Story originally posted by: Ruth E. Stotler

Usually, the big story is what's happening inside the arena at a horse show. However, at this year's Roberts' Whistle Stop Futurity, held June 28-30, the news was about what wasn't happening.

The family-owned futurity, which celebrated its fifth year, has always been one of the largest paying futurities, ranking second on the year-end charts the last four years behind the Quarter Horse Congress. Held every year in late June, it misses the NSBA July 1 cut-off for approving 2-year-old and yearling classes.



In the past, the Robertses chose to hold the classes despite the lack of approval. However, they would not show their own 2-year-olds until the Congress. With winds of change blowing in the pleasure industry recently and people becoming more aware of the effects of hauling young horses, the Roberts family decided to make their show consistent with their personal beliefs, removing the 2-year-old and yearling classes from the lineup for the 2001 show.

In exchange, they added 4-year-old classes to promote the older horses and give exhibitors another opportunity for showing.

Reactions to the decision spanned the range of emotions, varying from shock to approval to anger.

NSBA First Vice President Steve Heckaman said, "Some people criticized her (Mary Roberts) for not having the 2-year-old and longe line. But actually, I admire her for having a vision about the horses and about the stress and pressure that we put on young horses, and being willing to compromise her format, even though she knew it might cost her financially."

Mary Roberts felt that the demands of hauling a 2-year-old, in the spring to several shows and pushing them to be ready for summer futurities, put too much stress on the horse's developing body.

Her trainer, Greg Wheat, agreed, saying, "June and July is just too early in the year, in my opinion."

Wheat has noticed that, even at the shows where 2-year-old events are being held, the classes are much smaller this year.

"I think it's because people are getting smarter," he said. "If they take their time, wait, and get them broke before showing them, they last a lot longer."

Despite the controversy, the Roberts family and staff pulled out all the stops to make the show enjoyable for the exhibitors and spectators. Along with a large lineup of classes, the Robertses offered an egg toss that drew 54 teams.

Heckaman said, "I think the Whistle Stop is one of the nicest futurities we go to all year because Mary really does a good job. She had food every night for anybody that wanted to eat, and she had fun activities like the egg toss and pony pleasure.

"She's done a great job putting the word 'fun' back into horse shows. Because there is a lot of money involved, many of us take it too seriously. We forget the premise horse shows are supposed to be based on, having a good time."

Along with the fun aspect of the show, Heckaman feels that the Whistle Stop and Tom Powers Futurities are where he weighs himself against his competition for that futurity year, because the two shows draw the cream of the crop.

Three-Year-Old Western Pleasure Champion Troy Oakley agreed, saying, "It's one of the best futurities there is in the country. Not only is it a great facility, but they do such a good job of putting it on and their hospitality is terrific."

Wayne Holt, who won the Maturity Limited Open, stressed, "I personally could not agree with her more that 2-year-olds should not be shown that early and I admire her, commend her and applaud her for taking a stand and sticking to her guns. I'd like to thank Mary Roberts and her entire family and organization for the most incredible horse show and horse show facility in the United States. The only reason we go there is it's so much fun and so family-oriented."

3-Year-Old Western Pleasure
Inside the arenas, it was business as usual at the Whistle Stop.

Troy Oakley had shown up with his 3-year-old, Vested Faith, planning to show her just in the novice horse class. However, once he started comparing her to his competition, he realized the mare was more advanced than he had thought, so he decided to give her a chance in the 3-Year-Old Open against some of the top horses.

He rode the mare in the 3-Year-Old $1,000 Novice Horse class and finished first, which wasn't a surprise to Oakley. However, when he took the championship ribbon in the 3-Year-Old Open, it was a different story.

"When I got her in May, I thought she had some potential," he said. "But she's one of those that every day you get her out, she just gets better and better. She is the kindest-minded horse I've had in a long time. She must stay up all night and study, because the next day she doesn't forget a thing you taught her."

Prior to Oakley, the mare had started with Mike Tivoli and moved to Tina Kaven's as a 2-year-old.

"I think Tina put some good basics and some good background on her to where we could go ahead and put the finish on it at the house," the Pinnacle, N.C., trainer said.

Mark Proctor, Wilson, N.C., who bought Vested Faith from Kaven, had been one of Oakley's clients in the mid-'80s, prior to taking over a decade away from the horse industry while starting a new company. After buying the half-sister to former Horse-of-the-Year Lotto Flash, Proctor brought the mare to Oakley.

Oakley had shown Lotto Flash during his 4-year-old year and said this mare was even better than her talented half-brother. The two share their dam, Cinnamon Seeker, but Vested Faith is by Vested Pine, while Lotto Flash is by Flashy Zipper.

"She's bred to be a really nice horse," he said. "She is probably one of the freakiest lopers that I've ever seen and that's what everybody tells me. They talk about having the sweep in the hock, and she has it and the full extension of the front leg."

He was so convinced of the mare's talent that he purchased her for his son, Tate, who has finished in the top 10 at the Youth World the past two years.

"I didn't look at this horse as a horse trainer but as a dad," Oakley said.

3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle
From the first moment she spotted Tina Volmer longeing Moxies Shadow around, trainer Vicky Holt knew the bay gelding was special. When Volmer called and offered to sell the gelding, Vicky took one more look and was convinced.

Fortunately, one of her clients was looking to make a step up from the novice amateur. So, they bought the 2-year-old gelding and planned for Vicky to show him as a 3-year-old and owner Liza Houck to begin riding him in amateur classes as a 4-year-old.

However, after only a few shows, the handsome gelding, by Millun Moxie Man out of Lauriston Adrift (TB), was quickly snatched up by Rita Crundwell after he won the 3-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle at the Whistle Stop.

"Rita saw him at (Oklahoma City) Redbud and just showed a lot of interest in him," Vicky explained, "so we ended up selling him to her right after Whistle Stop. He's been a wonderful horse and I've been pretty fortunate."

During "Frenchie's" 2-year-old year, Vicky was heavily occupied showing Coats N Tails for David James. However, when the stallion went to the breeding shed early this year, she made the decision to start showing Frenchie at the spring circuits, starting with the Arizona Sun Circuit.

"It was the first time I put an English saddle on him and I didn't know what he was going to do," she recalled. "When we first started riding him, he could be pretty broncy. So I was just like, 'Oh no, what's he going to do with this English saddle?' "

But he strode into the arena like a pro and won the green hunter under saddle class every day but one. From there, she decided to take a chance and started showing him in the junior classes and he won most of those, as well. At the Oklahoma City Redbud, he won the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Futurity.

"His mind was really good and just had a fantastic topline that was an ideal hunt seat prospect, really. After being around Acadomosby Award and Conclusive Bar Cody when I was with Charlie (Cole) and Jason (Martin), I think he has a little bit of both of them in there," she said.

Because Vicky's husband, Wayne, is judging at the Congress, she won't be showing there. However, she has a dilemma for the World Show because Crundwell has offered to let her ride Frenchie in the Junior, but she has planned to ride Coats N Tails for James.

"It's really special to be able to ride such good ones and they go on and have careers," she said. "That's my job. But you hate it when they go because you've worked so hard and made such a nice horse and somebody else gets to on. But at least I've done my job."

3-Year-Old Non-Pro Intermediate
In her third year of NSBA competition, non-pro exhibitor Libby Trucco, Delaware, Ohio, is riding at the top of the field on her lovely black mare, Kissed In The Dark, a.k.a. "Kizzy."

The daughter of Dynamic In The Dark, was one of many reasons that it was a shame to lose such a promising young sire. In only two shows last year, Congress and the Just For Pleasure Futurity, Kizzy earned $15,307.41 with Trucco and trainer Karen Hornick in the saddle.

"She's great to show," Trucco said. "Obviously, as she's gotten older, she's gotten broker. I wish they could make them like Kizzy more often."

Trucco said she owes a lot to Ty and Karen Hornick, her trainers. Kizzy is the second horse that Karen has ridden for her in their three years together. And it was the Hornicks that found Kizzy for Trucco last May.

They were visiting Riverside Ranch looking at the prospects when they spotted the dark filly.

"It was just her color and the way she carries her topline," Ty said of what they noticed. "She's real well-cadenced. That's the biggest reason we bought her and liked her.

"She's been pretty good to train. We had our rough spots as a 2-year-old. But once we got through them, it's been pretty easy all along. She's gotten a lot more mature in her body - just physically a lot more mature."

They plan to show Kizzy at the World Show and offer her up for sale after that. However, if she isn't sold, Trucco plans to continue showing her as a 4-year-old and eventually make her a broodmare.

Maturity Limited
Along with Vicky's championship in the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle, her husband, Wayne, came home a champion from Whistle Stop, as well. He won the Maturity Limited Open on a 7-year-old gelding, Majestic Scotch, with a unanimous five firsts.

Wayne, who has focused primarily on Western riding or all-around horses over the past 10 years, got Majestic Scotch from a fellow trainer and friend, Cliff Hartman.

Wayne had already decided on the perfect match for the sorrel gelding - one of his clients, Lorraine Shelton, who was looking for a step up from her previous horse.

"Things just kind of worked out timing-wise," the Argyle, Texas, trainer said. "She's a great client, good friend and good customer. She shows him in the pleasure so far, but we're adding Western riding and she'll probably eventually transition into doing horsemanship on him."

At Whistle Stop, Shelton showed in the Maturity Limited Non-Pro and finished third.

"I think he typifies what AQHA is looking for," Wayne said. "A horse that has a good topline, good hock and a good mover. He's the kind you look for your whole life - with the way he's so slow-legged and good in his hock. He's outstanding."

Along with his good movement, Wayne also enjoys the gelding's easy personality and quick learning.

Along with enjoying the Whistle Stop as a fun show, it has become a special memory for the Holt family. Their daughter, Haylee's, birthday falls during the show. Last year, on her first birthday, she took her first steps at the show.

"Obviously, it's one of our favorite shows for many reasons," he said. "It's such a beautiful facility and so family-oriented and she (Mary Roberts) does so much for the industry. It is how horse shows should be, like they used to be when we were all kids, it was fun."

Multiple champions at the Whistle Stop included former Congress champion Weretalkin Radical, owned by Susan and Steven Thompson. The brown mare won the 4-Year-Old Open with Rusty Green and the 4-Year-Old Non-Pro and Intermediate Non-Pro with Susan Thompson, worth $7,584.89.

Zippos Cowgirl won four classes at the Whistle Stop. The outstanding sorrel mare won the Maturity Open Western Pleasure with trainer Carl Yamber and the Maturity Non-Pro, Intermediate Non-Pro, and Under $2,500 Rider with Bryan Craig. In all, she earned $7,868.48 during the three-day show.

Multiple World Champion hunt seat gelding Dont Gamble made a triple-play at the Whistle Stop, winning the Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle with Courtney Winn and the Maturity Non-Pro and Maturity Limited with owner Cindy Payne-Pryor. In all, the 9-year-old gelding, by Dont Skip Charlie out of Goddess Of Love, earned $4,845.90.