WAQHA West Australian Quarter Horse Association
 2015 WAQHA PICKLES VERSATILITY AA SHOW — by Carly Ganzer
Photographs by Samantha Whitelaw

Brookleigh Equestrian Estate was the venue for the 2015 WAQHA Pickles Versatility AA Show held the weekend of 7 and 8 February

AQHA Accredited Judge, Kate Elliot from Glenburn, Victoria was the judge and she went about her duties, over a very warm weekend, with a smile on her face for everyone and a level of professional decorum to be admired.

Above left: Nick Balchin and Wineradeen Cee A Passer Youth Versatility Champions Above middle: Gina Storey riding Jandellar Rocin Monee competing in all events in the Rider with Disability category Above right: Hi Point 3yr and Runner Up Winners, Rikki Planke, Jordy Dagnall with Judge Kate Elliott

Reining was the first event of the program with Kevin Harrison riding Me Pink Wimp taking out the Junior Horse, Amy Morris aboard A Smart Twist for a win in the Senior Horse, Sharlene Bysouth on A Special Whiz wining the Amateur division and Mary Treloar and Tacoen Lord Lennie successful in the Select Amateur.

The feature event was the Versatility classes, with the highest placed WAQHA member receiving $200 prize money in each class. This pattern asked for a fast lope, which is sometimes difficult when riding western pleasure horses that don’t understand a fast lope! Martene Carter and Annlee Cee a Gun did a great job to take out the Open Versatility.

Youth rider Nick Balchin had a great show. In the Youth events, on Winderadeen Cee A Passer, he took out the coveted Versatility Youth event and, aboard Inscription, edged out Emily Stewart on Dakota Zulu Nala to win the Senior Youth Western Pleasure. Nick and Inscription went on to win Senior Horse Western Pleasure, and the following day took out the Senior Youth Hunt Seat Equitation. What a team these two are making

Karen Cornish and Im Pawsitively SurelyGood showed their versatility with wins in a range of events including the Amateur Versatility for the second year in a row. This bay filly went on to win the 3yo Western Pleasure class, that showed a line-up of some great western pleasure breeding, the Amateur Junior Horse Western Pleasure, 3yo Trail, which had a good flowing course complete with lope poles and raised walk poles, followed by the Amateur Junior Trail

Competing in her first show with her new horse, Jabelle Invite Me N Cee, it was a very pleased Jordy Dagnall who won the Amateur Western Horsemanship and then, on the Sunday, this combination won both the Three Year Old Hunter Under Saddle (HUS) as well as the Amateur Junior HUS.

Jenny Barnes, aboard Ceelebrity Chip, was back out competing and took out the Select Amateur Horsemanship. Emily Stewart riding her black mare Dakota Zulu Nala, edged out Nick Balchin and Winderadeen Cee A Passer for the Youth Horsemanship and then again had to contend with Nick and both his horses (Winderadeen Cee A Passer and Inscription ) to take out the Senior Youth Trail.

There were smiles all round for Junior Youth Western Pleasure competitor James Blackaller, riding the most gentleman of horses All Rhythm N Blues. All eyes were on them again as they did a stellar job of the Junior Youth Trail course!

Tracey Whitton and KPM Luke At Me took out the Junior Horse Trail and Martene Carter and Annlee Cee A Gun won the well contested Senior Horse Trail.
Gina Storey riding Jandellar Rocin Monee competing in all events in the Rider with Disability category, well done Gina!!

Above left: Amy Morris riding "A Smart Twist" Above middle: Rikki Planke riding "Littlestone Certaintlycute"

Day two brought the heat but despite this there were many entries for the in-hand classes, particularly in the Appalossa Halter, so it was fantastic to see some colour at the show.

It was a day for the ladies with Champion Appaloosa Filly/Mare and Supreme Appaloosa going to the lovely SOQ Radical Party Girl shown by Karen Nicoletto for owner Debbie Tucker, while in the Paint Halter Tracey Whitton’s filly SC Tooshay took out Supreme Paint and Champion/Reserve Filly/Mare. Tracy had a good day as her gelding KPM Luke At Me also won Champion/Reserve Paint Gelding.

With Quarter Horse classes not having a Supreme the win for the Champion Quarter Horse Filly/Mare went to the lovely big 2yr bay filly, Zips Double Sweet owned and shown by Kate Bushby and this combination going on to win Amateur Halter.

Carl Planke showed his wife’s colt CVS Sunken Treasure to win Champion Colt/Stallion Open and Amateur events.

Champion Gelding Any Age was Jandellar Rocin Monee shown by Rebecca Lee while Youth Champion Gelding went to the trusty All Rhythm N Blues shown by his young owner James Blackaller. Jordy Dagnall and Jabelle Invite Me N Cee took out Champion Amateur Gelding and Reserve Champion Gelding Any Age.

The Hunter in Hand event is becoming hugely popular at these shows. It is judged individually on a triangle pattern at a walk and trot. The scoring system is based on 60% movement, 30% conformation and 10% temperament. The judge awarded the lovely big black 3yr old gelding Jabelle Invite Me N Cee shown by Jordy Dagnall as the winner with the little cute 3yr filly Littlestone CertainlyCute shown by Carly Ganzer coming at a close second.

As the day continued to heat up the judge allowed competitors in the English ridden events to show without a jacket. First up were the Hunt Seat Equitation classes (also known as a rider class). The judge’s deciding factor for the winner in the Amateur HSE was to show a true hand gallop – which, as one would imagine, is rare to see from these western pleasure loping machines! It was a great start for Rikki Planke, at her first ridden show riding her new horse Littlestone CertainlyCute, to take out this event. Karen Waddell and her Spicy Hot Chocolate were the deserving winners in the Select Amateur HSE.

Cherry Brennan riding Loots Shockin Ya All won the Select Amateur HUS, Kayla Rainoldi won the Senior Youth HUS riding her sister’s horses, Kiss Me Good and Bridget de Bijl that took out first place in the Junior Horse HUS.

Above left: Martene Carter and Annlee Cee A Gun Open Versatility Winner Above middle: Karen Waddell Hi Point Select Amateur

WAQHA HI POINT AWARDS FROM VERSATILITY SHOW
Hi Point & Runner Up awards were handed out at this year’s Versatility Show. The lucky winners took home a monogrammed halter and the runner ups took home an Equilibrium sample bag with a WAQHA mug.
• Hi Point 2yr sponsored by Studio Equine – Perfectly Legal owned by Bridget de Bijl.
• Hi Point 3yr sponsored by Valley Equine Centre – Jabelle Invite Me N Cee owned by Jordy Dagnall
• Hi Point Amateur Junior – sponsored by JSB Fencing – Jordy Dagnall
• Hi Point Amateur Senior sponsored by Broke Az Therapeutic Services – Fiona Speirs
• Hi Point Select Amateur sponsored by CNC Show Horses – Karen Waddell
• Hi Point Junior Youth sponsored by Karen Cornish – James Blackaller
• Hi Point Senior Youth sponsored by JSB Fencing – Emily Stewart
• Hi Point Senior Horse sponsored by Carlville Stud – Inscription owned by Nick Balchin
• Hi Point Junior Horse sponsored by Littlestone Performance Horses – Chips Sweet Rosalie owned by Sharon Currie

THANKS TO SPONSORS
Pickles Auctions was the event sponsor for the second consecutive year and WAQHA and its members say a heartfelt thank you to Pickles Auctions for this continued support.

Thanks also go to those ever important helpers that keep a show running, ring stewards - Tracy Allen and Megan Butler, inside gate marshalls – Sue Smulders and Kylie Maddison, outside gate marshall – Katrina Clarke, the very talented photographer, Samantha Whitelaw who also escorted the judge around for the weekend, the office lady – the ever reliable Lana Denteith, thank you one and all, without these people there is no show Thanks also to Nat and her Blue Cow Café van who provided fantastic food and drinks and icy poles for what was a hot weekend