The Championship Show 2026: Tuesday, September 15 Featured Class Highlights
15 SEP 26 Ocala, FL
Ocala, FL – The Championship Show 2026 officially got underway Tuesday at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC), kicking off six days of premier equestrian competition through Sunday, September 20.
Opening-day brought horse-and-rider combinations to Indoor Arena 1 for a full lineup of feature classes, including the $5,000 NSBA 4-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure, $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Hunter Under Saddle, and $35,000 NSBA Maturity Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure.
The Championship Show is joined this week by the APHA Zone 9 Fall Cash Classic and The Spotted Cash Classic Appaloosa Show, bringing multiple breeds and disciplines together at WEC – Ocala.
$5,000 NSBA 4-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle
The opening day of The Championship Show began in Indoor Arena 1 with the $5,000 NSBA 4-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle. A field of 10 entries competed for top honors, with Keith Miller piloting R C Kola (Its A Southern Thing x Its Al Over), the four-year-old gelding owned by Madeleine Bayless, to the win.
“I just think he canters great, he trots great, he hangs his neck great, he’s just a really special individual. I am very fortunate to get to show him for a great customer, the Bayless family,” said Miller when asked what stood out to him about R C Kola.
Miller is no stranger to showing at WEC – Ocala. When asked about what makes the venue so special, he explained, “It’s my favorite. I love it here. We just can work. The footing’s always great. There’s always places to ride. If you can’t get a horse ready here, then you need a new job,” he joked.“I just love it”.
Looking ahead, Miller shared his plans for the rest of the week. “We have five horses here. We’re going to be showing in a bunch of different classes. We have three non-pros coming to show, and hopefully fit some swimming in the afternoon.”
$5,000 NSBA 4-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle – Top Three Results
- R C Kola, Keith Miller, Madeleine Bayless
- Remington Reignz, Lisa Ligon, Aaron Rhomberg
- Shezza Outlaw, Jamie English, Brenda Ramirez
$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure
Competition continued in Indoor Arena 1 with the $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure, where five competitive entries came forward to compete. Katy Jo Zuidema, guided Momma Im Comin Home (Machine Made x My Mommas Dream), owned by Karen Wood, to top honors in the NSBA 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure class.
Zuidema shared that they purchased the three-year-old mare from the Hutchinsons last year, and she has continued to consistently finish near the top throughout her two- and three-year-old seasons. “She just stays in the top gear, both directions,” Zuidema shared. “She shows so well, and she is very consistent.”
Tuesday’s win also marked a special milestone for the pair. “This is actually our first trophy!” Zuidema exclaimed. “We’ve lost the tie a couple of times, and we’ve always been second or third. So today I won the tie, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, finally!’ So I finally won the tie and got the hardware. It was awesome.”
Looking ahead, Zuidema’s husband, Tim Zuidema, is set to show Momma Im Comin Home later this week, marking his first time showing a horse in four years, with the possibility of also showing the mare at Congress in October. For Zuidema and her team, The Championship Show at WEC – Ocala offers an opportunity to prepare for what’s ahead. “This is just really nice. It’s real close to home for us. We like to come over here and practice. We’re getting ready for October and getting tuned up.”
$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure – Top Three Results
- Momma Im Comin Home. Katy Jo Zuidema, Karen Wood
- Only On Netflix, Aaron Moses, Dr. Gail Mason
- All Fired Up, Jason English, Melanie Parker
Jason English and All Fiired Up (Fiire N Ice x Makin This Look Good), owned by Melanie Parker, took home first in the NSBA 3-Year-Old Intermediate Open Western Pleasure.
$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Hunter Under Saddle
The $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open & Intermediate Open Hunter Under Saddle welcomed a competitive field to Indoor Arena 1. At the conclusion of the class, Jamie English and Thee Legend (Outlaw Enterprise x Million Dollar Blues), owned by Jean Ann Jordan, secured the win in the $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle.
Known around the barn as ‘Elvis,’ the three-year-old gelding has been in English’s program since he was a yearling. “He’s been a lot of fun,” English shared. “The first time I showed him was here in April. He was fourth there, and then he’s kind of continued to go on and grow.”
For English, Elvis’s willingness and natural ability have stood out throughout his development. “I love how he follows along”, she said. “It’s amazing how big he trots, and then he lopes so softly. He’s 17 hands and quite a big horse, but just his personality, he fits in the program and is willing and takes it all in very well.” English has also enjoyed sharing Elvis’s success with longtime owner Jean Ann Jordan. “He has a wonderful owner, Jean Ann Jordan. She’s been with me for many, many years, so she’s like family,” English said. “That makes it even more fun.”
$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle – Top Three Results
- Thee Legend, Jamie English, Jean Ann Jordan
- Im Better, Keith Miller, Jessica Danielle Wolfer
- Helloo Ladies, Joy Wheeler, Joy Deallis
Joy Wheeler and Helloo Ladies (Its A Southern Thing x Helloo Gorgeous), owned by Joy Deallis, took home first in the NSBA 3-Year-Old Intermediate Open Hunter Under Saddle.
$35,000 NSBA Maturity Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure
Tuesday’s featured competition in Indoor Arena 1 came to a close with the $35,000 NSBA Maturity Open & Intermediate Open Western Pleasure. A strong field of 10 horse-and-rider combinations contested the class, with Katy Jo Zuidema and The Drinkz R On Me (CP Surely The Best x Absolut Martini Girl), owned by Lyle Hanson, rising to the top of the NSBA Maturity Open Western Pleasure.
Standing at 17 hands, the five-year-old gelding’s size, movement, and presence in the show pen are among the qualities Zuidema appreciates most. “I love this horse,” she said. “He jogs great, he lopes great, and he just does all the things. I love how he hangs his head and neck off his withers.”
Zuidema has had the gelding since March of last year, just before showing at WEC – Ocala in April. As the partnership developed, she felt everything begin to come together around the time of Congress last fall, where the pair went on to finish second in the Junior Western Pleasure. Since then, Zuidema has focused on keeping his program varied and allowing him to enjoy his work.
That approach has continued into his 2026 season, with Zuidema being selective about when and where The Drinkz R On Me (CP Surely The Best x Absolut Martini Girl) competes. Rather than showing at every opportunity, her priority has been keeping him fresh and happy for the season’s biggest events. “I took him to the Paint World, didn’t take him to Tulsa. Just saving my horse, so he stays happy and healthy.”
WEC – Ocala has become one of the gelding’s favorite places to step into the show pen, according to Zuidema. With the venue close to home, climate-controlled arenas, and footing he enjoys, she joked that he has become particularly comfortable on the property. “WEC is actually his favorite place to show. This is his jam,” she laughed. “He loves the ground. He’s very close to home. He gets to show in the air conditioning. He just assumes this place was built for him.”
Taking second-place honors was Shannon Curl-Holbin aboard Ten Kinda Southern (Its A Southern Thing x KM Perfect Ten), a four-year-old gelding owned by Gumz Farm Quarter Horses LLC.
Rounding out the top three was Aaron Moses aboard Dang Theres No Doubt (No Doubt Im Lazy x So Dang Hot), a four-year-old gelding owned by Leon Goetz and John Adam.
$35,000 NSBA Maturity Open Western Pleasure – Top Three Results
- The Drinkz R On Me, Katy Jo Zuidema, Lyle Hanson
- Ten Kinda Southern, Shannon Curl- Holbin, Gumz Farm Quarter Horses LLC
- Dang Theres No Doubt, Aaron Moses, Leon Goetz And John Adams
Anthony Montes and Socks For Dayz (PL Best Of Sudden x A Krymsun Babe), owned by Ingrid Miller Quarter Horses LLC, took home first in the NSBA Maturity Intermediate Open Western Pleasure.
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