By Allison Armstrong Rehnborg
Horse show exhibitors came from all over the South to strut their stuff in the Tennessee Quarter Horse Association’s final show for 2013 points at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, September 13-15. With the end of the show year looming, competitors were eager for the chance to exhibit in front of four judges. Judges included Gigi Bailey, Wisconsin; John Boxwell, Illinois; Mike Hay, North Carolina; and Jackie Krshka, Oklahoma. The event drew approximately 600 entries per judge for a total of 2,400 entries, thanks to a healthy show bill of more than a hundred classes.
According to Show Manager Christine Henry, the show was staffed almost entirely by TQHA members, from the grounds crew to the show announcer, and several members of the TQHA show committee set foot in the show pen over the weekend.
“One of the big things that draws me to TQHA in particular is that it’s such a family-friendly environment,” said Henry, who got her start in the TQHA show circuit by working gates and ring-stewarding in 2009. “Everyone’s willing to help. If we need something, someone volunteers their equipment. Everyone seems to know everyone else, and new and old faces get to know each other really well.”
The show started on Friday afternoon with trail classes on a course designed by Don Lehman, while Saturday consisted of halter, showmanship, and Western disciplines. On Sunday, the morning included five hours of over fences classes, including more than 80 trips over the Jumps by Fuzzy course. Sponsors for the fences classes included Missy Jo Hollingsworth Performance Horses, Natchez Bend and Trish Franks, SEC Creative, Mundy Quarter Horses, the Haw Family, Anne Brzezicki, HartBrook Farm, Jerry Allen, and Christine Henry. The afternoon finished up with hunter under saddle and equitation on the flat. The show staff worked hard throughout the weekend to keep the classes tight and on schedule.
“We were trying to keep the show as efficient as possible, but also wanted to make sure to give recognition to all the exhibitors,” Henry said. “They come to show their horses and be recognized for their achievement, so we really tried to do that.”
On the second day of the show, Kathie Saul of Desarc, Ark., put in a strong showing in the Amateur Select Western Pleasure, scoring first place under three judges and second under the final judge. Saul, who has been showing horses for more than thirty years, drove from Arkansas with her husband, Darrell, and her daughter, Hayley, to compete in the TQHA Circuit.
“My husband and I have been married for thirty years, and we’ve shown horses together for all that time,” Kathie Saul said. “We went to a horse show on our honeymoon, so I wouldn’t go to a show without him.”
Both Kathie and Darrell showed in the Select division, while their daughter, Hayley, showed all-around in the Amateur. At the end of the weekend, Hayley and her horse, Eyed Be In A Jam, secured the Amateur All-Around Award.
“The facilities brought us here, as well as the judges,” Kathie Saul said. “We thought the numbers would be good, and we like a show where there’s a lot of competition.”
The Saul family owns Darrell Saul Farms, Inc., which specializes in raising minnows. According to Kathie Saul, the fish business has enabled the family to raise, train, show, and sell American Quarter Horses. This year, three generations of Saul women will be competing at the AQHA Amateur and Open World Championship Show: Saul’s mother-in-law, Saul’s daughter, and Kathie Saul herself.
The TQHA Circuit Show also saw participation from local riders, including Lindsey Ross, 17, of Maryville, Tenn. Ross and her 13-year-old American Quarter Horse, Zippin N Flashin, or “Hunner,” showed in multiple over-fences classes. The pair scored first place under two judges in the Novice Youth Equitation Over Fences and first place under three judges in the Novice Youth Working Hunter.
While Lindsey and Hunner flew neatly and cleanly over the jumps on Sunday, Ross confided afterward that it took years of practice for her to become comfortable soaring through the air.
“I started out showing Western, because I never wanted to jump,” Ross said. “I was always too scared to. My sister jumped, and I used to think she was crazy. I told her I was never, ever jumping, and now, that’s all we do. Once you start, you can’t stop.”
Ross and her sister, Gretchen, ride and train with Michelle Whitlow Thompson of HartBrook Farm in New Market, Tenn. Gretchen Ross also showed over fences with her horse, Skippa Bonnet. Both girls regarded the show as “good practice” for the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in October.
The weekend concluded with the All-Around Awards. In the 13 & Under division, Kamiah McGrath secured the All-Around Award with They Call Me Jake, while Kara Kaufman took the 14-18 All-Around with Im Cruisin Nova. Shelby Ridgway and Who Invited Him won the Novice Youth All-Around, while the Amateur award went to Hayley Saul and Eyed Be In A Jam. Brister Shum and Hez Purely Dynamic took the Select Amateur award. The Novice Amateur All-Around went to Jennifer Zervas and Ima Shifty Goodbar. Finally, in the Open, Ryan Cottingim took the All-Around with Call Me A Hottie, owned by Caroline Cavallo.
The show management of the TQHA Circuit Show would like to extend special thanks to the TQHA Circuit show staff and the TQHA show committee.
(Photo credit: English photos by Ryan Rehnborg; all Western photos by Allison Rehnborg)
Horse show exhibitors came from all over the South to strut their stuff in the Tennessee Quarter Horse Association’s final show for 2013 points at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, September 13-15. With the end of the show year looming, competitors were eager for the chance to exhibit in front of four judges. Judges included Gigi Bailey, Wisconsin; John Boxwell, Illinois; Mike Hay, North Carolina; and Jackie Krshka, Oklahoma. The event drew approximately 600 entries per judge for a total of 2,400 entries, thanks to a healthy show bill of more than a hundred classes.
According to Show Manager Christine Henry, the show was staffed almost entirely by TQHA members, from the grounds crew to the show announcer, and several members of the TQHA show committee set foot in the show pen over the weekend.
“One of the big things that draws me to TQHA in particular is that it’s such a family-friendly environment,” said Henry, who got her start in the TQHA show circuit by working gates and ring-stewarding in 2009. “Everyone’s willing to help. If we need something, someone volunteers their equipment. Everyone seems to know everyone else, and new and old faces get to know each other really well.”
The show started on Friday afternoon with trail classes on a course designed by Don Lehman, while Saturday consisted of halter, showmanship, and Western disciplines. On Sunday, the morning included five hours of over fences classes, including more than 80 trips over the Jumps by Fuzzy course. Sponsors for the fences classes included Missy Jo Hollingsworth Performance Horses, Natchez Bend and Trish Franks, SEC Creative, Mundy Quarter Horses, the Haw Family, Anne Brzezicki, HartBrook Farm, Jerry Allen, and Christine Henry. The afternoon finished up with hunter under saddle and equitation on the flat. The show staff worked hard throughout the weekend to keep the classes tight and on schedule.
“We were trying to keep the show as efficient as possible, but also wanted to make sure to give recognition to all the exhibitors,” Henry said. “They come to show their horses and be recognized for their achievement, so we really tried to do that.”
On the second day of the show, Kathie Saul of Desarc, Ark., put in a strong showing in the Amateur Select Western Pleasure, scoring first place under three judges and second under the final judge. Saul, who has been showing horses for more than thirty years, drove from Arkansas with her husband, Darrell, and her daughter, Hayley, to compete in the TQHA Circuit.
“My husband and I have been married for thirty years, and we’ve shown horses together for all that time,” Kathie Saul said. “We went to a horse show on our honeymoon, so I wouldn’t go to a show without him.”
Both Kathie and Darrell showed in the Select division, while their daughter, Hayley, showed all-around in the Amateur. At the end of the weekend, Hayley and her horse, Eyed Be In A Jam, secured the Amateur All-Around Award.
“The facilities brought us here, as well as the judges,” Kathie Saul said. “We thought the numbers would be good, and we like a show where there’s a lot of competition.”
The Saul family owns Darrell Saul Farms, Inc., which specializes in raising minnows. According to Kathie Saul, the fish business has enabled the family to raise, train, show, and sell American Quarter Horses. This year, three generations of Saul women will be competing at the AQHA Amateur and Open World Championship Show: Saul’s mother-in-law, Saul’s daughter, and Kathie Saul herself.
The TQHA Circuit Show also saw participation from local riders, including Lindsey Ross, 17, of Maryville, Tenn. Ross and her 13-year-old American Quarter Horse, Zippin N Flashin, or “Hunner,” showed in multiple over-fences classes. The pair scored first place under two judges in the Novice Youth Equitation Over Fences and first place under three judges in the Novice Youth Working Hunter.
While Lindsey and Hunner flew neatly and cleanly over the jumps on Sunday, Ross confided afterward that it took years of practice for her to become comfortable soaring through the air.
“I started out showing Western, because I never wanted to jump,” Ross said. “I was always too scared to. My sister jumped, and I used to think she was crazy. I told her I was never, ever jumping, and now, that’s all we do. Once you start, you can’t stop.”
Ross and her sister, Gretchen, ride and train with Michelle Whitlow Thompson of HartBrook Farm in New Market, Tenn. Gretchen Ross also showed over fences with her horse, Skippa Bonnet. Both girls regarded the show as “good practice” for the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in October.
The weekend concluded with the All-Around Awards. In the 13 & Under division, Kamiah McGrath secured the All-Around Award with They Call Me Jake, while Kara Kaufman took the 14-18 All-Around with Im Cruisin Nova. Shelby Ridgway and Who Invited Him won the Novice Youth All-Around, while the Amateur award went to Hayley Saul and Eyed Be In A Jam. Brister Shum and Hez Purely Dynamic took the Select Amateur award. The Novice Amateur All-Around went to Jennifer Zervas and Ima Shifty Goodbar. Finally, in the Open, Ryan Cottingim took the All-Around with Call Me A Hottie, owned by Caroline Cavallo.
The show management of the TQHA Circuit Show would like to extend special thanks to the TQHA Circuit show staff and the TQHA show committee.
(Photo credit: English photos by Ryan Rehnborg; all Western photos by Allison Rehnborg)
