Open and Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle horses and exhibitors earned some big futurity earnings at the 2026 March To Virginia AQHA and NSBA Show, which featured the Virginia Maiden. The show was held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia.

Three Year Old & Older Maiden Hunter Under Saddle

The Maiden Hunter Under Saddle Futurity for horses three years old and older featured $30,000 in added money. Trisha Yamber catch-rode TheAgreement for owner Kelsey Bell to the win and a $9,360 payout.

I just showed up two days ago and started working with him. He is a phenomenal horse,” Trisha said. “He did everything I asked him to do. He is big, consistent and did what he needed to do at every gear, and looked happy doing it.”

“I bought him as a yearling from Erin Lieurance and Jeff Cochran,” Saul Sliss added. “We bought him for Kelsey and she had a back problem so another customer started with him but decided they didn’t want to do it. Kelsey’s health got better, so she bought him and went back in action.

For a maiden horse, he did really well. He trotted and cantered great both ways and Trisha did an amazing job presenting him. We are honored to have her be a part of it. It was a long time coming. Kelsey has been a customer for a long time and we’ve been great friends for a long time. This was a culmination of all of it”

Kelsey will be showing ‘Blake’ in Non-Pro events. “He’s very, very sweet and in your pocket,” she said. “He just loves to be petted on. He’s by Enticed and out of a These Irons Are Hot mare.

Three & Over Limited Horse Hunter Under Saddle

Tracey Kauffman piloted Pretty Moves for owner Allyson Merrill to win the Three Year Old & Over Limited Horse Hunter Under Saddle, earning $3,060 for the win. “Pretty Moves is a five year old mare by Nite Moves and out of a Thoroughbred mare, and we’ve had her in the barn for a while,” Tracey said. “We call her Sugar.”

Sugar was a bit of a late bloomer, making the Limited Horse class a perfect opportunity for her to shine. “Sugar was a bit of a project,” Tracey explained. “She took a while to come together, but she turned into such a show horse. Allyson bought her to show in Novice Amateur classes, and she just started getting really nice. Allyson had another horse with me and she sold it, and she would come to the barn just to hang out, and so I told her to go ride Sugar. In two rides, she told me she had to have her.”

Tracey has been pleased with their first outing of the year, and feels the judges thought so too. “She is pretty freaky legged and really good in her top line with her neck,” she said. “Usually every horse show, people ask about her, so that’s been really fun.”

The trio will compete in Novice Horse, Non-Pro, Limited Non-Pro and Novice Amateur classes throughout the 2026 show season.

The top five placings in the class included:
champion: Pretty Moves, Tracey Kauffman for Allyson Merrill
reserve champion: CockTailConversations, Pasley Mathis
third: Soh Hot, Nicole Briere for Pierre Briere
fourth: A Warriors Ride, Tyler Stevens for Ashley Edwards
fifth: Rides Like A Bentley, Katrina Johnston

Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle.

OK Will Do was more than OK for Farley McLendon, who took the top spot in the Maturity Open Hunter Under Saddle on a horse she owns. “OK Will Do is by Good Better Best and out of Onlythebestwilldo and he’s five years old this year,” Farley said.

“He’s a big horse, and he’s super attractive. He’s good in his neck and face, and he’s just different – you can’t not watch him work – he’s a cool horse. And he tries every time. This is really the first serious show he’s been to since the AQHA World Show last year, so it’s a great start to the year.”

Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle

DIY Non-Pro exhibitor Virginia Hamadi showed Southern Therapy to win the NSBA Three Year Old Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Futurity to earn the first Non-Pro futurity money.

Goose is a comeback success story. “He had head surgery in November to remove bone fragments,” Virginia explained. “This is very rewarding because I wasn’t sure he was coming back. He’s quirky, but he really tries. In the show pen, it’s game on, and his mom was the same way when it was show time.

“I raised him,” she a said. “He’s by Its A Southern Thing and my mare is by RL Best Of Sudden. I call him Goose.”

Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle

In the Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle, Shelly Boyle piloted her horse All The Best Things to the win and $523 for first.

“I’ve had her about a year and a half,” Shelly said. “Her barn name is Daisy. She is by Good Better Best and out of an Allocate Your Assets mare.
“She really showed up and gave it her best today, because she showed in a lot of things. We did Hunter Under Saddle in the morning, switched to Pleasure Driving with Marion Troy in Open and my mom made her debut in driving with her in Amateur, and then back to the Maturity with me.” 

To view complete show results from March To Virginia, please visit 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 ten 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 ten 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.