Living On The (Longe) Line
Anthony Leier and Bigger The Better
The 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress Yearling Longe Line classes saw some gritty DIY performances and an emotional home-grown win as the Open and Non-Pro Western and Hunter Longe Line classes concluded.
Emotional Win For Anthony Leier In Open Western Longe Line
Anthony Leier earned his very first Quarter Horse Congress Longe Line championship with ApHC stallion, TheBestBetYet, and he returned this year to win another Congress championship this year with ApHC gelding Bigger The Better, showing for Rebekah Kazakevicius.
He shed some happy tears after the class. “This is my first championship with a horse that I bred and raised,” Anthony said. .
“He is probably one of the most laid-back, easy-going horses that I’ve ever been around and trained. To have him come to the Congress and give me his best go of the year is just so special.
“He’s just so floaty and soft when he lands, and he points his toe so well. And how can you miss him with his big white blanket?”
Anthony actually earned both the first and third place awards, showing Once And For Al for owner Kelly Kurth to third place.
‘Wicked Year’ for Wicked Wilma
Jennifer Hagen and Wicked Wilma have had a ‘wicked’ year, and finished the show season by sweeping both the Open and Non-Pro Western Yearling Longe Line classes at the Congress.
“We started at the Premier and won both the Open and Non-Pro there, went to Back To Berrien and Won The Open and Non-Pro there, and went to NSBA and won the Limited Non-Pro there, so it’s been a great year,” Jennifer said.
The yearling filly is by Makin Me Willy Wild and out of Mega Hot (Hot N Blazing). “My all-time favorite horse is Riley, and I tell my vet that this is Riley 2.0,” Jennifer said. “We plan to keep her and show her as my next Western Pleasure prospect.”
Although Kathie Kennedy catch-led the filly for the Open win, Jennifer has done her own training. “I do this all myself,” she said. “Bruce Walquist always used to catch-lead my longe liners for me. I’ve known Kathie forever, and always admired her, and last year I mentioned to her that I had a roan filly that she ended up showing there and at the Congress and did really well. I told her we had another one and now we have a thing going.”
Jennifer enjoys many things about her filly. “She is so natural and it’s so easy for her,” she said. “She’s honest and she’s happy. She’s easy to prepare. In our Non-Pro go, she got a fly on her and was reaching for it so I kind of panicked but it must have felt much worse to me than anyone else. Kathy had a phenomenal go in the Open and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
Jennifer Hagan and Wicked Wilma
Tiffany Riehm Earns First Congress Championship in Non-Pro Hunter Longe Line
Jennifer Hagen and Living On White Claws
Tiffany Reihm showed the APHA filly Living On White Claws to win the Non-Pro Hunter Longe Line Stakes as well as the Southern Belle Breeders and Super Sires divisions, giving Tiffany her first Quarter Horse Congress championship. The filly is by Allocate Your Assets and out of an All Time Fancy mare.
“She has natural talent that is just unmatchable,” Tiffany said. “She just always goes out and does her job. She’s been so trainable. She’s a very sweet filly. I think she’s going to go on and have a great career ahead of her. She’s a very special filly.”
Although sometimes the yearlings go on to new homes at the end of the year, Tiffany has found a soft spot for the filly. “I’m planning to keep her,” she said. “She’s going to go to Keith Miller for the two year old classes.”
Tiffany had some special luck for the Congress Non-Pro class. “I wore my lucky suit, because she won the Premier, Back To Berrien and APHA World with it,” she said. “I had to put it on for good luck.”
Tiffany had a very busy Quarter Horse Congress with two Western and one Hunter Longe Line horses. Both of her horses in the Western Longe Line were in the top five, and Tiffany was also reserve champion in the Open Hunter Longe Line Stakes showing her filly in the Open Hunter Stakes class.
The 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress continues through Sunday, October 26. To view complete show results, the live video feed in various arenas or the upcoming schedule, 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.
