USHJA Green Hunter
Peter Pletcher & Sincerely
Appaloosa World Cont from page 7
prizes were given away in four classes. Classes with the most entries at the show included Non-Pro Ranch Riding, Non- Pro Trail, and Non-Pro Show- manship.
Didi Mackenzie & MTM Do Right
Pletcher & Mackenzie Top USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Central Championships in Texas
At the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, in
Katy, Texas, Jumpers usually dominate the schedule in the coliseum. However, this past week during South- bound Show Management’s Harvest Show, Hunters were the featured event in the large indoor arena. Amidst the beautifully decorated ring, Peter Pletcher and Didi Mackenzie rose respectively to the top of the 3’/3’3” and 3’6/3’9” USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Central Championships on November 1. Mackenzie rode her own MTM Do Right, nick- named Dude, to the overall score of 165 with two con- sistent rounds at the 3’9” fence height to take the win in the $5,000 USHJA Green Hunter Incentive 3’6/3’9” Central Championship. The pair is wrapping up their green year with quite the accolades finishing third in the Texas Super Series Green Hunter 3’6”/3’9” Cham- pionship, which is another incentive-based program for Green Hunters in Texas that was also held during the Harvest Show. “[Winning the Championship] feels great. I’ve had a horse in one of the Incentive programs every year. I’ve always believed in these programs. You get rewarded financially, and then you get great recog- nition,” said Mackenzie, who is looking for her next green horse as Dude moves out of his green years. “I love [these programs]. My passion has always been green horses, so this is really rewarding.” Mackenzie was particularly pleased with the win aboard her 10-year-old Westphalian gelding, MTM Do Right (Swarovski---- Lucis), noting he’s one she plans to keep forever since buying him from Mike McCormick and Tracy Fenney of MTM Farms four years ago.
“Dude is a character,” she said laughing. “We
hang a stuffed animal---- a little red monkey---- in his stall; he loves it. He loves treats, especially bananas, but also apples, carrots, whatever you’ve got. He’s a
10 SouthWest Horse Trader December 2018
really sweet horse and just craves attention.” Mackenzie competed at the Platinum Perfor-
mance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Champion- ships in Lexington, Kentucky, in August, but she appreciated the opportunity closer to home. “There are a lot of people who can’t get to Ken-
tucky, so it’s nice that there are regional champion- ships like this. They made it really special with all the awards. The ring was decorated beautifully, and the courses by Skip Bailey were wonderful.” Meanwhile, in the highly competitive $10,000
3’/3’3” USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Central Championship, Peter Pletcher took the top spot aboard Shadyside Farm’s Sincerely, as well as four other placings in the top 12. With the top three rid- ers within 2 points of Pletcher and Sincerely, Pletch- er had to not only deliver fantastic rounds with the 6-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood mare but deliver them consistently across the two-round champion- ship.
Owner Kate Gibson of Shadyside Farm was
proud of her mare’s finish, as well her 6-year-old gelding Van Morrison’s fifth-placed finish with Pletcher in the irons.
“Peter is a master with the young ones,” said
Gibson. “He lets a young horse be young, and then he helps them be confident in what they do. He’s just wonderful at that.”
Gibson imported Sincerely from Europe about a year ago, and she’s been impressed with how quickly the horse has matured. “She’s really sweet and a great mover,” contin-
ued Gibson. “We brought her over as a 5-year-old, and we usually go to [the Winter Equestrian Festival] for the winter. She was kind of skinny and a little scared when we got her there, but she went around. Then the second week she got more comfortable.
Continued on page 12
Popular Fort Worth ra- dio station, 95.9 The Ranch (
959theranch.com) holding a live broadcast at the show was a highlight of the event! The Sound of Texas echoed through the barns, concert tickets along with other prizes were given away, and the excitement of the Appaloosa was shared with listeners from Fort Worth and beyond! Thank you to our gen- erous sponsors who made The Ranch’s visit possible.
The annual Progressive Social was held Sunday, Octo- ber 28 and was a fun evening for all. The progressive meal was sponsored by Sue Scobee, Maestas Show Horses, and Dr. Michael J. Wiley. Attendees enjoyed three course meal, fin- ishing with dessert in the Best of the West Gift Expo, where there were over $5,000 of give- aways generously donated by vendors, sponsors, and local businesses!
At the completion of the
2018 World Championship Appaloosa Show, 36 special- ty awards were presented to competitors and their horses. The ApHC is now gearing up for the 72nd National Cham- pionship Appaloosa Show & 2019 World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, June 24– July 6. Stay tuned to www.ap-
paloosa.com for the most up- to-date information regarding this exciting upcoming event! We’ll see you next fall in Fort Worth for another World Show for the books! w
Jerry Mohme Photography
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