The Championship Show 2026: Wednesday, September 16 Featured Class Highlights

Ocala, FL – Competition continued Wednesday at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) during The Championship Show 2026, running through September 20. Wednesday’s schedule featured a strong lineup of competition across arenas, highlighted by the $15,000 Maturity Limited Horse Western Pleasure, $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non-Pro & Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure, $5,000 4 & 5-Year-Old Open Trail, $10,000 NSBA Open & Limited Open 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding, $10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro & Limited Non-Pro Ranch Riding, $5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Western Pleasure, and $5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle.

$15,000 Maturity Limited Horse Western Pleasure

Featured competition began in Indoor Arena 1 with the $15,000 Maturity Limited Horse Western Pleasure, where 10 horse-and-rider combinations competed for the top prize. Ultimately, Jon J. Allen III piloted Brenda Lombard’s 2019 gelding Monkey Cee Monkey Do (Gone Viral x Breezy Version) to victory.

Allen has developed a strong partnership with Monkey Cee Monkey Do, known as ‘Lucky’ around the barn, throughout their time together. The pair has been showing together for approximately two and a half years, giving Allen plenty of opportunities to learn what he can expect from his mount when they step into the show pen.

“I’ve been showing him for about two and a half years, and showing, Lucky is just awesome,” Allen shared. That familiarity proved valuable in Wednesday’s class. Rather than pointing to one particular moment that separated Lucky from the field, Allen credited the horse’s reliability and willingness to perform each time they enter the arena.

“Lucky is always consistent, and he always does his job, and ends up doing it well,” Allen said.

For Allen, competing at WEC – Ocala has become a familiar experience, and the atmosphere continues to be one of the things he enjoys most about returning to the venue. “This is a really good environment for the horses and riders,” he expressed.

$15,000 Maturity Limited Horse Western Pleasure Top Three Results:

1. Monkey Cee Monkey Do, Jon J. Allen III, Brenda Lombard
2. Shes So Southern, Carmen Mayabb, Steven Corkum
3. Hp The Lazy Machine, Tyler Schultz, Danielle E Watson

$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non-Pro & Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure

The $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure was the second featured class of Wednesday Indoor Arena 1, where Raymond Arnona and the 2023 gelding Couture Made (Macine Made x Only Couture) rose to the top of the leaderboard. 

Wednesday marked an exciting start to the new partnership between Arnona and Couture Made, as the pair stepped into the show pen together for the first time. Having only recently acquired the three-year-old, Arnona entered the class still getting to know his new mount and learning what to expect from him in the show pen. 

“I have never shown him before,” Arnona shared. Couture Made made a strong first impression in the show pen, giving Arnona plenty to look forward to as they continue to get to know one another. “He is a really nice horse. I can tell he’s going to be great.

$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Top Three Results:

1. Couture Made, Raymond Arnona, Raymond Arnona
2. Vs Im No Doubts, Gorman Barger, Gorman & Alice Barger

Gorman Barger and VS Im No Doubts (No Doubt Im Lazy x Vitals Signs Are Stable), owned by Gorman & Alice Barger, took home first in the Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure.

$5,000 4 & 5-Year-Old Open Trail

Indoor Arena 4 welcomed 21 horse-and-rider combinations to vie for the win in the  $5,000 4 & 5-Year-Old Open Trail on Wednesday morning. At the conclusion of the class, Nick Mayabb and Elizabeth Ann Maggert’s Cookin Somethin Up (Hay Goodlookn x Caught Me Looking) secured the win with a score of 237.5.0

Known around the barn as ‘Frank,’ the 2021 stallion, Cookin Something Up has been partnered with Mayabb for the past two years. “I’ve shown him for two years now, and that’s why he just started showing this year,” Mayabb shared. “Having that extra year made a big difference, and he kind of trusts me.” 

Mayabb found Wednesday’s pattern challenging, particularly with three different sets of walkovers incorporated throughout the course. “It was challenging because there were three different spots for walkovers,” he explained. “It was not easy.” Mayabb and Frank will return to the arena later this week for the $100,000 All Age Open Trail, and he plans to stick with the approach that earned them Wednesday’s win. “I think we’re going to keep doing what we were doing. It seems to be working.” 

$5,000 4 & 5-Year-Old Open Trail Top Three Results:

1. Cookin Somethin Up, Nick Mayabb, Elizabeth Ann Maggert | 237.50
2. Hoop Here She Is, Blake Weis, Meaghan Pye | 236
3. Made You Miss Me, Nick Mayabb, Lacey Armstrong | 232 

$5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Western Pleasure

Elizabeth Baker and Alice and Gorman Burger’s VS Im No Doubts (No Doubt Im Lazy x Vital Signs R Stable) rose to the top of the $5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Western Pleasure in Indoor Arena 1.

Baker purchased the 2023 gelding in April for longtime clients Alice and Gorman Burger, who have been part of her program for nearly 20 years. “Every year, he says, ‘This is my last horse,’ and then he buys a different one,” Baker laughed. Since joining the barn, VS Im No Doubts So has continued to develop and gain experience. “He’s definitely a lot more broke than he was when I brought him in April,” she shared.

With Gorman also showing the gelding earlier in the day, Baker entered the class focused on giving him a confident trip. “He was a little nervous when Gorman showed him this morning, so I just went in there more to make sure he behaved, and he was a good boy today,” she said.

$5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Western Pleasure Top Three Results:

1. VS Im No Doubts, Elizabeth Baker, Alice & Gorman Barger
2. Topp Shelf Martini, Carmen Mayabb, Shawn Johnson 
3. Best One Made, Hanna Walier, Hanna Walier 

$10,000 NSBA Open & Limited Open 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding

Hunter Arena 2 hosted Wednesday’s Ranch Riding competition, beginning with the $10,000 NSBA Open & Limited Open 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding. A competitive field of 13 entries vied for the win, but it was Bud Lyon who topped the field aboard Its Sho Time (Spooks Grand Slam x Hey Dilly Dilly), owned by his childhood friend Lee Orr. 

For Lyon, the win carried an added layer of meaning. He personally selected Its Sho Time as a prospect for Orr after his young daughter developed a passion for horses and the family decided to purchase one of their own.

“Lee called me about a year ago and said, ‘I can’t even believe I’m making this phone call,’” Lyon laughed. “Lee said, ‘Carly has fallen in love with horses, and she’s been taking lessons. She is showing a lot of passion and dedication.’” The search ultimately led Lyon to Its Sho Time. “We found a prospect for the Orr family, and we’ve really enjoyed the journey. It’s so much fun to have my good friends go along the adventure with me.” Quality of movement initially attracted Lyon to the young buckskin, who he described as “a really cute trotter” and “a great loper,” with an expressive look and eye-catching color.

Lyon felt Wednesday’s pattern allowed the three-year-olds to showcase their strengths without asking too much of them. “We got to show off all the gaits. There was just enough element of complexity to it, I thought, to help the judges separate the horses on their cards,” he explained. “It wasn’t too challenging for a three-year-old, which is important at this stage of the game.” Wednesday proved doubly successful for Lyon, who also piloted SS Got My P H D, owned by Jennifer Dawson, to second place. “It’s always fun to be the winner; to be first and second, even better,” he shared. 

$10,000 NSBA Open 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding Top Three Results:

1. Its Sho Time, Bud Lyon, Lee Orr 
2. SS Got My P H D, Bud Lyon, Jennifer Dawson
3. Shogunn, Matt Gouthro, Amanda Mcginley

Owner and rider Jennifer Burton of HezRealClever (Smart Spook x Freckled Wiz) took home first in the Limited 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding

$10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro & Limited Non-Pro Ranch Riding

A competitive field of 16 non-pro riders took center stage in Hunter Arena 2 for the $10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro Ranch Riding. At the conclusion of the class, owner and rider Erika Collins Sterling piloted Xtra Wimpys Catalyst (Wimpys Little Step x Im Not Blonde) to victory.

$10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro Ranch Riding Top Three Results:

1. Xtra Wimpys Catalyst, Erika Collins Sterling, Erika Collins Sterling
2. Woodford On Ice, Sydney Sargent, Sydney Sargent
3. Good Gravy, Dana Lanning, Dana Lanning

In the Limited Non-Pro Ranch Riding, owner and rider Sydney Sargent guided her three-year-old stallion Woodford On Ice (FM Cottonwood x Brennas Red Dunit), known as ‘Woody’ around the barn, to the win.

$5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle

The $5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle wrapped up the day in Indoor Arena 1. From a field of 11, Tali Terlizzi piloted her own three- year-old mare The Queen Beee (Good Better Best x Al Eyez On My Asset), known as ‘Jackie,’ to the top of the class.

Terlizzi has been showing the three-year-old since April, with the pair gaining experience together at WEC – Ocala and the NSBA World Championship Show. Wednesday marked Terlizzi’s first time showing Jackie in the Limited Open division, using the class as an opportunity for additional preparation ahead of Congress. “This horse has made me a more confident rider,” Terlizzi shared. “She listens to everything. She’s fun to show. It’s always a good ride.”

Jackie’s responsiveness and consistency have made her a rewarding partner for Terlizzi in the show pen. “She has a great feel, and she’ll stay with you every stride,” she shared. “It’s really all come together at the right time.” The mare’s movement also shines in WEC – Ocala’s expansive arenas, something Terlizzi particularly enjoys. “It’s a lot of fun to show in a big pen, especially when you have a good trotter like her.”

$5,000 3-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results:

1. The Queen Beee, Tali Terlizzi, Tali Terlizzi 
2. TWF Counting Stars, Tim Gillespie, Tim Gillespie
3. Boys Gossip Too, Maryah Cugno, Brian & Angela Stanhope

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