NSBA Hall of Fame inductee and NSBA judge.

Art O’Brien

The 2023 Most Valuable Professional is Art O’Brien of Findlay, Ohio. O’Brien has more than 40 years of experience in the equine industry as a trainer, exhibitor, riding instructor,

coach and judge. His focus has been primarily on showing performance horses and coaching clients at AQHA events, along with NRHA and NSBA competitions.

An AQHA Professional Horseman and an international clinician, O’Brien has won world champion titles in both AQHA and the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) in trail, western riding, western pleasure and reining, and his students have won world champion titles in 12 different events. He also holds judges cards with AQHA and NSBA and serves on the board of directors of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association.

The six teams, each led by a legendary rodeo head coach, will compete for a $1 million purse

PUEBLO, Colo. – On May 17, during the PBR World Finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the PBR and Kid Rock will revolutionize Western

Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo -The revolutionary event

May 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

sports with Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo.

The star-studded lineup of rodeo royalty who will form five of the six competing rosters was announced earlier this week. The final team, the Free Riders, will be composed entirely of WCRA athletes and will be finalized at the conclusion of the WCRA’s Rodeo Corpus Christi on May 11.

There’s no doubt this event will be a rockin’ good time. Get your tickets now!

Let’s get into it! Here are the basics.

But before you can enjoy it, you have to know how it works, right?

Each team will have 16 athletes, two in each discipline: barrel racing, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping (two headers and two heelers), saddle bronc riding and bareback riding.

There are four total rounds of competition. Rounds 1, 2 and 3 will consist of each discipline in an elimination bracket. Round 4 will feature the two teams with the most discipline bracket wins facing off head-tohead to determine which team is the event champion.

Rounds 1, 2 and 3 will be a series of discipline-specific head-to-head matchups against another team in a three-round tournament bracket.

Kid Rock Rodeo bracket

Advancement to Round 2 will be the three bracket headto-head matchup winners and one wild card athlete (the highest-placing athlete that did not advance) per discipline from Round 1.

Advancement to Round 3 will be the two head-to-head matchup discipline winners from Round 2 of the bracket.

Important to note: advancement to Rounds 2 and 3 is discipline-specific and not the overall team. For example, if a team loses its saddle bronc riding matchup, that team will no longer have a saddle bronc riding athlete participate through the remainder of the first three rounds.

However, teams need as many of their athletes as possible to advance to Round 3, as that gives them more chances to advance to the shootout round.

American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame Class of 2024

This year’s Hall of Fame class includes three horses and three men.

Induction into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the American Quarter Horse Foundation. This year, we will induct three horses and three men in the Class of 2024: Frenchmans Guy, Blue Valentine, Shining Spark, Dr. Jim Heird, J.D. Yates and Paul Jones.

Frenchmans Guy

Foaled in 1987, Frenchmans Guy quickly made his mark in the American Quarter Horse world. While his performance record predates any modern-day recordkeeping system, his progeny and grand progeny have been at the top of the charts for the past three decades. By Sun Frost and out of Frenchmans Lady by Laughing Boy, Frenchmans Guy sired 1,969 American Quarter Horse foals that have earned more than $13 million and 2,528 AQHA points, mostly in barrel racing. His topthree leading progeny are Morning Traffic ($482,697 LTE), Teasin Dat Guy ($426,052 LTE) and Bring It On Guys ($323,718 LTE).

Blue Valentine

In the 1950s and ’60s, it would have been hard to predict the effect that Blue Valentine, a hardy blue roan Joe Hancock-bred ranch stallion, would have on the American Quarter Horse industry. But hindsight being what it is, we know that even though Blue Valentine only sired 210 registered American Quarter Horses, his influence is still seen in the breed nearly 70 years later. “Blue” passed on his speed, good bone, gentle disposition, longevity and cow savvy. Few horses have made such an impact that their reputation outlives them by more than a few generations.

Shining Spark

His progeny earned more than 39,000 AQHA points, 40 AQHA world championships and more than $10 million, mostly in National Reined Cow Horse and National Reining Horse association competition. Shining Spark had the spark that ignited a bloodline that set new standards in value. By Genuine Doc and out of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Diamonds Sparkle, Shining Spark was NRCHA’s all-time leading sire from 2003 to 2020, and that association’s first $3 million sire. Of his 1,411 American Quarter Horse foals, Shining Spark’s top-three foals by earnings are Shining N Sassy ($259,262 LTE), Shine By The Bay

($178,699 LTE) and A Shiner Named Sioux ($161,891 LTE). This is his third equine industry hall of fame induction.

Dr. Jim Heird

Jim Heird grew up in East Tennessee, the son of a tobacco farmer, who, up into the 1960s, still plowed his fields with mules. But it was horses, not mules, that inspired Jim. He was 13 when he saw his first American Quarter Horse. That love of horses charted the course of Jim’s career in academia, but also in the American Quarter Horse industry. He was an AQHA director for Colorado in 2009 and became a director for Texas in 2011. He has served on the judges, international and show committees, show council and AQHA Animal Welfare Commission; and was the chairman of the judges committee, 1989-1991; show committee, 2008-2010; international committee, 2013-2015; show council, 2008-2011; and commissioner of the Animal Welfare Commission, 2011-2015. He was elected to the AQHA Executive Committee in 2015 and served as AQHA president in 2018.

J.D. Yates

J. D. Yates holds the distinction as the youngest man in history to qualify for the prestigious National Finals Rodeo at the age of 15. He has won more than $1.6 million in professional rodeo, qualified for the NFR 21 times, the National Finals Steer Roping 11 times, has 47 AQHA world championships under his belt and has had a hand in the making of several AQHA Superhorses. One has to wonder what J. D.’s favorite win has been. “The next one,” he says every single time he’s asked. Roping is a sport that was shared with J. D. by his dad, Dick, and now J. D. is sharing it with his son, Trey, who has qualified for the NFR three times. Success is in this family’s genes.

Paul Jones

Paul Jones, the only racing trainer to win 14-straight AQHA champion racing trainer titles, has 4,436 wins and 460 stakes wins, and his horses have won more than $89 million. His career highlights include winning the All American Futurity three times (Teller Cartel, No Secrets Here and Runnning Brook Gal), the Champion of Champions six times (Whosleavingwho, The Down Side, Cash For Kas, Wave Carver, Good Reason SA and Rylees Boy) and the Los Al Two Million two times (A Reagal Choice and Good Reason SA). “Paul has dominated many racing categories, but his main goal is to accomplish what is best for his owners and his horses,” says his wife, Marin Jones. “He knows his horses intimately, without even looking at their name tags.”

By Mandi McCary

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –

Following a red-hot championship round at one of the season’s fan-favorite PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) events on Sunday afternoon, veteran rider Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil) emerged victorious as the only man to go 4-for-4 across the weekend, winning the PBR Albuquerque Ty Murray Invitational.

After being protected earlier in

Arizona Ridge Riders’ Eduardo Aparecido wins PBR Ty Murray Invitational

the week by the Arizona Ridge Riders for the upcoming 2024 PBR Teams Expansion Draft, Aparecido won his first UTB event of the 2024 season, earning 216.5 Unleash The Beast points and advancing from No. 6 to No. 4 in the world.

Eduardo Aparecido rides Mike’s Motive 89.25 points in

Fast Eddy’s Perfect Performance: Eduardo Aparecido Secures Victory with 89.25 Points

the Championship Round of the 2024 PBR Unleash the Beast Season

PBR Albuquerque

Ty Murray Invitational

The three-day event at The Pit marked the 26th time the elite tour has visited the city and was the last of three majors in the 2024 UTB season where added points and payouts were on the line. The draw featured 40 riders competing in Rounds 1 and 2. Every contestant with a qualified ride in the first two rounds were then eligible to compete in Round 3 on Sunday.

The 2024-2025 AQHA Executive Committee elected during the 2024 AQHA Convention in Las Vegas

The 2024-2025 American Quarter Horse Association Executive Committee was elected at the 2024 AQHA Convention in Las Vegas. Though AQHA operates primarily upon the decisions of its members through the board of directors, the fiveperson Executive Committee is responsible for implementing important decisions and governing AQHA between the annual meetings of the membership and the board. The Executive Committee convenes throughout the year to conduct and manage the business of AQHA.

The AQHA Executive Committee – consisting of a president, first vice president, second vice president and two additional members – is elected each year by the board at the convention. Each member serves a term of one year until the selection of his/her successor. Members are eligible for re-election and may serve on the Executive Committee for up to five years.

President James Hunt

James “Jim” Hunt of Faith, South Dakota, is an AQHA life member and has been an AQHA director since 2013. Hunt has served on the Ranching Council, Stud Book and Registration Committee, Animal Welfare Commission and Hall of Fame Selection Committee. He has also served on the governance and microchipping task forces. Hunt also served as the chairman of the Ranching Committee. He also spearheaded developing the AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder Young Horse Development Program and has personally donated more than 60 foals from his breeding program to this AQHYA program.

Hunt graduated from South Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and worked for Hulett National Bank in Wyoming as a loan officer and then vice president. He competed as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association saddle bronc rider, was the event director in the South Dakota Rodeo and Northwest Ranch Cowboy’s associations and was captain of the South Dakota State University College Rodeo Team. Hunt was also an agricultural reporter for radio station KLSC in Watertown,

South Dakota. Hunt currently owns and operates Open Box Rafter Ranch, a working cattle and horse operation that has produced its own annual Quarter Horse production sale since 1994. He is an AQHA 40-year breeder and has bred more than 1,200 registered American Quarter Horses, including an AQHA Champion, Superior and Performance Register of Merit horses, AQHA World Show and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers. Open Box Rafter Ranch was named the 2019 AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder of the Year.

Hunt earned the 2009 Sunshine Bible Academy Distinguished Alumnus Award, was named the 2011 Black Hills Stockman of the Year and received the 2020 Black Hills Stock Show Pioneer Award.

Hunt, who serves on the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, has also served on the Rushmore Plaza Expansion Project Design Committee, Central States Fair Board of Directors, Black Hills Stock Show Horse Committee, Black Hills Stock Show Foundation Board, Sunshine Bible Academy School Board, SBA Foundation Board, Bethel Free Lutheran Church deacon and South Dakota Quarter Horse Association Board of Directors.

Hunt and his wife, Joni, have seven children, all of whom are involved in the family ranching operation: oldest son J. Tom and wife Sage; daughters Jessica and Jimmie Jean; sons Joshua and Jeb; son Justin and wife Erica; and son Jordan and wife Dr. Grace Hunt; and six grandchildren, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Hannah, Jackson, Elloise and Juniper.

First Vice President Jeff Tebow

Jeff Tebow is an AQHA life member and has served as an AQHA director since 2011. Tebow currently serves on the AQHA Executive Committee and formerly on the Stud Book and Registration, Hall of Fame Selection, and Grievance committees. He has also served on the Racing Committee and Racing Council.

Tebow graduated with a master of business from Oklahoma City University, bachelor of business administration in finance from the University of Central Oklahoma and associate of applied science in business/accounting from Connors State College. He is the managing partner and licensed insurance producer at Andreini and Co. of Oklahoma, chief executive officer of Heritage Place Inc., and auctioneer and real estate agent at Buford Resources Inc. Auction and Reality.

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AQHA Executive Committee

Second Vice President Jim Brinkman

Jim Brinkman is an AQHA life member and has served as an AQHA director since 2011. Brinkman currently serves on the Stud Book and Registration Committee and Ranching Council. He has also served on the Hall of Fame and Best Remuda selection committees, AQHA World Show Sale committee and the parentage verification task force.

Brinkman is a third-generation rancher on the Pitzer Ranch, which was founded in 1946. He runs commercial cattle and is the owner, manager and trainer overseeing the ranch’s American Quarter Horse program. The ranch runs over 500 broodmares and hosts two AQHA horse sales a year, one in the spring and one in the fall, selling about 800 head total.

Brinkman is an AQHA Professional Horseman and showed the first-ever AQHA Superhorse, Vickie Lee Pine, for grandfather and owner Howard Pitzer. Brinkman works to continue the traditions of honesty and integrity that built his family’s operation over 75 years ago.

Brinkman and his wife, Tana, a former Miss Rodeo Nebraska, reside in Ericson, Nebraska. They have two children, daughter Sarah and husband Lane; son Sam and his wife, Kendra; and three grandchildren, Kale, Rio and Brooke.

Member Lori Bucholz

Lori Bucholz of Waterloo, Nebraska, is an AQHA life member and has been an AQHA director since 2008 and was elevated to director-at-large in 2020. Bucholz has served as the chairperson of the International Committee and Animal Welfare Commission. She has served on the American Quarter Horse Foundation Committee and Council, the Nominations and Credentials Committee, the Affiliate Advisory Board and Hall of Fame Selection and Animal Welfare Grievance committees.

Bucholz is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and received her bachelor of science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has shown horses for over fifty years and is an AQHA Amateur Champion, multiple AQHA world champion, year-end high-point winner and AQHA 10-year breeder. Bucholz also currently serves on the Colorado State University Ag Industry Leadership Council, Equine Sciences Advisory Board and the Temple Grandin Equine Center Steering Committee. She is also a member of the Texas A & M Equine Initiative Advisory Committee, National Snaffle Bit Association Board of Directors, the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Advisory Committee, the Omaha Equestrian Foundation Board of Directors, the Nebraska Quarter Horse Association Board of Directors, and is the current president of the Nebraska State Association of Parliamentarians. She also serves on the Carl and Caroline Swanson Foundation Board of Trustees and Plastilite Corporation Board of Directors.

She and her husband, Frederick “Rick” have three children,

Marca Bucholz, Britta Ruoff and husband Chad, and Fredrick “Buck” Bucholz; and five grandchildren, Sophia Bucholz and Cayson, Bristol, Lily and Cooper Ruoff.

When she’s not in the saddle, or spending time with family and their Jack Russell terriers, Bucholz is an active runner who has completed multiple marathons, a certified scuba diver and also enjoys reading, gardening and needlepoint.

Member Ross Roark

AQHA life member Ross Roark of Andrews, Texas, is an AQHA Professional Horseman, specialized halter judge and has been an AQHA director representing Texas since 2010. He was elevated to director-at-large in 2022.

Roark has served on the Animal Welfare Commission, Show Committee and the Stud Book and Registration Committee. He served as the chairman of the Stud Book and Registration Committee from 2020 to 2022. A judging contest horse donor at both the AQHA Youth and World championship shows, Roark was president of the American Junior Quarter Horse Association (now AQHYA) from 1984 to 1985.

A halter trainer and exhibitor, Roark was the first AQHA exhibitor to earn 100 AQHA world championships in his career. He also holds a racing license in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana and California.

A graduate of Texas Tech University, Roark is a rancher and trainer. He is a Texas Caucus Chair and serves on the advisory board for Security Bank in Monahans, Texas. He is married to Sharon Roark.

For more information on the Association, visit www.aqha.com.

NRHA Celebrates First $2 Million Dam

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) proudly announces a historic milestone as Wimpys Little Chic, a revered member of the equine community, becomes the first NRHA $2 Million Dam. This remarkable achievement continues to solidify Wimpys Little Chic’s status as a legendary dam within the reining industry. Through her offspring, ‘Lexi’ has significantly impacted the sport, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of

enthusiasts worldwide.

Wimpys Little Chic, owned by NRHA Hall of Famer Arcese Quarter Horses USA, stands as a paragon of excellence in the realm of reining.

Chester Weber Wins the 2024 USEF Combined Driving National

Championship for Advanced Four-in-Hand Horses

by Leslie Potter/US Equestrian |

Ocala, Fla. – Chester Weber added another title to his long list of accomplishments, taking home his 21st USEF Combined Driving National Championship for Advanced Four-in-Hand Horses this week at Live Oak International.

Weber was the wire-to-wire leader in the class, posting a commanding lead after Thursday’s dressage test where he scored a 39.59. Weber and his team continued their winning ways into Saturday’s marathon phase, posting the best time on all seven of the obstacles. He secured the win on Sunday with the fastest cones round and only six faults, finishing on a score of 167.45.

“The horses were in really good form,” said Weber. “They showed up with a nice, solid dressage test on the first day. For the cross-country, we drove a combination that I thought would be very fast. It was a super challenging course, but the team handled it

very well and took all of the questions and challenges in hand and did a great job with it.”

Weber drove his striking team of bay KWPN geldings: Amadeus, Gouveneur, Julius V, Kadora, and Nico Teusje C. The team is composed of a group of well-established equine athletes and one newcomer to the CAI3* level. At just 6 years old, Nico Teusje C (Cizandro x Adjudante Teusje C) is one to watch.

“He’s sort of just hit the top team this season,” said Weber. “He’s only 6, but he’s done the first two events of the season, and I think he’s going to really prove to be a star—or maybe he is already a star. Six is sort of young for them to be doing the FEI three-star level, and he definitely wasn’t just a member of the team. He was a real asset to all three days.”

Jimmy Fairclough (Newton, N.J.) and his KWPN geldings Bento V, Dapper, Hendrik, Jake, and Lotario I&S earned the reserve champion title in the division, and Paul Maye (Fairfield, Va.) with Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation’s Harmony’s Domonic, Harmony’s Jagwire, Harmony’s Java, Harmony’s Nifty Shades of Grey, and Harmony’s Ziezo finished in third place.

TWO-TIME PRCA SADDLE BRONC HORSE OF THE YEAR SPRING PLANTING PASSES AWAY

Flying 5 Rodeo’s Spring Planting, the 2009 and 2013 PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year, passed away Feb. 23. She was 22.

“She had a big heart, and she knew when it was time to play,” said Chad Hutsell, of Flying 5 Rodeo Company and Big Bend Rodeo Company. “Those kinds of horses know their special and she knew she was special, and the other ones knew she was special.”

Spring Planting, who was buried at Hutsell’s ranch outside of Ritzville, Wash., competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from 2007-2019.

Spring Planting suffered a life-threatening injury on June 29, 2022, on a layover before the Fourth of July run that year. Thanks to a great team of veterinarians, she recovered and was living the spoiled retired life on the family’s ranch.

In 2022, Spring Planting was inducted into the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo Hall of Fame.

“She was very special to us,” Hutsell said. “She was part of the family.”

Back in 2013, when she won her last PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year Award, veteran NFR veteran Isaac Diaz praised the horse.

“Anywhere she’s in the draw, she’s the one you want,” Diaz told the ProRodeo Sports News. “The further she goes, the harder she bucks and the more she will stand guys out of the left stirrup when she comes around to the right. The horse is as honest as they come.”

“You’re very lucky to be in this industry and have a horse like her in your lifetime,” Hutsell said.

SPENCER WRIGHT GETS CONFIDENCE-BOOSTING WIN AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Spencer Wright tried to do some reconnaissance ahead of his ride at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo in Mercedes, Texas.

The Milford, Utah, native knew very little about Macza Pro Rodeo’s Call Me Kindra, and the intel that was coming his way was very limited. In the

last year or so, the horse had transitioned from competing in bareback riding to being a saddle bronc horse. Wright learned that someone had ridden for 86 points on him at one time.

Beyond that, not much else was available.

“I knew that he was a bareback horse, and everybody acted like he was going to be good in the bronc riding,” Wright said. “I didn’t know that much – I just knew that the bareback riders

didn’t get along with him that good. He was kind of strong. But he was a real good horse.”

Ultimately, the match-up worked out in his favor as Wright posted a score of 86.5 points, good enough to edge out Shorty Garrett’s effort of 86 points and win the rodeo’s saddle bronc riding championship.

The victory gave Wright a much-needed $4,016 payday –which at this time of the year is

Spencer Wright

extremely important.

Coming into the rodeo, Wright was sitting 21st in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. The four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier and former world champion will have more than $25,000 in his ledger once the standings reset next week, putting him firmly in the top 25, which is exactly where he wants to be.

“Not only winning money but climbing in the standings and just to get the confidence and kind of slingshot you into the spring and summer runs, to get the ball rolling this early feels really good.” Wright said. “It feels really good and if you can be in the top 25, you’ll get into everything you enter. Then you keep drawing and keep riding good, but there’s nothing better than winning that’s for sure.”

And Rio Grande Valley was certainly a good place to start.

Even with all his success over the years, Wright had limited previous success in Mercedes, Texas.

Now, he can add a win to his list of accomplishments, with hopefully more to come.

“I had done all right there. I won a little bit, and I might have placed there last year, but I’ve never won the rodeo,” Wright said. “Now, we’ve just got to win the rest of them this year.”

Box O

Quarter Horses

2023

Top Money-Earning Ranching Heritage Breeder

The American Quarter Horse Association recognizes Box O Quarter Horses of Gordon, Nebraska, as the 2023 Top Money-Earning Ranching Heritage Breeder of the Year.

AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder Box O Quarter Horses bred earners of $23,603.65 in 2023. In recognition of the achievement, Box O Quarter Horses received a certificate for a custom saddle by Don Rich Saddlery.

Box O Quarter Horses’ leading earner of the year was Boxo Opus Magnum, who earned $11,621.25 in the 2023 AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenges. The 2018 sorrel gelding is by WR This Cats Smart and out of Opus Chic by American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Smart Chic Olena.

The second-place Top Money-Earning Ranching Heritage Breeder was awarded to the horses bred by AQHA Best Remuda Winner R. T. Stuart Ranch LLC of Waurika, Oklahoma, earning $9,538; and third went to horses bred by Rob A. Brown Ranch of Stinnett, Texas, earning $9,006.50. Finishing fourth was Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC of Douglas, Wyoming. Wagonhound’s horses picked up $7,460. Fifth among the leaders was Center Ranch of Centerville, Texas, whose horses earned $7,396.25.

Ranching Heritage-bred horses are versatile, sound and willing American Quarter Horses able to perform well at a variety of tasks. These horses are produced by AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders, which are working cattle ranches that have produced horses for at least a decade for use on the ranch.

The AQHA Ranching Heritage program recognizes these horses

and provides them a showcase with the AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenges, as well as Top Ranching Heritage-Bred Horse recognition at various national events. Anyone can purchase and show an AQHA Ranching Heritage-bred horse.

For more information about the Ranching Heritage program, visit www.aqha.com/ranching.

AQHA news and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more information visit www.aqha.com/news or tune into our Podcast, “Let’s Talk AQHA.”

NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team Earns Podium Finish in $150,000

Wellington, Fla. – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team finished in third place following two rounds of Nations Cup competition at Wellington International in Wellington, Fla. The first of two international team jumping competitions hosted in the U.S. this year, the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team produced a tworound final total of 24 faults. The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland and competed in front of an energetic hometown crowd for the $150,000 Jumping Nations Cup CSIO4* presented by Florida Coast Equipment.

“Overall, today went well for us. We knew going in there would be some teams here with their

bigguns and we stuck to our plan – and ultimately gave solid experience to our up-andcoming combinations. Bisquetta jumped great for Laura in both rounds – it’s great experience for that mare and an upward trajectory with just some finetuning,” explained Ridland. “We had an experienced horse, but with a new rider in McLain, so that’s a very exciting combination for the team and they handled the atmosphere well. You then have Zayna and Karl who are finding their way at this level, and this is why this Nations Cup is so important for our program.

“You don’t get Nations Cup experience without doing it,” continued Ridland. “You can tell yourself how you’re going to handle your nerves and/or the pressure, but you don’t really know how to do that until you go through it. In some moments it can be uncomfortable, but you learn through experience, and that’s what’s going to make our combinations better in the long run. We don’t want to sacrifice the opportunity to give this kind of experience to younger horses and/or younger athletes because it’s a launch point for the rest of the year and you can learn a lot about your horse and yourself in this type of environment.”

Earning her first start for the senior U.S. Jumping Team at just 18, and the youngest competitor in the field, Zayna Rizvi (Wellington, Fla.) rode Exquise du Pachis to an eightfault score. Rizvi was accurate and confident through the first three-quarters of the course, with both faults accumulating in the final line of the course.

Rizvi and Exquise du Pachis, a 2010 Belgian Warmblood mare owned by The Exquisite Group and cared for by Hector Garay, rode a collected and composed second round, navigating through the challenging triple combination and several of the delicate questions.

USEF Equine Disaster

Relief Fund Assists Texas Horses in Wildfires

Lexington, Ky. – As officials continue to assess the destruction and impact brought on by the largest wildfire in the history of Texas, US Equestrian is aiding work being done on the ground to help the ongoing recovery efforts.

The fires, which were in the panhandle of Texas, burned more than one million acres of land and have had a detrimental impact on the local farming and livestock industries, as well as the livelihoods of many Texas citizens.

Through the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund, US Equestrian is providing financial assistance to support the efforts in helping horses impacted by the fires. Texas A&M University’s Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) has been awarded a grant to further support their work in aiding the equestrian community.

“The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) relies on the generosity of individuals and organizations like the United States Equestrian Federation to help fund our deployment missions,” said Dr. Deb Zoran, director of the VET. “Because of this support, we’re able to respond quickly when disasters like Hurricane Harvey or the Smokehouse Creek Fire strike. It’s an honor to serve the animals and people impacted by these devastating events, and the VET is incredibly thankful to be empowered to do so by the generosity of our donors.”

Developed in 2005 during the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund helps ensure horses’ safety and well-being. Since its inception, the fund has received more than $1 million to assist equines of any breed prepare for and/or recover from disasters, which include but are not limited to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, and fires.

“Moments like this are exactly why we created the Disaster Relief Fund. We are happy to be able to award this grant to the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team to further the great work they are doing,” stated US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney. “I am grateful to those who have given to the Disaster Relief Fund in the past, which makes a grant like this possible. The equestrian community is always willing to give back in times of need, and I encourage our community at large to consider donating to the fund today so we can continue to help when disasters arise.”

Money donated to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund is dedicated for the specific purpose of helping in moments of need. Grants are distributed only upon authorization of the US Equestrian Chief Executive Officer.

All-Around added money nears $100,000 for 2024 APHA World Championship Show

All-around added money at the 2024 APHA World Championship Show has swelled to nearly $100,000 this year. The exclusive bonus purses are available in tons of hunter under saddle, Western pleasure, longe line and trail classes at the 2024 World Show.

Challenge, sweepstakes, stakes and Gold Breeders’ Futurity classes are open to Regular Registry and Solid Paint-Bred horses, giving them all a shot at the all-around added money.

The World Show takes place June 21-July 7, 2024, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. No qualifying required!