AMATEUR EQUITATION OVER FENCES

BECKY KING FINALLY WINS A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WITH HER NEW HORSE, VISION OF ART.

BY TONYA RATLIFF-GARRISON, INTERNET MANAGER

Becky King was to show at the 2000 World Show with her gelding, Tonys Last Dance.

The pair had shown in hunter and over-fence classes in the 1998 and 1999 World shows. Although they didn’t win a world championship, they showed well, and had even been named reserve all-around amateur each of those years.

“He did very well here,” the North Palm Beach, Florida, resident said.

But the week before leaving for the 2000 World Show, the 1988 gelding foundered, and King had to put him down.

“It was very sad,” she said.

It took King five years before she was able to make it back to the World Show, this time with her new horse, Vision Of Art.

“She’s spectacular,” she said. “I am so thrilled with her.”

The 2000 sorrel mare is by Artful Move and out of Thoroughbred Feistyirishbeauty by Impore. King bought her from breeder Marne Fauber Vorndran of Medina, Ohio, when the mare was a 2-year-old.

Becky King won her first world championship with her 5-year-old mare, Vision Of Art.

“So we took the long route rather than buy one that was already broke,” she said. “We bought one very young and hoped for the best.”

King’s gamble paid off. Riding “Allie” in the amateur equitation over fences finals on Friday, November 11, King won her first world championship title.

“It was unbelievable. Indescribable,” she said. “I start crying whenever I think about it.”

King said Allie’s winning run was wonderful.

“I was a little nervous going in,” she recalled. “I went over the first jump, and she was really good and really soft. After we did the first turn, which I thought was the hardest thing to do. She did it beautifully, and I thought, ‘OK, the hard part’s over.’ And the rest just flowed. She was really good.”

Although she shows Allie in flat events and even a few showmanship classes, King said the over-fence classes are what she excels in.

“She’s not scared of anything, and that’s a good trait when you have a jumping horse because she doesn’t stop at anything,” she said.

Allie will show again next week with trainer Alfred Hewitt in junior hunter hack, junior working hunter and green working hunter. King plans to finish out the year with Allie at the Gold Coast and Gulf Coast Quarter Horse shows in Florida.

“And then we’ll probably take some time off,” she said. “We’ve been doing some heavy campaigning this year, and we’ll probably just do a few shows next year. But we’ll for sure be back here again next year.”