Non-Pro World Champion April Widman of Weatherford, Texas, finished the year with earnings of $122,375. She earned money at 104 shows during the regular season, riding her World Finals mount, Woodys Baby, for those paydays and That Sly Bob for the remainder.

After finishing as Reserve World Champion in 2016, her 2017 campaign saw her take paychecks in Texas, Arizozna, Nevada, Mississippi, New Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, California and South Dakota.

She and Woodys Baby were Mercuria NCHA World Series finalists at Houston, Pacific Coast Derby, El Rancho Futurity and Congress, as well as at the West Texas Championship.

Widman first found herself in the spotlight at age 20 in 1998 when she won the Amateur NCHA Futurity on Trouble N Sonita, a gelding by Smart And Trouble. She went on to win the $50,000 Amateur finals at the NCHA Eastern National Championships the following spring, riding Peppy Snicker Bar, by Wheeling Peppy.

In 2000, she won her first NCHA World Championship, riding former NCHA Futurity Open champ Playboy McCrae in the $10,000 Novice Non-Pro division.

In 2009, she won the AQHA World Show on SR Instant Tee, an SR Instant Choice x Tee Cross O Lena gelding bred by her parents.

Other horses that have stood out over the years include Cat Of Monte Cristo, Brave Red Feather, and Purdy Feather.

But Woodys Baby has been her go-to horse the past two seasons. Bred by Mike and Laurie Jones, the 8-year-old gelding is by Nitas Wood out of You N Me Baby, by Smart Mate. He had a successful limited age career with trainer Ashley Baxstrom, and Widman has carried on by pulling the gelding’s earnings over the $360,000 mark.

Widman herself has earned more than $560,000.