Ocala, FL – Twenty-six talented horse-and-rider combinations took center stage under the lights of the WEC Grand Arena in hopes of winning the highly anticipated $100,000 NSBA Senior Trail Finals at The Championship Show 2024. At the end of the night, the crowd erupted in applause as Blake Weis and Hot Lopin Lily (RL Best Of Sudden x Shes A Lopin Machine), owned by the Cavallo Family Trust, claimed victory and secured the lion’s share of the prize.
Tim Kimura crafted the challenging pattern with over 100 poles. With the assistance of Garry McAllister, Chad Williams, and the WEC Crew, the course was transformed into a spectacle.
This win marked Weis’ second major victory of the week, having also claimed the $50,000 NSBA Junior Trail class earlier. In preparation for Saturday night’s event, where competitors were not allowed to practice poles for 24 hours prior, Weis took a unique approach. “We did a lot of mental work. I walked around the barn this morning and sat on her during horsemanship, mentally letting her look around and take everything in,” he explained.
Weis also highlighted the most challenging part of the course: “The walks at the end were tough because of the water boxes beside them. The angle was tricky, and the left blue poles on the diagonals were hard to get through.”
Caroline Cavallo, of the Cavallo Family Trust, spoke highly of 2017 mare Hot Lopin Lily, saying, “She’s a blessing to our family. [Blake] found her, trained her, and she will remain with us forever. She gives her all every time she steps into the pen. She’s a true show horse, and she just keeps getting better.”
Weis, who raised the talented mare, added, “I’ve had her for most of her life. She came from my mom’s farm in Missouri. I showed her dam for many years before selling her to Anthony Montes. I’ve pretty much had her my whole life.”
Weis expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to compete for such a substantial prize. “It means so much because we rarely see this kind of money in our industry. I truly believe this is the direction we need to go. It’s incredible that Mary Roberts decided to put this up and make a change for trail.”
Anthony Montes rode A Soxy Dream (A Dream Remembered x Roxie Soxy), a 2013 mare owned by Angela Wade to second place after the pair maneuvered an effortless pattern.
Cecilia Vatterott and Sheri Kern-Gepp’s Fortunateson (Blazing Hot x Choicetta Barreta) received third place honors.
$100,000 NSBA Senior Trail Finals Top Three Results:
1 Hot Lopin Lily, Blake Weis, Cavallo Family Trust
2 A Soxy Dream, Anthony Montes, Angela Wade
3 Fortunateson, Cecilia Vatterott, Sheri Kern-Gepp