November 8-23, 2013, Oklahoma City

Senior Western Riding

by Becky Newell
The American Quarter Horse Journal

Breaking her own record score of 237.5, Vital Signs Are Good and Jason Martin on November 20 won the senior western riding at the AQHA World Championship Show with a new World Show record score of 239. It also marked the first time in four years that “Lucy” beat barnmate Harley D Zip, who had a score of 233.5 in the finals.

Lucy is by Zippos Mr Good Bar and is out of Vitalism by An Awesome Mister. The mare has multiple world and reserve world championships in western riding and western pleasure. She also finished fourth in senior western pleasure and eighth in senior trail at this year’s show.

The list of horses in the senior western riding finals reads like a who’s-who of western riding: Chocolatesandstars, Show Diva, Knowtorious, Ima Petite Classic, Harley D Zip, KC Fanfaire, Shes Hot Straw, So Much Potential, Dun In The Dark, Vital Signs Are Good, Flashy Attraction, Good I Will Be, Zippos Goodfellow, A Certain Vino, Mr After Shock and Watch Me Im Hot.

Where do you start with the statistics about these 16 horses? They had a combined total in the neighborhood 60 world and reserve world championships; one reserve AQHA Superhorse, one AQHA all-around amateur winner and one reserve all-around amateur. Besides being the who’s who, they were the best of the best, too.

“This is our first world championship (as owners),” shouted Joe Moran, Lucy’s owner from Laguna Hills, California. “We thank Lucy and AQHA for giving us this opportunity.”

Shortly before last year’s AQHA World Show, the Moran family purchased Lucy from Kristen Galyean for their daughter, Theresa, to compete on in AQHA youth events.