November 8-23, 2013, Oklahoma City

Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation

Ashley Beim and PS Rusty Bay Doc win big in hunt seat equitation.

by Allison Grayson
The American Quarter Horse Journal

Ashley Beim started out riding open and 4-H shows for a long time. But when she started showing at AQHA shows, she never looked back.

She bought her horse PS Rusty Bay Doc at an auction, but she never knew he’d be as successful as he is now. Ashley and “Rusty” won an AQHA Superior all-around award during their youth career.

“I started really in open shows with a 20-year-old pony. As I got older, we were kind of looking for more,” Ashley said.

“My first year of Quarter Horse I went for the (Justin Rookie-of-the-Year) and got third. And then we did the all-around stuff,” she said. “We did western pleasure, western riding and showmanship and trail and all of that. And then this last year we just started jumping in April and he’s in the senior hack later, so he’s been awesome.”

Ashley has been finding that her start in jumping is working wonders on her riding in hunt seat equitation.

“I went to (AQHA Professional Horseman) Lainie Deboer’s barn in February and I have been working my but off,” she said with a laugh. “Like I’ve been doing irons and jumping, and the jumping has helped a ton with my equitation, so I’ve been working.”

With all of the duo’s accomplishments, there have been several people helping her get to the top. Before she started riding with Lainie, Ashley was with Michael Saterbak of Foreston, Minnesota.

“He trained me, probably since Rusty was 5, so at least 6 years,” she said. “And he was there when I went to the (Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show) and took fifth in hunter under saddle, so both of them (Lainie and Michael) have helped me tremendously.”

Rusty has been working hard to make it to this world championship as well.

“He is like my super horse… I’ve grown up with him and he is just the sweetest, kindest horse I have ever seen,” Ashley said. “And he tries so hard. And today he was just, he was awesome.”

And he’s not done yet. Rusty will be vying for another world champion title.

“(AQHA Professional Horseman) Bill Ellis is gonna take him in the senior hack, so I’m excited!” she said.

As far as her win with Rusty in the hunt seat equitation class, it still hasn’t sunk in for Ashley.

“It doesn’t even feel real right now,” she said with a laugh. “Seriously, they were at the top two and I was like, ‘I’m still in here, did they forget that I was still in here?’ But it’s incredible.”

There were several people that Ashley wanted to thank.

“(I want to thank) the complete army of people I have helping me,” she said. “Jessica Johnson from Sweet Shop Performance Horses has been helping me with my equitation… and of course my mom, who has been at all of the shows.

“She was so nervous today, she had to step away and leave me be,” she said of her mom with a laugh. “And Lainie and Brad and everybody at Dream Field has just been incredible.”

Since Rusty will be going in the senior hunter hack, Ashley doesn’t have a whole lot planned as far as celebration.

“I have no idea (what we’ll do) because it still doesn’t even feel real,” she said. “I’m just gonna give him lots of carrots and let him have a good night’s rest.”

The Journal visited Ashley and Rusty during the Region Three Championship in July - watch for their story in the December issue!