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APHA salutes Open and Amateur award winners from the 2014 World Show

The 2014 APHA World Championship Show was full of triumphs—veterans and first-time exhibitors alike experienced the thrill of victory at the world’s premier Paint Horse show, which took place November 5-15 in Fort Worth, Texas. Entries were up and the competition was deep, and all exhibitors and owners should be proud of how they fared against the best APHA competition in the world.

A few competitors went above and beyond at the 2014 World Show, and they left with the event’s top awards and an armful of prizes. APHA honors the following all-around and high-point award winners from the 2014 APHA World Championship Show—tune in to the January 2015 Paint Horse Journal for complete coverage from the show.

allaroundhorse-web_phj_8115All-Around Open Horse
Rolex Bar Twister

Returning to the APHA World Championship Show after a stellar performance in 2013, Rolex Bar Twister had no problem defending his All-Around Horse title in 2014.

Paired once again with trainer Jack Wright of Penrose, Colorado, “Buster” easily rose to the top of the standings in roping, cattle and reining events, clinching a world championship in Senior Tie-Down roping and a handful of Top 10 finishes in Senior Reining, Senior Heading, Senior Heeling, Senior Working Cow Horse. The 2005 bay tobiano stallion by A Tru Rolex and out of Odes President Gal was bred and is owned by Ronald and Marie Kettle of Craig, Colorado.

“[Buster] is a really fun horse to train and work with,” Jack said. “He tries his heart out—sometimes a little too hard—so he’s just such a fun horse to ride and show.”

jack-web_dec3548High-Point Exhibitor
Jack Wright

After winning the High-Point Exhibitor award in 2013, Jack Wright of Penrose, Colorado, had his sights set on the honor once more in 2014, but his priorities of having good, solid rides didn’t change.

“My goals are just to do the best job I can and ask that my horses do the best of their ability, which they did,” Jack said.

Four horses helped the Colorado horseman earn the honor: QTS Cajun Cub, Rolex N Starlight, Rolex Bar Twister and Gay Bar Lucky Jac. In total, he earned 224 points across 18 different trips into the arena, including two world championships and three reserve championships.

Read more about High-Point Exhibitor Jack Wright.

garbarluckyjac_dec3615-watermark-(1)High-Point Western Horse
Oscar Crigler Cattle Award
Gay Bar Lucky Jac

For some horses, the transition from Junior to Senior classes can be a bit of a challenge, especially when it comes to the high stakes of the APHA World Championship Show. Gay Bar Lucky Jac, however, took the new challenges in stride with trainer Jack Wright.

“Spike,” a 2008 bay tobiano stallion by Sugs Tru Luck and out of Gay Melody, took everything in stride, picking up a world championship in Senior Steer Stopping and two reserve world championships in Senior Heeling and Senior Tie-Down Roping. The stallion is owned by Jarvis and Christina Abbey of Wind River Performance Horses in Parachute, Colorado.

“Our run in the steer stopping was great,” Jack said. “He scored well, blew to the cow, gave me a great shot and just drug his hind; I couldn’t have asked him to work any better.”

Read more about High-Point Western Horse and Oscar Crigler Cattle Award winner Gay Bar Lucky Jac.

allrise_dec5199-wwatermarkHigh-Point English Horse
All Rise

It’s never too late to try something new, and for All Rise, the 2014 APHA World Championship Show was the perfect place to put his new-found skills to the test.

A veteran world champion in hunter under saddle—he won his third consecutive title in Junior Hunter Under Saddle and his second championship in Classic Amateur Junior Hunter Under Saddle at this year’s show—the 2009 brown overo gelding broke out of his comfort zone to try his hand at hunter hack, pleasure driving, equitation and showmanship. A world championship in Junior Hunter Hack helped propel the gelding to the High-Point English Horse title. Sired by All Time Fancy and out of In Good Company, “Spyder” is owned by Jennifer Schexnayder of New Roads, Louisiana.

“We were really surprised,” Jennifer said. “We never thought that winning the hunter under saddle and the hack would put us on top.”

Read more about High-Point English Horse All Rise.

mjwatchyersix-hdg2_939-2793released_browneSuper Gelding
MJ Watch Yer Six

When owner Larry Browne decided to send his horse MJ Watch Yer Six to the 2014 APHA World Championship Show, he had no idea the gelding would end up being named Super Gelding after accumulating 78 points, including two world championships and one reserve world championship.

“Squirt,” purchased just last year from breeder Mark Johnson, topped Junior Tie-Down Roping and Junior Heading at the show with rider and trainer AJ Garcia. They also placed second in Junior Steer Stopping and third in Junior Heeling. Sired by Six Ninety Five, Squirt is out of Countess To Seven (QH).

“I’m just completely shocked and amazed at how good AJ did,” Larry said. “I credit all the success to him.”

Read more about Super Gelding MJ Watch Yer Six.

ashley_dec3443All-Around Classic Amateur
Ashley Wildes and Heza Texas Hobo

Uprooted from California to Arkansas only a few months ago, Ashley Wildes found herself in a new city and a new school. Though that kind of tumultuous change can be tough, Ashley found solace in her four-footed best friend, Heza Texas Hobo, a 2001 sorrel tobiano gelding by HF Skip The Rest and out of Dinah Dee Dude (QH).
“We moved about two months ago. I switched schools, switched where we lived and moved away from all of my friends. I had a lot of time to ride ‘Hobie’ because he was kind of my only friend in Arkansas when we first moved there,” the Fayetteville, Arkansas, equestrienne said.

Ashley came into the World Show just hoping for a single world title, but by the end of the Amateur week, however, she and Hobie had accumulated three: world championships in Amateur Hunter Hack, Amateur Hunt-Seat Equitation Over Fences and Classic Amateur Hunt-Seat Equitation, along with a reserve world championship in Amateur Working Hunter. Earning 126 points in six classes, Ashley and Hobie clinched their second-consecutive All-Around Classic Amateur title.

 

coleen-web_dec2095All-Around Masters Amateur
Coleen Bull and Timeless Assets

On her way to her fourth consecutive All-Around Masters Amateur title, Coleen Bull decided to try something new with longtime partner Timeless Assets: driving.

A the World Show, Tucson showed off his new skills by winning the Amateur Pleasure Driving, but he also proved he hasn’t lost his touch in other classes—he won the Masters Amateur Senior Hunter Under Saddle, a class Coleen says was the first they really clicked in, and he was reserve in the Masters Amateur Showmanship. Tucson, a 2005 bay overo gelding, is by Frozen Assets and out of This Times Divine.

noviceweb_dec1874All-Around Novice Amateur
Emma Stubblefield and Too Hot To
Had Emma Stubblefield won the Novice Amateur Western Horsemanship at her first visit to the APHA World Championship Show and left otherwise empty-handed, she would have been ecstatic.

Teaming up with Too Hot To, a 2003 sorrel overo gelding by Blazing Hot (QH) and out of Touch Of Charm, Emma laid down smoking patterns to capture world championships in both horsemanship and equitation. To top off her whirlwind show, “Hank” also carried Emma to the reserve world championship in Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle, third in Novice Amateur Trail, fourth in Novice Amateur Western Riding and seventh in Novice Amateur Western Pleasure to secure the lead for the All-Around Novice Amateur title.

“I am just over the moon,” Emma said.

Read more about All-Around Novice Amateur Emma Stubblefield.
Miss the Action?
If you missed the 2014 APHA World Championship Show or want to relive some of its most memorable moments, APHA has you covered. They’ve got a ton of online stories, video blogs, photos, results and more available at oawcs.apha.com. Click on “News” and then “2014”—each day features a video blog with news from around the show, major story highlights, world champions’ “Winning Words” interviews and daily winners.Captured on camera? Candids from the APHA World Show can be viewed or purchased at painthorsejournal.smugmug.com.

Catch more great stories from the World Show in the January 2015 Paint Horse Journal. Subscribe or renew today at phj.apha.com or by calling (817) 222-6423.

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[Reprinting all or part of this news release is permitted, so long as credit is given to the Paint Horse Journal and a link provided back to apha.com.]

 

About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded. APHA creates and maintains programs that increase the value of American Paint Horses and enriches members’ experiences with their horses.

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