Youth Hold Their Own in Congress Stakes, Futurities
Brayden Stine and Bottle Service.
Among the Non-Pro exhibitors in some of the All American Quarter Horse Congress futurity and stakes classes were some fearless youth who rode stride for stride with their older counterparts. The Way To Go caught up with a few of them to talk about their experience.
Brayden Stine and Bottle Service
Brayden Stine has been showing his mare, Bottle Service, in youth, Non-Pro and three year old Western Pleasure classes throughout the year under the guidance of Taft Dickerson. The duo ended their show year with a fifth place finish in the Three Year Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Futurity.
Brayden Stine and Bottle Service.
For Brayden, showing in the Non-Pro classes against exhibitors of all ages is not a big deal. “You’re just showing against other people,” he said, matter of factly. After a successful year showing ‘Halsey,’ Brayden has come to especially enjoy the Non-Pro futurity events.
“Brayden doesn’t get too excited about very much, but he finally admitted that he really enjoys showing the futurities. He’s shown himself right out of the Limited and Level 2 divisions,” noted his mother, Samantha. “He’ll be showing in Level 3 and Non-Pro classes next year.”
Brayden remains unphased by the levels. “My uncle, my aunt and my mom were all really competitive in soccer, and they always say that to be the best, you have to play the best. I’m excited to keep showing the young horses with everyone, and see what happens next.”
Next year, Brayden will turn over Halsey’s reins to his sister, Katie, and look for his next prospect, but he’s thankful for this year’s experience. “I’m thankful for the ride,” he said. “The Lord has really blessed us.”
Paige Neill and Snapin It Best
Paige Neill and Snapin It Best had a very successful showing in their Youth classes at the 2025 Congress, earning reserve champion titles in NYATT Western Pleasure as well as in Youth Western Pleasure 12-14. However, their splash into the big pool in the Maturity Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes also resulted in a sixth place finish against Non-Pro exhibitors of all ages.
“We got Snapin It Best two years ago at the Congress,” Paige said. “We call him Henry. We show in Showmanship, Western Pleasure and Halter.”
The decision for Paige and Henry to show in the Maturity was a relatively recent one. “Before we came to the Congress, we went to a show in Michigan called the $100K,” Paige explained. “We showed in the Maturity there and did pretty well, so we decided that maybe I could show in it here because we might have a good chance, and it worked out.”
Paige admitted that she was a little intimidated showing in the class. “I was a little nervous the first day when we showed in the prelims,” she said. “But then I got all my nerves out. Going into the finals I was a little nervous just because our first go wasn’t the greatest, it was just OK. But then we went into the finals and it was very good.”
In addition to showing in youth and Non-Pro classes, Paige was a member of the 2025 Michigan Quarter Horse Youth Association’s NYATT team. “It’s a lot of fun showing and being involved,” she said.
“You learn a lot about showing and being a good sport. It also teaches you how to become friends with other people, because you don’t just stand along the rail without talking to the people around you. It also builds confidence. I would really encourage other youth to get involved and show with us.”
Paige Neill and Snapin It Best.
To view complete show results from the All American Quarter Horse Congress, please visit quarterhorsecongress.com or the Horse Show Tracker app.
About NSBA
Established in 1983, National Snaffle Bit Association has expanded from its roots in the Western Pleasure discipline to recognize various disciplines and eight breed associations in competition. NSBA’s mission is to grow the show horse community through various equine programs and events where every activity benefits horses, breeders, owners and exhibitors alike.
National Snaffle Bit Association has more than 20,000 active members and more than 44,000 registered horses across its eight alliance breed organizations. NSBA members earn more than $13.5 million in monetary awards at NSBA-sanctioned horse shows annually, and the association sanctions nearly 600 horse show events and close to 200,000 horse show entries each year.
To learn more about NSBA, please visit nsba.com.
