Heroes and Final Rail, Pattern Class Winners Named at 2014 NSBA World Championship Show

TULSA, Okla.-  The NSBA World Championship Show recognized Heroes On Horses, and some familiar and some new exhibitors emerged as world champions on the last day of rail and pattern classes on Saturday. The show concluded on Sunday with world championship over fence classes combined with an AQHA Special Event show.

Saturday also NSBA’s Heroes On Horses competition with two classes, a Heroes On Horses Ranch Horse Pleasure and a Heroes On Horses Western Pleasure, both for Independent Riders.

Shane Dowdy presented the colors for the national anthem aboard AQHA stallion Its A Southern Thing, delighting the crowd with a freestyle performance. The duo are pictured above.

Quinn Sanders, an Army veteran with tours in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, from Dallas, Texas, showed Black Magic to the world champion title in the Heroes On Horses Ranch Horse Pleasure. 

“It’s the first time I’ve ever showed here, and this brings tears to my eyes,” Sanders said. “I’ve been riding with the therapeutic stable for about three and a half years. I have post traumatic stress disorder and severe depression. I don’t know where I would be if it hadn’t been for the horses.”

Kurt Hughett showed Good Like Sudden, or “Robbie” to win the Heroes On Horses Western Pleasure. The Army veteran who was stationed at Fort Hood, Fort Irwin and Fort Bliss began riding after leaving the Army with injuries.

“Riding horses has been so therapeutic for me,” Hughett said. “They are so forgiving and so loving. It relaxes me. This is my first time to show in over a year, and it’s only the second time I’ve ever been on Robbie. I’ve never won anything in my life. I’m just stunned.”

To read the full article on NSBA.com, click here.