Nine year old Alexa Rae Goosley won a world championship riding Sevati. Credit: Howard Schatzberg.
The 2020 edition of the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show was a great success during the year of the pandemic. It all happened because of the extra hours put in by the show committee and officials, and all of the stables followed the rules and regulations established by the US Equestrian Federation.
“There as so many moving parts putting on a show of this size, plus factoring in the safety and health concerns with Covid-19 this year,” said Betsy Wallen, Show Chairman. “The Morgan community at the show did a wonderful job following the guidelines that were put in place to safely show under these circumstances.”
Even though entries were down a bit in number, the quality abound in every division. Many special memories were made as different generations in several families shared the winner’s circle. There was also a notable number of home-bred horses that were shown by their breeders to world titles.
Entries from the Mid-Atlantic region were no exceptions.
Tara Wentz Goosley brought five horses from her Wentz Stable in Orefield, PA. She coached her daughter, Alexa Rae Goosley, to the Grand National Walk Trot Classic Pleasure 9-Year-Old Championship and the World Walk Trot Classic Pleasure 9 & Under Championship. She was riding Sevati, a bay mare owned by Kathleen Tomlinson. Later in the event, Sevati and Alexa went on to win the Grand National Walk Trot Classic Equitation 9-Year-Old Championship and the World Walk Trot Classic Equitation 9 & Under Championship. In both the World Championships, Alexa’s win was unanimous under two different judging panels.
Mykonos won the Reserve Grand National Junior Exhibitor Classic Pleasure Saddle 14 & 15 Championship. He was ridden by Patrick McMurtrie for owners Erica Webster and Pam Wirth of Muncy, PA.
Also showing under the Wentz Stable banner, Eddie Money won the Grand National Four-Year-Old Park Harness Stallion Championship. Owned by Amos Glick, the black stallion was driven by Mark Mason. The duo went on to win the Reserve World Four-Year-Old Park Harness Championship.
There were many winners shown under the direction of Mike Goebig and Dwayne Knowles of Broadmoor in Kutztown, PA.
Blurred Lines and owner Kim Germ-Cramer were the first to bring a tri-color ribbon back to hang on the stable banner. For the second year in a row, they won both the Grand National Ladies English Pleasure Mare Championship and the World Ladies English Pleasure Championship.
In her Grand National debut, Unpretentious was Reserve Grand National Four-Year-Old Classic Pleasure Champion. She then won the World Junior Classic Pleasure Driving Championship. What made these wins even more special is that the mare was driven by her breeder/owner Laurie Sterling.
After her sixth show ring performance, Outrageouslee was Reserve Grand National Two-Year-Old Pleasure Driving Champion. Owned by Tony Lee, the bay filly was driven by Dwayne Knowles.
Tony catch drove Newmont’s Pretty Please and won the Grand National Amateur Gentlemens Pleasure Driving Championship. The five-year-old bay mare is owned by Tony Alagna of Millstone Farm. Later in the show, the duo captured the Reserve World Amateur Pleasure Driving Championship.
Millstone Farm’s Radical Atomic Force won the Grand National Three-Year-Old Pleasure Driving Championship. Later in the week, the stallion trotted down victory lane as the Reserve World Three-Year-Old Pleasure Driving Champion and the Reserve UPHA Morgan Pleasure Driving Classic Champion. He is owned by Tony Alagna of Millstone Morgans in Manalapan, NJ, and was driven by Mike Goebig.
For the second year in a row, Indian Creek American Girl won the Grand National Amateur Masters English Pleasure Championship. The bay mare was ridden by owner Holly Johnson.
Get Lucky was the Reserve Champion in the Hunter Pleasure Gentlemens Final. Lucky is owned by Emily Lents and was ridden by Assistant Trainer John Velardi.
John also rode CN Awaited Masterpiece to the Reserve World Three-Year-Old English Pleasure Championship. The stallion is owned by Cindy Nord.
Allyson Nord Wandtke rode her gelding, What’s Up GCH, to the Grand National Amateur English Pleasure Stallion & Gelding Championship. The duo added a third world title to their show record. In 2018, they won the World Ladies Amateur English Pleasure Championship; in 2019, they won the World Open English Pleasure Championship; and this year, they won the World Amateur English Pleasure Championship. They were on the top of all three judges’ cards.
In 2011, Maria Tartaglione made her first victory pass at the Grand National, and there have been many other rides since then. This year, she rode her four-year-old mare, Ledyard All the Rage, to the Reserve World Youth English Pleasure Championship. This was the young mare’s first time in the winner’s circle in OKC, so this duo has an exciting future together.
For the second year in a row, Carol Dawson won the Grand National Park Saddle Mare Championship. Mike Goebig was in the saddle for owner Holly Johnson.
The last class of the show was the World Park Saddle Championship. Mike was back in the winner’s circle adding another World Park Saddle title to his record. The spectacular Carol Dawson earned the tricolor for the second year in a row for owner Holly Johnson.
This was the eighth time in his career that Mike Goebig has won this coveted title. He won four times with The Master’s Touch, two times with Stand And Deliver, and a second time with Carol Dawson.
When all the ribbons were presented, horse show announcer Peter Fenton asked Mike to come stand in the center of the ring, and asked the spotlight crew to aim their lights on Mike and the mare. Peter told the inhouse spectators and the larger virtual audience that as Mike was about to trot out of the ring in the spotlight, he was completing his 50th year of showing Morgans professionally.
Another barn in Lehigh County at the show was Alicia Owens’ Scottfield Stables in Lenhartsville, PA. Alicia brought seven horses to the show, including her six-year-old bay stallion, EKL Shakedown. Alicia drove him to the Reserve Grand National Park Harness Stallion Championship.
CBMF Momentarily won the Grand National Youth English Pleasure Championship. Owned by Kathy Dowling, the gelding was ridden by Audra Lee.
Alicia coached Sophie Esarco to the Grand National Saddle Seat Equitation Classic Equitation 14-17 Championship. Later in the week, Sophie went on to win the world title in this division. She was riding SFS Johnny Drama, who is owned by Kristina Vingelis of Binghamton, NY.
Amanda DuPont brought 11 horses from her Windward Farm in Port Matilda, PA. She rode Warpath CH to the Reserve Grand National Four-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Stallion & Gelding Championship. The black stallion is owned by Jane Soura
Jane’s Extreme Makeover won the Grand National Three-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Stallion & Gelding Championship and the Reserve World Three-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Championship.
Amanda also showed Mjys Glitz Maker to the Grand National Ladies Hunter Pleasure Gelding Championship, Grand National Hunter Pleasure Stallion & Gelding Championship, and the Reserve World Hunter Pleasure Championship. The six-year-old is owned by Machado PA LLC.
Allison Munson won the Grand National Hunter Seat on the Flat Equitation 13 Championship riding Amanda’s mare, SSLLC Exhale.
Amanda’s son, AJ Billetts, won the Reserve Grand National Walk Trot English Pleasure 9 & Under Championship. Full of determination, he went back in the world championship, against older riders, and captured the World Walk Trot English Pleasure 11 & Under Championship. He rode Jane Thompson’s mare, BRMF Fearless, in both classes.
Amanda’s sister, Lauren DuPont was Reserve Grand National Hunter Seat Equitation 36 & Over Champion with Flintlocks Grandee GCH.
Kerrianne Adamek of Murraysville, PA, showed three horses with trainer Tim Roesink of Grove Pointe Stables. She won both the Grand National Youth Classic Pleasure Driving and Youth Classic Pleasure Saddle Youth Finals with Crooked Run Last Call, a six-year-old owned by Daisy Beisler of Oneonta, NY.
Kerri rode her six-year-old gelding, Liquid Assets, to the World Amateur Park Saddle Championship following a blue- ribbon performance in the Grand National qualifier.
Riding her gelding, Kinzu Giovanni Cavalli, Kerri won both the Grand National Youth Park Saddle Championship and the World Youth Park Saddle Championship.
Also showing under the Grove Pointe Stables banner was Nancy Hendricks of Middletown, MD. She drove her eight-year-old gelding, Dragonsmeade Vendome, to both the Grand National and World Championship titles in the Amateur Masters Pleasure Driving division.
Lynn Begalla of Pittsburgh, PA, rode her 10-year-old gelding, Cimi’s Primo, to the Reserve Grand National Amateur Masters Hunter Pleasure 50-60 Championship. She shows under the direction of Phil Fountain of Fire Stables.
RBF Maverick won the Grand National Amateur Ladies Western Pleasure Gelding Championship. Meghan Wolfe rode him for owner Suzy Trueblood of Waynesburg, PA. The gelding is trained by Tommy Garland of Garlands Ltd.
Dragonsmeade Black Dragon GCH was the Reserve World Junior Exhibitor English Pleasure 13 & Under Champion. Owned by Nancy Gravel of Hebron, NY, the 10-year-old black gelding was ridden by Madeline von Ballmoos. She shows under the direction of her father, Jaisen von Ballmoos, of Fairview Stables.
Madeline was the unanimous winner in both the UPHA Junior Saddle Seat Challenge Cup National Championship and World Saddle Seat Equitation 13 & Under Championship. She was riding a borrowed horse, The Boogie Monster GCH, who is owned by Sienna and Monica Williamson. She also won the UPHA Junior Sportsmanship award.
Jeff Bessey of Summer Bird Farm in Holland, NY, rode Burn It Down to the Reserve World Three-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Futurity Championship. The gelding is owned by Barbara Wade.
The 2020 Grand National Morgan Youth of the Year and Junior Invitational awards took place virtually over the weeks of September 10th through October 17th. The contest included a 250-question exam on horse and Morgan-related topics, a horsemanship pattern, a judging contest, as well as a speech given on a horse-related topic.
Abigail Edwards of Ringoes, NJ, won the Written Exam portion of the contest. Jessica Hyman of Fulton, NY, placed fourth in the Speech division. Kiana Pearson of Ballston Spa, NY, placed sixth in the Horsemanship Pattern and second in the Judging division of the contest.
“We are so grateful to our exhibitors, show staff, judges and Morgan supporters that all helped make the show happen this year,” Betsy Wallen said. “Plans are already in the works for the 2021 show with Ann de St. Remy at the helm of the show committee. We hope that our circumstances will be back to near normal, however we feel that we will be able adjust to any curve balls that get thrown in our path.”