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SDQHA elects new officers, First ever South Dakota-raised horse, Casey’s Ladylove, to be inducted into AQHA Hall of Fame

Larry Larson
for Tri-State Livestock News
The 2017 SDQHA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE includes (seated) Amanda Dikoff, Hermosa, Vice-President and Immediate Past President and Victoria Cuka from Vale, the newly appointed Secretary/Treasurer/Web Master. SDQHA Board Of Directors (standing) Amy Krueger, Ferney; Penny Petersen, Mitchell; Sheila Prins, Sisseton; Jan Colton, Rushville, NE; Becky Johnson, Mud Butte; and Heather Sutton, Gettysburg; AQHA National Directors Dean Johnson, Mud Butte and Jim Hunt, Faith; AQHA Honorary Vice-President Georga Sutton, Gettysburg; AQHA National Directors Debbi Holmes, Virgil, and Janet Hansen, Fort Pierre; AQHA Director At Large Larry Larson, Rapid City; and AQHA Director Emeritus Jim Hootman, Harrisburg. Not pictured is newly elected President Kristen Gonsoir, Groton; SDQHA Board Of Directors Dean Townsend from Andover, Meghan Peterson, Brookings, and Shirley Wetz, Vale; AQHA Director At Large Dr. R.M. Christensen, Harrisburg; and AQHA Director Emeritus Mike Clites from Brookings. All photos by Larry Larson

2017 officers:

President: Kristen Gonsoir from Groton

Vice President: Amanda Dikoff, Hermosa

Secretary/Treasurer/Web Master Victoria Cuka,Vale

Point Secretary: Janet Hansen, Fort Pierre

Directors -

EAST: Amanda Coulter, Garretson; Dean Townsend, Andover; and Penny Petersen, Mitchell

WEST: Becky Johnson, Mud Butte; Heather Sutton, Gettysburg; and Shirley Wetz from Vale

CENTRAL: Kristen Gonsoir, Groton; Sheila Prins, Sisseton; and Amy Krueger, Ferney

AT LARGE: Amanda Dikoff, Hermosa; Meghan Peterson, Brookings; and Jan Colton, Rushville, Neb.

AQHA Directors representing the SDQHA at the National level: Janet Hansen, Fort Pierre; Dean Johnson, Mud Butte; Jim Hunt, Faith; and Debbi Holmes from Virgil.

Directors At Large on AQHA National Board of Directors: Larry Larson from Rapid City and Dr. R.M. Christensen, Harrisburg, with Jim Hootman, Harrisburg, and Mike Clites from Brookings as Directors Emeritus.

Georgia Sutton from Gettysburg serves the capacity as an AQHA Honorary Vice-President.

State Champion Amateur Divison: Plenty Good N Famous --- Delci Christensen

Amateur Division All-Around & Reserve All-Around: Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 202, Victoria Cuka --- Invitationforeaster 177

Amateur Division Class High Points And Reserves

• Halter, Aged Stallions

Heather Sutton --- Jack Frost Edition 13

• Halter, Performance Stallions

Kara Joerger --- Stackin Chex 22

Kim Lien --- Dualena San 17

• Halter, Aged Geldings

Victoria Cuka --- Invitationforeaster 43

Nancy Tweet --- Macs Sweet Illusion 17

• Halter, Performance Geldings

Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 68

Nancy Tweet --- Many Good Taxreturns 20

• Halter, Aged Mares

Randy Hapney --- Look Whos Famous Now 32

Heather Sutton --- Bright Starlights 18

• Showmanship

Victoria Cuka --- Invitationforeaster 51

Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 40

• Western Pleasure

Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 26

Alyssa Nix --- Good N Plenty Hot 17

• Horsemanship

Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 42

Victoria Cuka --- Invitationforeaster 34

• Trail

Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 41

Victoria Cuka --- Invitationforeaster 39

• Ranch Riding

Amy Krueger --- Daddys Stage Legacy 52

Victoria Cuka --- Invitationforeaster 26

• Reining

Trisha Pitts --- Revolutionary Star 184

Trisha Pitts --- Chexn Cows 48

• Cutting

Heather Sutton --- Bright Starlights 45

David Slaymaker --- Sdp San Tule Sue 35

• Working Cow Horse

Brent Lester --- Outlaw Dun It 85

Brent Lester --- Double Down Remedy 67

• Working Cow Horse, Box Only

Lisa Reiter --- Docs Shiney Amber 76

Amateur Select Division All-Around & Reserve All-Around

• Nancy Tweet --- Many Good Taxreturns 90

• Nancy Tweet --- Macs Sweet Illusion 63

Amateur Select Division Class High Points And Reserves

• Select Showmanship

Nancy Tweet --- Many Good Taxreturns 21

• Select Hunter Under Saddle

Nancy Tweet --- Macs Sweet Illusion 26

• Select Hunt Seat Equitation

Nancy Tweet --- Macs Sweet Illusion 20

• Select Western Pleasure

Nancy Tweet --- Many Good Taxreturns 27

• Select Horsemanship

Nancy Tweet --- Many Good Taxreturns 22

• Select Ranch Riding

Betty Dikoff --- I Whiz All Dun 75

Novice Amateur Division High Point & Reserve High Point

Sheila Prins --- Shy Detail 73

Jill Nelson --- Too Sweet To Repeat 50

Novice Amateur Division Class High Points And Reserves

• Showmanship

Jill Nelson --- Too Sweet To Repeat 28

• Hunter Under Saddle

Sheila Prins --- Shy Detail 13

• Hunt Seat Equitation

Sheila Prins --- Shy Detail 12

• Western Pleasure

Jill Nelson --- Too Sweet To Repeat 22

Sheila Prins --- Shy Detail 14

• Horsemanship

Sheila Prins --- Shy Detail 20

• Trail

Delci Christensen --- Plenty Good N Famous 30

• Ranch Riding

Betty Dikoff --- I Whiz All Dun 68

Bobbi Jo Soukup --- Too Much Poco Drift 21

• Reining

Jo Lynn Jacobson --- West Coast Angelena 13

• Open High Point Performance Champion

Bowmans Metallic Cat ---Luke Jones/Flag Ranch 60

Open Division Class High Points And Reserves

• Halter, Performance Stallions

Stackin Chex --- Kara Joerger 35

Dualena San --- Kim Lien 30

• Halter, Aged Geldings

Invitationforeaster --- Adelia & Douglas Cuka 34

• Halter, Aged Mares

Look Whos Famous Now --- Randy Hapney 35

Bright Starlights --- Heather Sutton 23

• Hunter Under Saddle

Macs Sweet Illusion --- Nancy, Steve &

Jennifer Tweet 23

• Senior Western Pleasure

Many Good Taxreturns --- Nancy Tweet 31

Good N Plenty Hot --- Barb Nix 19

• Trail, Level 1

Invitationforeaster --- Adelia & Douglas Cuka 30

• Trail

Plenty Good N Famous --- Delci Christensen 44

• Junior Ranch Riding

Daddys Stage Legacy --- Amy Krueger 51

• Junior Reining

Revolutionary Star --- Trisha Pitts 79

Mister Luver Boy --- Chase Crawford 77

• Heading, Level 3

Bowmans Metallic Cat ---Luke Jones/Flag Ranch 108

• Junior Working Cow Horse

Bowmans Metallic Cat ---Luke Jones/Flag Ranch 63

Cd Candlelight Jazz ---Heather Sutton 32

• Senior Cutting

Oops A Spoonful --- April & Gary Zilverberg 45

Bright Starlights ---Heather Sutton 43

–SDQHA

Now into it’s 69th year, the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association continues to thrive with a common goal of promoting the American Quarter Horse. Their Annual Convention was held at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Pierre on Saturday, Jan. 7 with an Executive Committee meeting in the morning followed by a general membership meeting in the afternoon, awards presentation and banquet in the evening.

Election of a new slate of SDQHA Officers for the year 2017 was held by the newly established Board Of Directors immediately following the general membership on Saturday afternoon.

The slate of national directors will attend the upcoming AQHA Convention March 17-20 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas.



The evening began with a social hour followed by a banquet, silent auction and awards presentation for the year 2016. Top honors for the year included:

• 2016 SDQHA OPEN HIGH POINT PERFORMANCE CHAMPION: Bowmans Metallic Cat/Flag Ranch (Luke Jones), Allerton, IA



• State Champion – Amateur Division: Delci Christensen/Plenty Good N Famous, Milbank

• Amateur All-Around: Delci Christensen/Plenty Good N Plenty, Milbank

• Amateur Reserve All-Around: Victoria Cuka/Invitationforeaster, Vale

• Novice Amateur All-Around: Sheila Prins/ Shy Detail, Sisseton

• Novice Amateur Reserve All-Around: Jill Nelson/Too Sweet To Repeat, Aberdeen

• Amateur Select All-Around: Nancy Tweet/Many Good Taxreturns, Madison

• Amateur Select Reserve All-Around: Nancy Tweet/Macs Sweet Illusion, Madison.

The 2016 SDQHA Sportsmanship Winner was Betty Dikoff, Hermosa, with the South Dakota Quarter Horse Youth Association (SDQHYA) awarding their 2016 SDQHYA Sportsmanship Award to Emily Johnson, Black Hawk.

The SDQHA membership voted on the Most Valuable Professional Horseman (MVP) for 2016 and it was presented to Dean Johnson from Mud Butte.

For the first time in history, a South Dakota owned American Quarter Horse will be inducted into the AQHA Hall Of Fame in Amarillo, Texas. Casey’s Ladylove, a 1961 mare owned by the James and Frances Loiseau Family from Flandreau, will be inducted on Sunday evening, March 19 at the AQHA Convention at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas. She is the matriarch of many of the nation’s leading performance horses including several of the leading arena sires in history. SDQHA will be represented at the ceremony along with a large contingency of the Loiseau family.

Now into it’s second year, the SDQHA Producer Of The Year was initiated to honor a ranch and breeder of the American Quarter Horse that exemplifies the breed’s quality and ability to produce winners in the performance arena. Announced that evening as the 2016 Producer Of The Year was the Whitcher Ranch located in the Badlands near Scenic, South Dakota – Jim and the late Ethel Whitcher. This is now an annual award started in 2015 and will be a large part of the SDQHA Convention each year.

Meeting earlier in the day, the SDQHYA converged for their annual general membership meeting and elected their new slate of officers for 2017.

Leading the SDQHYA for the upcoming year will be President Madelyn Seidel, Bison; Vice-President Cassandra Townsend, Andover; Secretary Shelby Holmes, Sioux Falls; and Treasurer Emily Johnson, Black Hawk.

Reporters West River will be Kimberly and Kendra Johnson, Mud Butte, and Central and East River will be Adi Kuxhaus from Pierre. The SDQHYA Advisor for the coming year will continue to be Becky Johnson from Mud Butte. The 2016 SDQHYA scholarship winners were also announced that evening and were presented to Tanegai Zilverberg, Holabird; Riley Christoffer, Sioux Falls; and Allison and Claire Longhenry from Garretson.

Receiving top honors for SDQHYA in 2016 were:

• ALL-AROUND YOUTH ALL-AGES: Emily Johnson/RPM Machine, Black Hawk

• HIGH POINT JUNIOR GIRL & SDQHYA YOUTH ALL-AROUND 13 & Under: Emily Johnson/RPM Machine, Black Hawk

• SDQHYA NOVICE YOUTH HIGH POINT: Emily Johnson/RPM Machine, Black Hawk

• NOVICE YOUTH RESERVE HIGH POINT: Allison Longhenry/Jubilant Zip, Garretson

• TOP THREE NOVICE YOUTH HIGH POINT: Emily Johnson/RPM Machine, Black Hawk; Allison Longhenry/Jubilant Zip, Garretson; and Cassandra Townsend/BMQ Lady Got Game, Andover.

Complete Year-End Results will be posted soon on the association’s updated website – http://www.sdqha.com