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Stephanie Najar takes her shot at glory – 2022 Halter Million

Stephanie Najar loves taking a hands-on approach to her horses’ care. Though she does occasionally get help from professionals, the horsewoman from Acton, California, is mostly a do-it-herself owner/breeder/exhibitor. She made her APHA World Championship Show debut this year with Sun Of The Yellow One, her homebred 2019 sorrel overo gelding by Mr Sunday Kid and out of Maiden Yella (QH).
The former high-school principal retired in June, and after seeing what “Punky” was capable of on the local stage, she decided give him a shot at the World Show, too. For that, she enlisted the help of Ted Turner Jr., a trainer she’s long admired in the halter world.
“This horse has done well at every show, and I felt that he earned the privilege of going to the big show to see how he does against the others in his age group. I saved up and gave him to Ted a few months ahead of the show to ensure the best possible outcome for the horse,” she said. “I have read Ted’s book and I own his videos. I have created a program similar to his in its consistency, and I hope to be able to replicate success in the future.”
Grateful for the experience to compete at the World Show, Stephanie and Punky are leaving Fort Worth with some prizes, too. They were Top Five in Amateur 3-Year-Old geldings.
“I raised this gelding and trained him myself. He loves to show and loves all the attention,” she said. “After this show he will be trained to ride and continue showing in other disciplines in APHA.”

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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 in 1962. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.

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