Rains off Lake Michigan kept a steady pace Wednesday morning in Berrien Springs, delaying the start of futurity classes at the Tom Powers Triple Challenge Futurity and eventually moving the Color Longe Line classes to the indoor arena at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds, but the rain couldn’t dampen the experience for the day’s exhibitors.
Father and Daughter Duo Stanley Scott and Nancy Ditty Tie for Color Non-Pro Longe Line Title
The Color Non-Pro Yearling Longe Line class saw father Stanley Scott tying to win with daughter Nancy Ditty. Stanley, who won the tiebreaker, showed Come N At Ya Blue, while Nancy showed A Sensational Paint. Both are APHA registered yearlings.
“This one is by VS Code Blue, and we bought him from Jan Pittman. I I just loved his legs, his movement and conformation. He has a great jog and a great lope. He’s very, very pretty and easy to show,” Stanley said.
“She was born on my son’s birthday, so she’s kind of special,” Nancy said of her filly. “She’s by a Scenic Impulse, and I just love her. She has such natural movement and she has a sweet disposition.
Fulfilling A Promise
For Tony Morawski, showing at this year’s Tom Powers in the Non-Pro Color Longe Line was bittersweet. “I made a promise to my wife Darlene before she died in 2016 that I would show a horse here at the Tom Powers for her, and I kept my promise,” Tony said.
Darlene had a passion for showing color longe line horses and was a past Tom Powers champion as well as PHBA, ABRA and IBHA champion.
She most recently campaigned the palomino stallion Withouta Doubt, a full sibling to this year's entry, to fourth place at the 2015 All American Quarter Horse Congress, and the gelding won the Tom Powers Open Color Longe Line that year with Kathie Kennedy at the lead. Darlene died of respiratory failure in March 2016.
Tony showed MM Golden Angel, a palomino filly he raised and trained himself. He and “Angel” placed fifth in the class. “Sometimes I do pretty well, but other times I’m kind of a mess. This was for her,” he said.
Kathie Kennedy and How Do U Figure Win Open Color Longe Line
Kathie Kennedy brought How Do U Figure home from the 2017 Congress to winter in Florida, and took the yearling APHA/AQHA filly on to win the Tom Powers Open Color Longe Line class on Wednesday. How Do U Figure is by How Bout This Cowboy.
“We showed her dam, Go Figure, and so it’s been fun get to show her too,” Kathie said. “The Leemans had sent her home with me to Florida, and now she’ll go back to Florida with the Scotts. They bought her yesterday. She’s just super sweet to work with.”
Tri-Champions Named in Novice Horse Novice Rider Maturity Hunter Under Saddle
Just one performance class took place on Wednesday and was held in the indoor arena. In the class for horses and riders who have each earned less than $1,000 in Hunter Under Saddle, a three-way tie resulted in a tiebreaker to decide awards.
Earning first was Hot Jimmy Shoes and Mikayla Gleeson, showing for Karen Misko, with the reserve award going to Minute To Dance and Lauren Louw, showing for Laura Simmons. The third place award was presented to Good N Quiet, owned and shown by Sophie Erpelding.
Due to weather conditions, the majority of Wednesday’s Tom Powers Triple Challenge Futurity classes have been rescheduled for Thursday and Friday. The Tom Powers Triple Challenge Futurity continues through Sunday, July 1.
