The DesMar team celebrated their winning Friday morning. // Photo by Allie LayosThere were exactly three equitation classes and three new equitation World’s Champions crowned during the Friday morning schedule of the World’s Championship Horse Show, and all three of these winners shared one very important thing in common: they all ride under the instruction of DesMar Stables. Even more uniquely, two of them are sisters.
Photo by Julia Shelburne-HittiFreedom Hall workouts are the stuff of legends, and the crowd at the World’s Championship Horse Show got to witness firsthand one of these extraordinary moments in the Junior Three-Gaited 15.2 & Under class Monday night when the exciting young mare, HS Close Enough To Perfect, rose to the top of a two-horse workout for the win.
Photo by Julia Shelburne-HittiWhat does an equitation rider do after making history winning the Saddlebred Equitation Triple Crown? If you’re Dawson Archibald, the answer is to make history again – this time by riding a Morgan horse to an equitation win at the World’s Championship Horse Show.
Dawson began her riding career under the direction of Cheryl Manahan in Derby, Kansas, and actually rode Morgan horses before she rode Saddlebreds. While she’s enjoyed success with multiple Saddlebred partners in performance this season, when it comes to equitation she’s been returning to her roots, teaming with her new Morgan partner, the talented gelding BRMF Lailani’s Fireball GCH, or “Boo.”
Photo by Julia Shelburne-HittiSince his first show ring appearance at this year's Asheville Saddlebred Classic, the show horse world has been abuzz about Epoque Kiss NKF, and that buzz only got louder after he won the Five-Gaited Stallion Stake at the World's Championship Horse Show on Monday night.
With trainer and owner Burt Honaker aboard, the 5-year-old stallion by Callaway's Northern Kiss and out of VHF Belle Epoque won in a class stacked with talent, including two other horses by Northern Kiss: Honorable Kiss and Noble Braveheart, who took second and third respectively.
But while spectators can see his epic talent, there is a lot more to the stallion known as "Henry" than his show ring performances would indicate. Here are nine things you probably didn't know about him.
Sunday night at the World's Championship Horse Show saw an extra special win for Chris Brannan aboard the stunning Wingswept Blown Away in the ASHBA Sweepstakes Four-Year-Old Five-Gaited class.
Wingswept Blown Away, known as "Gus" around the barn, is by by Samur and out of Walterway's Blue Me Away. He is owned by Richard and Dianne Gilbert, but he was bred by Chris and his wife Stephanie at their Wingswept Farm in Nicholasville, Ky.