PERFORMANCE HALTER MARES

FANTASTIC INVITATION AND MAGGIE FORTUNE MAKE AQHYA HISTORY.

BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR

Maggie Fortune and her 2007 youth world champion performance halter mare, Fantastic Invitation.

When 17-year-old Maggie Fortune and her 2001 brown mare, Fantastic Invitation, walked out of the John Justin arena with a gold trophy in performance halter mares, they made AQHA and AQHYA history.

They were the first to win a world championship in a performance halter class at an AQHA world show.

“My trainer (AQHA Pro Horseman and Judge Gretchen Mathes) was a real advocate of it,” Maggie gave as the reason why she decided to show in the class. “I think it’s a great way for performance horses to get out there and be recognized for their conformation. I kind of wanted to be part of the first one.”

Performance halter made its debut as an official AQHA class January 1, 2007. It made its debut at a world show August 11, 2007, at the 2007 Ford AQHYA World Championship Show, with this class. The list of entries included horses that show in everything from all-around classes to cow events.

“It’s a lot more work than I thought,” Maggie said, of showing a horse at halter. “I never really gave it that much thought.

“But your arms get really tired,” she continued. “You have to think about how her legs are positioned, you have to make sure her head’s up, you have to make sure she’s awake, and she doesn’t fall asleep every two seconds.”

The rules state that a mare must have earned a Register of Merit in performance in the youth division to be eligible to be shown in the class.

Fantastic Invitation was more than qualified; her accomplishments include winning all-around high point mare and reserve all-around high point junior horse in 2005, and multiple appearances at the AQHA World Championship Show with two top-10s in junior trail

But she also had halter credentials, too, including a youth halter Register of Merit, was third youth high point halter mare in 2005, and was the 2006 Region Six champion aged mare.

Maggie has owned the mare since 2004, and this is their second Ford Youth World. They also qualified in trail and horsemanship, and finished 10th in the showmanship finals. Maggie started her Ford Youth World week out by winning the Talent Show with her singing. From Hartford, Connecticut, she is an AQHYA Region Six director.

For the win, Fantastic Invitation earned two firsts, two seconds and one third.

“She’s got a lot of personality,” Maggie said. “Sometimes I can get her in the ring and get her all awake. She likes to show her stuff off.

“(I want to thank) Gretchen Mathes and (AQHA Pro Horseman) Gene Spagnola and my mom, (Grace), for making me show the class,” Maggie added.

She also said she’ll be back to show in the class: “This is fun. I kinda like halter now.”