WDAA Hall of Champions

A horse who has passed but has won a Western Dressage World Championship or Reserve World Championship at the Western Dressage World Championship Show, or an alliance partner’s World or National Championship.

2014 – Sontree Golden Oscar – Morgan

2015 – JBS Raising The Bar – Missouri Fox Trotter

2017 – Blondasaurus Ruth – Belgian

Ten years ago, Leah Wilson and her family rescued an untrained two-year-old Belgian mare and brought her to their home near Marysville, Ohio where they named her Ruthie. After being trained as a saddle horse by a young Amish man, she became a favorite school horse and 4-H partner to several junior riders. An adult student of Leah’s gave her the name Blondasaurus Ruth when she entered her in the local show, and the name stuck.

“Ruthie” excelled at several equestrian sports and was trained to do a little bit of everything except drive. This included hunter paces, trail riding, and barrel racing. She was shown at the All-American Youth Horse Show, combined training events, and at local USDF schooling shows. When western dressage classes began to be offered in central Ohio in 2012, Ruthie became one of the primary western dressage competitors from the Central Ohio Riding Club. Her graceful and agile nature made her a crowd favorite wherever she went.

Her first appearance at the WDAA World Show was in 2014 – Leah’s daughter, Cassidy Shepard, and Ruthie won Level One Test Three Junior Champion, and they proved that horses of any breed, age, or background can be successful at western dressage. Ruthie gained some new admirers when she and Cassidy had the honor of presenting their Level One western dressage freestyle at the 2016 Equine Affaire in Columbus.

In June 2016, while in training to compete in Level One and Two at that year’s WDAA World Show, Ruthie sustained a serious leg injury and unfortunately never recovered. She is still very sadly missed by all those who loved her.

WDAA World Championships with Cassidy Shepard
2014 Level One Test Three Junior - Champion
2015 Level One Test Four Junior – Reserve Champion

2018 – Canabar Kokopelli – Morgan

Koko possessed dual American and Canadian citizenship having been bred and raised in Alberta Canada.  I believe him to be the most successful Western Dressage horse in all of Canada.  I would also venture that Koko was the most successful Morgan in Western Dressage.  Those claims are based on 1 high point, one reserve high point, and 2 world championships at WDA’s world championships, and 3 world championships, 2 reserve world championships, and a dozen national championships at Morgan Grand Nationals.  I would also venture that he performed 100 tests and won at least 90 of them.

Koko was also one of the very first western dressage horses.  In 2010 he was in training with Cliff Swanson.  The very first set of WDA tests were mostly written by Cliff while on Koko’s back!  Koko moved to Aaron Brown’s in 2013 and at the age of 16 really came into himself.  The “statistics” above were compiled in his 5 years with Aaron.

Western dressage was the perfect venue for Koko.  A slight stifle abnormality had kept him from the highest echelons of western pleasure.  A love of drumming kept him from the highest echelons of trail- I swear he loved the sound of his hooves hitting those poles!  Western dressage was made for his physical and mental abilities.  We had 5 glorious years of western dressage together and I thank everyone involved with WDA.

Koko passed away in June of 2018 from an undetermined infection.  He was in training for 4th level.  He was only 21 and is sorely missed.

2018 - Mountain Rose Charisma – Appaloosa

Mountain Rose Charisma, an Appaloosa better known as “Chinook,” was brought into this world as a byproduct of the Premarin drug industry. By good fortune, Chinook’s dam was rescued from the production line, and Chinook was given a chance at life.

Emily Johnson became Chinook’s human partner when he was a young foal, and she had the honor of raising him, starting him under saddle and competing on him until his untimely death just last month.

Chinook was an absolute character – playful, mischievous, bright, talented, athletic and eager to please. He and Emily rode trails in Colorado, dabbled in versatility ranch horse competitions and found their way to western dressage in 2011.

Chinook and Emily earned many western dressage high points and championship awards in their state, and in 2014, they made their debut at the Western Dressage World Show, where they earned two reserve world championships.

Although Emily is grieving his loss, she says that her gratitude for knowing such a talented horse is far more abundant. Her “Spotted Wonder” was one of the forever loves of her life.

2020 - Holiday Compadre - Morgan

Holiday Compadre, a Morgan stallion born in 1987, was the Morgan World Champion Western Pleasure horse in 1993 and 1996. He also was a seasoned cow horse. But it was his electrifying musical freestyle presentations of dressage and reining movements with Eitan Beth-Halachmy that wowed crowds far and wide and were a catalyst for the creation of western dressage.

Holiday Compadre retired from show business in 2002 and moved to Parker CO to a comfortable life as a breeding stallion with his own herd of mares and green pastures to enjoy, under the watchful eye of his loving guardian, Ellen DiBella. He was inducted into the AMHA Show Horse Hall of Fame in 2014. He passed away in 2019 and is deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. He is the sire of Morgan several horses that now show in Western Dressage.

2020 - Finest Five - Paint

Paint mare Finest Five had several careers in her 30 years. It was through Western Dressage that her “star quality” made an indelible impression on those who watched her perform. Her first western dressage test was in 2011 with her young owner, Cassidy Shepard.  The following year Five and Thallia Blight (a student of Cassidy’s mother Leah Wilson) began what would be an 8-year partnership that included winning three WDAA World Championships at Basic level. They also appeared in presentations at the Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio for several years. In 2019, Five was awarded a WDAA Register of Merit and was inducted into the Dressage Foundation’s Century Club with long-time human friend Carol Pizor.  All three women - Cassidy, Thallia, and Carol – would like to express their gratitude for this beautiful, wonderful mare and how she helped them become the horsewomen they are today.

Finest Five never lost her zest for life and keen attitude for work.  She continued to be a gentle teacher to young riders throughout her last autumn and winter. In May 2020 she passed away quietly at home and is deeply missed by those who knew and loved her.  Finest Five lives on in her daughter Forecast’s Oracle, and her son Fine Elderberry Vrod, both of whom are being trained and shown in western dressage.

2022 - Invite to Invest - AQHA

Invite to Invest, or “Calvin,” participated in multiple Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) shows over the years, placing 7th overall in the Open Basic Horse at the 2019 WDAA World Championship Show, as well as earning Reserve Champion with junior rider Makayla Regler in the Exceptional Rider class at the 2020 WDAA On-Line International Challenge.

Calvin was an American Quarter Horse gelding who loved his job, was a fun horse to ride. He was ridden by both youth and open riders and received the WDAA Recognition of Merit in 2019. Sheila Purdum, WDAA member since 2014, owned and loved Calvin till he was euthanized following a tragic pasture accident in November 2021. At the time of his passing, Calvin was only 3.7 points short of earning his WDAA Recognition of Achievement. He will be greatly missed.

The Western Dressage Association’s Hall of Champions honors horses who have passed away but have won a Western Dressage Association World Championship or Reserve World Championship at a WDAA World Championship show, or an alliance partner’s world or national champion in western dressage.

2022 - Tommy Temon 

In 2018, under the guidance of Bryan Meyerhoff, Tommy Temon and Joanne Lanzisera attended the WDAA World Show and earned 4 World titles and numerous other awards. This was the first time Tommy or myself ever showed at a World show level much less leave the state of Florida. 

He has earned his Register of Merit, Register of Achievement, Register of Excellence and Bronze Medal through the WDAA Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program.

He has earned a Reserve Horse of The Year through USEF with Joanne and a Reserve and third HOTY with youth rider Lilly Kirkley.

Last year, at 22 years of age, he earned an AQHA Reserve Western Dressage title.

In September 2022,as Hurricane Ian was approaching Sebring, Florida, Tommy Temon, a 2000 AQHA gelding, began to severely colic, sadly, he did not survive.

2023 - Dry Spindoll - AQHA

Sometimes it takes the better part of a horse’s life to find what they are really good at.  Such is the case with the little Quarter Horse mare Dry Spindoll.  Foaled in 1996 and sired by Dry James, her pedigree reads like a who’s who of foundation breeding  with the great horses Doc Bar and Poco Lena close up.  “Spinny” as she was known in the barn had a varied career with just one dedicated owner who did about everything there was to do with a horse, except Western Dressage.  At 20 years old, Spindoll was leased to Michelle Binder-Zolezzi of Relational Riding Academy to become a lesson horse at the school.  She was sound and active and when put together with the right young riders, Spinny simply shined.  Spindoll went to WDAA World Championships  four times with 4 different junior riders and even participated in the Online International Challenges  where she won jackets and more for multiple riders.  Honestly, we lost count of how many World and Reserve World titles, national, state, regional, and local awards Spindoll carried her riders to during her time with us.  Spinny came to life doing Western Dressage in the show ring and earned scores from WD judges and dressage judges alike over 80%! 

Spindoll was  a living tribute to her good old fashioned Quarter Horse breeding.  She looked like Poco Lena, moved like a cat, was sound, honest, hard working and did anything asked of her.  She took perfect care of her riders, even though the little itty bitty ones were not her favorite.  She excelled teaching  intermediate riders  the ropes and was completely trustworthy taking them into the show arena even at the biggest venues like the Lazy E.  In 2017, Spinny and Rose went to World’s, won all their rail classes as well as 3 of the 4 tests, and so earned the Junior Introductory Level World Championship buckle.  Her second trip to World’s in 2018 she carried Korbin to the Reserve World Champion Junior, finishing just behind his other QH mount, Paddys Irish Starlet.  With this pair of horses, he was awarded the WDAA Youth Sportsmanship Award.  Then in 2019 and 2020,  Spinny took Carilyn and Sophie to the World’s Show where they earned Top 10’s in the Junior division.  In 2021, Spindoll competed at Intro, Basic and Level 1 under both riders to complete her Bronze medal at the age of 25.  Returning home to her original owner after Worlds in 2021, she carried a granddaughter to victory at local shows for another season before retiring to pasture with a goat for a friend.

The young people that Spinny touched say best what she meant to them. Spindoll was the subject of a school essay in which 9 year old Sophie wrote:  “My face bright, I mount Spindoll.  It never occurred to me that I’d be riding on a 5 time World Champion western dressage horse! Spindoll acts calm, her head low and her black knotted mane pressed against her neck by the wind.  I give her a bump with my heels to walk on from the mounting block.  Even though she is calm, I am not!  My head is full of thoughts like what we could do together!  I find a way to calm myself and find her stride.  Her hooves against the dirt make the sound “1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4…” they seem to say.  A smile stretches across my face and it won’t leave. Spindoll’s brown body glistened in the early morning light like water when the sun hits it.  Strong black legs lifted off the ground as she walked.  In the barn that day excitement filled the air.  Even the sad brown walls seemed happy for me. Up in the loft the birds sang a happy tune.  Her hooves in the soft brown dirt made footprints like crescent moons.  I felt like we could conquer the world… Now I ride Spindoll each time I ride and in my opinion she is the best horse in the barn.”  And so she was.  Smiles beamed from the new students who met her when they found out how important Spindoll was and they loved her just as much as Sophie, Carilyn, Korbin and Rose did when she was theirs to ride.  Relational Riding Academy was truly blessed to have such a Quarter Horse in the barn, the breed and the discipline were blessed to have such an ambassador, her riders blessed by the experiences she brought them and Dry Spindoll was blessed with the best of horse lives.