November 24th and 25th was the holiday weekend heard about around the Arabian horse world, and in its second year, continues to have the community buzzing with inspiration and excitement. What began in 2022 with an incredible collection of Jackpot classes, entertainment, generous sponsor support and an amazing outreach experience barn, grew again this year
with even more spectacular results. Seven Keystone classes highlighted at the historic AHAF Holiday Festival Horse Show, along with an educational and entertaining outreach program through the Experience Barn resulted in million dollar smiles of thousands who came through
Captivating Shoc WA (top right) and Maghnus Z (above)
the gates of the World Equestrian Center, Ocala. When they were introduced to our Arabian horses ... it was magic!
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“The Keystone events were a huge success in 2022, both within our Arabian community and with those newcomers that came to experience the show and meet our horses,” says Keystone board member, Jaime Johnson. “We were fortunate to have made the impact we’d hoped for in our first year, and when we began planning 2023, there was a tremendous outpouring of support from within our own show & breeding community, as well as corporate interest, and the unwavering commitment of both the World Equestrian Center and the Arabian Horse Association of Florida, to continue our partnership with the 54th Annual Holiday Festival Show. The Keystone principles are based upon this foundation: 1. Create more excitement by incorporating either existing or new prize money classes into a show, attracting the highest quality entries from within our show community; and by holding those classes in a destination venue, like the incomparable outdoor ring, under WEC’s Holiday Lights Festival and by including entertainment and a chance for our spectators to participate through crowd voting, these classes create an “experience” where our existing community and newcomer/spectators can enjoy very high quality horses and learn about the sport. 2. The Keystone builds an Arabian Horse Experience during the daytime with specific Ambassador horses whose job during the show would be to engage with new people and allow our horses to do what they REALLY do best ... interact with human beings, entertain and educate. 3. The third and final principle is for a Keystone event to engage within the local community by benefitting area charities. This resonates well by attracting newcomers, while showing them how giving both our horses and owners are.
“We believed that if we could build it, they would come,” says Keystone & The Arabian Horse Promotional Fund Board member, Mary Trowbridge, “and we cannot thank the AHAF club and show manager, Laurie Salmi, enough, for partnering with us again for another successful Keystone Experience, resulting in thousands of newcomers meeting our horses in the best circumstances possible. Our sponsors, owners and exhibitors showed us unwavering support, and for that we are grateful, because the overall benefit to the future of our breed is what is most important.”
“It is hard to beat the magic of the Keystone Arabian Horse Experience ... there is something special about showing under all the lights, the excitement from the crowded grandstands and the energy and beauty of the Arabian horse that gives you goosebumps as an exhibitor. It was so wonderful to share our breed with so many new people, some of whom are seeing Arabians for the very first time. We were so grateful to be part of something bigger than ourselves and hope to see more and more people fall in love with the Arabian horse.” ~ Lauren Adamek
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Keystone AEPA Pro-Am Champion Ladie In Redd, was ridden by the Pro-Am team of Nestor Gonzalez & Jennifer Hagale, earning $10,000 in prize money for Hagale Family Arabians. Tom Theisen & Lane Naymola, also participated in the class and were the crowd vote winners, displaying their love of both the horse and the matching team who showed with not just matching saddle suits, but also matching hair buns!
THE PRO-AM CLASSES The Keystone features Pro-Am Jackpot classes, including the $25,000 AEPA/Strawberry Banks Pro-Am, the $20,000 Palmetto Arabians Western Pleasure Pro-Am, and the Equine Athlete/Schneiders Hunter Pleasure Pro-Am
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THE ENTERTAINMENT Both Friday & Saturday evenings in the Grande Arena in front of that brilliant hotel, saw entertainment for thousands in the form of a dozen Nationally acclaimed Arabian performers in Sylvia Zerbini’s Grand Liberté act, sponsored by Hennessey Arabians. Along with her beautiful Arabian horses performing at liberty, Dog & Pony performers and Netflix Film stars Dally & Spanky also entertained!
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Olivia Barta for Barta Show Horses, earning $10,000 in prize money. The Keystone $20,000 Palmetto Arabians Western Pleasure Pro-Am Reserve Champion winner was won by DA Bijon for Dolorosa Arabians. Fatherson duo Dale & Reece Brown were aboard for the win and were also the Crowd Vote favorites, adding an additional $500 to the $5,000 prize.
The Keystone $20,000 Palmetto Arabians Western Pleasure Pro-Am included beautiful performances by both professionals and amateurs. The class was led, however, by two amateurs whom were also YOUTH exhibitors. Champion Possesion PGA was ridden by the Pro-Am team of Caralyn Schroter and
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Straight Tequila Knight | Keystone Equine Athlete/Schneiders Hunter Pleasure Pro-Am Champion The Keystone Purebred Hunter Pleasure Pro-Am took place on Saturday evening this year, and the 1st-5th place finishers all took home prize money sponsored by Equine Athlete, while the Champion, Straight Tequila Knight also won a beautiful Pinnacle Adjustable Gullet Saddle, provided by Event Awards partner, Schneiders. Schneiders also provided beautiful padded Leather Halters for all of the Keystone class top five award winners across all Keystone classes. The Keystone $2,500 Anvil Arabians Arabian Best In Show Champion, MD Fareed, presented by Mike Wilson for Aspire Arabians, also walked away with a Schneiders show halter in addition to their class prize money and their Crowd Vote winning award! Both Friday & Saturday nights also included a crowd favorite and always entertaining Keystone Native Costume Class. The Half-Arabians performed for $10,000 on Friday evening, while the Purebreds performed to an equally enthusiastic crowd.
The Half-Arabian Champion, well known for wearing roses was Captivating Shoc WA, ridden by owner Lauren Adamek. A stellar performance
was also given by Purebred class champion, RC Iron Man, owned by Debra Hines. Both classes brought some of the largest jackpots available in Native Costume classes, thanks to the sponsorship and support of Hagale Family Arabians and Barta Show Horses.
MD Fareed | Keystone $2,500 Anvil Arabians Best In Show Champion
“It’s a bird, it’s a plane...no, it’s Superman...” It’s Nestor Gonzalez to be exact! And he was accompanied by many fellow riders in disguise for the $2,500 Purina Mills Keystone Egg & Spoon Challenge! This class is always “egg-cellent” and a show-stopping, egg-dropping event at the Keystone! Costumes included Superman & Wonder Woman, an amazing Harry Potter duo from Chestnuthill Arabians, Barbie & Ken, the Grinch, and even Rip from Yellowstone made an appearance! The championship winner was Missy Walsh, adorned as a Christmas tree. She and Superman were left as our two finalists who ultimately competed in a head to head race to determine the winner!
THE EGG & SPOON CHALLENGE
Keystone $2,500 Purina Mills Egg & Spoon Challenge Champion, Missy Walsh
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“The joy that radiates around the Arabian horse, the exhibitors and the spectators at The Keystone is magic. I’m grateful to have spent the holiday with such great friends, and experienced the excitement and pure FUN of the grand arena in the Egg & Spoon class on Saturday night. The show has an energy that I’d love to see more throughout the year.” ~Stu Vesty
Keystone Championship Trophy, sponsored by DePaolo Equine Concepts
THE “EXPERIENCE” “The Keystone Experience was much Stuart Vesty secured the Crowd Vote Award in the Egg & Spoon Challenge, most likely with his last minute “NO HANDS” ride, that ultimately cost him his egg! It was obvious by the applause and enthusiasm, that the class was loved by all spectators and exhibitors alike, and Stu walked away with the $500 crowd vote award, sponsored by Hagale Family Arabians. The Egg & Spoon challenge also serves as part of the charity element of the Keystone events, with all of the entry fees going directly to the 2023 selected charities, Horses-N-Heroes of Marion County and The Black Stallion Reading project.
more than a horse show for our family. Twenty family members - our children, their spouses and grandchildren - came for the week, many of them not at all involved in our horse activities. What a terrific way for them to enjoy the beauty of the Arabian horse in a very special venue with holiday excitement and entertainment and time to enjoy all the amenities that the World Equestrian Center has to offer. The horse show was a wonderful centerpiece for a unique family gathering.”
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~Jim Hagale
THE AMAZING HORSE WOMAN EXPERIENCE BARN The Arabian Ambassadors stole the show! There were nine in all and they came to the party suited up and ready to love! Thousands came through the Amazing Horse Woman Experience barn, and witnessed first hand, their magnificence and kindness. The barn was filled with games, face painting, demonstrations and clinics. The public certainly showed their desire to touch the horses and the number of selfies is countless. One of the highlighted Ambassadors was the black stallion Coltrane. Owned by Conway Arabians, Coltrane is not only an emerging sire of influence in our breed, but came to represent as our official “Black Stallion” for the Keystone charity, Black Stallion Reading Project. The charity program provides for all 4th grade Marion County students to read The Black Stallion as a class project, then Coltrane makes select visits to local schools to meet the students in person!
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“The privilege to spend two full days in the Experience Barn interacting with horse lovers new and old was incredibly rewarding and unquestionably the highlight of the entire weekend. The horses were such exceptional ambassadors for the breed, touching lives and inspiring dreams that will reap positive rewards for decades to come.” ~Scott Benjamin
“As the sponsor of the Keystone Barn Experience, it was wonderful to be part of witnessing and speaking to many people being introduced to the Arabian horse and sharing in their excitement of touching them for the first time. I’m thrilled that Amazing Horse Woman will return next year to support this important event while celebrating the season of Thanksgiving, “ says Dr. Nancy O’Reilly
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MORE ABOUT THE AMBASSADORS Many of the Experience Barn Arabian Horse Ambassadors performed double-duty at the show! Some, like ambassador horse “Sammy” (pictured above) also competed in the Keystone Native Costume class, earning Top Five honors, while others like Mr. Fred (pictured right) also had triple-duty, meeting people in the Experience
barn, while also competing in the show, and hosting leadline participants in the Keystone 8 & Under class on Saturday afternoon. Ambassadors “Pebbles” & “Val”, also were on loan to first-time Keystone Leadliners, Zola & Azae Johnson (pictured above). “Pebbles was so sweet,” shares Zola, while her 5-yearold brother Azae commented that “Valentino was the best boy, and I’d like to take him home to our house...his card is my favorite, but I have all the horses’ cards from this year and last year.” The cards the kids referenced are, of course, the Ambassador Horse trading cards, that are made for each Keystone Ambassador year to year. “They were a big hit last year and at Scottsdale, and all of the kids were collecting them again this year at the barn,” states Jenn Trickey, Keystone Board Member, and the creative mind behind the idea and design of the popular trading cards.
The complete set of Ambassador cards for 2023 include: Val, Mr. Fred, Sammy, Noble, Maghnus Z, Tot, Pebbles, Possesion PGA and Kirby.
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“The Keystone Experience event truly takes a village,” shares Jaime Johnson. “It’s an honor to work on a project that brings this kind of joy and growth to our Arabian horse community, and as a member for 35+ years, I truly hope that we begin to see more magic, more outreach and more joy like the Keystone in more Arabian horse events in the future.”
THANK YOU Amazing Horse Woman LLC Anvil Arabians AEPA Arabian Horse Promotional Fund Barta Show Horses Dolorosa Arabians Equine Athlete Veterinary Services
Hagale Family Arabians Hennessey Arabians Palmetto Arabians Purina Mills Schneiders Southern California Equestrian Center Strawberry Banks Farm
Arabian Horse Association of Florida Arabian Horse Times Amalie Motor Oil Aspire Arabians Augusta Hammock/O’Sherlock Auric Equine Black Stallion Reading Project C. Jarvis Insurance Agency Inc. Chestnuthill Arabians Conway Arabians Dale Brown Performance Horses Danielle Contarino DePaolo Equine Concepts Devoucoux Horses N Heroes of Marion County Elizabeth Pizzonia Friends of Vail Greg Gallun John Lambert Karen Adamek/KarynsArt.com Kerri Buksa Kevin Price Peri Lee Show Horses Lane Equine Linda Musso Lugano Diamonds Maddy Winer Ocala Equestrian Academy
Richard & Georgiann Ames Family Foundation Ryan Chambers Scott Benjamin Scott Christmas Shannon Feinroth Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show Silver Birch Stables Sydney Serrano Talaria Farms Trowbridges LTD The Martino Family The Veterinary Center at Hunter’s Crossing & Lexi Brandenburg, DVM Valley Oak Arabians Wilson Training Center & Bloodstock
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