Katie Van Slyke’s Denver Earns Reserve World Champion Honors at the NSBA World Show for Second Straight Year
Katie Van Slyke had plenty to celebrate after her young stallion First Things First, better known as Denver, delivered another standout performance at the NSBA World Show.
Competing in Performance Halter Stallions, Denver finished Reserve World Champion for the second consecutive year.
The final result was particularly close. Denver and fellow competitor Fahrenheit each received two first-place and two second-place rankings before the championship was ultimately decided by a tiebreaker.
Denver finished second overall, repeating the Reserve World Champion result he earned at the same show the previous year.
Denver Returned With High Expectations
Katie entered the class knowing Denver would be facing a strong field.
She described this year’s group as larger than the previous year’s and praised the overall quality of the horses, noting that Denver would be competing against horses she had admired for years.
Rather than focusing solely on the final placing, Katie said her hope was that Denver would enter the class and perform to the best of his ability.
The young stallion already had an impressive result to build upon.
During his first appearance in the class the previous year, Denver earned Reserve NSBA World Champion honors.
His return offered an opportunity to see whether he could produce another competitive performance at the same level.
Adam Wayne Scott Handles Denver
Denver was presented in the class by Adam Wayne Scott.
Katie explained that Adam and Kelly are highly respected halter trainers and showmen who had also helped her at Congress the previous year.
Adam’s involvement came after a scheduling conflict changed the team’s original plans.
Another trainer had initially been expected to show Denver, but Katie’s team needed to make a last-minute adjustment.
That resulted in Katie asking Adam to step in — even though it meant Adam and his wife Kelly would unusually find themselves competing against one another.
Katie expressed her gratitude for their willingness to accommodate the change and credited Adam with presenting Denver at his best.
What Happens in a Performance Halter Class?
Katie also offered viewers some insight into the Performance Halter Stallions competition.
She described it as a conformation class, with horses undergoing checks that include their teeth and movement.
The horses are also asked to trot so their soundness can be evaluated.
Katie noted that the NSBA World Show does not offer a non-pro version of Performance Halter Stallions, which meant she would not personally handle Denver in this particular class.
Instead, Adam took Denver into the arena while Katie watched the competition unfold.
Denver and Fahrenheit Battle for the Championship
The final judging produced an exceptionally close result.
According to Katie, Denver and Fahrenheit went back and forth in the individual placings.
Denver received:
Two first-place rankings and two second-place rankings.
Fahrenheit received the same combination.
With the judges effectively split between the two horses, the championship came down to the event’s tiebreaking procedure.
Denver did not prevail in the tiebreaker, placing second overall.
That officially made him the Reserve NSBA World Champion in Performance Halter Stallions.
Reserve World Champion for the Second Consecutive Year
Although Denver narrowly missed the World Champion title, Katie made it clear that there was little reason for disappointment.
The result meant Denver had now earned the same major honor in consecutive appearances:
Reserve World Champion — two years in a row.
Repeating a top result against a larger field of high-quality competitors gave Katie and her team plenty to celebrate.
This year’s finish was especially notable because Denver remained in contention for the championship until the tiebreaker.
Another Milestone in Denver’s Show Career
Denver’s latest result adds another significant achievement to his developing show record.
For Katie, the moment was also about recognizing the team behind him.
She thanked Adam and the others who helped prepare, manage and present Denver throughout the competition.
With more of the NSBA World Show still ahead, Denver’s Reserve World Championship provided an impressive start to his time at the event.
He may have missed the World Champion title in the tiebreaker, but the final result demonstrated remarkable consistency:
Two trips to this NSBA World Show class. Two Reserve World Champion finishes.
For First Things First, that is a record worth celebrating.
