AQHA Magazine November/December 2017 AQHA_NOV_DEC_2017 WEBSITE | Page 31

Cross Saddlery Rookie Professional classes. Rod Osborne and Kitten Revolution won the Intermediate Open, Kurt Melling and Predator took the Intermediate Non Pro buckle home to New Zealand and Chris Gould on Malibu Lena was the winner of the Rookie Professional class. The more mature riders came out next for the Koyuga Electrics Prime Time Non Pro, won by Kathleen Murphy on Checkout Hollywood. Experience was followed by youth. Joey Reedy rode Princess to victory in the Short Stirrup. Kasey Bogie and Lyrics Custom Corey picked up their second buckle in the Youth 13 Years and Under while Grace Christoffel and Lethal Katie won the Youth 14 to 18 Years class. The pinnacle of Friday’s program and one of the highlights of the show was the SnS Custom Floats Gold Buckle Futurity. Craig Cowley riding his own horse Time To Shine won the Level 1 division of the Futurity for riders just starting out in NRHA events. The Limited and Intermediate divisions of the Futurity were won by Rodney Peachey riding Peter Bartolo’s entry Gunnerreload. Gunnerreload’s score was also more than enough to take home the biggest prize of the show, the Open division of the Gold Buckle Futurity. Wins in the three divisions added the AQHA incentive cheques to the pony’s take home pay. In addition to buckles, trophies and prize money, Gunnerreload brought his owner a top-of-the-range horse float sponsored and built by SnS Custom Floats of Bundaberg in Queensland. Saturday morning saw a return to less glamorous competition with another big line-up for the Back on Track Limited Open and Limited Non Pro classes. This year’s tough competition continued at the Nationals with yet another run off deciding the buckle for the Limited Non Pro. Two young riders, Grace Christoffel on Lethal Katie and Mikayla Smith on Whimpys Little Charlie, did their best with Grace and Katie winning by a small margin. A thrilled Josephine Hale and Whiz Fizz topped the scores to take home the buckle for the Limited Open. A field of 20 horses and riders faced the judges in the next class, the Epiitalis Forte Non Pro Futurity. Kayla Kington and Qmatch Cool Jake scooped the pool with wins in all three divisions of the Non Pro Futurity. Their loot included buckles and trophies plus three AQHA incentive cheques and, last but not least, a reining saddle sponsored by Southern Cross Saddlery. A display of precision riding from our Youth members opened the Welcome Ceremony. The winner of the trip to Oklahoma for NRHA Futurity was drawn (lucky Deb Versluis), the great horse Tell Me A Story was farewelled into retirement and the spectators got comfortable in the stands for the running of the 2017 National Derby. Cameron Halliwell riding Gottagetagunner won the Show Me The Buckles Non Pro Derby with runner-up Paul Barratt on Hot Smokin Gun winning the buckles for both the Intermediate and Limited divisions of the Non Pro Derby. Scott Hergest riding Spinnin Whiz and Mick Taylor on My Dads A Wimp shared the champion’s position in the Show Me The Buckles Open Derby. Scott and Spinnin Whiz also claimed the buckle for the Intermediate division of the Open Derby while Dennis Neylon on Wimpys Lil Miss and Erin Neylon on Lil Miss Genius kept it in the family as co-champions in the Limited division of the Open Derby. Sharon Leddington-Hill and Migs Shez Dynamite A2-2373 Lee Thomson riding Eskdale John Wicks rode Onya Shiney West Judgement Day Q-60844 Nu Toy Q-81535 Cameron Halliwell and Gottagetagunner Anthony Ross and Einsteins Revelation Q-77966 Yves Cousinard and Spin Me Chris Gould and Malibu Lena Please Q-73223 Q-58873 Kathleen Murphy on Checkout Hollywood Q-75293 R E I N I N G Above - Grace Christoffel on Lethal Katie Left - Rod Osborne and Kitten Revolution Q-68452 Craig Cowley riding Time To Shine Q-80001 Kayla Kington and Qmatch Cool Jake Q-82064 November • December • 2017 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 31