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American Saddlebreds, Hackney Ponies,
and Road Horses travelled from all over the country for the 112th
World’s Championship Horse Show. It is one of the most prestigious Saddle Seat horse
shows of the year. The three World’s Grand Champion titles for the Saddlebreds
(Fine Harness, Three Gaited, and Five Gaited) are the most anticipated classes
of the eight day long show. Three new victors earned these titles this year.
Two of them have been trying for a few years, and one a young and upcoming
superstar.
The
first World’s Grand Champion title was in the Fine Harness division. Fine
Harness horses are very animated and pull a four-wheeled buggy at the park trot
and animated walk. At just four years old, Lady Mandolin MS (Undulata’s
Nutcracker x Suddenly Summer) took this title with two first place votes from three judges. Earlier in the week she won the junior division for the mares. She was
guided under the hands of Jim Stachowski (who won the honor last year with Nutcracker’s
Nirvana) for owner Hellen Lacey Reed. Lady Mandolin is poetry in motion. When
she enters the ring it is hard to even look at any other horse. She moves as if
it is the easiest thing in the world to throw her legs above level, and she
carries an air of grace as she goes.
WGC Lady Mandolin MS
The
Three Gaited title went to HS Daydream’s Heads Up (Undulata’s Nutcracker x A
Daydream Believer (BHF)). Scott Hagan
showcased his homebred under the Silver Brook Stables banner, with Debbie Foley
as the trainer. This is the fourth year Heads Up has shown in the Three Gaited
championship. He was shown as a three and four year old with Tre Lee aboard and
finished second both times in the class. Scott showed the gelding last year,
finishing fourth. Now, in the horse’s six year old year, it seems as if the
team of Heads Up and Hagan have really come together. The judges tied them
1-1-2. Heads Up exemplifies what a Three Gaited horse should be and many have
followed the horse since his reserve in the Championship as a three year old. He
trot is strong and fluid with a great headset to compliment it. It is hard not
to look at the gelding with his neck back and high, but still carrying a
perfectly rounded poll.
WGC HS Daydream's Heads Up
The
crowd finally got what they have been waiting years for in the Five Gaited
championship. Lionel Ferriera presented Marc of Charm (Santana’s Charm x Pretty
Ribbons) for Riverdreams LLC in the finale of the show for the fifth time and
finally racked his way into history. The nine year old stallion had won the
junior championship as a four year old and has been trying to earn a blanket of
roses since then. Six horses were called back in a workout after the class had
finished. As the other horses seemed to tire out, Marc of Charm reached no
bottom. Lionel Ferriera continued to show off his mount while others were
gearing down on the rail. Marc of Charm grabbed the victory with two first
place votes. The crowd erupted into a roar, and Marc of Charm closed out the
show when he racked out of Freedom Hall with his blanket of red roses.
WGC Marc of Charm
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