The fourteen-year-old from Wooster, Ohio, was the youngest exhibitor in the class and won it with his mare, Bottle Service.
“It was just so unexpected,” he said. “I think there’s a big difference between going into a class trying to win and going into it trying to do your best, and we were just trying to do our best. I was just thinking about how blessed I was to be there.” 

Brayden added a second NSBA World Championship title to his record by winning the world title in the $5,000 Limited Horse/$5,000 Limited Rider Open Western Pleasure—making it a show to remember. 

A Summer of Success

These wins were the latest in a series of successful shows this summer for the duo. Earlier this summer, the team earned a Reserve World Champion title in Level 2 Youth 14–18 Western Pleasure and a Top Ten finish in Level 3 at the AQHYA World Championship Show. The duo also collected wins at major shows including the Tarheel Classic, EOQHA Spring It On, March to Virginia, and Back to Berrien, where Brayden was named the highest money-earning Non-Pro exhibitor of the futurity. 

Building A Winning Partnership

The Stine family purchased “Halsey” in February with the help of trainer Taft Dickerson. Halsey began her short show career at the Love Circuit in Venice, Florida, with Tyler Achtenhagen before joining Team Dickerson. The mare is by An Absolute Martini and out of Secrete Dreams (by A Dream Remembered).

“She’s very sweet, and she tries really hard,” Brayden said of his partner. “I felt like our go in the first split was a little better than the finals, but she was really good.” The judges agreed, awarding Brayden and Halsey two firsts, one second, and a fifth to secure the overall class win.

A Family Affair

Brayden and his family live in Wooster, Ohio, and with Taft’s barn being in Mount Airy, North Carolina, he doesn’t get to see his horse as frequently as other competitors, making his win even more impressive.

“My mom used to have horses, so she got me and my sister Katie involved with them about three years ago,” Brayden said. “I used to play baseball, but I started riding and really liked it. I don’t really like the All Around classes, so Western Pleasure is my thing.”

The Stines own a large barn where they have a mix of their own and boarded horses, and Brayden takes the lessons he learns from Taft and applies them to other horses at their farm. “Both Brayden and Katie have chores to do at the barn, and they’re pretty responsible,” noted Brayden’s mother, Samantha Stine.

 “I love that we get to go to horse shows as a family, and seeing Brayden and Halsey becoming a successful team is the icing on the cake. Katie just got a new horse too, so it’s going to be fun to watch them both continue to grow.”

Looking Ahead

This fall the team will travel to an AQHA show in Midland, Michigan in preparation for the Quarter Horse Congress. “I’m just enjoying the moment,” Brayden said. Indeed. Enjoy the moment, Brayden – they go by fast!