Farley Barbera and Hot Jazzin Zippo, “Jazz,” repeated as Select world champions in showmanship on Saturday, September 2; they also won it in 2005.

“It’s the culmination of a long year, and it means a lot,” Farley said.

This year’s finals pattern had a tough line that included a one-and-a-quarter turn to the right to a back, then a 180-degree right turn and trot off.

“The hardest part was the very last line because you had to start out and be straight where you stop before you even did your turn” Farley said. “Then you had to back straight, and then you had to do another turn straight, and then you had to trot straight to the judges.

“With all the judges standing where they were behind the ring steward they could see that line very clearly,” she continued. “That was very important. And then to do a pull turn into a setup, that’s pretty tricky.

“There was a fairly high degree of difficulty in that pattern.”

Farley Barbera and Hot Jazzin Zippo win the Select world championship in showmanship; they also won the class in 2005.

When she prepares for a pattern, Farley likes to practice the whole pattern as well as individual parts of it.

“If you only practice parts the whole time, your thought processes don’t flow,” she said. “To keep the pattern flowing, you need to think about what’s coming up.”

Jazz is a 1995 sorrel gelding by Sonnys Hot Jazz and out of Make Mine A Zippo by Zippo Pine Bar, bred by Bob and Ann Perry of Ocala, Florida.

He and Farley have an impressive record at the Bayer Select World Championship Show. In addition to last year’s showmanship win, they were also the 2005 reserve world champions in horsemanship. In 2004, they won reserve in showmanship and a third in horsemanship. Jazz has almost $7,000 in World Show earnings.

“He’s a great horse,” Farley said. “He is so sweet and kind and so willing to do whatever we ask. He’s a good one. I’ve had him since he was 3, and he’s 11.”

From Southern Pines, North Carolina, Farley has been showing Quarter Horses for years. Her husband, Leo, co-founded the National Snaffle Bit Association.

Their daughter, Casey, was on hand in Amarillo for the win.

“Casey and I have been going to horse shows ever since she was tiny,” Farley said. “I’d go to the (Ford AQHYA World Championship Show) with her, and now she gets to come to the (Bayer) Select World with me. It makes it very special.

“She’s a coach as well,” she added. “She reminds me to keep my shoulders back and my head up.”

Farley also works with AQHA Professional Horseman Justin Wheeler of Greensboro, North Carolina.

“I’d like to say that there are so many people that came out here to help me,” Farley said. “Not just my trainer and my daughter, but friends all across the country. Everybody out here, they want you to do well, it’s such a nice feeling at this horse show.

“Everybody, all the exhibitors come up and say good luck and congratulations when it’s over. It’s really special.”