Amanda Harris
Reining
Chexouthisreminic took Amanda Harris on her first trip to the finals at the AQHYA Association World Show. But the gelding didn’t stop there. Making it to the final go-round at the World Show for the first time is nice enough, but Chexouthisreminic went all the way and carried his rider to the No. 1 spot.
After wowing the crowd with their fast circles and spins, Harris and Chexouthisreminic (Von Reminic x Miss Celebrity Chex x Peewee Chex) were the last pair left standing in the World Show arena. Their winning score, 218, was announced, and the pair received the coveted first-place trophy and neck wreath.
The gracious 16-year-old wiped tears from her eyes as she rode her bay gelding to the center of the arena to receive her award.
“It meant everything,” Harris said of her win. “We’ve worked all so hard. We’ve trained so hard. I think anyone even coming here can understand the fact that just the working hard, and getting into it, and making it back to finals is worth everything.”
Harris, from Syracuse, Utah, purchased Chexouthisreminic from Dr. Jim Morgan, Pilot Point, Texas, about two years ago. Morgan had success with the horse before selling him to Harris, showing him to more than $60,000 in Equi-Stat earnings and winning the 2008 National Breeders Reining Classic Prime Time Non-Pro Championship.
Harris, who trains with Mack Weaver, Morgan, Utah, qualified for the 2009 AQHYA World Show with the gelding, but didn’t make it past the preliminary go-round. She was the 2009 NRHA Mountain U.S. Regional Affiliate Youth 14-18 Champion and won third in the Youth 14-18 at the 2009 Adequan/NRHA North American Affiliate Championship.
With a score of 217.5, just half a point shy of the winning score, Jordan Willette and Whizin In The Dirt won the Reserve Championship. Willette, Prescott, Ariz., owns the sorrel gelding (Topsail Whiz x Shining Starlett x Shining Spark), who was bred by Clinton Anderson, Stephenville, Texas. The same score, 217.5, also earned Willette the Reserve Championship at the 2009 Adequan/NRHA North American Affiliate Championship, although that time around she was able to best Harris and Chexouthisreminic.
Cutting
Kelsey Karanges and Rosewoods Choice
Heading into the finals on Saturday, August 7, Karanges said she hoped to have another clean run like the in the prelims. The youth’s mother, Gayle, rode herd help for her daughter, who faced some challenging cattle.
“They were tough today,” Karanges said of the cows. “Everyone had a pretty good run. It was tough to get them separated.”
Not too tough for Rosewoods Choice (SR Instant Choice x Decidedlys Rosewood x Zack T Wood), who Karanges has been riding for about 6 months. The pair cut to a 217.5 to win the finals at the Youth World Show.
“My first cow, and my second cow, we were both trying to find a certain cow in the herd, but it wouldn’t ever come,” Karanges said. “So I ended up just cutting a different cow both times. My third cow, I only had 20 seconds, so I cut what was left and tried to make it work.
“I felt pretty good. I was happy with my horse.”
Karanges bought the horse from Robert Graves, Hilton Head, S.C. The gelding was originally trained by Phil Rapp, and now Karanges’ mother helps her with the horse.
Placing a close second and earning the Reserve Championship was Lauren Kleck, Sallisaw, Okla., who rode Lucky Nurse (Kit Dual x Loverboys Nurse x Freckles Loverboy) to a score of 216. Kleck and her sorrel gelding were also awarded the 2009 AQHA Youth High Point Cutting award at the event.
Working Cow Horse
Samantha Bayer and Nic It Good
Bayer, who is from Eagle Point, Ore., came to the Youth World Show with lots of show experience under her belt – she competes regularly in showmanship, horsemanship, trail, Western riding, reining and working cow horse. However, her horse, Nic It Good (Nic It In The Bud x Miss Q Tee Chex x Colonel Freckles), was a bit of a newcomer world show scene.
“He’s definitely really green, and he’s never been in any type of arena like that,” Bayer said. “So, he was looking around, so it was difficult. It was tough getting through the dry, but he made it through.”
When it came to the fence work, however, Bayer was ready to take Nic It Good, who she calls “Hootie,” to town.
“I was really nervous, but Hootie’s really cowy. So I just trusted him and we got it done,” she said.
The pair definitely got it done; they had an amazing first turn and went immediately into their second turn. They scored a 214.5 in the reining pattern and a 220.5 in the fence work, for a winning score of 435.
Bayer rides with trainer Trent Peterson. Chestnut gelding Nic It Good was born and raised at Bayer’s home.
Riding from the second draw and finishing second behind Bayer and Nit It Good were Chase Trahern, Walsh, Colo., and his bay gelding MH Bold Intentions. A 214 in the reining pattern and a 216 in the cow work resulted in a work total of 430 and earned the duo the Reserve Championship.
Ranch Sorting
Jennifer Vesbach and Corey Free
Corey Free, Port Allen, La., and Jennifer Vesbach, Platteville, Wis., won the 2010 American Quarter Horse Youth Association Ranch Sorting World Championship.
Free was aboard 12-year-old gelding Ole Colonel Jackie (Chicks The Man x Freckles And Diamonds x Colonel Taylor), owned by his mother Renee, while Vesback rode her 8-year-old mare Princess Doc April (Cutters Leo Lena x Princess Doc Josie x Jae Bar Prince).
The pair has a strong first round, winning the prelims by sorting seven cows in 59.509 seconds. They were both calm and confident coming into the finals. Free and Vesbach sorted from draw 14 out of 15, so they knew what they needed to make to stay on top. After cleanly sorting two cows in just over 33 seconds, the couple let the clock run out on the rest of their run. Their winning two-round total was nine cows in 92.526 seconds.
Although Free and Vesbach work like a well-oiled machine, the pair manages a long-distance riding relationship, making their win even more impressive.
“We only get to ride together like twice a year,” Free said. “We don’t get to practice together much at all.”
The last duo to ride in the finals after Free and Vesbach were Margaret Claire Chase, Battle Lake, Minn., and Jessica Stelter, Detroit Lakes, Minn. The girls tried their hardest to catch up with the first-place pair, winning the Reserve Championship with eight cows sorted in 102.023 seconds.
|
Subscribe to Quarter Horse News. 
Subscribe to Quarter Horse News Today!