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2021 ASHBA NAT'L PLEASURE EQUITATION FINALS RETURN TO ST. LOUIS CHARITY
The American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association (ASHBA) has announced the hosting of the ASHBA National Pleasure Equitation Finals at the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show. Phase One and Phase Two of the Finals will take place on Thursday, September 30.
ASHBA once again will be sponsoring a $1,000 scholarship to this year’s winner, $500 scholarship for reserve and gifts to all of the remaining ASHBA Finals competitors. Becker Brothers LLC has contributed a custom shirt for both the reserve and third-place finishers.
The ASHBA National Pleasure Equitation Finals are integral in growing the sport of Equitation and the use of the American Saddlebred Pleasure horse. For decades, the ASHBA Finals have brought national recognition and scholarship monies to the exhibitors competing. Historically, the ASHBA Finals were a part of the Illinois American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association Equitation Championship series at their National Championship Pleasure Horse Show, and then migrated to become a feature of the Wisconsin Futurity. Recently, the ASHBA Finals have found a new home at the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show, and has been strongly supported by the Saddle Seat Equitation community, averaging 16 entries annually since 2015.
The 2020 ASHBA National Pleasure Equitation Finals saw Karlyn Connolly and Undulata’s Power Broker ERB best a strong field of 17 pleasure Equitation entries to take home the victory. Milestone Stables in White House, Tenn., did the training and instructing. Connolly was a top-three finisher in 2019, this team worked hard to navigate a challenging year to find themselves in the winners circle this year. Connolly was a multi-breed and discipline rider from Mount Vernon, Iowa, who had recently partnered with Undulata's Power Broker ERB. In addition to the ASHBA National Pleasure Equitation Finals Champion title, this team also won the Senior National Championship from the Pleasure Equitation Olympics and UPHA Pleasure Equitation Challenge Cup at All American Classic earlier this month.
-- via ASHBA