Gabe Hutchins and Juiced Up Doc (Waltenberry)
When the dust settled, Gabe Hutchins and Juiced Up Doc were the clear winners bringing home the loot on a score of 226. In his first year of FEI competition and his first try at the CRI**** level, Hutchins stared down the best. He was second to go in the class, and after putting up a great score on the strength of excellent spins, he waited while some of the top reiners in the world tried to beat the standard he set.
“It’s really exciting to show against these guys,” said Hutchins. “Some of them are Hall of Famers and million dollar riders. It’s just an honor to be here and be a part of it. I’ve shown this horse probably five times this year and he’s been real good for me. I wasn’t nervous showing him but I was nervous waiting on the rest of those guys to go.”
Matt Mills had two chances to beat Hutchins score, but Shawn Flarida and Tim McQuay got the closest, tying for second on 224.
Hutchins, 26, had plenty of praise for Juiced Up Doc, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse owned by Lee Schild.
“This is a great show horse,” said Hutchins. “This is by far the best horse I’ve ever shown. This horse is the best show horse I’ve ever swung a leg over. He has over $120,000 in NRHA earnings. He’s the real deal.”
Hutchins, who lives in Orland Park, Illinois near Chicago, hopes to qualify Juiced Up Doc for the FEI Reining Masters, a major international championship in Oklahoma City in November. He works for Jose Vasquez’s Smart Like Juice, Inc.
As a prelude to the Open Reining National Championship, 26 youths competed for their own title at the USEF Youth Reining National Championship presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in three age divisions; 13 & Under, 14-18 and 19-21.
It was girl power all the way as the girls dominated each division by winning champion and reserve champion. And reining runs in the family of the Galbraiths as two out of the three division championships were won by sisters—Carly and Melanie.
With a score of 211.5, Carly Galbraith and her seven-year-old Quarter Horse mare Sweet Starbuck captured the 13 & Under division.
“I thought my ride went very good. I was really happy with her and she did exactly what I asked,” said Carly Galbraith.
Her sister Melanie Galbraith won the 14-18 division with a score of 219 riding her nine-year-old Quarter Horse gelding Smart Snap.
Melanie Galbraith has competed in the Youth Reining Championship since its inception three years ago and she walked away with the highest overall score in the competition— 219. With a big smile, Melanie Galbraith admitted that she was very nervous about the competition.
“I usually don’t get this nervous but I could feel the butterflies this morning,” laughed Melanie Galbraith.
It never showed as Melanie Galbraith had a determined look on her face throughout her ride and with each maneuver, the crowd whistled and cheered.
Even though it was Kate Stewart’s first time competing in the Youth Reining National Championships and she was the first to go in the lineup today, she won the 19-21 division with a score of 211. After her ride, Stewart said that she was “pleased in the end” with her six-year-old Quarter Horse gelding Pica Peppy Doc.
For more information, please contact USEF’s Director of Reining Programs Courtney Barnett at (859) 225-6919 or via email at [email protected].
Joanie Morris and Stacey Meier
ENDS