AQHA Awards Top Ranching Heritage-Bred Horses at NIRSHA Show

The 2025 National Intercollegiate Ranch and Stock Horse Association National Show took place April 14-16 at the Tri-State Exposition in Amarillo. The event hosted collegiate teams from across the country for elite ranch horse competition.

Two American Quarter Horses were recognized as Division I and Division II Top Ranching Heritage-Bred Horses: Pistols Annie Oakly and SCR Crackalackin. Each breeder earned a $250 cash prize and each owner earned a $250 cash prize, along with a custom trophy. Additionally, their exhibitors received a framed certificate at the NIRSHA awards banquet.  

Earning NIRSHA Division I Top Ranching Heritage-Bred Horse award was Pistols Annie Oakly, shown by Josh Nichols of Texas A&M University. The 2010 sorrel mare is by Scottys Pistol and out of Waros Peppy by Ho Rojo. She is owned by Gregg Nichols of Nacogdoches, Texas, and was bred by Sue B Boyt Partnership LLP of Sunray, Texas.

The NIRSHA Disivion II Top Ranching Heritage-Bred Horse was SCR Crackalackin, a 2016 sorrel mare by Metallic Cat and out of Smart Crackin Chic by Smart Chic Olena. Shown by Riley Wilson of Clarendon College, she is owned and was bred by the Singleton Ranches of Lamy, New Mexico.

To find out more about the AQHA Ranching Heritage Program, visit www.aqha.com/ranching.

Additionally at the event AQHA awarded Fan Favorite honors to:

1. Division I: The Fletcherator ("Fletch"), ridden by Mason Elliott (Texas Tech University). The Fletcherator is a 2008 sorrel gelding by Royal Fletch and out of Naturally Smooth by San Tip. Bred by Jeff and Sue Dawson of Dickens, Texas, and is owned by Mason Elliott of Bertram, Texas.

2. Division II: LLE Hollywood Hiball ("Hollywood"), ridden by Weston Ploeger (Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture). LLE Hollywood Hiball is a 2015 bay mare by Reminic N Hollywood and out of CJ Peppys Bally Hi by Peppys Little Ripper. Bred by Lee Elliott of Newcastle, Wyoming, and is owned by Anthony Ploeger of Linden, Iowa. 

Visit www.quarterhorseresource.com/home to learn more about each horse’s pedigree.

About NIRSHA

The National Intercollegiate Ranch & Stock Horse Association was founded in 2021 by collegiate ranch and stock horse team coaches across the nation. The mission of NIRSHA is to provide competition and education for students through the guidance and promotion of collegiate ranch and stock horse events.

About AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder Program

AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders should embody the longevity, integrity and honesty of the ranching tradition. Ranching Heritage Breeders breed and raise the ranch-type horse, which remains at the core of the American Quarter Horse Association and epitomizes the breed’s versatility.

To learn more about how to become recognized as a Ranching Heritage Breeder or to find a current list of AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders, visit www.aqha.com/ranching-heritage-breeders.

AQHA news and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more information visit www.aqha.com/news or subscribe to our news text "AQHA In the Know" for the latest Association updates.