December 17, 2025 - ASHBA is excited to congratulate owner, Carol Jones and her mare, Nocturnal Question Heir on being the 2025 ASHBA Sport Horse of the Year Award Winner. American Saddlebred, Nocturnal Question Heir is the third winner of this relatively new award that is helping incentivize and recognize riders and owners of talented American Saddlebred sport horses. Nocturnal Question Heir is affectionately known in the barn as Ivy. She is a 2017 ASB mare by Nocturnal and out of Briarhill’s Enchanting Lady bred by Tonie Schmitt of New York. Carol and “Ivy” are the first to win the award competing in the Ranch discipline. Ivy’s dam, Lady, was purchased by Jeff Winton and Jim Modica with Ivy by her side. Fast forward to her 3-year-old year, Jeff and Jim sent her to Joe Brown to get broke to ride. She came to American Acres with Carol Jones that fall. Carol noted, “She was easily the best minded 3-year-old with the most perfect start to her riding career. She came out of her stall every day ready to learn more! Based on her temperament & athletic abilities, I believed that the western & trail divisions would be best suited for her”. The mare won a novice trail class at the Bridlespur Horse Show in one of her very first show ring appearances. Soon after that, the ranch division was recognized at Saddlebred shows, and Carol knew Ivy would also excel at these ranch classes. As show season began in 2022, Janet Thompson and Carol Jones purchased Ivy from Jeff and Jim.
“She is beautiful, extremely athletic and highly intelligent, which makes her very suitable for the complex Ranch Trail and Ranch Riding pattern classes, as well as Ranch Rail Pleasure,” Carol explained. “The ranch pattern classes demonstrate a horse’s athletic ability and their willingness to please by showcasing many upward and downward transitions of gait, including extended trot and extended lope, and then coming back down to travel over ground poles, perform lead changes, and various other obstacles such as dragging a log or carrying a rain slicker. The fancy footwork required in these classes calls for smooth, efficient transitions from various gaits, into working maneuvers that would also be utilized in ranch work. Ivy’s intelligence and athleticism make her the ideal candidate for succeeding in these classes, as well as her beauty which makes her a standout performer in the ranch rail classes”.
It’s no doubt that Carol Jones and Ivy make a special team in the ranch division. Carol also shared a highlight from the 2025 show season when Ivy was presented as Champion of the Hattie Francis Ranch Rail pleasure class. Chuck Walker handed Carol an envelope and asked her to open it. Janet Thompson, in a handwritten note, had gifted Carol full ownership of the mare. Carol is very proud of Ivy’s accomplishments and grateful to all those who have helped Ivy along the way. Carol says, “She is the ultimate ambassador for the American Saddlebred!”
In 2025, some of her major wins include:
2025 Bridlespur Kick-Off Show
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Ranch Riding Champion
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Ranch Rail Pleasure Champion & Stake Champion
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Ranch Trail Champion
2025 Big D Charity Horse Show
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Ranch Rail Pleasure Champion
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Ranch Riding Champion
2025 Monarch Series Championship Horse Show
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Open Ranch Rail Pleasure Champion & National Grand Champion
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Open Ranch Trail National Grand Champion
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Open Ranch Riding Reserve National Champion
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High Point Open Ranch Horse
2025 St Louis National Charity Horse Show
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Ranch Rail Pleasure Champion
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2x Ranch Rail Pleasure Grand Champion