PREMIER - May 2024

DEBUTING AT THE PREMIER IN THE MAIDEN...

HUNT N HOTTIES

THE PREMIER 3&OVER MAIDEN HUNTER UNDER SADDLE WITH JENNIFER REAMS

NON-PRO HUNTER UNDER SADDLE WITH LISA HOFFMAN

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RES CONGRESS CHAMPION 12-14 WESTERN PLEASURE

INSTANTLY VIRAL

THE PREMIER 4YO NON-PRO, 4YO OPEN & 14-18 WESTERN PLEASURE WITH CHEYENNE REAMS

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VIRGINIA MAIDEN RES CHAMPION NON-PRO 3YO WESTERN PLEASURE

MADE XTRA LAZY

THE PREMIER 3YO LIMITED HORSE LIMITED RIDER WESTERN PLEASURE WITH JENNIFER REAMS

NON-PRO 3YO WESTERN PLEASURE WITH SUZANNE LOUGEE

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DEBUTING AT THE PREMIER IN THE MAIDEN...

GRACEFULLY MADE

THE PREMIER 3&OVER MAIDEN WESTERN PLEASURE WITH ADAM MATHIS

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OWNED BY SUSAN HARRILL

I GOTTA CODE

THE PREMIER 3&OVER NOVICE HORSE HUNTER UNDER SADDLE WITH JENNIFER REAMS

NON-PRO 3YO HUNTER UNDER SADDLE WITH SARAH HOOKS

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VIRGINIA MAIDEN RES CHAMPION LIMITED 3 & OVER MAIDEN HUNTER UNDER SADDLE

IN THE HUNT—

Morgan Miller-Wakeling’s

HUNTER UNDER SADDLE HORSES GEAR UP FOR 2024

With the 2024 show season in full swing, Morgan Miller-Wakeling is eager to see her hunter under saddle horses hit the show pen.

Morgan’s journey in horses began in a way familiar to many of us. Her mother had always been a horse crazy kid. At five years old, she and her mother began taking lessons together at a hunter barn. “We lived in Oregon at the time, and she talked my dad into getting us lessons together,” Morgan says. It wasn’t long until young Morgan had her first pony. Eventually she and her family ventured into the stock horse world and began showing Appaloosas.

Today, Morgan and her parents still enjoy the horses together. Her parents own several of her retired show horses and they attend many shows—always eager to cheer on their daughter. Her husband Mike and stepdaughter also enjoy attending the shows, giving the horses treats, and encouraging Morgan.

With her hunter roots, it’s no surprise that she is still a strong supporter of the hunter events. Hows That For Ya, or Howdy, not only introduced Morgan to Quarter Horses, but also earned several major titles, including multiple world titles in the hunter events.

Morgan’s three-year-old gelding Al Be Good For Ya or Oliver will debut at The Premier In Three-Year-Old Maiden Hunter Under Saddle with Beth Case. The gelding is by Allocate Your Assets and out of a Good I Will Be mare. “We’re all very excited about him,” says Morgan.

The wait to watch him hit the show pen has been a long time coming since she purchased him at 16-hours-old from breeder Anthony Leier. “Anthony posted

video of him loping around at just over a day old. He sat back and loped off and I knew he was going to be special.”

“Plus,” says Morgan,” He’s bred so well, I just really loved the combination.” She laughs, “I have a good number of horses, but when I saw him, I knew I really needed him.”

From the beginning, she and breeder Anthony Leier knew that the young horse had talent. She says, “Early on, you could just tell it was natural for him. We knew he’d be really good at this.” As owners and breeders, it’s always fulfilling when, after years of waiting, horses begin to fulfill those first glimmers of greatness.

Anthony agrees that he knew Oliver was special in those first few days. “He was special from the day he was born,” he shares. “I breed 30-50 babies a year. Very rarely does one come out and the next morning, it can lope around like Oliver did. He loped like he was going down the pleasure rail. I took a video and posted it and Morgan reached out letting me know she had to have him.”

As breeders know, it’s a long way from the breeding barn to the show pen. So, to see one make it and remain true to those early, promising days brings a special kind of satisfaction.

“The hunt seaters are so growthy,” Anthony says. “You never know when any two or three-year-old will make it.”

Both Anthony and Morgan are thrilled with the start that Empyre Show Horses have put on Oliver and are eager to see him enter the arena with industry great Beth Case.

“It’s wonderful that he’s in in Beth’s hands to begin showing,” says Anthony. “It will be great to watch him develop and see how he comes along as a rider. The whole thing is so exciting as a breeder. My breeding program isn’t that old. Watching them get into good programs, with good owners and trainers and start to hit the show pen is the best part of it.”

Even though she owns and competes with multiple horses, Morgan shares that Oliver will be her primary focus in the coming year. She’s eager for him to make his show ring debut in The Premier Maiden Hunter Under Saddle. Following that, she plans to begin showing him in the non-pro threeyear-old hunter under saddle events.

Morgan has worked with Troy Lehn and Brad Ost at Empyre Show Horses for a number of years. She shares that they are responsible for giving Oliver a solid foundation. “He’s done most of his training with Troy at Empyre,” she says. “We wanted to set him up with a lot of success. Brad has a great relationship with Beth, and she rode him in Arizona and got along really well with him. From Arizona, we sent him home with Beth. Brad and Troy have put such a fantastic base on him and did so much of the work to get him ready. We’re all just excited to see where his journey takes us.”

With his talent and personality, it’s no surprise that the young gelding is a barn and family favorite. “Everyone in the family tries to claim him,” says Morgan. “He has no shortage of

personality. He loves to be in your pocket. He’s really goofy—he’s just a good old gelding with a lot of personality.” She adds, “We all have our horses that are our favorites. Everyone is fighting over who Oliver’s person is.”

The journey that Morgan has embarked on with Oliver is one of her favorite parts of the industry. “I really love watching them grow up—start to finish,” she says. “Seeing one I’ve bought so young progress and move through every stage is very rewarding.” She also says that she particularly enjoys showing the young horses. “I enjoy the futurities, they’re a lot of fun for me.”

She also enjoys witnessing and being part of the horse’s journey. “I remember being there the first week he got saddled. It’s so cool to see them grow up so much from that point.”

Following Al Be Good For Ya’s debut at The Premier, the team plans to show him at the major fall events including the NSBA World Show, and All-American Quarter Horse Congress where he will compete in the three-year-old novice horse events and the three-yearold non-pro hunter under saddle events.

The horse that started it all for Morgan in the quarter horse industry—Hows That For Ya or Howdy shows under the guidance of Two Fox Farm with Tyler Haney and Robert Stucky. He’s special to Morgan, not just for his accomplishments, but also for kickstarting her successful venture into the industry after transitioning from showing Appaloosas for many years. “I bought Howdy from Katy Jo Zuidema at the end of the 2020 World Show. He had to learned to jump and really excelled at it,” she says.

With Morgan as owner and Ryler and Robert of Two Fox Farm in the irons, the gelding took home a Reserve World Championship in Level 3 Senior Hunter Hack, a Reserve Championship in Level 3 Progressive Working

Hunter, and was Champion in Level 2 Senior Hunter Hack. Morgan won the Level 2 Amateur Hunter Under Saddle.

This year, Robert will be showing Hows That For Ya in the over fence events. Morgan shares that jumping has been a good change for the gelding. “He had a great world show in both the fences and the hunter under saddle. I think the jumping has made him appreciate his hunter under saddle job. We wanted to get him out of his head a little bit, and we’ve definitely done that. Now I think he enjoys the hunter under saddle classes a bit more,” she shares.

“He’s taught me a lot,” she says. “I did the hunter under saddle on other circuits, but it’s always different to go somewhere else and start learning. Howdy has done a great job of teaching me a lot in the hunter under saddle pen.”

Looking ahead, Hows That For Ya will also show at The Premier and will go to the NSBA World Show. “A lot of the year we focus on his jumping,” says Morgan. He will do the Senior Hunter Hack and Working Hunter as well as the hunter derbies. “I love watching him do those,” she says. Later in the year, he will come to Ocala for The Championship Show and will finish up the year at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress and the AQHA World Show.

In reflecting on their journey with Morgan and Hows That For Ya, Tyler and Robert feel grateful for the opportunity to work with a talented horse and a supportive owner. “Robert and I are so lucky to have Morgan and Howdy in our program. He’s been a total blessing and made a lot of dreams come true for all of us,” says Tyler.

Article Written by: Elizabeth Arnold

more than a horse show:

beauty, bourbon and by-gone times

Hall of Champions

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 0 miles

The Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park was started in 1979 when eight-time Eclipse Award champion and threetime Horse of the Year champion arrived at the Park to live out his retirement. Over the past 42 years, the Hall of Champions has housed legends like John Henry, Cigar and Alysheba. Today the Hall of Champions is home to an elite group of champion horses including Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, World Champion racing American Quarter Horse Be A Bono, two-time Standardbred Trotter of the Year Mr Muscleman and Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Point Given. Twice a day from April through November the horses are paraded around the paddock to be admired and appreciated by visitors. www.kyhorsepark.com

International Museum of the Horse

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 0 miles

The International Museum of the Horse is the largest museum in the world dedicated to the history of the horse and their relationship with humans. Current popular exhibits include Affirmed: The Making of a Champion which is dedicated to the 1978 Triple Crown winner, Buffalo Soldiers which traces the history of the African American cavalry units created in 1866 to help support westward expansion, and Legacy of the Horse, a chronology of the horse throughout five million years of history.

www.imh.org

Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm Tours

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 5 miles

Get picked up right at the Embassy Suites, the host hotel for The Premier, and embark on a 3 hour guided tour that will take you behind the scenes to explore beautiful thoroughbred farms and visit up close and personal with the horses. They also offer a tour of Goldphin Farm, where you’ll see Kentucky Derby winners Street Sense, Animal Kingdom and Nyquist. If Coolmoor Farms reopens to visitors prior to June, be sure and schedule a tour to visit the home of Triple Crown and Breeder’s Cup Classic winner American Pharoah and Triple Crown winner Justify.

www.seethechampions.com

The song “Happy Birthday to You” was the creation of two Louisville sisters in 1893 [ ]

Old Friends Farm

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 7 miles

A self-proclaimed “living-history museum of horse racing,” the 236 acre farm is home to a herd of over 200 rescued and retired horses including Breeders’ Cup Champions Amazombie, Little Mike and Alphabet Soup, Belmont Stakes winners Sarava and Touch Gold, three-time Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude and Kentucky Derby and Preakness champion Silver Charm. Old Friends which was awarded with a Special Eclipse award in 2014 honoring extraordinary service in the sport of Thoroughbred racing is open for tours.

www.oldfriendsequine.org

Mary Todd Lincoln House

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 8.5 miles

The Mary Todd Lincoln House was the family home of the wife of 16th president Abraham Lincoln. Her childhood home is open for selfguided tours with staff available to answer questions.

www.mtlhouse.org

Keeneland

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 13 miles

Founded in 1936, Keeneland is an internationally renowned racecourse and the Thoroughbred industry’s leading auction house. Visitors are welcome to visit the grounds, watch the horses in their morning workouts or schedule a formal tour of this national historic landmark.

www.keeneland.com

Aviation Museum of Kentucky

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 13 miles

Located at the Blue Grass Airport, the Aviation Museum features historic airplanes, aviation artifacts and equipment, simulators and interactive displays.

www.aviationky.wixsite.com

Canoe Kentucky

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 23 miles

Rent a canoe or kayak and explore the scenic and adventurous Elkhorn Creek or the historic and tame Kentucky River. Elkhorn Creek has it all: whitewater, easy moving rapids, great fishing, remote picnic spots and clear swimming holes. It is considered one of the most popular paddling streams in the state. The Kentucky River is a great option during the summer when the water levels in the Elkhorn are low and is also a great choice for beginners and less confident paddlers.

www.canoeky.com

the bluegrass state

Bluegrass is not really blue–its green–but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass. {

Bluegrass Scenic Railroad and Museum

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 24 miles

Twice daily on Saturday and Sunday, visitors can take a 90 minute train ride through the Kentucky countryside. The train makes a short stop for photos on Young’s High Bridge which was built in 1989 and spans the Kentucky River, then returns to the museum where vintage railroad equipment and memorabilia are on display.

www.bluegrassrailroad.com

Raven Run Nature Sanctuary

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 28 miles

Raven Run is a 734 acre nature sanctuary dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the Kentucky River Palisades and early Kentucky history. With over 10 miles of trails to explore, hikers will encounter 19th century remnants of early settlers and enjoy the beauty of over 800 species of flora and fauna. The nature center showcases unique displays and a variety of handson exhibits.

www.ravenrunsanctuary.com

Ark Encounter

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 37 miles

With a commitment to historical accuracy and artistic excellence, Ark Encounter is a life-size reconstruction of Noah’s Ark. Visitors will be able to explore three decks of world class exhibits learning how Noah might have cared for all of the animals as well as what life might have been like for Noah and his family living aboard the ark. A virtual reality experience will take viewers back to the time of Noah and allow them to experience the building of ark and the flood. Screaming Eagle at the Ark Encounter is an outdoor adventure course featuring zip lining, an aerial challenge and bungee jumping. also features a zoo and zippiness. Kids will also enjoy panning for fossils and visiting the animals at the Ararat Ridge Zoo. www.arkencounter.com

Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 74 miles

Visit the Red River Gorge and take a hike up to the Natural Bridge, a sandstone rock bridge that is 65 feet in height and spans 78 feet in length. You can also hop on a boat, kayak or paddle board and experience the gorge underground in a historic mine. Those who prefer to stay above ground can take a biplane canopy tour over the gorge.

www.redrivergorge.com

SPIRITS CUISINE & sweet treats

Bluegrass Distillers

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 8 miles

Participate in a quick 15 minute tasting of Bluegrass Distillers small-batch craft bourbon or take part in a tour of their production area. Bourbon enthusiasts may prefer a private tour with a detailed tasting session and ends with guests getting to label their own bottle and enjoying a special signature cocktail. www.bluegrassdistillers.com

Stella’s Kentucky Deli

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 8 miles

Enjoy a home-cooked meal at Stella’s historic downtown location. Their menu focuses on simple, high quality foods that emphasize the superior flavors and textures of fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. www.stellaskentuckydeli.com

Corto Lima

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 9 miles

Corto Lima is a mid-scale Latin inspired restaurant specializing in a new brand of Latin cuisine with a modern interpretation. Their menu, which introduces diners to the cuisine of Mexico, The Caribbean, Central and South American and the American Southwest, focuses on affordability, quality ingredients and creativity. www.cortolima.com

Lockbox

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 9 miles

Located in the 21c Museum Hotel, the culinary team at Lockbox uses thoughtful yet simple preparations and cooking techniques in a contemporary setting. The local, high-quality ingredients from around the Bluegrass region shin in seasonal dishes. www.lockboxlex.com

Coles 735 Main

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 10 miles

Coles prides themselves on bringing the art of dinning to every experience. The use only the best seasonal ingredients available, sourced from local farms and trusted purveyors. Their menu goes beyond the plate, with handcrafted cocktails featuring unique, house-made ingredients, hundreds of bourbons available for tasting, and an award-winning carefully curated wine program. www.coles735main.com

The Beer Trappe

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 10 miles

The Beer Trappe is a friendly neighborhood bar that offers one of the most diverse selections of beer in the country. Their bar features eight rotating taps of rare craft beer as well as a selection of over 500 speciality from around the world.

www.thebeertrappe.com

Crank & Boom Ice Cream

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 14 miles

Described by Travel & Leisure as “the best ice cream in Kentucky,” Crank & Boom uses local, all-natural ingredients to create melt-in-your-mouth flavor combinations like Bourbon & Honey, Kentucky Blackberry & Buttermilk, Blueberry Lime Cheesecake and Dark Chocolate Truffle. Their signature ice cream cocktails have been featured in Food & Wine, the New York Times, the Washington Post and Taste of the South.

www.crankandboom.com

Malone’s

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 14 miles

Named one of the Great Steak Houses of North America, Malone’s is a premier prime beef steakhouse. In addition to offering a wide selection of fresh, hand cut USDA prime steaks, Malone’s diverse menu offers something for everyone including seasonal chef features. www.bluegrasshospitality.com/malones

El Rancho Tapatio

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 16 miles

Winner of 2020 Lexington Herald-Leader Reader’s Choice award for Best Mexican Restaurant, El Rancho Tapatio’s authentic food is described as “not your everyday Mexican cuisine.”

www.elranchotapatio.com

Woodford Reserve

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 26 miles

The art of making fine bourbon first took place on the site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, in 1812. Book a guided tasting to sample Woodford’s full Family of Brands. After the tasting make a stop in the gift shop to purchase a bottle of your favorite Woodford whiskey. www.woodfordreserve.com

Wild Turkey Distillery

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 30 miles

For over 75 years, Wild Turkey has made their whiskey the right way on top of Wild Turkey Hill. Their visitor’s center has won numerous architectural awards even being selected to represent “the best in American architecture” by Architect Magazine. “Angel’s Room,” where visitors can enjoy bourbon tastings following their tour, offers an unparalleled view of the Kentucky River. As visitors prepare to leave they can make a stop in the gift shop to purchase anything from limited edition products to some of the company’s highest-end bourbons. www.wildturkeybourbon.com

Old Kentucky Chocolates

Distance from Kentucky Horse Park: 14 miles

Old Kentucky Chocolates began making bourbon chocolate in Lexington in 1964. Since then they have continued to make chocolates that amaze with fresh ingredients and exquisite flavor. www.oldkycandy.com

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