Lexington, KY – It was a good day to be a first timer at the 2006 United States Equestrian Federation® Youth Reining Championship. The winners in all three divisions were first-timers to the Championship. Taking the title in the 13 and under division was McKenzie Lantz, 13, from Fremont, MI with a score of 213.5. The blue ribbon winner in the 14-18 division was Ian Barnard, 17, of Kendallville, IN with the high score of 221. The gold medal winner in the 19-21 division was Heather Dudley, 21, of Erie, PA with a score of 210.5.
The Championship was held June 25th at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY as part of the Clayton Woosley Hall of Fame Reining. All riders in the Youth Championship, regardless of age division, rode USEF pattern 5.
Lantz and her dad’s seven-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, Royalee Rowdy, have a long history together. She showed him last year at the National Reining Horse Association’s Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show after the horse she planned to show pulled up lame. Before that time, her parents had shown the horse, which they bred and trained.
“It was a pretty nice ride. I was getting a little frustrated in the center. There was a big bug or something on him so he was moving around a lot. It was definitely one of our better rides, though.”
Barnard and Got It Dun, a six-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, first placed in NRHA competition in June 2005. His mother bought the horse through Tim McQuay last year, with the help of Dan and Wendy Huss who also helped him train the horse.
“He’s the kind of horse that no matter how hard you ride him he’s very gentle-minded, he never really scowls at you. He’s a really tough horse and he’s been through a lot. I’ve been showing him quite a bit.”
When asked if he thought he’d do this well at the competition, Barnard replied “It’s always there in your mind, there’s a lot that could happen, and a lot of other good riders so anything can happen.”
Dudley rode her mother’s 10-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, Good Gyrations. She bought him from her trainer three years ago, and in their first year showing together the pair was in the top ten for NRHA’s Limited Non Pro. Last year the pair was NRHA Limited Non Pro reserve world champions.
“It felt pretty good. I could have got turned around a little better but other than that I basically went out there and did what I wanted to do so it was pretty good. My horse is really, really consistent. He’s one of those horses that is just there every time, I mean every time, and so it doesn’t really surprise me that we did well, but I was really happy that we placed as well as we did.”
~~~For more information, please contact Jeannie Putney, National Marketing Manager, at (859) 225-6974, or via e-mail at jputney@usef.org.
