NCHA Horse Hall of Fame Inductees

CREY ZEE

Marching to the beat of her own drum all the way to the Hall of Fame.

BY JENNIFER HORTON

“Her [registered] name is very fitting,” said Kylie Rice, even though they call her “Reyn.” The 2015 sorrel mare, bred and owned by Rice’s parents, Kevin and Sydney Knight, is sired by Dual Rey out of Eazee E, by High Brow Cat.

“She’s probably the most intelligent horse I’ve ever been around,” said Rice. “Tatum [Rice] picked her mom, Eazee E, out of the yearling sale, trained her and we both showed her. Crey Zee was her first baby.

“Eazee E was always very spicy, very wild and cowy,” Kylie continued. “We took the approach of fighting fire with fire and bred her to Dual Rey. Crey Zee is very well-known for her wild personality and all her antics in the loping pen. She comes from a long line of quirky horses. I’d say she marches to the beat of her own drum.”

Kylie described the mare’s career as a fairy tale for them. After winning the 2018 NCHA Open Futurity championship, she won two four-yearold events in a row - The Ike and The Bonanza - which helped cement her title of NCHA Open Horse of the Year in 2019.

“She was so cowy, so quick-footed and wanted it so much,” said Tatum. “She had so much instinct on a cow. It was actually more of a challenge to train her than to show her, even though at the time, I thought it was hard to show her. She always wanted to do more than needed. It was hard to slow her down.”

Crey Zee was sidelined later that year when she broke her splint bone in the trailer on the way home from the West Texas Futurity in August.

“We were lucky enough with the early results that she was able to earn the Horse of the Year title without showing the last four months,” said Kylie.

Crey Zee spent the rest of the year healing up to come back as a five-yearold when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, freeing up another year for the mare.

“Looking back, I feel that time off for her was actually a blessing,” said Tatum.

Even with their aged event and hauling schedule interrupted in 2020, Crey Zee made the NCHA Open World Finals.

“When she was six, I actually won the Non-Pro Classic/Challenge on her at the NCHA Summer Spectacular, and that’s what officially got her to the Hall of Fame, so that was special for us,” said Kylie.

It’s difficult for Kylie to pin down one favorite memory because the dynamic mare provided them with so many, but seeing the mare and Tatum win The Ike right after the NCHA Futurity stands out as one of the most memorable.

“We had just won the Futurity,” said Kylie. “You feel the pressure. Was that a one-time thing or is this a really special horse like we hoped? Austin Shepard had already shown in the finals and marked a 225 with a very, very good run. Reyn went a little later and marked a 229 and won. To come back after the Futurity win with that kind of run and win proved she was that kind of horse.”

Retired with $425,353 in lifetime earnings, these days, Crey Zee is living her best life as a broodmare in a large pasture next to Kylie and Tatum’s home with her mother, Eazee E, and longtime barn-mate, Miss Kitty Russel.

Her breeding career was jumpstarted utilizing embryo transfers, so Reyn’s oldest foals are two this year.

“There are so many people who contribute to a career like that for a horse – so many to thank and so many memories made,” Kylie said. “I think most of them know who they are. It was an amazing ride.” ★

SANCTUS

Scott Durham may have a divine silent partner in the success of his Hall of Fame stallion.

BY JENNIFER HORTON

Acasual trip to see some colts brought Scott Durham to Jose Isidro Sigala’s ranch, where a particular chestnut yearling stallion (High Brow Cat x Sofie Rey x Dual Rey) caught his eye.

“I was overwhelmed by his power and quickness,” said Durham.

Durham was raised on the King Ranch and grew up showing horses in several disciplines but cutting always remained in his heart. His ability to judge horses and cattle had become instinctive. Those instincts led him to purchase the colt he would rename Sanctus, Durham’s first NCHA Hall of Fame horse.

“I attend St. Patrick Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas,” said Durham. “Above the alter is a sign that reads ‘Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus.’ Sanctus means Holy. One day at Mass, I looked up and read that sign. I knew that needed to be his name. He was that special.”

The stallion’s show career catapulted him to fame in his four-year-old year. Shown by Rodrigo Taboga, the pair announced their arrival in a big way with win after win in the aged events, including the 2020 NCHA Summer Spectacular Open Derby. They earned six championships and four reserve championships at major NCHA-approved limited age events that year.

Sanctus earned historic back-toback championships at the Summer Spectacular, capturing the 2020 Open Derby win and the 2021 Open Classic/ Challenge title.

The stallion has graced three covers of the Cutting Horse Chatter as a major NCHA aged event champion. He has now earned 15 championship titles at NCHAapproved limited aged events.

The meaning of the Hall of Fame achievement is not lost on Durham.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Durham. “Most people don’t ever get the opportunity to receive this honor. Especially these days as the horses are becoming even more competitive.”

Durham credits the stallion’s consistency for his achievements.

“For a horse to win this much with two different riders is huge. He has excelled under two different riders and has won every major aged event. Where most horses experience peaks and valleys, he’s been extremely consistent for three years.”

That consistency combined with his athleticism and cow sense have proved a winning combination and helped Sanctus earn reserve NCHA Open Horse of the Year honors for two consecutive years as well.

“Rodrigo did such a great job with him that first year,” said Durham. “It was only when he made a change [in his business] that I decided to put Sanctus with Adan Banuelos. I am grateful for what Rodrigo did for Sanctus. They had a phenomenal season his four-year-old year.”

Banuelos took the reins during the stallion’s five-year-old year. The match has worked. The stallion’s NCHA recorded lifetime earnings exceed $343,531 at press time. They were reserve champions in the NCHA Great American Insurance Group Summer Spectacular Open Classic/Challenge this year, scoring a 223 that added $17,697 to the bank.

“He’ll finish out his aged event career this year,” Durham said. “He’s pretty much won everything at least once, so he doesn’t have anything else to prove.”

Durham wouldn’t count out a possible bid for the NCHA World Finals but said the demand for breeding both in the United States and Australia could take priority over continuing a show career.

“Like all professional athletes, it’s important to retire sound,” Durham said.

In addition to Taboga and Banuelos, Durham thanks Chance Smith and Patrick Stull for their contributions to this honor for Sanctus.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped us get to this honor,” Durham said. “I’ve truly been blessed.” ★

WOODYS BABY

The famous – and infamous – cutting horse is a showoff at heart.

BY JENNIFER HORTON

When April Widman was trying to qualify for the NCHA World Finals, she began looking for just the right horse. In November of 2015, she found Woodys Baby (Nitas Wood x You N Me Baby x Smart Mate), a 2009 gelding owned by a friend.

Their connection proved successful from the start, and it wasn’t long before the gelding she calls “Spanky” carried Widman out of Amateur eligibility. With the NCHA World Finals as a goal, they began hauling for the Non-Pro in 2016, finishing the year in the reserve spot.

“I never expected that, especially considering I was only showing one horse,” said Widman.

The second place finish inspired Widman to make the run in 2017. When she won the Non-Pro world championship title, it was Spanky who carried her.

“He got me into the NCHA Non-Pro Riders Hall of Fame that year, too,” said Widman. “We did it the hard way - through lifetime earnings.”

What makes Spanky infamous is his behavior, or misbehavior, in the loping pen.

“He bucks,” said Widman. “He loves to buck and play in that loping pen right up until I go in to show. My dad always loped him for me. As soon as he’d hand me the reins, Spanky’s head would come down and I’d go have a great run. After he got all his cookies, Spanky bucked all the way out again.

“It wasn’t a fresh-thing,” Widman continued. “He just loved to show off. He’s not really the Godzilla he makes himself out to be. He’s really a sweet, kind horse.”

Widman realized the more trouble he gave her, the better they did. She was always careful to keep him under control so he wouldn’t bother anyone else, but other than that, she let him play his game.

“I always said if I go to show him and he doesn’t buck, that’s when I’ll be scared,” Widman said. “I can leave an indoor arena and he’ll buck the entire way out until we get outside and he loses his audience. He loves the attention of people seeing him. The World Finals, as loud as they get, are his absolute favorite.”

Widman said out of the arena, Spanky becomes a scared little mouse, fearful of his surroundings. He trusts Widman as much as he’ll ever trust any human.

“He’s incredibly smart,” Widman said. “He’s large for a cutter, a huge 1,200 pounds, but he somehow makes himself small in front of a cow. I always tried to cut cattle that were very challenging because I had all the faith in the world in him.

“I’ve never had anyone else work him but me,” she continued. “I’ve been told at times I hadn’t done enough with him in the practice pen. It was hard to ignore well-meaning advice from people I idolized, but I had to trust my gut. He’s a weird horse. He’s got his own mold. It wasn’t my expertise so much as it was understanding him.”

Widman admitted she’s spoiled him beyond all measure.

“He deserves it,” Widman said. “He has a sweet tooth and loves his candy. Whatever I have, he wants.”

Widman gives thanks to the Good Lord above, her parents, Skip and Debbie Hames, her husband, Joe, and son, Wyatt.

“Even though Spanky is amazing, I could not have done any of this without all of them on my side,” Widman said. “My father – God bless him for tolerating that horse and helping me. He loves that horse, and he loves me. I’ve thanked Mike and Tammy Jones a million times for selling Spanky to me. He truly changed my life. So many people helped me, both in and out of the arena. I appreciate them all.

“And Spanky,” Widman continued. “I hope he lives until he’s 40. He gave me a confidence I never had. We were meant to be. He deserves his own page in history. I’ll never sell him. He never scared me – I understood him from day one. We love each other. I will care for him for the rest of his life. He’s my horse-of-a-lifetime. My heart beats through his. He made all my dreams come true.” ★

REYSIN KITTENS

The grumpy and gritty gelding gets to the Hall of Fame.

BY JENNIFER HORTON

Reysin Kittens, “Reysin,” is a 2013 homebred gelding sired by Dual Rey and out of Kittens, by High Brow Cat. He is owned by Frank and Bonnie Martin, who are ecstatic to add the NCHA Horse Hall of Fame to his list of accomplishments.

“Reysin has been an over-achiever with the same heart and style as his mother,” said Bonnie.

Frank and Bonnie Martin owned Kittens, who had NCHA lifetime earnings recorded of $270,700. They made the decision not to get involved in the breeding business, so they sold the mare to Billy Morris. They kept her Dual Rey foal and named him Reysin Kittens.

Reysin’s journey to the Hall of Fame began with his limited age career, first with Jaime Snider and then Grant Setnicka.

“We brought him home and have been showing him [in the Non-Pro and Amateur] ever since,” said Bonnie. “He’s been sound and solid the whole time.”

The Martins gives much of the credit for that to Jessica Burdett, who joined their “triangle” at Bitterroot Ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada, about three years ago. Reysin has become Burdett’s favorite lope, stating that Bonnie is not allowed to show him if Burdett is not there to get him ready.

“Jessi [Burdett] has a program for him, and all our horses, to keep them sound and healthy,” Bonnie said. “We are blessed to have her on our side, and our horses are as strong and solid as they can be. With her background in high school rodeo, she was very experienced in caring for and hauling horses. When we said we were going to run for the NCHA world championship, she was absolutely on board.”

Bonnie said Reysin’s consistency in the cutting pen took him to the Hall of Fame.

“He’s got grit,” said Bonnie. “He knows his job, and he always puts his heart into it.”

She described his personality as that of a grumpy old man.

“He’s sassy,” Bonnie said. “He knows that we all know who he is and what he is. Jessi understands him and he knows he can’t buffalo her when he pins his ears. Everyone else avoids his pinned ears but she knows he’s all bluff and lets him think he’s in charge.”

Reysin’s Hall of Fame achievement happened along the way to qualifying for the NCHA World Finals last year.

“When his earnings exceeded $350,000, we decided we needed to make it happen,” said Bonnie. “Frank and Jessi sat down to map out the plan. They looked at the whole schematic and charted out our plan to get there.”

With his NCHA lifetime earnings at press time recorded at $444,457, Bonnie is showing Reysin in the Non-Pro again this year with sights set on returning to the World Finals in the Non-Pro. It would be Reysin’s third trip to the finals.

“We have been punching away one show at a time, with Frank and Jessi navigating the path and choosing the shows where we can get the most out of our travel,” Bonnie said. “I can’t put into words what Jessi means to us.”

Bonnie has an extensive list of people for whom she is thankful for their role in this journey.

“My help has been the same guys - Tim Castilaw, Tim Smith, Monty Buntin, Matt Gaines and Mike Wood. They have pretty much been there along the way. If it weren’t for my husband and the passion he has for cutting, we wouldn’t be here. He was world champion in the $50,000 Amateur last year and did very well on the senior tour, but he wanted me to have a shot at the world title this year. If we get there, it’s fine, and if we don’t, it’s fine. God gave us this passion, and we are blessed to be able to play this game. At home, our two sons with their wives, five grandchildren and one great granddaughter, encourage and support Frank and me as we pursue this passion.

“We’re thankful every day we’re able to continue on this road,” Bonnie said. “It’s a lot of work but a lot of reward. We’re enjoying the ride.” ★

HISS N VINEGAR

She definitely lives her life on her own terms.

BY JENNIFER HORTON

When Jennifer Foland’s uncle gifted her a mare, Hustlin Leopard, by Freckles Hustler, they could not have predicted how the story would go. The mare was sweet and made a good kid’s horse for Foland’s daughter, Jordann. But she earned barely over $1,000 in the cutting pen.

“Leopard’s best foals were the ones she raised,” said Foland. “She’s so good-minded. She gets all our fillies when they are weaned so she can raise them. She was meant to be a mom.”

Bred to High Brow Cat, Hustlin Leopard produced Hissy Cat, who, after a successful show career ($307,098 lifetime earnings), would give the Foland’s their first hall of fame horse in Hiss N Vinegar.

When the daughter of Hissy Cat and Dual Smart Rey was born in 2015, the white roan marking above her eye earned her the name “Smudge,” but her personality clearly pointed to her registered name.

The Folands have enjoyed creating fun horse names with plays on words and innuendos.

“My dad had always said we needed to name one of Hissy Cat’s babies ‘Hiss N Vinegar,’ so I saved that in the back of my mind,” said Foland. “My kids didn’t get the pun, but that’s okay. When we went to halter break her, she was a wild child. It was her name.

“Phil Hanson started her as a two-yearold,” continued Foland. “She was so feely and sensitive, he really had to take his time training her. It took Phil a couple weeks just to catch her in her stall when he first got her, and she was already halter broke.”

Hiss N Vinegar finished in the top ten at the 2018 NCHA Futurity to start off her career. The following spring, when Hanson took her to the NCHA Super Stakes, she marked a 227 to win it. It was the first notch toward the NCHA Horse Hall of Fame.

Hanson’s son, Jake, took the reins to show her to a win at the 2019 Brazos Bash with a 227.

“Then it was COVID and the craziness of 2020,” said Foland. “That put a pause in her story.”

For her six-year-old year, the Folands moved their special mare to Geoffrey “Spud” Sheehan, pictured on the mare above. The 2021 Super Stakes would prove monumental.

“It was a surreal moment when her score of 228 won, and her back-to-back Super Stakes victories secured her place in the Hall of Fame,” said Foland. “It also put Hissy Cat’s offspring earnings over $1 million.”

The Texas Quarter Horse Association incentive at the Super Stakes added a $25,000 bonus to her paycheck.

“The two wins at the Super Stakes were historic for us,” said Foland. “We’d never had a horse win in that pen, so to have a horse win twice with two different riders back-to-back was incredible.”

Foland showed Smudge in the Non-Pro and made several aged event finals with her, including the 2021 Super Stakes. The mare is eligible for the American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash incentives, and Foland won the APHA World Show Non-Pro Chrome Cash Challenge with her in 2021.

“She’s extremely smart,” said Foland. “She’s been so fun. She’s quiet to ride around and maybe a bit lazy, but when you put her on a cow, it’s a whole different level. She’s very physical and very, very quick. She’s so smart; she doesn’t misread a cow very often. They don’t trick her. She’s so strong she’s hurt Spud’s shoulder when he has shown her.”

Smudge is selective in her people. She wouldn’t wear boots or leg wraps for Hanson. Sheehan eventually got her to accept them. She’s never worn shoes and she has continued to insult her farrier by not accepting his friendship.

Sheehan and Smudge are showing in the Open this year with an eye on the NCHA World Finals, and Foland shows her some in the Non-Pro. They’ve also been able to begin her breeding career.

Foland has a long list of people to thank.

“First, I thank the Lord for blessing us with this amazing horse; my husband, Dr. Jeff Foland, for keeping her sound and allowing us to chase our dreams and raise horses; my parents, especially my dad and uncle, for getting us into cutting; our kids - Jordann, Jennah and Jarrett - for their constant support; the staff at Weatherford Equine Medical Center and Weatherford Breeding Center: Dr. Justin Ritthaler, Dr. Paul Loe, Tommy Boudreau; our staff and family at Check Up Ranch and countless friends and family for their support; Geoffrey Sheehan and his family and team for showing her now and keeping her at the top of her game; Phil Hanson and his family and team for training her and building a great foundation for the first two years of her career; and all the guys who have helped in her corners at the shows.

“Mostly thank you to Smudge,” Foland continued. “Thank you for the ride of a lifetime. You are one-in-a-million, and we are so blessed to be chosen to be your people.”★