Ocala, FL – Feature class action continued during The Championship Show 2025 at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC), running through September 14. Indoor Arena 1 once again took the spotlight for two featured classes: the $10,000 NSBA Maturity Open & Limited Rider Open Hunter Under Saddle and the $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old & Over $2,500 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure.
The $10,000 NSBA Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle was the first highlight on Thursday with nine horse-and-rider combinations vying for top honors. Ultimately, it was Keith Miller aboard Susan Merkatoris’ In Pats Honor (Signature Of Honor x One Hot Jazzy) who took home the win.
Miller explained, “His name is ‘Pat’. We have had him since he was a yearling, coming two-year-old, and he’s five now. Dr. April Speyer bred him and named him after her late husband Pat. We had another customer, Erin Boatwright, lease him last year. When April decided to sell him, Susan Merkatoris decided she wanted to purchase him because she just loved watching him go.”
The flashy gelding has no shortage of charm. “He is a total goofball,” Miller shared. “He is full of personality, super beautiful, and knows it. He has a big trot and soft canter, and a great expression. I think he has a very exotic look, and those are the things that set him apart.”
Miller, a longtime competitor at WEC – Ocala, added, “We love showing here. Having the ability to prepare your horse for any given situation is just so valuable. It’s quiet, the rings are great, the stalls are amazing, overall it’s just an incredible venue.”
$10,000 NSBA Maurity Open Hunter Under Saddle Top Three Results:
1 In Pats Honor, Keith Miller, Susan Merkatoris
2 Give Me The Moves, Katy Jo Zuidema, Rebekah Kazakevicius
3 Southern Wise, Maryah Cugno, Brian & Angela Stanhope
In the NSBA Maturity Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle, it was Maryah Cugno and Southern Wise (Its A Southern Thing x Ima Wise Zipper), a 2019 gelding owned by Brian & Angela Stanhope, who claimed the Limited division title.
$10,000 3-Year-Old & Over $2,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure
The evening wrapped up in Indoor Arena 1 with the $10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old & Over $2,500 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure, where Ten Kinda Southern (Its A Southern Thing x KM Perfect Ten) added another win to his streak. With Shannon Curl-Holbin in the irons for Gumz Farm Quarter Horses LLC, the 2022 gelding earned his third victory of The Championship Show 2025.
Owner Amy Drake Gumz was thrilled with the success. “This is what you dream for,” she expressed. “We knew he was going to be special, but we didn’t know he was going to be this special. I raised the stallion, Its A Southern Thing, and I’ve owned KM Perfect Ten for many years, so it’s the best of both worlds to have the mom and dad.”
For Gumz, the victory was even more meaningful with Curl-Holbin on board. “I was Shannon’s very first customer in 2012 when she went out on her own, then she went back and worked for someone else, and when she married Chris, I was her very first customer again in 2019, so it’s a lot of firsts,” she shared. “Shannon actually rode his sire, It’s A Southern Thing, and she also rode his dam, KM Perfect Ten. Soon, Shannon and possibly me, will be showing the baby brother at Congress, so hopefully we keep the streak going.”
Even with the added attention, Gumz is grateful for the journey. “Someone told me pressure is a privilege, and I think that is spot on. It’s a lot of pressure going in with a streak, but it is a privilege, because I am totally blessed to have this animal and to have the team that works with me and him. So we are going in on a win, and hopefully we come out on the other side.”
$10,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old & Over $2,500 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure Top Three Results:
1 Ten Kinda Southern, Shannon Curl-Holbin, Gumz Farm Quarter Horses LLC
2 Win In Doubt, Sara Simons, Sriya Chandrupatla
3 Cool Liike Me, Katie Green, Debby Brehm
Competition at The Championship Show 2025 continues through Sunday, September 14, at WEC – Ocala. To learn more and view the competition schedule, click here.