By Christy Coon

INDIO, Calif. - The 2004 edition of the Desert Classic Horse Show was held in the desert town of Indio, Calif., April 3-4. This show was once again held at the HITS Show Park and consisted of 58 classes.

The Tennessee Walking Horse Association of California hosted the annual event and dedicated this year’s show to the memory of longtime TWHAC member Sheila Mack Kyle, who passed away Jan. 15, 2004. In honor of Mack Kyle, her longtime friend Adrianne Benham graciously hosted an omelet breakfast Sunday morning.

The honorable Larry Derryberry of Pulaski, Tenn., evaluated the Desert Classic entries over the two-day, four-performance schedule.

The ever-popular West Coast team of Generator’s Nat King Cole and Greg Bryant strode to the winner’s circle as they captured the Show Horse Open Grand Championship. This talented black stallion is owned by Doug and Denia Graham’s Dream Acres and is trained by Russ Thompson Stables.

The final ribbon tally found Golden West Farms entries ahead with 25 blues and tricolors, followed closely by 23 ribbons for the Russ Thompson Stables, Step Aside Stables with six, Maggie and Harvey Moore picked up three wins, while Jenny Earhart rounded out the tally with a single win.

Of the 25 wins garnered by the Golden West Farms team, three of those were attributable to Jim and Judy Sims’ Strictly Off The Record. With Judy in the irons, the team topped the Lite-Shod Amateur Specialty and the Lite-Shod Amateur Specialty Four-Year-Old classes, as well as their Lite-Shod Amateur Specialty Grand Championship.

Joyce Hofstee’s Drop It also claimed three blues for the GWF team. Hofstee did the honors in the Park Pleasure Amateur Specialty Novice class, while Tara Beck was aboard for a win in the Park Pleasure Amateur Specialty Four-Year-Old class, and Hannah Pulvers rounded it out with a win in the Park Pleasure Four-Year-Old Open Specialty class.

The Mike Chiaparri family utilized the Desert Classic as their first showcase following their purchase of world grand champion Double Java. Granddaughter Jacqueline Holtschult made her very first show and won her very first blue aboard Double Java in the Lite-Shod Specialty Junior to Ride class. Trainer Scott Benham took a turn and rode to the tricolor ribbon winning the Lite-Shod Open Grand Championship.

Linda Crowley’s Iced Sundrop rode to two blues, in the Lite-Shod Pleasure Western Amateur Specialty and Lite-Shod Pleasure Western Amateur Specialty Novice classes. Hannah Pulvers was in the irons for both wins.

Noon’s Breeze made quite a two-year-old debut and picked up two wins. Owner Mark Drummond topped the Show Horse Amateur Specialty Two-Year-Old class, while Scott Benham topped the Show Horse Open Specialty Two-Year-Old class.

Joyce Hofstee and Apocalypse were also in the winner’s circle twice with a blue in the Show Pleasure Amateur Specialty class and a tricolor ride to win the Show Pleasure Amateur Specialty Grand Championship.

Mike and Marilee Moran took home two blue ribbons for the weekend. Their My Advice topped the Park Pleasure Western Amateur Specialty class, while Handy Jazz won the Show Pleasure Amateur Specialty Novice class. Hannah Pulvers directed both of these entries.

Charles and Julie Wharton’s Poplar Creek Farm, LLC also took home two blues. Charles directed Invictus to the winner’s circle in the Show Horse Amateur Specialty class. Hannah Pulvers directed Olympic Playboy to a win in the Lite-Shod Amateur Specialty Novice class.

Paul and Donna Hughes picked up two wins with their horses, A Skywalker and Noon’s Megan. A Skywalker topped the Show Horse Open Specialty Gentlemen to Ride class, and Noon’s Megan won the Show Horse Open Three-Year-Old class. Scott Benham expertly directed both of these wins.

The following single blues were added to the board by Golden West Farms entries: Patti Boiko’s Hide ‘N Seek took the blue in the Park Pleasure Amateur Specialty Three-Year-Old event with Maggie Moore in the irons; Show Horse Amateur Specialty Four-Year-Old champions Red Twister and Donald Steves made a good ride for owners Tom and Linda Steves; John and Bobbie Parady’s China Beach, teamed with trainer Manuel Rodriguez, topped the Park Pleasure Open Three-Year-Old class; As Good As Elvis and Tim Schamber made a blue ribbon showing in the Show Horse Amateur Specialty Three-Year-Old class for Tim and Tammie Schamber; and Hannah Pulvers led Beecham’s Golden Surprise to the win in the Halter Open Weanling class for Juan and Vivian Chavez.

In addition to the Open Grand Championship tricolor, Russ Thompson Stables made a good accounting of wins. Harvey and Maggie Moore’s He’s A Wrangler was directly responsible for two blues and a tricolor championship. Maggie directed wins in the Trail Pleasure Western Amateur Specialty and Trail Pleasure English Amateur Specialty and returned to claim the Trail Pleasure English/Western Amateur Specialty Grand Championship.

The horses under the banner of Sue and Pat Harrington’s Legacy Walkers had a great weekend and claimed three wins. Sue expertly directed Jazz In Dixie to a blue in the Show Horse Amateur Specialty Ladies class. The team of Pat Harrington and Walking On Thin Ice were once again in the winner’s circle in the Show Horse 15.2 & Under class. Trainer Greg Bryant took the reins of JFK’s Irish Dream and guided the win of the Show Horse Open Four-Year-Old class.

It was a busy weekend for the Harrington family. In addition to showing, a bridal shower for Sue Harrington and Jose Cavazos was hosted by Trish Wooten and Christy Coon on Saturday with lunch provided by Pat Harrington. Sue and Jose were to be married the following weekend in Hawaii with their family in attendance.

Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio and Carleen Redman make a terrific team and had a win in the Park Pleasure Amateur Specialty class as well as the Park Pleasure Amateur Specialty Grand Championship. Their biggest supporter, husband Gary Redman, was there to cheer them on.

Gary Empfield was on hand to witness the two wins by his All Time Melody. Trainer Trish Wooten rode to a victory in the Lite-Shod Pleasure Western Open class and led for the win of the Open Halter Model class.

Trish Wooten also rode Colleen Jaehnig’s Sleepless In Seattle to wins in the Spotted Saddle Horse Western Open Specialty and the Spotted Saddle Horse English Open Specialty classes.

Noel and Roberta Williams’ entry I’m The Man In Charge picked up a win for the weekend. Sue Brassy did the honors aboard I’m The Man In Charge in the Show Horse Amateur Specialty Novice class, while trainer Ray Reis lent support from the rail.

Jenny Earhart’s RTS trained entries won two blues for the wall. My Montego Bay and Jamey Thompson topped the Park Pleasure Open Specialty class, while Centennial Surprise and Whitney Wagner rode to the winner’s circle in the Park Pleasure Specialty Junior to Ride class.

Pusher’s Curtain Call and Sudden Decision both picked up a win for owners Clanton and Sandra DuBose. Pusher’s Curtain Call walked to the blue in the Lite-Shod Four-Year-Old Open Specialty class, and Sudden Decision was the Lite-Shod Pleasure Open Grand Champion. Trainer Jamey Thompson directed both horses. Thompson also expertly directed Dragonfire to the Park Pleasure Open Grand Championship for Sandra DuBose and Glenn Crawford, who recently purchased the talented mount from Noel and Roberta Williams.

The ever-popular team of A Specialist and Susan Gordon were named Show Horse Amateur Specialty Grand Champions in an exciting class. The Arthur Gordon family’s Stone Gait Farm owns this entry.

New owners Jim and Cindy Heiting were ecstatic with Bad News Gold Hard Cash’s return to the show ring. Trainer Trish Wooten directed the blue ribbon performance in the Park Pleasure Western Open Three-Gait class.

Time To Glo and Kylee Sargenti made a championship ride to top the Show Horse Amateur Stake class for the Sargenti family.

Rounding out the RTS count, The Nightlife and Ashley Munson Child made an excellent show to win the Show Horse Specialty Junior to Ride class for DJC, LLC.

Step Aside Stables gathered six wins for the weekend, and five of those were due to the hard work of Gen’s Supreme Fury, the winningest horse of the show.

Gen’s Supreme Fury won the Trail Pleasure Amateur Specialty Novice class with owner Laura Weymouth, while DJ Claireville led to the wins in the Halter Two-Year-Old and Over and the Halter Open Championship; Brittney Ellis rode to the winner’s circle in the Trail Pleasure Western Amateur Specialty Novice and Trail Pleasure Specialty Junior to Ride classes.

Noon’s Dreamin Blue contributed the final win for Step Aside in the Lite-Shod Pleasure Specialty Junior to Ride class with Brianna Dotson for owner Steph Walther.

Harvey and Maggie Moore’s amateur owned and trained entry Acapulco made his first trip to a horse show and picked up an impressive two blues and a tricolor! Maggie was aboard for the wins of the Lite-Shod Pleasure English Amateur Specialty and Lite-Shod Pleasure Amateur Specialty Novice classes, as well as the championship ride in the Lite-Shod Pleasure Stake.

Jenny Earhart’s Royal’s Prince Charlie, whom she lovingly trains, won the Lite-Shod Pleasure Three-Gait class. Earhart directed this win.

In addition to the blue ribbon count, the Desert Classic named Brianna Dotson as the High Point Junior Rider; Gen’s Supreme Fury, owned by Laura Weymouth, as the High Point Trail Pleasure entry; and Acapulco, owned by Harvey and Maggie Moore, as the High Point Lite-Shod Pleasure entry.

This concludes the highlights from the 2004 edition of the Desert Classic. Complete results follow and may also be found on our web site at www.walkinghorsereport.com.