More than $26,000 was on the line for some of the industry’s best young hunter under saddle performers at the APHA World Championship Show, thanks to the Farnam Pleasure Stakes program. The first two events in the 2015 Farnam Pleasure Stakes lineup took place November 4 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Farnam 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes
The 2105 Farnam 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes championship stayed in the family November 5, thanks to a stellar performance by Shez Always Fancy and Katy Jo Zuidema. The 2013 chestnut overo mare followed in her big sister’s footsteps, capturing a second-consecutive title in the premier stakes class for owner James Jorgenson of Thornton, Iowa, at the 2015 APHA World Championship Show.
Owned and bred by James, Shez Always Fancy is a full sister to last year’s Farnam 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Stakes winner, All Ways A Diva. Both mares are by All Time Fancy and out of Future Diva. The mares were trained by Scott Suggs and shown by Katy Jo, who flew in from Florida just hours before the class to step into Shez Always Fancy’s irons.
“My son is in Little League football; Saturday is his second playoff game, and if they win on Saturday, then they go to the Pee Wee Super Bowl. I stayed and went to practice with him all week, and I flew in today at the crack of dawn—I think I left my house at 3 o’clock this morning,” Katy Jo said. “I rode her twice and then showed her. Scott had her ready.”
The limited practice didn’t seem to hurt, and Katy piloted the mare around the pen with little problem.
“She got a little looky, but she got better as she went. She wasn’t perfect today, but it was still OK,” the horsewoman said. “She’s pretty special: she’s beautiful, big, pretty and soft. I think she’s truly outstanding in her field.”
Named the unanimous sweepstakes champion, Shez Always Fancy earned more than $8,800 for her win, along with tons of great prizes.
“The Farnam is the best program going across all three breeds. I really appreciate the family and the business for sponsoring it every year,” Katy Jo said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you to Farnam.”
Other top placings in the class included:
2nd Painted By Ranger, exhibited by Shannon Gillespie—$6,608
3rd Its Swing Time, exhibited by Alyse Roberts—$4,406
4th Gift Time, exhibited by Amanda Reed-Hollinger—$2,203
5th IB Only Yours, exhibited by Courtney Menke
Farnam Non-Pro 3- & 4-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes
When Angela Loeffler and Cool Sophistication were announced as the winners of the Farnam Non-Pro 3- and 4-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes, no one might have been more excited than the horsewoman from Buchanan, Michigan.
“I had a pretty rough warm-up, so I was pretty surprised,” Angela said. “I’m happy he was so well behaved. I feel like that’s usually how it goes for me. If I have a bad warm-up, he ends up performing really well. I’m just really happy with him.”
Purchased for $5,000 by Angela in the 2013 Farnam Breeders’ Trust Select Sale, Cool Sophistication wasn’t shown in last year’s Farnam Pleasure Stakes 2-year-old events. But thanks to the program’s expanded offerings for 3- and 4-year-old horses, the 2012 chestnut overo gelding had a place to shine at this year’s World Show.
“I have a 3-year-old son so I haven’t had a whole lot of time to prepare, but we show at Michigan shows and this has just been my goal from the start,” Angela said. “It feels good to accomplish it, I’m very, very happy.”
For the win, Angela takes home more than $2,500 and other great prizes. Cool Sophistication is by Sophistication Only (QH) and out of Ms Four CC Cover Girl. Bred by Laura Bracken of Trafalger, Indiana, the gelding is trained by Cindy Meyer.
Other placings include:
2nd Talk About Lazy, exhibited by Rebecca Figueroa—$1,724
3rd All Ways A Diva exhibited by Megan Jorgensen
Special thanks to Farnam Horse Care Products for their support of this outstanding program. Watch apha.com/oawcs for news about the Western pleasure portion of the Farnam Pleasure Stakes, too.
*Results and payouts are unofficial
##
[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.