Reined Cow Horse News, Volume 26, No 6, November/December 2021

Page 1

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

VOLUME 26, NO. 6

RIDING FOR ZAK Aboard Zak 34, named for owner Melissa Fischer’s son, Justin Wright was lifted to the top of a 30-horse Final to earn the Open Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion title.

2021 HACKAMORE CLASSIC CHAMPIONS //////// SPECIAL AWARDS RECOGNITION //////// YOUTH REIGN




CONTENTS////// NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 VOLUME 26, NUMBER 6

FEATURES

SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY® 74 The Weight of the Ride

148 Million Dollar Milestones

86 Hail to the Chief

154 Sponsor Spotlight:

Zak 34 carried more than rider Justin Wright to the championship.

PulseVet

Abbie Phillips and TRR Dual Smart Olena earned the Non Pro Futurity title.

100 Horse Show Headlines

Horse show class champions from the Snaffle Bit Futurity.

114 116 120 124 128 130 144

IN EVERY ISSUE

NRCHA Futurity Sales

4 8 156 157 158 159 160

AQHA Ranching Heritage Champions MARS Equestrian™ National Finals Rodear Results Leathers tops Cowboy Class Invitational Cow Horse for Ropers Rocks the Futurity Cow Horse for Cutters Returns ARHFA Results

HACKAMORE CLASSIC

From the Executive Director NRCHA President’s Letter Dennis Moreland’s Tack Tips NRCHA Committee Directory Affiliate List Suspended Member List NRCHA Sanctioned Events

CIRCLE UP

132 To the End

Lance Johnston piloted Annies Smart Cat to the Open Hackamore Classic title.

138 Red Holly Time Rules Run-Off

Two horses duked it out for the Non Pro Hackamore Classic win, and Myles Brown came out on top. PRIMO MORALES

10 14 18 20 38 46

From the Judge’s Chair From the NRCHYA Empty Stalls NRCHA News Trade Secrets All-Access from the Futurity

MEMBER ROUNDUP 50 52 58 64 70 Black stallion Zak 34 was named for the deceased son, Seth, of owner Melissa Fischer (in black). The horse was a lifeline for her family and now, a Futurity Champion with pilot Justin Wright. 2 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

54

Behind the Buckle: Russell Dilday Know the Pro: Jason Patrick Notable Non Pro: Polly Bremel Meet Clinton Marshall Faces of the NRCHA

On the cover: Zak 34, owned by Melissa Fischer, carried NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Justin Wright to his first NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® championship. [Page 74]


LEAD, DON’ T FOLLOW. cinchjeans.com


///////// FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECT0R

As I write this, we are less than a week out from completing the 2021 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, and I still haven’t come off of the high. What a show—and what an Open Finals—friends! If you were lucky enough to be one of the thousands of people who watched our Open finalists lay down 220+ rein and cow work run after run, you know exactly how electric it was in the historic Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on the night of October 23rd. A huge congratulations goes out to all of our finalists, and of course, to Justin Wright for his Championship aboard Zak 34 for owner Melissa Fischer. Many of you Dr. Anna Morrison now know the story behind this special 3-year-old’s name, and there was no doubt that Melissa’s son, Seth, was there in spirit that evening as Justin and “Zak” took their victory lap. The Open Finals were an exciting cap on an outstanding 17-day event, and those last runs always stick in our memories. Equally memorable and important were the accomplishments of our Non Pro division finalists, as well as our Intermediate Open and Limited Open finalists. Congratulations to each of our finalist riders and owners on your successes, and don’t forget to give thanks to those special horses who offered the heart and try to get you there. We’ll all look forward to watching you in the Derbies next year! In addition to our hundreds of Futurity contenders, we also celebrated the accomplishments of our Oswood Stallion Station-supported Hackamore Classic exhibitors, and enjoyed cheering on those who showed in our Horse Show classes and special events, like the Cow Horse for Cutters and the inaugural Cow Horse for Ropers. The time, effort and resources of so many members went into making the Snaffle Bit Futurity a success, and we’re thankful to each of you. As we ease toward the end of another show season, and I cap my first year in the role of executive director, I would like to extend a thank you to each and every person who participated in our 2021 NRCHA events, whether at an affiliate or sanctioned show or at a premier event. I would like to thank each of you who offered words of encouragement or advice; you helped our team to find our footing and stay on track as we’ve worked on your behalf. Thank you to our sponsors for your trust and support of this special organization. And thank you to our Board of Directors, members and staff for your dedication and commitment to NRCHA. Have a wonderful holiday season, and we’ll see you in the New Year!

Anna Morrison, Executive Director

4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Volume 26, Number 6

Official Publication of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Published by Morris Equine Group a division of MCC Magazines, LLC

NRCHA

256 North Hwy 377 | Pilot Point, TX 76258 Phone: 940-488-1500 | Fax: 940-488-1499 info@nrcha.com | www.NRCHA.com

NRCHA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS: President: Corey Cushing Vice President: Paul Bailey Secretary: Frank Prisco Treasurer: Trey Neal NRCHA Foundation: MJ Isakson

NRCHA STAFF

Executive Director: Dr. Anna Morrison Premier Event Manager: Emily Konkel Accounting Manager: Kasydi Valentine Communications Manager: Kate Bradley Byars Program Manager: Elizabeth Ellis Director of Judges: Bill Enk Official NRCHA Photographer: Primo Morales Official NRCHA Videographer: Equine Promotion

REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Vice President: John Lunn Editor: Kate Bradley Byars Managing Editor: Jennifer Denison Production Manager: Sherry Brown Art Director: Susan Sampson Advertising Sales Shawn McCoy, 817-929-8597 shawn.mccoy@morris.com Sales Customer Service Manager: Diana Buettner, 817-569-7114 diana.buettner@morris.com Advertising, Fax 817-737-9633 Reined Cow Horse News (ISSN 23803975) is published six times a year by Cowboy Publishing Group. Known office of publication: 2112 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107. All contents are copyright of the National Reined Cow Horse Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written permission from the NRCHA. Opinions expressed in articles and advertising in Reined Cow Horse News do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of the NRCHA or its officers and members. Accuracy of material is the sole responsibility of the authors. Unsolicited materials are submitted at the sender’s risk and the NRCHA accepts no responsibility for them. Please address all submissions to: Reined Cow Horse News, 256 North Hwy 377, Pilot Point, Texas, 76258. Subscription rate is $25 a year. Periodical postage paid at Pilot Point, Texas, 76258 and additional mailing offices. USPS number, 024-906. Postmaster: Send address changes to Reined Cow Horse News, 256 North Hwy 377, Pilot Point, Texas, 76258.


– THE OFFICIAL BOOT OF THE NRCHA –




///////// FROM THE NRCHA PRESIDENT

KEEP REACHING

Corey Cushing, NRCHA president

The high from another outstanding National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® is still with me even as I reflect on the event. Looking back at the more than a year it takes to get to the point of showing at the Snaffle Bit, I see a lot of peaks and valleys along the road, and I know I’m not alone. The Snaffle Bit Futurity, presented by Metallic Cat, is a pressure-filled event. First, there is the pressure to simply train a horse to get to show there, then there the pressure is on to make the Finals, and you hope that you apply the right amount of pressure on a horse that allows it show the best it can. At times, it’s building to a peak and things are going good. Then, you hit a valley when you could have done better or a cow didn’t help you out. Look at Justin Wright’s highest peak. His mount, Zak 34, came from a valleylike moment in his owner’s life. Missy Fischer bought that horse because she felt like her son, Seth, who had passed on, was urging her to buy him. From that low point in her life, she has also now felt highest of highs winning our biggest limited age event. Justin’s been bridesmaid before and understands that everyone walks through valleys, but the peaks are what keep us going. This year’s Snaffle Bit Futurity saw peak after peak: near-record entries, new All-Time Leading Sire Metallic Cat, we celebrated Million Dollar Sire Lenas Wright On and Million Dollar Rider Ron Ralls; at the event, we saw a new Two Million Dollar Rider with Jake Telford and, on Finals night, a new Million Dollar Rider in Clayton Edsall. It is obvious that our cow horse family creates an atmosphere that foster success. It motivates others to join our association. We saw that in the enthusiasm of the cutting competitors who jumped at the chance to ride in the third annual Cow Horse For Cutters. And the roping stars sure came out for our first ever Cow Horse For Ropers—talk about fun! That is what is so appealing about reined cow horse—we have fun and we ride great horses. As we head into winter, many of us have our eyes on next year’s goals. We see those peaks we want to stand on top of, like a Futurity Champion title. Don’t be discouraged by the valleys you walk through to reach the peaks. Keep reaching and we will see you on the way!

Corey Cushing

8 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS



///////// CIRCLE UP

FROM THE JUDGE’S CHAIR The judge’s score reflects the whole run, from start to finish.

10 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

appeal and cow sense than a horse that is shown with tighter reins. In the rein work prelims it seemed like there were more out of lead and break of gait penalties than usual. Also noted when transitioning from the large fast to small slow circles, slowing down too early or speeding back up too late basically eliminates some degree of difficulty from the maneuver score. Slowing down two strides before the center and speeding up two strides after the center are in the credit-earning ranges. Excessive over-canting when slowing down also eliminates some degree of difficulty. There is more risk assumed to the horse that stays straighter during the transitions and, with all things equal during the rest of the circles, probably should be scored higher. Body alignment has always been important when exhibiting a horse. Excessive speed and lack of body alignment during the turnarounds is very hard to judge. Correctness is important when evaluating maneuvers. Correctness with speed is the ultimate goal and should not be overlooked by attempting to go fast without being correct. The fence work usually shows off horses that are comfortable and confident with speed. Missing the entry to a turn by less than a length basically eliminates credit from that turn. It can still be a check turn if it has some form and the exit is good. Averaging the turns

PRIMO MORALES

I

find myself saying the same thing every year when the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® is over: “WOW!” It’s all about competing to win and having the horseflesh to accomplish it. This year, Justin Wright had both going for him, but the part that stands out to me most was when he drew a borderline cow to work and he attempted to compete on it like it was the only one he was going to get. It makes the new cow whistle a lot easier to blow when the exhibitor stays in position and the cow lets you know it wouldn’t give you a fair shake to compete on it. In this case, that’s exactly what happened. Congratulations Justin—job well done! As the competition increased, there were maneuvers that helped separate runs from the judges’ perspectives. In the herd work there seemed to be more cases of excessive herd help than in years past. Excessive herd help is assessed on the judges’ cards when the herd help cuts the arena down or saves a major penalty. In either case, it detracts from the work by not allowing the exhibitor to attempt to control the cow without help. Also noted in the herd work was a horse’s lack of ability to work the cow with semiloose reins. These are snaffle bit horses and reining them is allowed, but the horse that works a cow correctly with semi-loose reins demonstrates more eye

allows you to gain back credit if the rest of the turns are on the money. The whole run is what is important, and the final score should reflect that from start to finish. To the judges and exhibitors, these reflections are just food for thought on our never-ending journey to try to get better at what we’re attempting to do. Until Next Time, Bill Enk NRCHA Director of Judges





///////// CIRCLE UP

FROM THE NRCHYA By Tylor Todd

T

he National Reined Cow Horse Association Youth had tons of activities to keep them busy at this year’s Snaffle Bit Futurity®, held in Fort Worth, Texas, October 7-23, in the Youth Activities Center room, presented by Terri and Joe Carter. Starting on October 8, Youth of all ages were invited to take part in the decorating of good luck

14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

posters for their favorite Open riders, a scavenger hunt around the facility and a field trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. This museum is home to an extraordinary collection of history and was a great way for the kids to see Native American art, as well as learn more about science. Costume lead line was a real hit with kids and parents alike! Kids got to dress up as anything they liked, and they were led around in the John Justin arena on October 19. This was my favorite Youth activity and all of the little kids loved it. For older kids, there were Buckaroo Classes where kids could be assisted by an adult and do a simple reining pattern followed by working the flag. The participants and winners received trophies sponsored by Bet He Sparks. Lastly, stick horse decorating and the relay races were popular among the kids. There was an activ-

ity for everyone! A huge thank you to K&L Phillips, owners of Bet He Sparks, the Carters, and all of the parents for organizing and supporting the Youth activities throughout the show. While at the show, the annual stallion auction to benefit the NRCHYA was held during the Western Bloodstock Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales®. Stallion owners donated a 2022 breeding to their studs, and, in turn, donated the proceeds to the Youth association. This money helps us put on free Youth clinics and NRCHYA promotional events. The auction raised $45,300, and the high-selling breeding was to Metallic Rebel for $4,700. This year’s auction brought in $10,000 more than last year’s auction. We cannot thank the buyers enough for their support of the Youth. We also say a big thank you to the stallion owners who donated a 2022 breeding to their fabulous studs.





///////// CIRCLE UP

EMPTY STALLS Two top reined cow horse producers passed on to greener pastures.

Here Comes The horses we have ever Boon, Stay Outta My known. Even at 22 or Shorts’ 2016 foal by 23 years old, he had Once In A Blu Boon, helped her earn the to be ridden down 2019 NRCHA Dam of for two hours before the Year title. going in the cutting pen! To have him and love on him, and the older he got the more lovey he was when he realized he was finally in a home. We loved him, a lot.” Mister Dual Pep’s ashes were laid to rest at the Hanson’s in Iowa. At the time of his death, “Mister” was the 14th highest earning sire in the NRCHA. The Brown family lost Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion producing and NRCHA Dam of the Year Stay Outta My Shorts this year. The mare, by Shorty Lena and out of Oaklynn (by Doc’s Oak) was 24 years old. Owned by Rob A. Brown, Myles Brown made the purchase for the family in 2015 when Stay Outta My Shorts was in foal to Once In A Blu Boon. The resulting

Even in his 20s, Mister Dual Pep was a competitor, as see here with NRCHA professional Luke Jones.

PRIMO MORALES

18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

COURTESY OF MICHELLE HANSON

T

he reined cow horse industry lost Million Dollar Sire Mister Dual Pep and also Stay Outta My Shorts, the dam of the 2019 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion, this year. With NRCHA earners of more than $1,420,000, 1993 sorrel stallion Mister Dual Pep (Peppy San Badger x Miss Dual Doc x Doc’s Remedy) leaves a lasting legacy in reined cow horses. Bred by Greg and Laura Ward of Tulare, California, the full brother to Dual Pep was shown to more than $43,000 in lifetime earnings by Greg. However, his impact in not only reined cow horse but reining and cutting was most felt in the breeding barn. At the time of his death in August, Mister Dual Pep had 240 competing reined cow horses, with the top money earning offspring Mister Smart Remedy (out of Ima Smart Remedy), a 2001 stallion that has $119,443.20 in NRCHA earnings. He transferred hands through the years, but his final home was with Wayne and Melissa Hanson at Hanson Quarter Horses in Creston, Iowa. The Hansons enjoyed the personable stallion in his golden years, even watching daughter Emily Gravlin show him in high school rodeo events when the stallion was 23 years old. “It was a fluke we even bought him,” said Michelle Hanson. “We really had no idea [the impact] he has had. He [was] quirky but he’s one of the coolest

foal, 2016 stallion Here Comes The Boon, would see the Brown’s breed an NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion with Lance Johnston aboard the roan in 2019. Here Comes The Boon has amassed $224,217.26 (as of September 27, 2021) in earnings; BBR Short On Time, a 2003 mare also out of Stay Outta My Shorts, helped put the mare’s total NRCHA produce earnings at $226,748.96. The Brown family has a foal they hope to watch in the show pen from their bay mare. The NRCHA offers condolences to Mister Dual Pep’s and Stay Outta My Short’s connections.



///////// CIRCLE UP

ZANE DAVIS AND RUBYS RADAR ZERO IN TO WIN THE RUN FOR A MILLION FENCE WORK CHALLENGE By Kate Bradley Byars

CAROLYN SIMANCIK

An electric cow work helped Zane Davis and Rubys Radar seal the win at the inaugural Run For A Million Fence Work Challenge.

A

chance to be the first champion of The Run For A Million Fence Work Challenge, presented by Teton Ridge, brought some of the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s best bridle horses to make a run in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 20 with the top Open NRCHA earning riders in the saddle. When the last cow was circled, Zane Davis and Rubys Radar (One Time Pepto x Ruby

20 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Bagonia x Peppy San Badger) topped the 15-horse field to earn $60,000 and the title. The second The Run For A Million event held August 18 through 20 at the South Point Hotel and Casino once again brought out sold-out crowds to the Arena and Equestrian Center for the Fence Work Challenge on Friday and the Run For A Million on Saturday night. Open riders were invited to

the first Fence Work Challenge based on their sum of three-year NRCHA earnings. Riders had the opportunity to compete on any bridle horse they selected. Aboard “Radar,” owned by Billie Filippini’s C Ranches Inc of Battle Mountain, Nevada, Davis received plusses from the judges on crisp reining maneuvers to score a 224.5 before the pair made the high-scoring cow horse


run of the event with a massive 229. “When Taylor Sheridan included reined cow horse in The Run For A Million we were thrilled for the opportunity to share the spotlight at this groundbreaking event,” said Anna Morrison, NRCHA executive director. “Our riders and horses did their part to share the thrill of our sport with the audience. They gave it their all in the arena, and we couldn’t be prouder of them. I think it’s fair to say there are more than a few new cow horse fans today!” The event was sanctioned late in July, following the announcement that riders would be completing a reining pattern with the fence work. That allowed for the event manager, Amanda Brumley, to apply for NRCHA Category 2 approval. A Category 2 competition approval indicates an event doesn’t meet Category 1 criteria for reasons such as restricted entry. In this instance, participation is restricted to the 15 riders invited to compete due to their ranking in the top 15 NRCHA Open riders for the last three-year show total earnings. “The ability to sanction the event and record the earnings makes this even sweeter, and is so meaningful to the riders and owners participating,” said Morrison. For Davis, the addition of reining meant switching from his first choice, NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion Reymanator to Rubys Radar, a stallion that had only come home from the breeding barn days before the announcement of the reining addition. “It was a rush job on him because he’d been at the breeding farm, out of shape and really fat a month ago,” explained Davis. “We had about a month [to get him in shape] and he just got in what looked like show shape five

days ago. He was performing well and he’s a happy show horse. He performed well tonight.” Davis, from Blackfoot, Idaho, is an NRCHA Million Dollar Rider and past NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion. The NRCHA reining pattern 4 is one Davis approaches with determination, and that paid off. “This pattern is a very difficult pattern,” said Davis. “You come in run and spin, and do hard fast running first, then you have to lope off in a small, slow circle and then change to a small, slow circle after running a large fast one. I am familiar with this pattern [because] it is the first pattern I’ve ever run and I destroyed it. When they said we were going to run it, I knew I needed to practice every little element of it. He and I practiced bits and pieces of it every day for a month.” As draw seven, Davis watched what he deemed as “slower cattle” work, and knew his needed to be fast with an aggressive work to mark high on the cards of NRCHA judges Todd Crawford, Russell Dilday, Wade Reaney, Brady Weaver and Cayley Wilson. The event utilized the NRCHA’s five judge system, where the high and low scores are removed so the middle three count toward the score. “The left turn [first] for him is a better turn. I’d watched some others go with pretty slow cows. It turned out that red cow, by its first move, I thought we had more cow than some others I had seen. I knew this horse could handle about any cow so I was excited,” Davis said. “I grew up in rodeo so I am used to the crowd, and I am always concerned with how my horse handles the crowd. This horse, I think he performs better when the crowd is screaming. Though, I am glad I wasn’t first—there was intensity in the air!”

When Erin Taormino and Im So Stunning, the final draw of the night, wrapped up, the crowd rewarded the entire event with raucous cheers. The reined cow horse Fence Work Challenge made a positive and lasting impression on attendees and those watching through the livestream and pay-perview options. The Fence Work Challenge paid 12 holes, and Reserve Champion Sarah Dawson rode Travelin Miss Jonez (Travelin Jonez x Playin With Rubies x Lectric Playboy) to a 223.5 in the rein work and a 226.5 in the cow work for a composite 450, earning $22,500. With a composite 446, CSR Lay Down Sally (Dual Spark x Look At Her Glo x CD O Cody), owned by Meredith Graber, and Chris Dawson tied for third with Clayton Edsall and Metallic Train (Metallic Cat x Sparking Train x Shining Spark), owned by Beverly Servi. Both earned $16,500. Rounding out the top five was Corey Cushing aboard TheCrowdLovesMe (Smart Chic Olena x Shine Smartly x Shining Spark), owned by Lindsay Wadhams, marking a 441 to earn $12,000. Davis said it is a game changer for the sport to be included in the event, a sentiment echoed by others involved in the Fence Work Challenge. “For us, it was super exciting to be a part of it because it introduces our sport to a whole new audience that we don’t get to be in front of,” said Sarah Dawson. “The cow horse has a ton to offer as far as entertainment value and getting it out there, it was fun to take part. Everybody brought their best horse, so from a spectator aspect, you saw the best of the best. It was another venue for us to showcase these bridle horses that are, in my opinion, still underappreciated but most loved by the crowds.”

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

21


FOALS HAVE EARNED MORE THAN $14,500,000! A TOP 2 NRCHA LEADING SIRE SINCE 2016! AN NRCHA, NCHA & AQHA WORLD CHAMPION SIRE!

(High Brow Cat - The Smart Look, by Smart Little Lena)

LTE: $236,514

Congratulations to Top Performers at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity

ANNIES SMART CAT

LTE: $74,628 (Shiney Nu Annie, by Shining Spark)

Open Hackamore Classic Champion & Open Hackamore - 4th

Owned by Rocking BS Ranch • Shown by Lance B. Johnston Bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC

CATS NU SHINE

LTE: $58,744 (Shiney Nu Annie, by Shining Spark)

Open Futurity Finalist & Futurity Sale Incentive Open Champion

Owned by Clinton J. Marshall • Shown by Nicholas S. Dowers Bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC

SMART LADIES SPARKLE

LTE: $54,312 (Shiners Diamond Lady, by Shining Spark)

Ranching Heritage Open Working Ranch Horse 5/6-Year-Old Champion & Ranching Heritage Open Ranch Riding - 3rd Owned by Myra J. Koch • Shown by Matt J. Koch Bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC

BRIMS CAT

(Brims Fever, by Playboys Buck Fever)

WR HOTSHOT

LTE: $54,475 (Sunspot Flo, by Mr Peponita Flo)

Open Two Rein Reserve Champion

Owned by Cayley Wilson Performance Horses Inc Shown by Cayley Wilson • Bred by Matthews Cutting Horses LLC

L1 Youth Working Ranch Horse Champion & Ranching Heritage Youth Ranch Riding Reserve Champion Owned by Burnett Ranches LLC • Shown by Spur Leathers Bred by Burnett Ranches LLC

SMART AND DRIVEN

LTE: $14,480 (Purpose Driven, by Peptoboonsmal)

SADDLING AT SUNRISE

Ranching Heritage Cowboy Working Ranch Horse & Cowboy Class Invitational - 4th

Ranching Heritage Open Working Ranch Horse 5/6-Year-Old 3rd & Open Hackamore Classic Finalist

SMART NICHOLAS

LTE: $72,323 (Sunshine Ingredient, by Mr Sun O Lena)

Owned & Bred by Burnett Ranches LLC Shown by Boyd J. Rice

Fee: $3,500

+ Chute Fee Transported Cooled & Frozen Semen Available

Owned by Casey and Ashley Zboril • Shown by Casey Zboril Bred by Cowan Select Horses LLC

LTE: $13,520 (Secrets Lil Liz, by Lizzys Gotta Player)

Intermediate Open Futurity - 11th

Owned by L & K Barker Family Trust • Shown by Robert Chown Bred by Cows & Horses Etc.

Both Stallions Owned by

OPUS CAT OLENA

LTE: $156,621 (Opus Chic, by Smart Chic Olena)

Select Non-Pro Bridle Champion, Ranching Heritage Amateur Ranch Riding Champion, Non-Pro Bridle Reserve Champion, Ranching Heritage Open Ranch Riding - 5th Owned by Box O Quarter Horses • Shown by Jecca Ostrander Bred by Wagonhound Land/Livestock LLC

CAT WALKS INTO A BAR LTE: $42,592 (Sue C Shiner, by Shining Spark)

Youth Cow Horse 13 & Up Champion, Novice Non-Pro Bridle - 3rd & Lim. Non-Pro Finalist Owned & Shown by Landri Lisac Bred by Garth and/or Amanda Gardiner

THIS CATS SINFUL

LTE: $42,376 (Sinful Playgirl, by Freckles Playboy)

Ranching Heritage Amateur Working Ranch Horse Champion Owned by Matt Koch • Shown by Brianna Koch Bred by Cowan Select Horses LLC

PRF PEPTOS SMART CAT LTE: $82,807 (Wild Francine, by Peptoboonsmal)

Open Hackamore Classic Finalist Owned by Tori Simons • Shown by Jared Jones Bred by Peter W. De Leeuw

LIL SMART LIL SWEET (Sweet Lil Nurse, by Sweet Lil Pepto)

Intermediate Non-Pro Futurity & Novice Non-Pro Futurity - 6th Owned & Bred by D & S Performance Horses Shown by Danielle Quinn


LOST CREEK HEAVEN

#1 Sire of 2021 NRCHA Sale Yearlings • $53,333 Average

LTE: $380 (She Cat Seven, by Seven From Heaven)

Cowboy Class Invitational - 5th

Owned by Rob A. Brown • Shown by R. A. Brown II Bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC

*on two or more sold

Sire of the High-Selling Yearling

DR BOONOLENA

LTE: $45,615 (Badabing Badaboon, by Peptoboonsmal)

Intermediate Open Hackamore Classic - 6/7th

*

THIS KATTY LADY $100,000 (Shiners Diamond Lady, by Shining Spark) Consigned by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC

Owned by Ann Matthews • Shown by Clifton J. Shopbell Bred by Gallegos Perf Horses LLC

pictured right • *tied

FLOKI

Only Sire with 3 of the Top 10 High Selling Yearlings!

LTE: $9,116 (Who Rey, by Dual Rey)

Open Two Rein -7th

Owned by Lee Humble Baldock • Shown by Brandy Johnson Bred by Jim and Jo Anne Carollo

(WR This Cats Smart - Gracielights, by CD Lights)

LTE: $93,079

CALIFORNIA RCHA PASO ROBLES SPRING CLASSIC OPEN DERBY CHAMPION 2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity AQHA Ranching Heritage Open Working Ranch Horse 5/6-Year-Old Reserve Champion, Open Hackamore - 6th, Open Hackamore Classic - 7/8th Top 10: NRCHA Celebrations of Champions Open Derby (twice), NRCHA Open Stakes, NRCHA Western Open Derby, NSHA RCHA Open Derby, Idaho RCHA Open Futurity

Standing in 2022!

Fee: $1,200

+ Chute Fee Transported Cooled Semen Available

Burnett Ranches, LLC P.O. Box 130 • Guthrie, TX 79236 (855) 674-6773 • www.6666ranch.com


A LEADING NRCHA & NCHA SIRE SINCE 2016! A 2021 NCHA, NRCHA, & RANCH HORSE LEADING SIRE!

BET HESA CAT

LTE $2 2,151

(High Brow Cat - Bet Yer Blue Boons, by Freckles Playboy)

ONE OF ONLY 3 STALLIONS TO SIRE AN NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY CHAMPION & RESERVE CHAMPION IN THE SAME YEAR!

Congratulations to Top Performers at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity

BET SHESA LAYMATE

BET SHESA LENA

BET SHES WRI HT

(Very Smart Playmate, by Very Smart Remedy)

(Shiners Miss Lena, by Shining Spark)

(Just Wright Lilly, by Hes Wright On)

LTE: $8,995

Amateur Futurity Reserve Champion & Non-Pro, Intermediate Non-Pro, Novice Non-Pro Futurity Finalist Owned by Preston Williams • Shown by Garrell L. Reilly Bred by Yellow Creek Ranch

LTE: $10,629

LTE: $13,381

Limited Open Futurity 4/5th & $7,500 Limited Open Futurity Finalist Owned by Linda A Mars • Shown by John M. Love Bred by Linda A Mars

BET HE A LAYBOY

HE A ROWDY CAT

LTE: $6,257

(High Style Cavio, by Docs Stylish Oak)

LTE: $53,670

(Dear Little Boon Bar, by Boon Bar)

Open Hackamore Classic - 9/11th

Owned by Kim Basterrechea • Shown by Clayton M. Edsall Bred by Clyde Wilmott

SE EN S HESA CAT Youth Working Ranch Horse Champion, Cowhorse for Cutters - 4th & Youth Cow Horse - 6/7th

LTE: $5,071

(Wee Quejana Gal, by Quejanaisalena)

Non-Pro Hackamore Champion & Non-Pro Hackamore Classic - 4th

Owned by Debbie Crafton • Shown by Debbie R. Crafton Bred by Molly Mae Mirassou

Fee: $3,500

+ Chute Fee Transported Cooled & Frozen Semen Available

Owned & Shown by Madeline Horton • Bred by Terry Stuart Forst

BETCHA LIKE THAT LTE: $20,746

(Girl Like That, by Playgun)

Intermediate Non-Pro Bridle - 7/8th Owned & Shown by Katy Thomison Bred by Amy Doris Bell Estate

Limited Open Bridle Co-Reserve Champion Owned by Elizabeth Poor Shown by Melvin Helmuth Bred by Carolyn Reynolds

BET SHES A DELI HT

LTE: $32,661

(Seven S Shady Cat, by CJ Sugar Lena)

HESA WEE BET

Non-Pro Futurity - 4/5th

Owned by Debbie Crafton • Shown by Debbie R. Crafton Bred by Garth and/or Amanda Gardiner

LTE: $2,361

(Holly Cees Delight, by CD Lights)

Limited Non-Pro Futurity - 5th Owned & Shown by Kristy McKinney Bred by Dallas and/or Beverly Talkington

SCR BETTHISTIME LTE: $42,218

(PRF One Time Candi, by One Time Pepto)

Limited Non-Pro Hackamore Classic - 3/4th & $5,000 Limited Non-Pro - 7/9th Owned by Sarco Creek Ranch • Shown by Heather Greeson Bred by Milton and Bridey Greeson

Both Stallions Owned by Burnett Ranches, LLC


2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale

HE THE KATS MEOW LTE: $53,773

(Miss Lucky Starlight, by Grays Starlight)

Select Limited Non-Pro - 3/4th & Limited Non-Pro - 4/6th

Bet Hesa Cat’s High Seller

Owned & Shown by Alexi Connell Bred by James L Eakin

BET HES FORE ER $ 0,000

BET HESA FRECKLEDCAT (Ms Freckled Star, by Freckles Smokin Doc)

Cowhorse For Ropers Reserve Champion

2020 stallion (Soule Jule Forever, by Soula Jule Star)

Owned & Bred by John O. or Kay L. Coltharp Shown by Lane Ivy

Consigned by Teton Ridge Ranch *pictured right

A HA Wor ing Cow Horse ersatility Ran h Horse unior Ran h Reining Reserve Worl Cha pion

QUAHADI (Bet Hesa Cat - Ginnin Attraction, by Tanquery Gin)

LTE: $106,259

2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT F T RITY Open Bri le Cha pion Ran hing Heritage Open Wor ing Ran h Horse p 3r Shown by Boyd J. Rice • BredOwned by Burnett Ranches Llc

A Diverse Performer!

35 CHAM IONSHI S or RESER E CHAM IONSHI S • NRCHA, from Derby to Bridle Events • AQHA Versatility Ranch • AQHA Ranching Heritage • Tie-Down and Team Roping

Earner of 127 AQHA Points in 6 events: Working Cow Horse, Versatility Ranch Horse, Barrel Racing, Heeling, Heading, and Tie-Down Roping

Fee: $2,000

Transported Cooled Semen Available

Burnett Ranches, LLC P.O. Box 130 • Guthrie, TX 79236 (855) 674-6773 • www.6666ranch.com


Horses with a History... Brands with a Background

BAMACAT

BOON TOO SUEN

CD SON OF MAGNOLIA

Fee: $3,000 + chute fee

Fee: $1,000 + chute fee

(High Brow Cat - MH San Tules Dually, by San Tule Freckles)

(Peptoboonsmal - Meradas Little Sue, by Freckles Merada)

DOC SEAS WHISKEY

GUTHRIE CITY LIMITS

Fee: $2,000

Fee: $1,000

Fee: $2,000 + chute fee

(Paddys Irish Whiskey - Tos Miss Twelve Four, by Ten O Sea)

METALLIC MASTERPIECE (Metallic Cat - Kings Masterpiece, by Peppy San Badger)

Fee: $1,800

SADDLING AT SUNRISE (WR This Cats Smart - Sunshine Ingredient, by Mr Sun O Lena)

Fee: TBA

(Sixes Pick - Jim N Nicks Di, by Els Scottish Nick)

NATURAL BOTTOM

(Playboys Buck Fever - Natural Ingredient, by Peppy San Badger)

Fee: $1,000

THE BOON

(Peptoboonsmal - Boon San Kitty, by High Brow Cat)

Fee: $2,000 + chute fee

(CD Olena - Eye of the Magnolia, by Smell The Magnolias)

KREYZY HORSE

(Dual Rey - Shes Twice As Smooth, by Smooth As A Cat)

Fee: $2,000 + chute fee

ROCKIN W

(Dual Rey - Boon San Kitty, by High Brow Cat)

Fee: $1,500 + chute fee

Burnett Ranches, LLC P.O. Box 130 Guthrie, TX 79236 (855) 674-6773

Complete Stallion Roster listing available online at www.6666ranch.com!



///////// CIRCLE UP

TETON RIDGE PARTNERS WITH NRCHA AS A NEW CORPORATE SPONSOR AND THE TITLE SPONSOR OF THE STALLION STAKES

T

he National Reined Cow Horse Association is excited to announce new corporate sponsor Teton Ridge. As part of their sponsorship, the second premier event of the 2022 show season is now the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes. An event for 4- and 5-year-old reined cow horses annually held in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Stallion Stakes Derby is an event where eligibility to enter is restricted to offspring of stallions enrolled in the NRCHA’s Subscribed Stallion Program. As the owner of NRCHA Breeder Sponsor stallion Smooth Talkin Style (sired by Smooth As A Cat), Teton Ridge is positioned to support this ever-growing event that shines a light on the reined cow horse breeding industry. “Teton Ridge has made a significant impact on the equine industry in a short time,” said Anna Morrison, NRCHA executive director. “This partnership with NRCHA links the momentum behind Teton Ridge with one of the fastest growing, most adrenaline-filled horse sports today.” Teton Ridge, owned by visionary entrepreneur Thomas Tull, has made its presence felt in the Western equine world of late as the multi-platform brand has stepped into the rodeo and performance horse arenas. The brand’s focus on classic Western sports could

28 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

not have found a better home than with NRCHA. With the title sponsorship of the NRCHA’s Stallion Stakes, Teton Ridge invests in the most traditional of all Western performance events, as reined cow horse traces its roots to Vaquero horsemen who originally settled the West. The Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes will be held at the South Point Hotel & Casino’s Equestrian Center March 25 through April 2, 2022. In addition to supporting the Open Derby event, Teton Ridge’s title sponsorship helps showcase all ages and levels of the NRCHA membership competing in horse show classes. Additionally, 2022 will be the first year that the NRCHA Hall of Fame Banquet will be held during the Stallion Stakes. “A high energy brand that is focused on highlighting the way of life our members honor and live daily is a natural fit for our association,” Morrison said. “Shared values make for a powerful partnership, and we’re grateful to Thomas Tull and Teton Ridge for putting their support behind NRCHA and the Stallion Stakes.”

With the Teton Ridge title sponsorship of the Stallion Stakes, the NRCHA has a full slate of premier events supported by outstanding brands and companies invested in the growth and sustainability of the NRCHA. Entries at all premier events in 2021 were between 15 and 30 percent higher than previous years, proving that reined cow horse is drawing members interested in having fun horseback while competing in events that require horse and rider to bring plenty of skill, courage, and grit. Teton Ridge is a multi-platform brand devoted to the iconic American Western way of life and western equine sports. Teton Ridge was created with the singular focus of elevating Classic Western Sports and America’s Western Culture on the world stage, while broadening audiences around the globe as well as at home. Additionally, Teton Ridge operates a philanthropic foundation which provides invaluable funding for land stewardship; fosters community by preserving the cultural heritage of America’s western culture; and ensures the future of ranching and riding sports. For more information about Teton Ridge, please visit tetonridge.com or @tetonridge on Instagram @tetonridgeusa on Facebook. For more on the 2022 Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes visit www.nrcha.com.



2022 Brazos Valley

Super Stallion Incentive

$500 will be allocated to a purse from each breeding from each eligible BVSS Stallion. The purse is for foals competing in either the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity or the NCHA World Championship Futurity! Sample of Money Distribution based off of 2021 Breeding Season -

NRCHA Open Futurity $80,600 Total Purse! 1st: 23% = $18,538 2nd: 16% = $12,896 3rd: 14% = $11,284 4th: 11% = $8,866 5th: 9% = $7,254

6th: 8% = $6,448 7th: 7% = $5,642 8th: 5% = $4,030 9th: 4% = $3,224 10th: 3% = $2,418


Brazos Valley Stallion Station LP

Super Stallion Incentive Eligible Stallions

Badboonarising

Hashtags

Once In A Blu Boon x Show Biz Kitty

Metallic Cat x Dual Rey Tag

Bama Jelly

Hit Tha Flo

Bamacat x Wood She Be Neat

Dual Smart Rey x Miss Woody Two Shoes

Dual Rey

Metallic Cat

Dual Pep x Nurse Rey

High Brow Cat x Chers Shadow

Dual Reyish

Metallic Rebel

Dual Smart Rey

Meteles Cat

Hottish x A Little Reylena

Metallic Cat x Sweet Abra

Dual Rey x The Smart Look

Metallic Cat x Teles Lies

Catolena Cashin In

Rollz Royce

Reyzin The Cash x Dual Catolena

Dual Smart Rey x Show Biz Kitty

Cool N Hot

Shining CD Light

Countin Hot Checks

Smooth Talkin Style

CR Gotcha Covered

Spots Hot

Hottish x Donas Cool Cat Hottish x Cat Countin Checks Dualin Boon x The Catattac

CD Lights x Jennys Spark

Smooth As A Cat x Stylish Play Lena Chula Dual x Sweet Shorty Lena

Breeding the Future of Our Industry! www.brazosvalleystallionstation.com • 254.485.8280 • brazosvalleystallionstation@gmail.com


///////// CIRCLE UP

STOCK HORSE OF TEXAS BECOMES NRCHA ALLIANCE PARTNER

I

n September, an agreement between the versatile Stock Horse of Texas association and the National Reined Cow Horse Association formed an Alliance partnership to the benefit of both groups’ members. Supporting the reined cow horse industry through growth in purses as well as growth in all member groups is one of the cornerstones of NRCHA’s mission. To that end, the association and Stock Horse of Texas agreed on an alliance to support each other’s member bases. Stock Horse of Texas (SHTX) caters to versatile competitors with a focus on fundamental cow work. It began as a grassroots organization that now includes affiliate groups in multiple states and members that reach across the country. Together, NRCHA and SHTX pledged to work together to develop programs to attract enthusiasts to compete in reined cow horse. “Stock Horse of Texas is excited to partner with NRCHA. There are some members that show in both associations and we are excited to watch the growth in the Western performance industry through this alliance,” said Jill Dunkel, SHTX executive director. “Ranching and cow horse go hand-in-hand, and our membership has a solid footing in both. NRCHA and SHTX complement each other and we can’t wait to see where this partnership goes in the future.” SHTX and NRCHA will work together in order to allow concurrent class entry at events. Competitor cross-over between associations will be highlighted when SHTX World Champions are invited to the NRCHA Celebration of Champions. Along with SHTX, NRCHA works with the American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association and National High School Rodeo Association to align class and association rules so that multi-sanctioned events can benefit all memberships. “Our industry is experiencing remarkable growth across multiple organizations,” said Anna Morrison, NRCHA executive director. “Strong partnerships with other industry organizations benefit our collective membership by giving enthusiasts more opportunities to show and enjoy their horses. We are excited to continue to make it easy for riders from all disciplines to find their way to the cow horse arena and discover and grow their love for our sport.” As the saying goes, a rising tide raises all ships and so it is in the Western performance horse industry. Strong partnerships and collaboration between associations allow for easier cross-over and overall industry growth. In 2022, look for events to offer the APHA’s Chrome Cash incentive, SHTX co-sanctioned shows and more opportunities to show reined cow horses than ever before!

32 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


2022 Brazos Valley

Super Stallion Incentive

$500 will be allocated to a purse from each breeding from each eligible BVSS Stallion. The purse is for foals competing in either the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity or the NCHA World Championship Futurity! Sample of Money Distribution based off of 2021 Breeding Season -

NCHA Open Futurity - $435,240 Total Purse! 1st: 23% = $100,105 2nd: 16% = $69,638 3rd: 14% = $60,934 4th: 11% = $47,876 5th: 9% = $39,172

6th: 8% = $34,819 7th: 7% = $30,467 8th: 5% = $21,762 9th: 4% = $17,410 10th: 3% = $13,057

NCHA Non-Pro Futurity - $181,350 Total Purse! 1st: 23% = $41,711 2nd: 16% = $29,016 3rd: 14% = $25,389 4th: 11% = $19,949 5th: 9% = $16,322

6th: 8% = $14,508 7th: 7% = $12,695 8th: 5% = $9,068 9th: 4% = $7,254 10th: 3% = $5,441

NCHA Amateur Futurity - $108,810 Total Purse! 1st: 23% = $25,026 2nd: 16% = $17,410 3rd: 14% = $15,233 4th: 11% = $11,969 5th: 9% = $9,793

6th: 8% = $8,705 7th: 7% = $7,617 8th: 5% = $5,441 9th: 4% = $4,352 10th: 3% = $3,264

Breeding B reeding the Future of Our Industry! www.brazosvalleystallionstation.com • 254.485.8280 • brazosvalleystallionstation@gmail.com




///////// CIRCLE UP

STALLION INCENTIVES SUPPORT NRCHA EVENTS Two private stallion incentives benefit premier event entries.

S

eparately, two of the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s sponsor partners announced incentives for stallion offspring competing in reined cow horse events. The Brazos Valley Stallion Station Super Stallion Incentive is set to bolster entries in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, starting in 2022, and Reyzin The Cash’s connections offer a six-figure incentive for his offspring in the NRCHA Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes, which is set to be held March 25 through April 2, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brazos Valley Stallion Station (BVSS), located in Weatherford, Texas, announced the BVSS Super Stallion Incentive in early October. Designed to “support an added purse” to the Open division in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity beginning in 2022, the incentive is applied to horses sired by stallions managed at BVSS. This includes NRCHA Breeder Sponsor stallions Badboonarising, Dual Smart Rey, Hashtags, Metallic Cat, Metallic Rebel, Rollz Royce and Smooth Talkin Style. Additional stallions are included. The BVSS Super Stallion Incentive adds to other private stallion incentives for the Futurity, including the San Juan Ranch CD Diamond Incentive and the Hickory Holly Time Incentive from DT Horses. The BVSS program will pay out money at both the Snaffle Bit Futurity and the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity. The payout distribution will be based off the breeding season for the stallions, and specifics can be found at brazosvalleystallionstation.com. The stakes are raised by the $100,000 incentive offered by Iron Rose Ranch, owners of Reyzin The Cash (Dual Rey x Spookys Cash x Miss N Cash). Offspring of Reyzin The Cash are eligible to compete in the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes through the sire’s enrollment in the NRCHA’s Subscribed Stallion Program, but are now also eligible for a bonus purse in both the Open and Non Pro divisions. According to the press release, Open finalists compete for $60,000; Non Pro finalists for $30,000 and $10,000 to Non Pro Limited riders in the top ten. More information on the Reyzin The Cash incentive can be found at reyzinthecash.com. The Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes features a Derby for 4- and 5-year-old horses in the snaffle bit or the hackamore. Teton Ridge became the title sponsor of the event in early October. In addition, the event has horse show classes and Spectacular classes. For more information, visit NRCHA.com/ nrcha-stakes/.

36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS



///////// CIRCLE UP

TRADE SECRETS Luke Jones employs a set of tools to help nail his markers in reined work. By Abigail Boatwright

PRIMO MORALES

W

hile the cow work and fence work are exciting parts of reined cow horse, your rein work is equally as important. But if you’re not precisely hitting your markers for circles, spins and stops, you’re leaving points on the table—and you could incur penalties. Trainer Luke Jones says missing markers is common, but with intentional practice, you can easily improve this element of your pattern.

SCOPE OUT THE PEN

If you’re riding in a new show pen, Jones suggests taking time to look around the arena before you show to pick out landmarks above the ground. Maybe it’s a sign on the wall or the announcer’s stand. “It’s much easier to tell yourself ‘I’m just going to run toward the John Justin sign,’ and that also helps keep your shoulders back and keeps you back in the saddle, which is where you should be,” Jones said. “When we look down, that gets our shoulders forward, and it’s harder for the horse to stop. So finding that spot and saying ‘I’m going to try to run up to that announcer stand,’ it helps me quite a bit.” Jones recommends watching other riders while they warm up, and check again a couple of horses before you are

38 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

At the 2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, Luke Jones rode to the Open rein work preliminary co-high score, tying with a 223.5 aboard Tuff Tuesday Cat.

up in the competition. That way you can get a better idea of where you’d like to point your horse in your pattern, particularly for stops. “A lot of times you’ll see different spots in the arena where the ground might be just a little bit better or a little bit worse,” Jones said. “That may change a bit, and if you’re late in a drag,

you might want to move over a little bit to some fresher ground.”

KEEP YOUR EYES UP

Riders looking down at the ground to navigate the arena can negatively affect their performances, says Jones. This is especially true for stops “When we do that, we actually start


Life Time Earnings

$367,101


///////// CIRCLE UP slowing down, and we need to be gaining speed at the end of our stops, not slowing down,” Jones said. “We need to use our peripheral vision to know where we are in the arena and to get past our markers. This will help us get a bigger stop, as well as avoid a two-point penalty for not hitting the markers.”

GO LONG

For stops, Jones recommends finding a spot high up in the arena and riding toward that spot, rather than homing in on the ground. And think about running to the fence when you stop, says Jones. Not completely fencing, but don’t let your horse fade out before the end cones. “It’s easy to let them do the run in short and hit those markers,” Jones said. “So I try to tell everybody to go

long. You’re better off going long anyhow, just to keep your horses going. Not enough to incur a penalty, but long enough that you for sure get past those markers.”

CIRCLE UP

Hitting the center marker for circles is really important, says Jones. “If you get off center in your circles, and you’re not running them exactly, it’ll be really hard for the judge to plus your circles,” Jones said. “I really try to hit the center marker; I’m always looking for the marker.” To help nail the center of your circle, Jones says to keep looking forward, about a quarter of a circle ahead of you. And again, avoid looking down. “If you look down, it’s easy to get lost in the circles, but if you look up where you’re going, you’ll stay on

PASO ROBLES SPRING CLASSIC APRIL 13-17, 2022 $72,000 $161,500 4/13 4/15 4/16

40 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

$100,000

course,” Jones said. “It’s like driving a car. If you look off to the side of the road at a hazard or something, you’re going to send your car that way. It’s the same way with your horse. If you look straight up ahead, you’re going to run straighter in your stops, and you’ll also be able to hit the center better in your circles.” If you don’t show all the time, navigating the pattern in relation to your cones can be tricky. That’s why Jones recommends practicing with cones when riding at home. “Getting your sense of whereabouts in the arena and knowing where those markers are is important,” Jones said. “I think there’s some nerves involved when you’re showing—I think we get focused on what we need to do, like an upcoming stop, and it’s easy to forget where you are in the arena.”







KELSEY HELLMAN/HIGH COTTON PROMOTIONS

///////// CIRCLE UP

ANOTHER VIEW There was a lot going on at the National Reined Cow Horse Association 2021 Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, both in and out of the arena. KATE BRADLEY BYARS

The best seat in the house for herd work is behind the bucking chutes.

46 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

KELSEY HELLMAN/HIGH COTTON PROMOTIONS

The Awards Happy Hour, hosted by Royal Wealth Partners, lets groups such as Lance Johnston’s barn celebrate big like on the day they swept the Open Hackamore Classic.

KATE BRADLEY BYARS

KATE BRADLEY BYARS

Artist Bobbie Walton created a pastel of Metallic Cat, which the NRCHA presented to Debbie Roberts in appreciation for her work with the association.


Katy Keenie Merrill sang the National Anthem, and NRCHA professional Ben Baldus gave the invocation that started our Open Finals.

KELSEY HELLMAN/HIGH COTTON PROMOTIONS

KELSEY HELLMAN/HIGH COTTON PROMOTIONS

Cutter McLaughlin and CD Dee Vee Dee started the Open Finals in style by carrying Old Glory in the Coliseum.

The Metallic Cat Snaffle Bit Futurity After Party had exhibitors dancing the night away to Bubba Bellin and his band. KELSEY HELLMAN/HIGH COTTON PROMOTIONS

Justin Wright and Zak 34 made a triumphant victory lap that wrapped up Finals night in the arena.

No matter the score from the judges, the youngest reined cow horse enthusiasts always rewarded the run with high-fives!

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

47




///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

BEHIND THE BUCKLE A buckle from more than 15 years ago brings a chuckle to NRHA Million Dollar Rider Russell Dilday. Compiled by Katie Frank Photos by Kate Bradley Byars

N

ational Reined Cow Horse professional Russell Dilday has paid his dues—literally and figuratively. The three-time World’s Greatest Horseman champion has his hands full juggling his training operation, cattle, family and a podcast, “Cowhorse Full Contact,” which he hosts with fellow trainer Chris Dawson. Still, amid all his notable reined cow horse wins, he recalls a specific buckle with admiration. Back in 2005, Dilday threw for the win in the steer stopping at the Glennville Round-Up Rodeo in Glennville, California. He was riding Miss Plain Plain (Just Plain Kernel x Miss Master Blaster x Master Remedy). “I’d beat Kyle Lockett and Tanner Watt to win that buckle,” Dilday said. “The only reason I’d beat Kyle was because he missed, but I told him for the rest of our lives I would tell everyone I beat him not that he beat himself.” As for future goals, the horseman has his sights set on another World’s Greatest Horsman title and would like to make the finals again at the Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat. Even with multiple major titles to his name, Dilday stays humble with a great sense of humor. “When you start in this business, you have to fight for any horse and business you can get,” he said. “Well, now I’m trying to figure out how I knew so much about everything when I was young, because now I can’t remember!”

50 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS



///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

KNOW THE PRO Born and raised in the West, Jason Patrick and his family are pursuing new adventures in the East. And they’re doing it all from the backs of reined cow horses. Interview by Allison Armstrong Rehnborg COURTESY OF JASON PATRICK

R

anching is a way of life for Jason Patrick, but it’s not all he’s ever known. Born into a Colorado ranching family, Patrick learned to ride horses, work cattle and develop the cowboy skills he’d carry with him for the rest of his life. Then, just as he was graduating from high school, everything changed. “The cattle market in the ’80s smoked a lot of people, and we were some of them,” Patrick reflected. “[My family] lost the ranch, and I really didn’t know what to do or how to regroup. So I became a police officer at age 19.” For the next eight years, Patrick worked in law enforcement—first in Hobbs, New Mexico, and then in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Along the way, he met his future wife, Brandy, who’d grown up riding and showing Western pleasure horses. As with Patrick, Brandy had also pursued a career in law enforcement. The couple met on the job, but their mutal love of horses brought them together. “About six years into my career in law enforcement, I started training mounted patrol horses,” Patrick said. “Then I got back into training horses on the side and decided it was time to go back to ranching. After that, I just kept trying to learn and find out more about being a horse trainer.”

52 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

From left to right: Jayden, Jason, Brandy and Jasper Patrick.

That’s when he encountered reined cow horses and discovered just how much he had to learn about his new profession. In 2008, Patrick showed at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® in Reno, Nevada. “I showed two horses and never marked above a 190,” Patrick recalled. “I was horrible. And people knew I was horrible and were still nice to me! I decided I liked those people. Those were also the best horses I’d ever seen. I couldn’t believe how athletic and willing those horses were. I felt like I’d found the coolest thing ever.”

Patrick began riding with reined cow horse trainers located in and around Colorado, including Lavert Avent, Dave Dillman, Matt Koch, E.J. Laubscher, Jack McComber, Darren Miller and Terry Wegner. He soaked up everything he could and trained horses as he went along. Eventually, the Patricks began working out of Whispering Willows Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In addition to training horses, the couple built a successful horse breeding program around the stallion This One Time (One Time Pepto x Katie Starlight x Grays Starlight), with the owners of Whispering Willows Ranch. They



///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

also raised their two sons—Jasper and Jayden—there. It didn’t take long for the younger Patricks to follow in their parents’ footsteps. “They’ve been addicted to horses since day one,” Patrick said. “Honestly, I’m most proud of my wife and kids and the success they’ve had in the show pen. Being able to pass on what I’ve learned to my sons is probably the biggest success I’ve had in the industry. I’m most proud of watching how good they are at what they do.” In November of 2020, the Patrick family pulled up their Colorado roots and moved to Reading, Pennsylvania, to pursue a new adventure in ranching and training at Sheerlund Farm. “We call it a ‘franch,’ because it’s always been a farm, but we’re working with the owners now to turn it into a working ranch,” Patrick said. “I’m teaching a whole new group of kids here and it’s really fun. Earlier this year, we had four people show in their first reined cow horse event and then, last month, they won their first checks. It’s a lot of fun. I love watching new people find this sport. I’m excited about the opportunities here.” The Patricks plan to spend the next few years building Sheerlund Ranch, but they also want to spend time with their sons. “We’re enjoying seeing a new environment, meeting new people here and building this program, but we also want to spend time doing other stuff with our boys, too,” Patrick said. “We raised them in the show pen at cow horse shows, and they’d just as soon keep doing that. But we want to do some other things with them. I bet when they’re adults, we’ll all meet back in the show pen again. That’ll be fun.”

54 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Q A

What is the most rewarding part of training horses? I like seeing progress. I like when the horse licks its lips and drops its head and you go, “Oh, wow. He understood what I was saying there.” I like that feeling when you and the horse have a conversation, and the horse understood what you said and did something really cool with little pressure from you.

What do you enjoy about teaching and coaching others? with NRCHA Pro I enjoy the excitement! In the beginJason Patrick ning, everything is something you’ve never felt before, and it’s so stunning and awe-inspiring. That’s what it was like when I started riding for the first time, too. I love seeing someone laugh, giggle, whoop or holler uncontrollably about something they just felt on a horse for the first time, and they didn’t know it was possible. I think that’s awesome. How do you keep your passion and stay fresh without getting burned out? I keep changing things. We are always tweaking and learning and trying to do something new. Maybe someone showed you a new little thing, or maybe you saw something in a video, or maybe you saw something that somebody did in the warm-up pen at the show, and you can’t wait to go home and see if it works. I like to keep continuing to learn and progress and find new things. Part of what keeps me going is knowing that I certainly haven’t got it all figured out. Some of the most successful trainers out there are always talking about learning new things and progressing. I think always trying to get better is what keeps you going. What does it mean to you to be able to compete in reined cow horse events? I’ve been so lucky. When I look at all the places that horses have taken me and the experiences I’ve had, it’s just incredible. It’s an amazing thing to realize where horses have taken my family and me. We’ve just been blessed. What makes you smile every day? I wake up smiling. I look forward to what new adventure is going to be out there because every day is different.




Lte $485,293

The Champions are Coming! Standing at -

2022 Breeding Fee $4,000 Herda - N/N

Owned by 254.485.8280 • brazosvalleystallionstation@gmail.com www.brazosvalleystallionstation.com

Hashtag Ventures LP


///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

NOTABLE NON PRO Polly Bremel rarely buys her cow horses. Instead, she breeds what she rides, one generation at a time. By Abigail Boatwright

W

the 1978 Snaffle Bit Futurity®, and that was a catalyst for her getting into cow horse. “I’ve been hooked ever since,” Polly said. “But my first one I competed in wasn’t until 1999. So, it took me 20 years from wanting to do it, to actually doing it. “I love the people,” Polly said. “I love how open all the trainers are with everyone. They’re so helpful. The Non Pros are supportive of each other. The horses are amazing—there’s no better horses anywhere. They’re phenomenal creatures. We’re so blessed.”

KELSEY HELLMANN

atching her homebred cow horses compete at the 2021 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, Paula “Polly” Bremel of Kingsburg, California, was as proud as can be. Slowly breeding one generation and then another, Polly has elevated the quality of horses she owns, rides and sells. Although she’s taken the long way to get there, that suits her just fine. Polly’s parents weren’t involved with horses, but she and her sister, Laura Norman, were crazy about horses since they were children. They rode bareback everywhere and competed in every class at the local horse shows and playdays. While attending high school at a boarding school in Arizona, she was introduced to cow horse legends such as Al Dunning and Shorty Freeman, and experienced working horses on ranches in the area. “I developed a really big interest in cow horse then, and I bought my first horse that was really reined cow horsebred,” Polly said. “It was a Vandy II

58 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

BREEDING TO RIDE

Polly’s homebred gelding, Shiney Little Rock, earned two Open Division Futurity titles in 2021.

mare, and she was bred to Bueno Chex. I raised her baby. That was my first colt that I started.” When Polly went to college at University of California, Davis, she worked for Jim and Wendy Vaughan, who had stock horses and trained youth riders. Polly went with them to watch

After college, Polly worked as a CPA, and, on the side, became successful in marketing and sales. She married her husband, Dave, and they had two daughters, Alana and Amarie. Lacking the funds to buy a trained horse, Polly worked her way up, learning from each horse she rode on a determined trajectory that taught her how to improve her horsemanship. As Polly bred more horses, she improved her program.



///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

OVERCOMING TRAGEDY

In 2003, Polly had her best Futurity prospect to date, the 2000 bay mare Uno Smart Starlight (Smart Little Pepinic x Shotgun Lizzy x Badger Starlight). Polly took her to the Santa Ynez, California, pre-futurity, and they won the Amateur

60 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

COURTESY OF POLLY BREMEL

“Each year that I bred [horses], my goal was to have that year’s baby be nicer than the year before,” she said. “And then, whenever I got a mare that was good, I would keep that mare and move up with her. I didn’t have very many mares, I just bred to good [stallions], raised the babies, started the babies and showed them.” Before 1999, Polly only raised and sold the foals she bred. She has started her share of colts the past 20 years but gets the greatest satisfaction from building her horses from the ground up. She usually keeps two mares, but she hasn’t had a show-caliber horse every year. She sells one of the two horses she breeds every year to hopefully pay the bills for the other one. When she does have a good one, she has lots of horse folks to lean on for help. “It was a lot of fun, and it’s always been my dream,” Polly said. “My goal was for each year, to have my horses be a higher quality than the year before. I have always bred to make a horse that I wanted to ride, because I couldn’t afford to buy one. So, I would just breed the ones that I wanted.” Around 2001, Polly had a coming 3-year-old out of Chex Out This Remedy. Since NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Jon Roeser had Chex Out This Remedy, Polly got up the nerve to call him and ask for help. “I’ve ridden with him about 17 years—until he moved to Idaho,” Polly said. “He’s amazing. He has helped me a ton.”

Left: Amarie and Polly at Amarie’s track meet. Right: Polly’s husband, Dave, and Amarie.

division. But while they were at the show, Polly’s 12-year-old daughter, Alana, felt sick and was subsequently diagnosed with leukemia. “I freaked out—it was 20 years getting to this horse, and she needed to go to the [Snaffle Bit Futurity® in a couple of weeks],” Polly said. “She’s finally the one that can go and win the show.”

goal was for each “My year,

to have my horses be a higher quality than the year before. I have always bred to make a horse that I wanted to ride, because I couldn’t afford to buy one.”

—Paula “Polly” Bremel

Polly determined the best thing to do was sell the mare to an interested buyer, thinking someone else would be able to take her to the show. “When a prospective buyer called and wanted to come see the mare, my daughter had taken a turn for the worse, and I just felt like I couldn’t sell

her, it had been too long getting there,” Polly said. One of Roeser’s former assistant trainers, Erik Martin, agreed to take Uno Smart Starlight to the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity® and show her at that year’s event. With just 28 days in the saddle with the mare, he was a halfpoint out of making the Finals. Polly was so pleased her horse had achieved so much. Sadly, however, Alana passed away during the Reno show. Laura said Polly’s faith, her husband and her friends in the cow horse world helped her through that difficult time. “It was the cow horse community that really rallied around her and supported her,” Laura said. Not feeling ready to ride herself after losing her daughter, Polly decided to let Martin continue to show the mare, and she went on to win more than $6,000 at the Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity—the first of Polly’s horses to win any kind of money. Polly showed the mare at the Triple Crown that year, a big Non Pro show in Paso Robles, California, followed by all


Congratulations To These Recent Performers Including an AQHA WORLD CHAMPION! MR COMIN IN HOT LTE: $64,188

(Mr Playinstylish - Lil Sally Cat, by High Brow Cat)

AQHA World Champion Senior Working Cow Horse NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity AQHA Ranching Heritage Open Working Ranch Horse 5/6-Year-Old - 4th & Open Bridle - 6th Owned and Bred by Kit & Charlie Moncrief Shown by Luke Jones pictured left by ©Shane Rux Photography

INDELIBLE STYLE

LTE: $12,857

(Mr Playinstylish - Lil Sally Cat, by High Brow Cat)

NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Intermediate Non-Pro Futurity & Novice Non-Pro Futurity - 4th , NRCHA Non-Pro Futurity - 9th Owned and Shown by William E. Lewis Bred by Kit & Charlie Moncrief

pictured right by ©Primo Morales Photography

PLAYIN MOTOWN LTE: $71,727

FABULOUS FLETCH LTE: $81,195

STYLISH VIXEN LTE: $2,657

NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Youth Cow Horse Champion

NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity AQHA Ranching Heritage Open Working Ranch Horse 5/6-Year-Old - 5th

NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Novice Non-Pro Futurity - 8th

(Mr Playinstylish - Mo Flo, Mr Peponita Flo)

Owned and Shown by Catelyn Walker Bred by Kit & Charlie Moncrief/Lee Tennison

(Royal Fletch - Little Smart Ginger, by Smart Little Lena) Owned and Bred by Kit & Charlie Moncrief Shown by Boyd Rice

(Mr Playinstylish - Playboys Vixen, by Hickoryote) Owned and Shown by Isabelle L. Gonzalez Bred by Lee L. Tennison

MR STYLISH CAT LTE: $133,685 (Mr Playinstylish - Lil Sally Cat, by High Brow Cat) NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Youth Cow Horse - 4th

Sired by

Owned and Shown by Tylor Todd • Bred by Kit & Charlie Moncrief

(Playin Stylish - Tari Chick Gay, by Doc Tari)

Earner of $145,551 Two-Time World Champion

& (Jae Bar Fletch - Royal Blue Dually, by Dual Pep)

Earner of $235,852 NCHA Open Futurity Champion FEE: $2,000

FEE: $1,650 + Chute Fee

Transported Cooled & Frozen Semen Available

Transported Cooled & Frozen Semen Available

Owned by

Standing at

Owned by Charlie & Kit Moncrief Mike Luttrell (817) 999-8693 www.moncriefquarterhorses.com

6375 Mineral Wells Hwy•Weatherford, TX 76088 (817) 594-9181•breeding@weatherfordequine.com www.weatherfordequine.com

MONCRIEF RANCH

WEATHERFORD EQUINE BREEDING CENTER


///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP PRIMO MORALES

62 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

COURTESY OF POLLY BREMEL

the major shows her 4- and 5-year-old years, taking reserve or third just about every time they went out. At Reno in 2004, Polly showed her in the Non Pro Hackamore class and took the top spot. “That was my first big win, and it was really special, especially with that horse, who got me through it with my daughter passing,” Polly said. Ultimately, Uno Smart Starlight won more than $45,000 before Polly started breeding her at 6 years old. She produced 14 foals, only one of which was a filly. That filly, sired by That CD Rocks (CD Lights x Shiney Tari x Shining Spark), is the 2013 sorrel mare Rockstar Lights. Not only was she Polly’s first bridle horse, but she became special for other reasons. Rockstar Lights was born the year Polly’s youngest daughter, Amarie, went away to college on the East Coast. Polly started the mare herself and did most of her own training. But when she moved into competing in the bridle, she realized she needed more help, especially since Roeser had moved away. “Recently, when it was too hard to go to Idaho to get help from Jon, I’ve ridden a lot with Cara Hencratt. I’ve been to Jo Anne Carollo. I went to Jake Gorrell, I went to Tracer Gilson, so many people have helped me and been so generous,” Polly said. “So, finally, I got the steering, and in Reno last month I showed in her in the Non Pro Bridle and I won the class.” Laura became interested in cow horse because of Polly, and today she’s an NRCHA show secretary. She says she’s proud of her sister’s tenacity in breeding. “She has these generations of horses that are showing that she’s bred and trained herself—I think it’s really awesome she’s stuck with it and had that vision, always wanting to improve,”

Above: Uno Smart Starlight drives Polly’s program. Right: Polly Bremel showing Rock Star Lights.

Laura said. “And if she has a problem, then she finds the best person she can to help her, while still doing it herself for the most part.”

LOOKING FORWARD

Proud of the horses she’s produced, Polly is carefully planning the next generations of her breeding program. While she says her horse showing days are nearly behind her, Polly is excited to see others compete on the horses she’s bred. Her best friend’s daughter, Cara Hencratt, has been showing two Pollyraised horses in the Open and had an exceptional 2021 show year. “My goal now is to have enough money to breed to a name-brand horse and see what happens,” Polly said. The horse Polly brought to the 2021 Snaffle Bit Futurity is Shiney Little Rock (That CD Rocks x Uno Smart Starlight x Smart Little Pepinic). The 2018 chestnut gelding, trained and ridden by Hencratt, placed first in the Limited Open and the Level 1 Limited Open, and was sixth in the Intermediate Open, taking home two saddles and a total of $42,937.50. Adding in the $2,400 the two won at the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity just

before heading to Fort Worth, the gelding has earnings of $45,337.50. The first offspring to exceed the dam’s earnings in Bremel’s program. “It’s so awesome,” Polly said of Shiney Little Rock’s performance at the Snaffle Bit Futurity. “Cara has done a fabulous job of training [Shiney Little Rock]. She’s a natural showman and is really smart and aware of her horses. I’m so proud of her and feel that she’s like a second daughter to me.” Polly also has a 2-year-old in training for Open competition that she’s also excited about. She says the sense of accomplishment she gets from doing well on her own horses, and breeding horses that others do well on, are equal. “Those really go together,” Polly said. “Because if you breed them but never compete, you don’t really know what you have, and they’re so fun to be around. They’re such a joy to me every day. But while I love showing, and I love competing, it’s really, really fun to watch someone go out and show a horse that I raised. I’m as much of a proud parent of those horses as I am happy and fulfilled when I do it myself.”



///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

MEET CLINT MARSHALL Clint Marshall had to bide his time before getting into reined cow horse, but several successful horses later, the wait proved worth it. By Kristin Pitzer

KELSEY HELLMAN / HIGH COTTON PROMOTION

T

he proverb “good things come to those who wait” is certainly true for Clint Marshall of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He had dreamed of owning cow horses since he was young, but life took him on a different path for a while. However, he never forgot his goal. Eventually, Marshall became acquainted with a trainer he believed was “the real deal,” bought his first horse and put it in training. He has lived his dream ever since, owning several successful reined cow horses that have pushed his ownership earnings to more than $270,000, according to the National Reined Cow Horse Association. Looking back, Marshall and his trainer, NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Open Champion Nick Dowers, joked that it all started about eight years ago with a “vague, but intriguing” Facebook message.

about finding his first horse. He had seen Dowers start colts for clients in northern Nevada and was a big fan of his horsemanship. “I wanted a trainer who wasn’t just a show pen guy; I wanted someone who was kind of the real deal,” said Marshall. “It was just very intriguing to me that a ranch guy, a colt starting guy, was kind of making waves in the show pen, so I thought, this might be my guy. Then, once I got to know him, it was a slam dunk. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s a great human being.” Marshall sent Dowers a Facebook message—possibly the only social media message he’s ever sent—asking Dowers to call him about training some horses for him. Dowers, who said he usually receives “essays” from people wanting him to work with their horses, knew Marshall was serious because his message was so simple. NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Open Champion Nick Downers (left) “It was just vague enough that WAITING FOR HIS MOMENT and Clint Marshall collaborate on finding winning cow horses. it was super intriguing,” Dowers For nearly 40 years, Marshall’s said, with a laugh. “I called him dream of owning cow horses had to wait. During that time, he helped ferent equine bloodlines and the people back, and he said, ‘I’d like to get into this, but I don’t know much about it. his wife, Kim, raise their children— involved in the industry. Clayton, 24; Thea, 22; and Chelsea, Eventually, Marshall had the money I’m just a farm kid from Idaho that has 17—while managing his pharmaceuti- and time to invest in the sport. He fol- a business now, and I’ve always really cal company, Unicep. He also kept an lowed cow horse closely, so he knew liked [reined cow horse], but I’m going eye on the cow horse pen, studying dif- Dowers was who he wanted to contact to rely on you to be the professional,

64 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS



///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP PRIMO MORALES

and I’m going to be the owner that supports.’ ” A few months later, Dowers found Marshall’s first reined cow horse. The trend has continued every year since, with Dowers and Marshall collaborating to find the next year’s prospect. “He’s involved in it but ultimately lets me choose the horse I want to purchase, and I think that works really well. We’ve had a very high success rate that way because I know what fits me at this point, and he relies on my knowledge there and trusts it,” Dowers said. “Our track record has been really strong that way.”

BUYING THE RIGHT HORSES

66 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

In 2020, Marshall’s bay gelding, High Stressin Cat, carried Dowers to the CD Survivor Memorial Open Bridle Spectacular Championship. PRIMO MORALES

Three different geldings have made up the majority of Marshall’s ownership earnings. The first two, High Stressin Cat and Santiago Time, were both purchased in 2016. High Stressin Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Playguns Melody x Playgun) won Marshall’s first big paycheck when he carried Dowers to the 2018 NRCHA Hackamore Classic Open Championship. He also won the CD Survivor Memorial Open Bridle Spectacular Championship at the 2020 NRCHA Derby. Santiago Time (One Time Pepto x Reymanising x Dual Rey), conversely, was a lesson in patience, as he was a bit of a late bloomer. After a couple of years, though, he picked up the Derby Open title at the 2018 Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity and the Open Two Rein Spectacular Championship at the 2020 NRCHA Stallion Stakes. “One of the lessons there was I learned a lot about sticking with it,” Marshall said. “These young horses, you can’t always tell what’s in them right off the bat. Some of them develop

This year, Dowers showed Smart Shiney Playboy, owned by Marshall, in the Hackamore Classic, presented by Oswood Stallion Station.



///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

over time, and that’s just an incredible thing to watch.” In 2017, Marshall purchased Smart Shiney Playboy (WR This Cats Smart x Sinful Playgirl x Freckles Playboy), the youngest of his top three. The then-yearling didn’t immediately appear to be a top contender, but he quickly proved himself, winning the 2019 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship. “He was one that, based on a lot of counsel and mentoring with other peoples’ input, I really liked the way he moved but wasn’t sure if he was the one,” Marshall said. “We got him for a pretty good deal. He was the diamond in the rough that it seemed like nobody paid any attention to, but he has been outstanding. He’s my ‘little engine that could’ kind of horse.”

NRCHYA

In 2019, Marshall broke his streak of buying only colts and purchased his first filly, Cats Nu Shine (WR This Cats Smart x Shiney Nu Annie x Shining Spark). Marshall liked her movement, flash and eye appeal, along with the fact that she had several sisters that had done well in the show pen. He was excited to see what she could do at the 2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®. Marshall admitted he can’t keep every horse he’s purchased, but he still owns and competes on all of the aforementioned horses. He was proud that the ones he has sold were still sound and able for ranch work, the show pen or for kids to ride. “I’m very much an advocate for showing these horses through the bridle,” Marshall said. “I think a lot of people

get really fixated on the 3-year-olds, which is cool and it’s a tremendous amount of fun. That’s where all the whiz-bang money is, but there’s something pretty spectacular about showing aged horses.” With all of the success he’s had in a short time, Marshall has remained humble, Dowers noted. He is one of his most generous and thoughtful owners when it comes to giving back to those that have helped in his success. “I’ve never had an owner as devoted to the program as much as he is,” Dowers said. “Obviously, he wants to see his horses win, but he’s probably just as happy to see another horse in the program win, whether it’s his or not. I think that speaks volumes just to have somebody behind me like that.”

STALLION AUCTION Thank you donors & buyers!

At the start of each Yearling and Broodmare Sale Session, one 2022 breeding to select stallions will be auctioned off to benefit the National Reined Cow Horse outh Association.

BadboonaRising

Dual R Smokin

CD Diamond

Dual Reyish

Cool N Hot

Dual Smart Rey

CR Gotcha Covered

Hashtags

Hickory Holly Time Kit Kat Sugar Metallic Rebel Meteles Cat One Time Pepto

One Fine Vintage Rollz Royce SJR Diamond Mist Smooth Talkin Style Time For The Diamond

Thank you to all the stallion owners, bidders and Western Bloodstock LTD.!

68 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


Serious Equipment for Serious Horsemen.

The World’s #1 Mechanical Cow.

SHOW PRO INDUSTRIES P.O. BOX 1235 | 10145 S. FM 51, SPRINGTOWN, TX 76082 817.523.4055 | SHOWPRO@FLASH.NET | WWW.PROCUTTER.COM


///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP

FACES OF THE NRCHA Jeremy Olson is the man behind Equine Promotion and the NRCHA’s official videographer. KATE BRADLEY BYARS

Debuting as official videographer of the National Reined Cow Horse Association at the 2014 Celebration of Champions in Fort Worth, Texas, Equine Promotion’s proprietor Jeremy Olsen has been a staple at premier events ever since. “We do the video production delivery at all major NRCHA events,” said Olsen, of Whitesboro, Texas. “We started the first or second year the World’s Greatest Horseman was here in Fort Worth, and we’ve been at it ever since.” Olsen, who founded the full-service video production company in 2005, coordinates the NRCHA premier event webcasting that allows owners and reined cow horse enthusiasts from all over the world to enjoy high-quality video content at the shows, from the run replays offered on a video screen in the warm-up area, to the free, live webcasting, thrilling moments that come with NRCHA competition and much of the footage fans enjoy on highlight reels. Equine Promotion proudly offers its easily searchable high-definition database at the shows to ensure ease of ordering for their customers who wish to purchase videos as well. Olsen says the most personally impactful moment for him during his time with NRCHA was being presented with the prestigious Directors Award several years ago at the Snaffle Bit Futurity®. “The Director’s Award was a great honor that I was fortunate to receive in 2018,” he said. “I also can’t go without saying that I’m fortunate to have a good crew that’s been with me for a long time.” With prior experience as the official videographer for the National Reining Horse Association and covering major National Cutting Horse Association events, and his personal experience as a team roping competitor, Olsen’s wealth of experience in the equine industry stems from an appreciation of the horses and the exhibitors who show them. Olsen has two sons and a daughter and says that when he’s not busy working he can likely be found at a team roping, “just about anywhere that they have one.”

70 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Interview by Bonnie Wheatley

Reined Cow Horse News: Tell readers about your personal

background? Olsen: I grew up on a ranch in South Dakota. I came to Texas and worked for Carol Rose for six months in 1997, then went back to South Dakota for a while. In 2000, I moved back to Texas and went to work for Pete Kyle. I spent five years there working for Pete. That’s when I got hooked on the show side. I took the job initially in order to become a better roper, and then I just never roped anymore for a while. Now, I rope a lot. The draw to this industry for me was all about the horses and training. When I worked for Pete, he had sale horses and that was in the days of VHS—of rewinding and fast forwarding to splice the tapes—and he hired me to edit his sale videos, and that’s where it started.

RCHN: What is the most challenging and/or rewarding aspect of your job at NRCHA events? Olsen: I don’t feel like there’s been any real awkward challenges because everyone’s been so easy to work with when we have ideas. Everyone shares a passion for the horses and the people we interact with at the shows. I’m pretty proud of the video delivery concept we came up with where everyone gets a complementary video of their run. Exhibitors get something more for their video fee because we provide a link to their video from the show via email at no additional expense because of the partnership we’re able to do with a sponsor. That, and I like to think that a big part of our job is judge-centric, which is something that a lot of people don’t think about. The judge piece involves the way that we archive the videos in such a way that we can build the judges their pre-show material and their educational material. RCHN: What do you enjoy the most about your role with the NRCHA? Olsen: It’s the people, from the staff to the exhibitors. I really enjoy the folks we interact with at NRCHA events.



Join Us All Week! December 6

nCha Futurity Sales th

- 11th

Will Rogers Equestrian Center, Fort Worth, Texas

nCha Futurity 2-Year-old Sale

Center Ranch Dispersal Sale One Day - One Ranch - One Brand

2-Year-olds on Cattle Nominated to 2022 nCha Futurity

preferred Breeders Sale

nCha Futurity Cutting horse Sale trained Cutting horses & 3-Year-olds

Weanlings, Yearlings, Broodmares & Breeding Stallions

the evening Session

See Website for Complete Schedule at

Yearlings, Broodmares & Breeding Stallions

www.westernbloodstock.com

3-Year-Old Western Bloodstock Sale Graduates Dominate Early Cow Horse Futurities! Western Bloodstock Sale Graduate

Sale Graduate!

Stylin Metal NSHA Open Futurity CHAmpiON!

Western Bloodstock Sale Graduate

Sale Graduate!

Cats Nu Shine Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Reserve Champion!


HORSEPOWER . . .

It’s All You Need!

Sale Graduate!

Western Bloodstock Sale Graduate

Republicat Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion!

Western Bloodstock Sale Graduate

Western Bloodstock Sale Graduate

Sale Graduate!

Metallic Phenom

Sale Graduate!

Metallic Casanova SRCHA pre-Futurity Open Reserve Champion!

NSHA Open Futurity Reserve CHAmpiON! Western Bloodstock Sale Graduate

Sale Graduate!

Zak 34 SRCHA pre-Futurity Open Champion & 2020 High Selling Stallion!

1510 Ft Worth Hwy, Ste 110 Weatherford, Texas 76086

Office 817-594-9210 Jeremy Barwick 254-485-2542

www.westernbloodstock.com


T

///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

HE WEIGHT OF THE RIDE

More than only Justin Wright rode on Zak 34’s back, as the stallion earned incredible scores on his way to the Open Champion win.

2021 NRCHA OPEN ® SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

By Kate Bradley Byars Photos by Primo Morales

PRESENTED BY METALLIC CAT

TOP 10

T

Fort Worth, TX – October 7-23, 2021 Horse/Rider/Pedigree/Owner/Score/Money

he 2021 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals on Saturday, October 23, at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, might go down as the loudest and the most intense in many years. A clear front-runner didn’t emerge until the last set of cow work. When Darren Moore called out an incredible judge’s score of 226 for Zak 34 and NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Justin Wright’s fence run, it was clear who would add an Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion to his résumé. “I’ve had dreams of this for as long as I can remember. It’s consumed my life to win the Snaffle Bit Futurity,” said Wright of Santa Maria, California. “It’s emotional, but it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.” Wright has been close to winning the championship before, taking the Open Reserve Champion title in 2018 aboard Scooter Kat. This year he had three Open Futurity Finalists in the field of 30 horses. The cream of that crop was “Zak.” At the 2020 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales®, Wright saw a 2-year-old named, at that time, R Tuff Diggin Louie (Woody Be Tuff x Cats Dig Lucinda x High Brow Cat), bred by Center Ranch, go through the sale pen and something made him speak to the buyer, Melissa “Missy” Fischer of Wagner, South Dakota. “I didn’t recognize her, and I asked if she had a trainer. One thing lead to another and he came home with us,” Wright said. What drove Fischer to attend the sale was a need to be in an environment that felt “second nature,” she says. In reality, the mother had just lost her son, Seth.

74 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

®

1. Zak 34; Justin Wright; 18S (Woody Be Tuff x Cat Digs Lucinda x High Brow Cat); Melissa Fischer; 670 (H:221/R:223/C:226); $125,000. 2. Jule Smart Rey; Dustin Mills; 18G (Dual Smart Rey x Soula Jule Forever x Soula Jule Star); Shawna Miller; 666.5 (H:222/R:219/C:225.5); $100,000. 3. SJR Royal Diamond; Justin Wright; 18S (One Time Royalty x Shiners Diamond Girl x Shining Spark); San Juan Ranch; 664 (H:219/R:220.5/C:224.5); $75,000. 4. Juliette Jonez; Sarah Dawson; 18M (Travelin Jonez x Shine Smarter x WR This Cats Smart); Linda Mars; 663 (H:216.5/R:223.5/C:223); $50,000. 5. Chittchatt; Chris Dawson; 18G (Smooth Talkin Style x Bet On Nurse x Bet On Me 498); Russ Mothershead; 661.5 (H:216/R:218.5/C:227); $40,000. 6. Metallic Casanova; Clay Volmer; 18S (Metallic Cat x Dark And Sultry x Spots Hot); Sandra Kuntz; 660.5 (H:218.5/R:222.5/C:219.5); $35,000. 7. Boons Sticky Spot; Todd Crawford; 18M (Once In A Blu Boon x Sticky Spot x Spots Hot); Matacorp LTD; 655 (H:215/R:218/C:222); $30,000. 8. Metallic Little Lena; B.J. Avila; 18G (Metallic Cat x TF SmartLittleLinda x Smart Little Lena); Lorri Hollister; 654.5 (H:211.5/R:221/C:222); $25,000. 9. Major Adams; Shane Steffen; 18G (Hickory Holly Time x Dueling Chic Olena x Smart Chic Olena); McSpyder Ranch; 654 (H:218.5/R:220/C:215.5); $23,000. 10. Metallic Daisy Dukes; Todd Bergen; 18M (Metallic Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey); Bit Of Heaven Ranch; 653 (H:214.5/ R:221.5/C:217); $21,000.


Aboard Zak 34, Justin Wright captured his first Futurity Champion title, but the run carried so much more than just one rider’s hopes.

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

75


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

Qualifying a horse to the Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals guaranteed Clayton Edsall, of Oakdale, California, the $5,000 he needed to cross the NRCHA Million Dollar Rider mark, and he was notified in-arena following his cow work.

“We were overwhelmed with grief and decided to take a breather,” Fischer recalled. “We just wanted to go. We looked at the catalog, but we didn’t even have ‘Zak’ on the radar. The one we looked at we did get [Time ToGet Wreckless], but before he came into the ring, I saw Zak in the back ring and fell in love with him. There was something about him.

“He was my first time to go after a stallion,” she continued. “The bids kept going higher. My dad looked at me and said, ‘That’s enough Missy.’ I said, ‘No, he has to come home.’ I put in another bid and we got him. It was meant to be.” The Fischer family lost Seth, nicknamed Zak after one of his school teachers had a hard time pronouncing “S” names, and it shook them to the core. A farming fam-

ily from eastern South Dakota that had raised Paint Horses and Quarter Horses for decades, the horses helped anchor them. “I had lost my faith in God after they took [Seth] from me,” Fischer said. “But it was like [Seth] was there when I was bidding. I knew Seth, God, they all had a role in that day. I knew this was Seth’s horse. He loved [football player] Walter Payton, so 34 was his number. He raced late models on the dirt track. He was an adrenaline junkie. He always pushed things to the limit, like Zak 34.” From that moment, Wright says that the journey to bring Zak to the Futurity had a different feeling than his past attempts. When Wright brought Fischer’s first entry to the Snaffle Bit Futurity® in Fort Worth, he said it just felt like something was going to happen. “It was a perfect storm,” Wright said as he reflected on the Finals. He and Zak rode to a 670 (H:221/R:223/C:226) on their way to the title and $125,000. With support from title sponsor Metallic Cat and the Owner’s Incentive Fund, the total purse that Open riders were riding for in 2021 was $726,000. “Coming out draw 29, it is a lot of time to contemplate fence runs,” Fischer said. “We had a good feeling until we saw the 226. We didn’t have any expectations but

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a kid and so it goes when a trainer reaches the pinnacle of Futurity wins. Justin Wright and Zak 34 are in there among a sea of friends, family and well-wishers. 76 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

knew that Justin was positive. He was leading going into the fence, then there were these big scores. “My son always said when he died, he wanted to come back as a cat because cats have nine lives. [Our friends up top] sent down a picture of a cat that was up [by their seats] a couple runs before he went in. That cat gave us hope. Zak comes out and the song ‘Bad to the Bone’ is playing. We all had tears in our eyes. Seth had a heart of gold, but he was bad to the bone. We had a feeling that he was in Zak and riding with Justin. We all smiled, through our tears, we were smiling.” With Seth’s memory tied to the horse, the emotion of accomplishing his lifelong goal, and the exhaustion of completing the marathon that is the Futurity, Wright was overwhelmed after the win. However, he was quick to share the credit. “I’ve got the best team at home. There are guys that aren’t there [training with me anymore], Russell [Probert] and Nick [Howard] that have gone on to do their own programs, but they’ve all contributed so hard,” he said. “Jared’s [Jones] is there now, Lilla Bell and the Lloyds. We have a great team and I couldn’t do without them. My family is awesome. My mom came out; three kids and Gloria are here, and you know, they’ve made everything so easy. My crew and my family have done twice as much work as I have to get here.” Wright follows his brother, 1985 Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion Greg Wright, into the NRCHA history books with the win. There were a lot of family ties coming together in one final cow work. While goals were achieved and titles earned, Fischer says that her greatest joy is people will remember Seth through Zak 34. “Zak 34 gave us all something to cling to the past year. I think without hope, it would have been so easy for all of us to 78 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

give up and quit after Seth drowned,” she said. “Everybody is going to look at Zak and remember Seth. Seth’s two kids [Layton, 9, and Rainey, 5] will know the story of Zak and how their dad helped us find him. They will know that I believe their dad’s spirit lives within this magical horse. We are happy Zak won but overjoyed Seth’s memory will live on.”

INTERMEDIATE OPEN

Dustin Mills made the Open Finals on two of his hopefuls this year, an incredible feat for a young trainer. Aboard Jule Smart Rey (Dual Smart Rey x Soula Jule Forever x Soula Jule Star), Mills piloted to a 666.5 (H:222/R:219/C:225.5), a score that held the high composite until Justin Wright and Zak 34. When the final cow exited, Mills still stood atop the CINCH Intermediate Open and was the Reserve Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion.

“People told me there is nothing like being in the Open Finals and they were right. It’s pretty cool. It’s overwhelming,” said Mills. “To have two back here in my first Open Finals, it’s pretty special.” If the Futurity had a theme in 2021, it was that the champions were not out there alone. Similarly, to Wright riding for Zak 34, Mills felt he was also carrying on a legacy. “The guy who owned [Jule Smart Rey], Mike LaGrande, passed away. Phillip Ralls had him early in his 2-year-old year, then we bought him and we wanted to carry on his legacy,” Mills said. However, it was not clear that the horse would make it to the show. Mills says it took a while for the 2018 gelding bred by Garth and Amanda Gardiner to understand his job. “When he was a 2-year-old, I didn’t know if he was going to make it, to be

Dustin Mills rode Jule Smart Rey earned $100,000 for Open Reserve and an additional $40,000 for the CINCH Intermediate Open Champion win.


EARNER OF

$200,000+

BET HE SPARKS 2014 Red Roan Stallion 5 Panel N/N Bet Hesa Cat x Sparking Train

LTE $112,274, PE $467,857 by Shining Spark

TRAINED & SHOWN BY CLAYTON EDSALL

Owned by: Kathryn & Layn Phillips Standing at: 808 Ranch | Clements, CA For more information: Edsall Performance Horses [406] 925-0786

2020 NRCHA Derby Two Rein Spectacular Champion 2019 NRCHA Open Derby Champion 2019 NRCHA Open Hackamore Classic Champion 2018 NRCHA Open Derby Res. Champion 2018 NRCHA Int. Open Derby Champion 2017 NSHA RCH Int. Open Futurity Champion 2017 NRCHA Futurity 2YO Open Sale Incentive Champion 2018 NRCHA Celebration of Champions Open Derby, 3rd 2017 NSHA RCH Open Futurity, 4th 2018 NRCHA Int. Open Stakes, 3rd 2018 NRCHA Open Stakes, 10th


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

honest,” he said. “As soon as he understood the job, he turned into a monster [athlete]. I had to back him off a lot. It is pure talent. As soon as we broke the ice, got to the talent, he came on and he came on hard. It was cool to go through it all to get here.” Though he rode cutting horses with his father, trainer Mark Mills, all his life, Mills only zeroed in on reined cow horse in 2014 when he started working for Todd Crawford. Today, the soon-to-bedad with wife, Hope, can add a few more titles to his list. Owner Shawna Miller earned $100,000 for the Open Reserve Champion title and another $40,000 for the CINCH Intermediate Open win.

LIMITED OPEN & LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN

For Cara Hencratt, it’s been a year of firsts. Today, she can say she rode her first National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® entry to a Champion

title. Piloting Shiney Little Rock (That CD Rocks x Uno Smart Starlight x Smart Little Pepinic) for owner/breeder Paula “Polly” Bremel, Hencratt topped the Level 1 Limited Open standings by six points. “It’s pretty cool and I didn’t think things would go this well,” Hencratt said. “You take it one event at a time and it’s pretty cool to end up on top.” Hencratt has had success riding Bremel’s homebred horses, but this one will stick with her for awhile. The California trainer was all smiles following the awards ceremony, matching the delight seen on Bremel’s face. “It’s so exciting and fun for me to watch my babies get shown by other people and have success,” Bremel said. “I raise my [horses] and don’t buy them. I raised his mother and showed her to $40,000 before I started breeding her. My hope with every single baby is to be a nicer baby than the year before. He’s the

Ridden by Cara Hencratt and bred and owned by Paula “Polly” Bremel, Shiney Little Rock (That CD Rocks x Uno Smart Starlight x Smart Little Pepinic) scored a 652 (H:217/R:219/C:216) to earn $17,500 for the Limited Open win. 80 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

PRELIMINARY HIGH SCORES (Horse/Rider/Owner — Score)

HIGH REIN (TIE) Tuff Tuesday Cat; Luke Jones; Good Ole Boys — 223.5 Metallics Got Shine; Todd Bergen; Teton Ridge — 223.5

HIGH HERD Call Me A Cool Cat; Phillip Ralls; Neiberger Performance Horses LLC — 220

HIGH COW (TIE) Stylish Rebel Boy; Ryan Gallentine; Amber Haglin — 222 Stankish; Lance Johnston; Kenneth and Karen Haugland — 222

HIGH COMPOSITE Cats Nu Shine; Nick Dowers; Clinton Marshall — 659.5

12th I’ve raised out of that mare.” With a composite 650 (H:216 /R: 215.5 /C:218.5) Hencratt and the 2018 gelding earned $16,000. The pair was back for the Intermediate Open and Limited Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals on October 22. They were only one-point away from the Open Finals bubble. “This gelding is really strong in the reining and a really great fence horse. We wanted to make a solid run out of the herd and he did,” Hencratt said. “We missed the Open Finals by one point, so that was pretty exciting to sit in the top 30 until the last go, which was pretty cool for my first Futurity! It’s so fun.” Level 1 Limited Open Reserve Champion was Cody Hanson riding 2018 mare Shiners Voodoo Doll (Shiners Voodoo Dr x CD CR Slide x CD Lights), bred and owned by Elie Willoughby, to a 644 composite and earned $12,000. In the Limited Open, Abigayle Mixon rode Reyzin A Princess (Reyzin The Cash x Pink Catty x Catty Hawk), a 2018 mare bred by Cowan Ranch LLC and owned by Andrea Luce, to Reserve Champion and earned $14,000. For complete results on the 2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, presented by Metallic Cat, visit www.nrcha.com/ snaffle-bit-futurity/.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

INTERMEDIATE OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

For reserve in the CINCH Intermediate Open, Russell Probert piloted Dan and Suzy Probert’s Getting Arround (Metallic Rebel x Dressin Up x Peptoboonsmal), bred by Beechfork Ranch. Probert rode to a 656.5 (H:217.5/R:219.5/C:219.5) to earn $20,000.

LIMITED OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

Abigayle Mixon and Reyzin A Princess (Reyzin The Cash x Pink Catty x Catty Hawk), bred by Cowan Ranch, rode to a 647 (H:212/R:216/C:219) to take the Limited Open second spot. Owner Andrea Luce earned $14,000.

LADIES FUTURITY CHAMPION LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

Level 1 Limited Open Reserve Champion was Cody Hanson riding 2018 mare Shiners Voodoo Doll (Shiners Voodoo Dr x CD CR Slide x CD Lights), bred and owned by Elie Willoughby, to a 644 composite and earned $12,000.

82 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

For the high composite score of 654.5 from the Snaffle Bit Futurity prelims, Juliette Jonez (Travelin Jonez x Shine Smarter x WR This Cats Smart), ridden by Sarah Dawson and bred/ owned by Linda Mars, received the Ladies Futurity Champion title. Twenty-five female exhibitors were eligible for the Ladies award at this year’s event that is based off of high preliminary score.


e Introducing th

NEXT-GEN COWHORSE

Newly designed close-contact skirts combine with a 2 3/4” cantle and a Texas Dally horn for our newest generation of cowhorse saddle.

seat savvy

HORNS

Choice of seat style—Texas Cutter, DL or California—and seat padding including slick seat or single padded.

The Texas Dally horn is roper-friendly and tall enough to go down the fence or cut on. Or choose from our #21, DL or Cutter OD horns.

Front end height Choose the height of your front end: 8”, 8 1/2” or 9” tall.

Cantle height

Choose between a 2 3/4” (pictured), 3”, 3 1/4” or 3 1/2” cantle height.

B20-294

start with THE FOUNDATION Our different bar styles give us the ability to fit a wide range of horses.

skirt & cut-up Our new Weatherford skirt pattern features a large, close-contact cut-up.

fender design Though we have multiple fender designs, we often use the Ft. Worth (pictured), KR or Avila. Make sure you have the correct fender length for optimal leg position.

Ride a Bob’s

TM

WWW.BOBSCUSTOMSADDLES.COM

FOLLOW US:


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

ADEQUAN OPEN GELDING INCENTIVE, CHROME CASH — OPEN

At Chittchatt (Smooth Talkin Style x Bet On Nurse x Bet On Me 498), a 2018 gelding bred by Double Dove Ranch and owned by Russ Mothershead, was ridden to a 654.5 by Chris Dawson to earn the Adequan Open Gelding and Chrome Cash incentives. The Open Gelding Incentive received support from Adequan, an American Regent company. Adequan pledged $7,500 in added money, raising this year’s purse to $24,420. This Gelding-only incentive kicked off in 2020. The gelding must be registered with its breed association as a gelding in order to qualify. The American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash Incentive pays to exhibitors with Paint registered horses. The incentive paid $1,500 and was sponsored by McSpyder Ranch.

RANCHING HERITAGE BRED—OPEN

The high-scoring horses bred by American Quarter Horse Association Ranching Heritage Breeders are recognized during the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. The Open Ranching Heritage high scorer was Cats Nu Shine, a 2018 stallion bred by the Wagonhound Land & Livestock and ridden by Nick Dowers to a 659 for owner Clinton Marshall.

84 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

WESTERN BLOODSTOCK SALE INCENTIVE — OPEN

Cats Nu Shine (WR This Cats Smart x Shiney Nu Annie x Shining Spark), bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock, ridden by Nick Dowers for owner Clinton Marshall took home the $27,874 check for the highest composite preliminary score from a horse sold at the NRCHA Western Bloodstock Snaffle Bit Sales®.


Looking good feels good. Topline Balance® is in every bag of SafeChoice®, providing the ideal amount of amino acids your horse needs to develop and maintain a healthy topline.

More info at TOPLINEBALANCE.COM

© 2021 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

H

AIL TO THE CHIEF

2021 NRCHA NON PRO® SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY TOP TEN Fort Worth, Texas, October 7-29 Horse/Rider/Pedigree/Owner/Score/Money 1. TRR Dual Smart Olena; Abbie Phillips; 18S (Dual Smart Rey x TRR Ms Pepcid Olena x Pepcid); Abbie Phillips; 647.5 (H:213.5/R:218/C:216); $25,000 2. Boon Boon Ur Dead; Parke Greeson; 18G (Once In A Blu Boon x Boons Coffee x Boon Too Suen; Sacro Creek Ranch; 644.5 (H:213/R:215.5/C:216); $20,000 3. Lil Purple Rein; Trail Townsend; 18G (Once In A Blu Boon x Lil Red Firecat x High Brow Cat); Tripp or Hope Townsend; 644 (H:215/R:217/C:212); $15,463.08 4-5. Bet Shes Wright; Debbie Crafton; 18M (Bet Hesa Cat x Just Wright Lilly x Hes Wright On); Debbie Crafton; 643 (H:211/R:213.5/C:218.5); $11,275.17 4-5. SJR Sumkindarockstar; Debbie Crafton; 18S (Smooth As A Cat x Sumkinda Pinkcadilac x Peptoboonsmal); Debbie Crafton; 643 (H:211/R:218/C:214); $11,275.17 6-8. Meredith Gray; Eric Freitas; 18M (Dual Smart Rey x Cattahoochie x High Brow Cat); Eric Freitas; 642.5 (H:214/ R:215/C:213.5); $6,442.95 6-8. Boon Doxx; Stefanie Wagley; 18G (Sannman x Docs Stylish Liz x Docs Stylish Oak); 642.5 (H:213/R: 217/C:212.5); $6442.95 6-8. Rok N Roll; Pam Myers; 18G (Sannman x Peek Of Faith x Peeka Pep); 642.5 (H:215/R:216.5/C:211); $6,442.95 9. Indelible Style; William Lewis; 18M (Mr Playinstylish x Lil Sally Cat x High Brow Cat); 642 (H:210/R:211.5/C:220.5); $3,865.77 10. CP Metallic Dual; Kathy Wilson; 18G (Metallic Cat x KD Sweet Corn x Dual Pep); Kathy 636 (H:208/R:214/C:214); $3,865.77

86 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Abbie Phillips and TRR Dual Smart Olena focused on consistency on their way to the Non Pro Champion title. By Abigail Boatwright Photos by Primo Morales

A

bbie Phillips took command of the 2021 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® Non Pro after putting in three solid performances in the Finals with TRR Dual Smart Olena. The Weatherford, Texas, resident and her 2018 sorrel stallion (Dual Smart Rey x TRR Ms Pepcid Olena x Pepcid) were rewarded handsomely for their winning performance, taking home $25,000 of the $130,046.97 total purse in the Non Pro division. Phillips has been with “Chief,” who was bred by Tongue River Ranch in Paducah, Texas, since the beginning of his 2-year-old year. He’s a full brother to Duals Lucky Charm, the horse her husband, NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Kelby Phillips, won the 2016 Snaffle Bit Futurity and the World’s Greatest Horseman riding. The Phillipses carefully brought along the stallion prior to the Futurity, and Abbie says her strategy walking into the competition was aiming for consistency. “In the cutting, we drew last,” Abbie said. “I had great herd help: Corey Cushing, Phillip Ralls, Brandon Buttars and my husband. They all picked phenomenal cows for me and I didn’t lose any—so that was good! We were consistent there. The reining, he was really good today. I feel like I could have gotten him stopped a little bit better, but he turned around really fast and we had good circles as well. Cow work was a lot of fun; he was just on it! He always is. He’s a great fence horse. It was just a fun ride.” The pair’s 213.5 in the herd work, 218 in the rein work and a 216 in the cow work placed them high enough to be crowned champions with their 647.5 composite score.


Abbie Phillips guided TRR Dual Smart Olena to the top of the Non Pro Futurity, winning the championship and $25,000 cash. REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

87


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

Abbie Phillips was all smiles after winning the Non Pro Futurity Champion title.

“This was a goal that I’ve had for a long time, and it’s really special to do it on that horse,” she said. In addition to the overall Non Pro win, Phillips also rode the high-scoring horse bred by an American Quarter Horse Association Ranching Heritage Breeder. TRR Dual Smart Olena’s preliminary 651.5 earned the Non Pro Ranching Heritage Award. Parke Greeson and Sarco Creek Ranch’s Boon Boon Ur Dead placed second in the Non Pro Futurity (H:213/R:215.5/C:216) for a composite score of 644.5. Greeson, of Goliad, Texas, and the 2018 chestnut gelding (Once In A Blue Boon x Boons Coffee x Boon Too Suen), bred by Thad and Theresa Cox, pocketed $20,000.

I’ve ever done well at the Futurity,” Townsend said. “It’s been a goal of mine for a long time, so it feels great.” Going into the show, Townsend aimed for middle of the pack with LP, a gelding owned by his parents, Hope and Tripp Townsend. In winning the Amateur class, he also qualified for the Non Pro Finals that were held later on in the week. “I just wanted to stay calm, it’s got to be clean,” Townsend said. “I didn’t have to be anything huge—I didn’t have to set the world on fire to make the Finals.

Our plan was just kind of go in and be smooth, yet aggressive at the same time.” That strategy worked for the duo, with a 214.5 winning the herd work, a 217.5 tying for first in the rein work and a 217.5 to win the cow work. “The cutting was good—I usually struggle with the cutting, so I was kind of nervous going into that one,” Townsend said. “I am really confident in the reining—I could have ran him a little bit harder, but now I know what to do for the Finals. And the cow work was perfect. I mean, there’s always room for improvement, but I can’t complain about anything.” Townsend then went on to give an excellent Non Pro Finals performance, capturing not only the Intermediate Non Pro title, but also the Novice Non Pro Championship. “I always get nervous with the cutting, and then when I showed him in the cutting in the Finals, it went great and I was really pumped for that,” Townsend said. “In the reining, I went for it pretty hard, and just had a few things that weren’t

AMATEUR, INTERMEDIATE NON PRO, NOVICE NON PRO,

Trail Townsend skyrocketed to the top of the class to handily collect the Amateur Futurity title aboard Lil Purple Rein. The 19-year-old high school senior from Earth, Texas, and the 2018 red roan gelding (Once In A Blu Boon x Lil Red Firecat x High Brow Cat), scored a composite of 649.5—13.5 points ahead of the Reserve Champion. Of the $27,859 awarded to the Amateur class, Townsend and “LP,” bred by Bettina Jary-Mathis, took home $6,962.50. “It feels awesome—this is the first time 88 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Trail Townsend and 2018 red roan gelding Lil Purple Rein went home with the Intermediate Non Pro, Novice Non Pro and Amateur Futurity Champion titles, as well as more than $22,425.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY quite as smooth as they were supposed to be. We still came out with a great score and I’m happy with that.” With a herd work score of 215, a rein work score of 217 and a 212 in the cow work, Townsend and LP were given a composite score of 644. They received $15,463.08—pushing their prize money to more than $22,425. “I’m really happy with how tonight worked out,” Townsend said. “There are a few things I wished could have gone just a little bit better, but I’m happy with it. I couldn’t ask for anything else.” Townsend thanked his family for their support and his trainer, Jordan Williams, for training LP and coaching him. Garrell Reilly Williams and Bet Shesa Playmate finished Reserve Champions in the Amateur Futurity with a composite score of 636 (H:214/R:214.5/C:207.5), earning $5,570. The 2018 sorrel mare (Bet Hesa Cat x Very Smart Playmate x Very Smart Remedy) was bred by Yellow Creek Ranch and is owned by Preston Williams. Stefani Wagley, of Abilene, Texas, and Boon Doxx tied for the Reserve Intermediate Non Pro and Reserve Novice Non Pro Champions thanks to a composite score of 642.5. (H:213/

R:217/C:212.5). The 2018 red roan gelding (Sannman x Docs Stylish Liz x Docs Stylish Oak) was bred by Jeff Schieber. Wagley won $6,442.95. Pam Myers of Parma, Idaho, and her 2018 sorrel gelding, Rok N Roll (Sannman x Peek Of Faith x Peeka Pep), bred by Dee Gragg, tied for the Reserve Intermediate Non Pro and Reserve Intermediate Novice Non Pro with a composite score of 642.5 (H:215/R:216.5/C:211). They earned $6,442.95.

NON PRO LIMITED

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, native Kelsey Delaplaine Fulmer competed at the Snaffle Bit Futurity for the first time in 2020, but her real triumph came her second trip to the show, in 2021. This time, aboard 2018 sorrel mare Lookalittlesister (Stevie Rey Von x Smart Playing Chic x Smart Chic Olena), the now-Cleburne, Texas, resident with a distinctive turquoise-hued ponytail was ecstatic to achieve her goal. The pair was crowned the Non Pro Limited Champions. “It hasn’t even completely sunk in yet,” Fulmer said. “I knew that my horse could do it. It’s been a really good year. I’ve only been showing in the cow horse for two years now—I’ve been riding ever

Kelsey Delaplaine Fulmer and LookAtLittleSister earned the Non Pro Limited Futurity title and $6,675 after receiving a composite score of 638.5. 90 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

since I was little, and I’ve always been super competitive. But I’ve never really got that big win. I feel like cow horse is where I’m meant to be, and it’s so cool to show a horse that’s as special as her.” “Sister” was bred by Liz Armenta and trained by Danielle Lybbert. With Fulmer at the reins, the horse scored a 208 in the herd work, and in the reined work—their best event—they scored a 215. “Going into the cow work, I knew I was leading it, but I was nervous because earlier this week I showed my bridle horse, and I lost my cow—I was pretty down in the dumps about that,” Fulmer said. “I was really worried that was going to happen again, so I was a little conservative at first. But when I really felt Sister take a hold of the cow, I knew I was all right, and I started being a little more aggressive.” After a stellar boxing performance in the cow work, Fulmer and Sister scored a 215.5 for a composite score of 638.5 (H:208/R:215/C:215.5). Their efforts earned $6,675 of the $22,250 purse. Fulmer has a multifaceted day job as an outside sales rep, graphic designer, photographer and owner of an equine therapy business. She gave a shoutout to her husband, Brett, her trainers the Lybberts, reining trainer Trey Pool, her parents and dear friends. “I just thank God for allowing me to do this sport surrounded by so many awesome people,” Fulmer said. “I don’t want to say the stars are aligning, because we both put the work in and my horse is super talented. This win means a lot to me. It’s really a dream come true.” Reserve Champion Lori FramptonCrafton rode One Smart N Timely, a 2018 red roan mare (One Time Pepto x Ima Smart Response x Smart Little Lena) owned by Debbie Crafton and bred by Sprig Haven Farms. Their composite score of 637 (H:208/R:209.5/C:219.5) earned them $5,340.


THE DRIVE TO BECOME A CHAMPION ...

IT STARTS WITHIN.

SARAH DAWSON

Results don’t happen overnight. It takes passion, dedication, hard work and the right nutrition to reach your goals. For 25 years, Platinum Performance® has been improving the lives of horses by impacting health, from the inside, through advanced nutrition. No matter the level of achievement we seek, the love and care for our horses start from a place deep inside of us all.

THE POWER OF NUTRITION STARTS WITHIN. PlatinumPerformance.com | 800-553-2400

The nutrition supporting Sarah’s team includes: • Platinum Performance® Equine • Platinum Performance® GI • Healthy Weight • Platinum Gastric Support® Sarah Dawson is a sponsored endorsee and actual client.

©2021 PLATI NU M P ERFORM ANCE ®

This 2020 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion recognizes the power of nutrition. She’s been a Platinum client since 2013.


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION

Parke Greeson and 2018 chestnut gelding Boon Boon Ur Dead were the Reserve Champions in the Non Pro Futurity with a composite score of 644.5, worth $20,000.

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO, NOVICE NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE); GELDING INCENTIVE—NON PRO

Pam Myers and 2018 sorrel gelding Rok N Roll tied for the Reserve Intermediate Non Pro and Reserve Novice Non Pro title after scoring a 642.5, taking home $6,442.95. Earning $2,728, Rok N Roll was also the high-scoring prelim gelding in the Non Pro division, claiming the Non Pro Gelding Incentive. 92 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO, NOVICE NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE)

Riding 2018 red roan gelding Boon Doxx, Stefanie Wagley was the Reserve Intermediate Non Pro and Reserve Novice Non Pro Champion with a composite score of 642.5, winning $6,442.95.

AMATEUR FUTURITY RESERVE CHAMPION

Garrell Reilly Williams and 2018 sorrel mare Bet Shesa Playmate were the reserve champions in the Amateur Futurity with a composite score of 636, earning $5,570.


SHOCK WAVE Smooth Dera Max” has been a stellar show horse. Now going into his Bridle Career, PulseVet Shock Wave Therapy has helped give him that extra edge to be competitive at the National levels. He always gives 100% in every run and by utilizing PulseVet shock wave therapy in our program,I am confident he feels 100% too! I recommend it for all of my athletic patients and use it on my own show horses.

Kat DeHaan, DVM – Owner of Equistride Veterinary Services, LLC Caldwell, ID

COMMON INDICATIONS TREATED

No remuneration or product has been received

Tendon and ligament injuries | Foot and heel pain Kissing spines | Splints | Osteoarthritis

PULSEVET IS THE LEADER IN VETERINARY SHOCK WAVE TECHNOLOGY WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF CLINICALLY PROVEN RESULTS.

90% SUCCESS

in treating back pain and kissing spine

FASTER HEALING

of tendon and ligament injuries

800.245.4417 info@pulsevet.com PulseVet.com

81% IMPROVEMENT

in horses with Navicular Syndrome

CLINICALLY PROVEN

to reduce lameness associated with chronic orthopedic conditions

Find a vet near you who offers PulseVet shock wave therapy by going online to pulsevet.com/find-a-vet Official Shock Wave Therapy of:

Proud Global Sponsor:


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION

CHROME CASH — NON PRO

CHROME CASH — NON PRO LIMITED

RANCHING HERITAGE BRED — NON PRO LIMITED

Lori Frampton-Crafton and One Smart N Timely won Non Pro Limited Reserve Champion title with a composite score of 637 and $5,340.

Smooth Smoke N Cat (Real Smooth Cat x Smoke N Jet Surprise x Doc N Smoke ), a 2018 mare owned and bred by Glenn and Sandy Kaplan and shown by Sandy Kaplan earned the high score of 588 in the American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash Incentive prelim. The incentive paid $350 in the Non Pro Limited and was sponsored by McSpyder Ranch.

94 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

The American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash Incentive goes to exhibitors with registered Paint Horses. Sponsored by McSpyder Ranch, the incentive paid $900 to winner OverthelegallimitRAB (One Time Royalty x Billie Travis x Continental Fly), a 2018 gelding bred and owned by Rob A. Brown, and shown to a 643 by Myles Brown.

In the Non Pro Limited Ranching Heritage high scoring horse was Smart Cutting, a 2018 mare bred by Ted or Deborah Zieman and ridden by Lane Birkenfeld to a 621 for owner Keith Birkenfeld.


Stoney’s Web Design

Happy Holidays

During this season, we take time to reect on the good things we have… most importantly our customers and horse industry partnerships. We appreciate YOU and hope that the holidays and the coming year will bring you every happiness and success. From the Western team and supporting staff at Markel

Products and services are offered through Markel Specialty, a business division of Markel Service Incorporated (national producer number 27585). Policies are written by one or more Markel insurance companies. Terms and conditions for rate and coverage may vary. Markel® is a registered trademark of the Markel Corporation.


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

WESTERN BLOODSTOCK SALE INCENTIVE — NON PRO Hickory Smoked Ham (Hickory Holly Time x Smokum Chicy x Smart Chic Olena), owned by Brittany Factor and bred by the Dom Conicelli Estate, was the high-scoring preliminary horse eligible for the Western Bloodstock Sale Incentive, for horses that went through the NRCHA Western Bloodstock Futurity Sales®. The incentive paid $11,946.

96 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


LTE $135,187

2009 AQHA stallion One Time Pepto x Shiners Siena

www.OneFineVintage.com

Eligible For: NRCHA Stakes, PCCHA Stakes 2022 BREEDING FEE $2,000 Includes Booking and Chute Fee Six Panel N/N Royal Crown Stallion

(Shining Spark x Taris Vintage)

Stands 15.1 hh

Standing at

Bred by Brad & Mary Robertson Owned by Robertson Ranches

Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center (480) 273-7759 scottsdaleequine@hotmail.com scottsdaleequinerepro.com


THANK YOU

Title & Event Sponsors 6666 Ranch Adequan CINCH Holy Cow Performance Horses

Metallic Cat Oswood Stallion Station Scooter Kat

Saddle Sponsor Ellen & Larry Bell Toddy & Pam Crawford Renee DuBois Fulton Quien Sabe Ranch Jamieson Performance Horses Kaiser Creek Ranch Matthews Cutting Horses Linda McMahon /McSpyder Ranch

Dustin Mills Performance Horses in Memory of Mike LaGrande Trey & Sandra Neal Rent A Stall Mat Stephen Silva SJ Ranch Tres Osos Performance Horses Two Bit Performance Horses / Diane Edwards & Jess Garvi

Gold Sponsor 2020 Consulting LLC The Animal Amy & Paul Bailey Bimeda /Clark Weaver Camille Courtney The Creator’s Apprentice / Carla Griffke

Melaina Middleton Russ Motherhead Boyd & Halee Rice Silveira Produce Sales Texas Landmark Realtors Mike & Kelly Warner – The Final Cut Ranch

Pamela Heitz

Silver Sponsor Todd Bergen Performance Horses Corey Cushing Performance Horses

98 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Jim Gauthier / Bill & Carla McElligott

Bronze Sponsor BOXO Quarter Horses

THANK YOU

To Our Supporters

To Our Supporters



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

H

ORSE SHOW HEADLINES Photos by Primo Morales

During the 2021 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, held in October 7-23 in Fort Worth, Texas, a full slate of horse show class championships was awarded.

I

t was record entries at the 2021 DT Horses Western Derby, including a full course of horse show classes that included more added money than previously awarded in the Non Pro Limited class. Judges for horse show classes were, depending on the class, Mr. Smokey Pritchett of Temecula, California; Sandy Collier of Santa Maria, California; Bobby Ingersoll of Reno, Nevada; Andy Adams of Red Bluff, California; Doug Ingersoll from Lincoln, California, or the pair of Frank Craighead of Weatherford, Texas, and Terry Thompson of Aubrey, Texas, as well as National Reined Cow Horse Association Director of Judges Bill Enk from Paso Robles, California. Full horse show results are online at www.nrcha.com/cowhorseplus/.

OPEN BRIDLE CHAMPION

Boyd Rice piloted Quahadi (Bet Hesa Cat x Ginnin Attraction x Tanquery Gin), a 2013 stallion bred and owned by the Burnett Ranches LLC, to a 442 to top the Open Bridle Finals. The win earned $11,224.

OPEN BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION, INTERMEDIATE OPEN BRIDLE CHAMPION

INTERMEDIATE OPEN BRIDLE RESEREVE CHAMPION (TIE)

SJR Reygun (Dual Rey x Plaguns King Badger x Playgun), a 2012 mare bred by San Juan Ranch, and Brady Weaver rode to the reserve spot with a 437 composite. Owner Gary Ewell earned $8,784.

100 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Wyatt Fisher rode 2011 mare Prize Winning Gal (Smokums Prize x Ill Be A Winning Gal x Ill Be Smart), owned by Jayson and Teresa Fisher and bred by Justin Wright, to tie for reserve and earn $1,260.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

LIMITED OPEN BRIDLE CHAMPION

INTERMEDIATE OPEN BRIDLE RESEREVE CHAMPION (TIE)

Brother Jackson (Peptoboonsmal x Shes Icing Onthe Cat x High Brow Cat), bred by Kenneth Jackson and owned by Daniel Perez, and Ken Wold tied for the reserve and earned $1,260.

LIMITED OPEN BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE)

Cole Bennet rode Heather Leeper’s 2015 stallion Streakin Irish Relic (Paddys Irish Wiskey x Guns Fancy Fling x A Streak Of Fling), bred by Leeper, to tie for reserve with a 285.5 and earn $1,417.50.

Taylor Peters piloted 2014 mare Hot Shiney Lights (CS Lights x Shiners Hot Flash x Shining Spark), bred by Nicole Miller and owned by Scott Wagner, to the win with a 286.5 and earned $2,025.

LIMITED OPEN BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE)

Tying for reserve, Melvin Helmuth rode 2015 gelding Bet Heza Playboy (Bet Hesa Cat x High Style Cavio x Docs Stylish Oak), bred by Carolyn Reynolds and owned by Elizabeth Poor, to earn $1,417.50.

OPEN TWO REIN RESERVE CHAMPION

OPEN TWO REIN CHAMPION

Scooter Kat (Kit Kat Sugar x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey), a 2015 stallion bred by Taylor Carbo and owned by Eric Freitas, and pilot Justin Wright took the win with a 296 and earned $5,376.

102 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Photos by Primo Morales

Cayley Wilson rode WR Hotshot (WR This Cats Smart x Sunspot Flo x Mr Peponita Flo), a 2014 gelding bred by Matthews Cutting Horses, to reserve with a 293 composite. Wilson owns the horse and earned $4,224.


Keep your horse happy and healthy. And get rewarded with FREE products at the same time! We’re proud to celebrate the partnership between you and your horse, so we created the Horse Care Loyalty Rewards Program. It’s our way of giving back and provides an opportunity for you to earn complimentary full-size supplements, fly control and grooming products that you use regularly. • Receive 1 free product for every 5 purchased!* • Earn rewards wherever you shop — your local retail store or online • Extensive list of 15 products provides solutions for various horse care needs

Meet nutritional demands

Shiny coat, mane and tail

Keep him protected

View a complete list of eligible products at HorseCareLoyalty.com. Enroll today and start earning rewards.

*For every 10 Lactanase ® packets purchased, you get the next one free. ©2021 Farnam Companies, Inc. Farnam with design, Horse Health, Horse Health purple, the horseshoe design, Lactanase, Laser Sheen, the purple jug, Red Cell, Tri-Tec, Vita Flex and Weight Builder are trademarks of Farnam Companies, Inc. #21-23882


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

OPEN HACKAMORE CHAMPION

OPEN HACKAMORE RESERVE CHAMPION

Lance Johnston rode Kenneth and Karen Haugland’s 2017 stallion Lil Starlight Cat (High Brow Cat x Lil Foxie Starlight x Grays Starlight), bred by Glenn and Debbie Drake, to a 442 to earn the win and $12,407.

Goin Down For Real (Metallic Cat x Quejanapep x Dual Pep), a 2016 stallion bred by Sunrise Ranch LLC, and Corey Cushing rode to reserve with a 439 and earned owner Tallian Thompson $9,795.

NON PRO BRIDLE CHAMPION

NON PRO BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION, SELECT NON PRO BRIDLE CHAMPION Myles Brown piloted One Time Legend (One Time Pepto x HR Playin Legend x Little Lenas Legend), a 2015 gelding bred by Cowan Select Horses LLC and owned by Larry Hall Cutting Horses LLC, to the win with a composite 291, earning $5,150.

Jecca Ostrander rode 2014 stallion Opus Cat Olena (WR This Cats Smart x Opus Chic x Smart Chic Olena), bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC and owned by the Ostrander’s Box O Quarter Horses, to reserve with a 289.5 and earned $4,120. For the Select Non Pro Bridle, the pair scored a 289.5 to earn $660.

NON PRO TWO REIN RESERVE CHAMPION

NON PRO TWO REIN CHAMPION

Katherine DeHaan, DVM, rode Smooth Dera Max (Smooth As A Cat x Dera Dually x Dual Pep), a 2015 gelding bred by Dana or Harry DeHaan, to the win with a composite of 287 and earned $2,100.

104 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Sirly Shine (Very Smart Remedy x Shirely Shine x Shining Spark) and Melissa Garbrick rode to reserve with a composite score of 286.5 to earn she and co-owner husband, Chris, $1,750. The 2015 gelding was bred by Anne Reynolds.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

NON PRO HACKAMORE CHAMPION

NON PRO HACKAMORE RESERVE CHAMPION

Debbie Crafton rode Hesa Wee Bet (Bet Hesa Cat x Wee Quejana Gal x Quejanaisalena), a 2017 gelding bred by Molly Mae Mirassou, to the class win with a 438, earning $2,850.

Also riding the reserve winner, Debbie Crafton took home an additional $2,280 for a composite 436.5 on Dualin ALittle Time (One Time Pepto x ARC Little Dualena x Dual Pep), a 2016 stallion bred by Arcese Quarter Horses USA.

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE CHAMPION

Garrell Reilly Williams rode her 2012 mare Sparks On The Fence (Smart Boons x Spark Chic Olena x Smart Chic Olena), bred by CDR Farms LLC, to the win with a 288.5 and earning $2,380.

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE), NOVICE NON PRO BRIDLE CHAMPION Tying for reserve in the Intermediate and taking the win in the Novice Non Pro, Trail Townsend rode TRR Lucky Playgun (Pepcid x TRR Ms Lucky Gun x Playgun), a 2009 gelding bred by Tongue River Ranch and owned by his dad, Tripp, to earn $1,657.50 in the Intermediate and another $1,686 in the Novice.

106 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE)

Tying with a 288, Morgan Miller rode Tag Almighty (Stylish Rey x Cookie Q Lena x Quannah O Lena), a 2013 stallion bred by Double S Quarter Horses and owned by Mike Miller, to reserve and earn $1,657.50.

NOVICE NON PRO BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION

Cee These Guns (Colonels Smoking Gun x Dun It In The Bay x Starlights Wrangler), a 2013 mare bred by Oldenburg Farm LLC, and owner Mike Lundy rode to a 286.5 to earn $1,348.80.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

SELECT NON PRO BRIDLE RESERVE CHAMPION

Paul Wilinski rode his 2013 gelding Smooth Santanna (Smooth As A Cat x Smart Mariah x Smart Little Lena), bred by Daniel Perez, to a 287 and earned $550.

YOUTH COW HORSE CHAMPION

Playin Motown (Mr Playinstylish x Mo Flo x Mr Peponita Flo), a 2013 gelding bred by Kit and Charlie Moncrief and Lee Tennison, carried owner Catelyn Walker to a 289 composite. They won the class and earned to earn $1,540.

YOUTH COW HORSE RESERVE CHAMPION

YOUTH COW HORSE 13 & UNDER 1ST PLACE

Grace Gardiner rode 2012 gelding You May Be Wright (Hes Wright On x Sue C Shiner x Shining Spark), bred and owned by her parents Garth and Amanda Gardiner, to a 287 composite to earn $1,210.

Riding her 2014 gelding Cat Walks Into A Bar (WR This Cats Smart x Sue C Shiner x Shining Spark), bred by Garth and Amanda Gardiner, Landri Lisac rode to first with a 278.5.

NON PRO LIMITED CHAMPION, SELECT NON PRO LIMITED CHAMPION

YOUTH COW HORSE 13 & UNDER 2ND PLACE

Chet Gorrell rode Smooth N Cash (Smooth As A Cat x Dox Gavacash x Miss N Cash), owned by Roloff Ranch and bred by Robert Lambert, to second with a 269 score.

108 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Kim Dalton piloted her 2012 gelding Ima Heart Response (Heart Of A Fox x SPD Remedys Response x Smart Peppy Doc), bred by Clear Lake Land & Cattle Ranch, to a 290.5 to earn $4,850 in the Non Pro Limited and another $476 in the Select Non Pro Limited.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION

SELECT NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION

MC Reyn Or Shine (Shiners Nickle x Tootsie Rey x Dual Rey) and Greg Lewis rode to reserve with a 289.5. The 2015 gelding was bred by Michelle Cannon and is owned by Hartwood Farms.

$5K NON PRO LIMITED CHAMPION

Daniel Perez rode his 2015 mare Jule Of A Time (Hickory Holly Time x Soula Jule Forever x Soula Jule Star), bred by Garth and Amanda Gardiner, to reserve and earned $374.

$5K NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE)

Niamh Sexton rode 2016 stallion Ima Metallic Shine (Metallic Cat x Isabellena x Quejanaisalena), bred by Garth and Amanda Gardiner, to a 289.5 composite score to earn the win and $851.

Traci Witte rode her 2015 gelding Ima Prizcee Hickory (Cee Mr Hickory x Nu Prize x Smokums Prize), bred by Trystin Johnston, to the reserve tie with a 287, earning $610.50.

$1K NON PRO LIMITED CHAMPION

$5K NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION (TIE), BEGINNING FENCE WORK 2ND PLACE Tying in reserve for the $5K, Lexi Kastanis and Truckin Chics Rule (NMSU Truckin Chex x A Nic O Chic x Smart Chic Olena), bred by Rogers Heaven Sent Ranch LLC and coowned by Laure Woods, rode to a 287 to earn $610.50. For second place in Beginning Fence Work, with a 284.5, she earned another $764.40.

110 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Angie Kilpatrick rode her 2003 mare Peppys Hickory Jane (Peppys Lil Wil x Hickorys Jane x Docs Hickory), bred by Western States Ranches, to a 287.5 score to earn $490 in the class.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

BEGINNING FENCE WORK 1ST PLACE

$1K NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION

Talen Barry rode 2006 gelding Smart Rem N Be (Very Smart Remedy x Be Bob To Reno x Bob Acre Doc), owned by Jared Barry and bred by Stan and Lynne Warren, to earn $392.

Hot Shiney Lights (CD Lights x Shiners Hot Flash x Shiney Spark) and owner Scott Wagner earned the win with a 286 to pocket $955.50. The 2014 mare was bred by Nicole Miller.

YOUTH LIMITED CHAMPION

YOUTH LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION

Lainey Grewing rode her 2016 gelding Metallic Blaze (Metallic Cat x Blazen Tornado x Smart Mate), bred by Dan Churchill, to the win with a 290.5, earning $1,100.

Will Lewis rode Spookin Jay (Smart Spook x Ultra Jay x Master Jay), a 2011 gelding owned by his dad, William Lewis, and bred by Rosanne Sternberg, to the second place spot to earn $880.

YOUTH LIMITED 13 & UNDER 2ND PLACE

YOUTH LIMITED 13 & UNDER 1ST PLACE

Margaret Nance and 2017 mare Queens Nu Holly (Hickory Holly Time x Nu Cash Queen x Nu Cash), bred by Gregg Lafitte and owned by her mom, Jessie Lee Nance, to the win with a 285.5 score.

112 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Riley Friesen rode 2017 gelding Hal Jordan Star (Halreycious x Rubys Little Star x Smart Little Lena), bred by Peter De Leeuw and owned by Amanda Friesen, to second place with a 281.5.


OFFERING A SELECT NUMBER OF

show quality prospects FOR SALE contact us for more information

REINED COW HORSE • CUTTING • REINING WWW.HOLYCOWPERFORMANCEHORSES.COM

805.331.2408


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

O

N THE UP AND UP

By Katie Frank

Western Bloodstock Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales® hit record prices, again. COURTESY WESTERN BLOODSTOCK LLC

COURTESY WESTERN BLOODSTOCK LLC

Hip 2076, American Dollars, was the high-selling yearling.

D

espite being late October, temperatures weren’t the only thing rising at Will Rogers Equestrian Center during the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Western Bloodstock LTD. Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales®. Two days of sales saw a 30 percent increase in price from last year. Topping off an already successful sale, the night culminated with the high-selling 2-year-old from the 2020 sale, Zak 34, winning the coveted Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship with Justin Wright. The Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales consisted of the Performance Horse Sale and Select 2-Year-Old Sale, as well as Session I of the Select Yearling and Broodmare Sale on Friday. There was a 33 percent increase over 2020 with 93 percent completed sales for an average of $23,279. Desires Cricket, bred to Reyzin The

114 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Desires Cricket, bred to Reyzin The Cash, was the high selling broodmare.

Cash, sold for $105,000 to Cindy Perez of Weatherford, Texas. Alan Chappell consigned the 2015 mare, by Dual Rey and out of Playguns Desire by Playgun. She is a full sister to 2010 National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes Open Champion Reys Desire, who has lifetime earnings of $409,603. All seven horses in the Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales Performance Horse Session sold for an average of $28,714. The highselling horse was Metallic Look (Metallic Cat x Smart Lookin High Brow x High Brow Hickory), a 2013 gelding who sold to James and Deborah Lohrman of San Juan Capistrano, California, for $55,000. Session II of the Select Yearling and

Broodmare Sale was held Saturday and, according to Western Bloodstock LTD, saw a 28 percent increase over last year with an average of $26,262. American Dollars lead Session II, selling for $80,000 to Cooper Smith of Whitesboro, Texas. Pro Fit Equine, as Agent for Steve and Alicia Billman, consigned the Reyzin The Cash-bred stallion, who is out of Trizana, by Taris Catalyst, an NRCHA money earner and producer of nine money earners. Tarizana’s dam, Sparkles Rosezana by Zan Parr Bar, won the 1985 National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity. For the complete catalog and sale results, visit westernbloodstock.net.


CD DIAMOND ★ SJR DIAMOND MIST NRCHA FUTURITY INCENTIVE Top placing CD Diamond -OR- SJR Diamond Mist foals in 2021 thru 2025 NRCHA Ft. Worth Futurity Finals receive

$25,000 Open | $10,000 Non-Pro *Limited to one winner each, Open & Non-Pro. Does not include Intermediate, Limited or Novice Open or Non-Pro.

2018 NRCHA OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPION #1 NRCHA 2018 HORSE OF THE YEAR

2012 NRCHA OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPION #1 NRCHA 2012 HORSE OF THE YEAR 2018 NRCHA OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPION SIRE

(940) 682-2205 | WWW.SANJUANRANCH.COM


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

B

ACK TO

RANCHING ROOTS

By Lillian Kent Photos by Primo Morales

The Ranching Heritage Challenge is an exciting reminder of the origin of cow horse, and the 2021 rendition saw more than $17,000 in added money.

B

uilding a loop and making a catch in the storied Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, is intimidating, but more than 50 riders were up to the task in the American Quarter Horse Association Ranching Heritage Challenge on October 16. Sponsored by Nutrena and John Deere, the event boasted $17,500 in added money, as well as prizes from sponsors Classic Equine and Box O Quarter Horses. Competing under a two-judge system in a variety of classes, including reining, cow work, boxing and ranch riding, competitors cinched up their ranching heritage-bred horses to carve themselves a piece of the pie. Held concurrently with the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, the event was a change of pace from

116 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

OPEN WORKING RANCH HORSE—7-YEAR-OLD & UP

Chris Dawson of Perrin, Texas, rode Reyzinette (Dual Rey x Sheza Shinette x Shining Spark) to the win with a composite 290.5 (R:145.5/C:145). The 2014 stallion was bred and is owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses of both Weatherford, Texas, and Santa Ynez, California, who earned $1,700 for the win.

the intense limited-age action happening nearby in the John Justin Arena. But despite the easy-going atmosphere, the parameters tested even seasoned reined cow horse competitors with reining, fence run and steer stopping. Cowboys from

ranches such as the famed 6666 Sixes Ranch, R.A. Brown Ranch and Durrett Cattle Co. were among the entrants, and The Challenge has proved its staying power with competitors coming back from previous years.


“It Only Happens Once A Year!” 39TH TRIANGLE WINTER SALE JANUARY 28 & 29, 2022

Oklahoma State Fair Park•Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

WESTERN PERFORMANCE HORSES EXPECT FINISHED HORSES, BREEDING STOCK, & PROSPECTS LIKE: AR STYLISH REYS 2020 sorrel filly

AR METALLIC MAN 2020 sorrel colt (Metallic Cat x Stylish Lizzie, by Lizzys Gotta Player) LTE $90,697, dam of 3 ME’s, including Metallizzie ($100,338) currently leading NCHA $10,000 Novice Championship

(Dual Rey x Stylish Bet, by Docs Stylish Oak) Dam-LTE $218,087, dam of 2 ME’s; has 2 foals entered in 2021 NCHA Open Futurity

EARLY SELLERS INCLUDE: 6666 Ranch Atwood Quarter Horses, Inc Baruch Reining Horses Ben Baldus Thomas Bray Calvin Campbell Cannon Quarter Horses Estevan Castillo Alan Chappell Circle C Ranch

Circle Y Ranch Coalson Acres Chris & Barbara Cox Crockett Sand & Gravel Dillon Crumpler Flag Ranch Sean Flynn Fults Ranch Beau & Ashley Galyean Brent Haile

Don Ham Hill Ranches Holy Cow Performance Horses Arlan Kannas Henry Knox Family Bobby Lewis Bill McFarland Mozaun & Sara McKibben Monty McNair Jonathan Miller

Oxbow Ranch Marty Powers Ivan Raber Performance Horses Phil & Mary Ann Rapp San Juan Ranch Sam Smith Kirk Smith Mike St Clair St-Onge Reining Horses Rob & Sue Stevenson

David Taurel Hayden Upton Kollin VonAhn Paul Waters Turner West Mark Whitman

ENTRY DEADLINE: DECEMBER 7, 2021

Congratulations HIGH SELLER

At the Fall Sale!

#282 DRIVING MISS EM $90,000

 406 HORSES CATALOGED LESS WITHDRAWALS 

Consigned by: Phil & Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, TX Buyer: Jeanine Benenati, Springtown, TX

381 Offered•Completed Sales 81%•Average $12,900 155 Horses (51%) Entered Triangle’s Top $10,000 Club Averaging $20,100 Buyers were from 33 States Top 5 Buyer States: Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, California All Averages Reflect Actual Sales

WWW.TRIANGLEHORSESALES.NET

Division of AuctionWare, LLC

Jim Ware | PO Box 279 | Millsap, Texas 76066 (817) 594-6354 | (817) 304-0589 cell (817) 594-6358 fax

Triangle Sales

Licensed & Bonded

Triangle Sales Office

P.O. Box 566 | Tecumseh, OK 74873 (405) 275-2196 | (405) 273-2818 (405) 273-8959 fax


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

OPEN WORKING RANCH HORSE—5- & 6-YEAR-OLD

OPEN WORKING RANCH HORSE—4-YEAR-OLD

COWBOY WORKING RANCH HORSE

AMATEUR WORKING RANCH HORSE

Bringing home the title for the third year, 2015 sorrel mare Smart Ladies Sparkle and Matt Koch earned the Overall Open Working Ranch Horse title with a composite 291.5 (R:144/C:147.5). Bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC and owned by Myra Koch of Seneca, Kansas, Smart Ladies Sparkle (WR This Cats Smart x Shiners Diamond Lady x Shining Spark) added $1,425 to her lifetime earnings.

Cats Packing Heat (Cats Quixote Jack x Shes Packin Heat x Playgun) and Ryan McCoy won the Cowboy Working Ranch Horse Class with a composite 282 (R:138/C:144), winning $1,425 for owner Ryan McCoy of Miami, Texas. The 2012 sorrel gelding was bred by Colby Cunningham.

118 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Riding Steel Core Cat (Metallic Cat x Playin Nurse x Playgun), a 2017 gelding bred by Hal Bogle Estate and owned by Bogle Brothers LLC of Clovis, New Mexico, Trevor Carter piloted to a 275 composite (R:140.5/C:134.5), earning $2,800.

Brianna Koch and 2012 sorrel mare This Cats Sinful (WR This Cats Smart x Sinful Playgirl x Freckles Playboy) won the Amateur Working Ranch Horse Class with a composite 285 (R:142/C:143). The duo earned $1,250 for the effort. This Cats Sinful was bred by Cowan Select Horses LLC and is owned by Matt Koch of Elizabeth, Colorado.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

2021 SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY OWNERS INCENTIVE FUND

YOUTH WORKING RANCH HORSE

Madeline Horton and Seven S Hesa Cat, a 2013 blue roan gelding, won the Youth Working Ranch Horse Class with a composite 283.5 (R:139/C:144.5), earning $260. The horse was bred by Terry Stuart Forst and is owned by Horton of Fort Worth, Texas.

®

The Animal

Hartwood Farms

Larry & Kathy Barker

Hat 6 Ranch

Best Kept Secret Ranch

Hooray / Eric & Wendy Dunn

Bet He Sparks

Kevin & Sydney Knight

Bet Hesa Cat Syndicate BMW Quarter Horses

Kit & Charlie Moncrief / Moncrief Quarter Horses

Brazos Valley Stallion Station

Matthews Cutting Horses

Call Me Mitch

Meteles Cat/Cody Hedlund

Carol Rose

Milum Performance Horses

D Lazy K Ranch

Ophir Creek Ranch

Double F Ranch / Roy & Sheri Fisher

Parks Bell Ranch

Dual Smart Rey / Strawn Valley Ranch

Shiney Outlaw / Cannon Quarter Horses

DuraPro Health

Stuart Ranch

Gardiner Quarter Horses

Wagonhound Land & Livestock

C

HOCK BEHIND THE WIN

Story and photography by Katie Frank

Kevin Lippe and his Australian Kelpie, Chock, clinch the Open championship at the 2021 MARS Equestrian™ National Finals Rodear.

Q

ualifying with only two rodear trials under his collar, 6-year-old Australian Kelpie Chock rose to the occasion, winning the Open stock dog title at the MARS Equestrian™ National Finals Rodear for him and his handler, Kevin Lippe of Blue Eye, Missouri. This was the Rodear America Cowdog Association’s fifth year holding the event during the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat. The cowdog association invited the top 20 dogs and handlers of 2021 from each of its three divisions—Green, Non-Pro and Open—to compete in the semi-finals, 120 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

GREEN DOG CHAMPION: Moura Maycon and Flavela; Weatherford, Texas; 190 points in nine minutes; $5,000 NON-PRO CHAMPION: Jason Runfola and Timber; Gainesville, New York; 180 points in 7 minutes, 57 seconds; $8,750 OPEN CHAMPION: Kevin Lippe and Chock; Blue Eye, Missouri; 177 points in nine minutes; $12,500


Family First He’s all right. He’s one of us. — Henry Hill, GoodFellas

Now accepting breeding reservations for 2022.

$2,500

$32.1 Million Sire • LTE $500,037.51 • NCHA Horse of the Year • NCHA Hall of Fame Horse • The ONLY NCHA Horse of the Year to sire 2 NCHA Open Horses of the Year • Sire of 15 NCHA World Champions • Sire of 11 AQHA World Champions • Sire of 2 NRCHA World Champions • $1 Million NRCHA Sire with $1.6 Million in Reined Cow Horse earnings • A #1 Sire of money earners at the NCHA Futurity • Sire of 71 offspring earning in excess of $100,000

Because Smooth As A Cat is in extremely high demand and available at a greatly discounted stud fee, he has been booking full much earlier in the season. We apologize if you were one of those turned away in the past. Since we are keeping his discounted stud fee at $2,500 for next year, we encourage you to act soon. Booked Full Every Year 2005-2021

• His foals average earnings of $24,703

Standing at Weatherford Equine Breeding Center 817-594-9181 • www.weatherfordequine.com

Family owned. Operated by Kyle Manion. Office Manager: Lora Renfro e-mail: tmanionranch@aol.com Fax: 940.686.2616 • P.O. Box 94 Aubrey, Texas 76227 HIGH QUALITY HORSES FOR SALE


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

Open Champion Kevin Lippe and his dog, Chock, manuever through the course.

held October 6-7 at Lone Star Arena in Stephenville, Texas. From there, the top five teams from each division competed in the finals October 9 in John Justin Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. This year’s event offered $52,500 in cash and prizes to dog-and-handler teams who exemplify good stockmanship. The clock starts when the horseback handler enters a holding pen of cattle and sorts out three head. The team works 122 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

the cattle through a series of obstacles in the arena, and a judge awards points based on how well teams complete each obstacle. The goal is to earn the most points. Each run is timed and the time serves as a tie-breaker. Chock, Lippe and his horse, Birdie, worked a set of cows through the maze of panels, marking a 177 out of 180 total points, in just nine minutes. They received a check for $12,500.

“He did a good job handling his cattle, keeping control of what I picked for him to work,” said Lippe. “Chock likes to gets amped up, kind of like a barrel horse. But when it’s his turn to work, it’s his turn.” Lippe wasn’t expecting to enter Chock into this year’s competition. “I had a border collie in his place, I wasn’t going to use Chock for a rodear dog,” he said. “But I gave the border collie back to the guy I got him from, so I thought, ‘Well I paid the entry fee, I’m going to go ahead and put [Chock] in there.’ And it’s worked out good.” Lippe said the mare he was riding, Birdie, is a 7-year-old unregistered Quarter Horse who is pretty cowy. “I really like her,” he said. “A good friend of mine, Mike Young, fixed me up with her. I can’t thank him enough because she fits me pretty good.” Lippe is well-known in stockdog competition, having raised and competed in them in the late 1980s and early ’90s. He took a break for several years and started back about eight years ago. In 2017, Chock was the Southwest Cattledog Association futurity champion, with Lippe as the handler. In 2020, Lippe and his dog Steele won the Non Pro Finals. He raised both dogs and says he has about dozen more young dogs back home. Lippe runs cattle and sheep he uses to train his dogs. “Competing in rodear requires horse, dog and handler to work in combo,” he said. “It is very challenging, and I like a good challenge.” When asked where Chock got his name, Lippe’s eyes twinkle. “There’s no meaning behind it,” he said. “I just try to keep my dog’s name one syllable and pretty short—like Sue, Red, Spot—because I don’t like to use up the ink.” For more information on stock dog rodear trials, visit rodearamerica.com.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

L

By Katie Frank

EATHERS WINS

COWBOY CLASS INVITATIONAL

Working cowboys showcased the handiness of their ranch horses in the Cowboy Class Invitational.

C

For the last three years, Cotton Leathers has used his experience at the Cowboy Class Invitational to hone his skills for the show pen and on the ranch. 124 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

amaraderie filled the stands within the historic Will Rogers Coliseum for the third annual Cowboy Class Invitational, held during the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat. As working cowboys executed rein work, buddies hooted and hollered with words of encouragement. Ultimately, Cotton Leathers of the Frisco Creek Ranch Division of the 6666 Ranch, located in Guthrie, Texas, took home the win aboard Amarillo Attraction (Playin Attraction x Seven In Vegas x Seven From Heaven), owned by Burnett Ranches LLC. Judges scored them a 145.5 in the rein work and a 147.5 in the cow work, which put them at the top of the pack heading into the steer stopping. With a smooth steer stopping run, Leathers and “George” marked a 148, for a composite of 441. They took home a check for $1,140, as well as a pair of romal reins from Traditional Rawhide Braiders, a buckle for the high reining score and a buckle for the high cow work score. “We started out slow in the rein work,” said Leathers, whose father is longtime 6666 Ranch cowboy Joe Leathers. “I was going too slow. My good buddy Myles


Official hat of the

We s t e r n L eg a c y C o. c o m 817•594•HATS (4287)(4287) 817•594•HATS

Wester nLegacyCo.com

1577 Ranger HWY. Weatherford, TX 76086 1577 Ranger HWY. Weatherford, TX 76086


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY [Brown] told me, ‘Go faster!’ So I went faster! “George swapped leads good—he’s always been a good lead changer. They felt smooth. And he’s a big stopper, but sometimes he doesn’t stop well at the show, and that’s mostly my fault. But it came together today.” When it came time to work his cow, Leathers was confident in his ranch horse. “One of the ranch’s divisions that we care for runs straight yearlings, so we’re always working the herd and sorting,” he said. “If something runs off, I just as soon circle it up and rope it. We rope all the time and doctor it. In the cow work, there’s really nothing he doesn’t do day in and day out.” This is Leathers third year competing in the class, which is exclusively for riders who earn a paycheck on a ranch and are invited to attend an NRCHA-hosted clinic before the Snaffle Bit event. This year’s clinic was at the 6666 Ranch, with notable horsemen such as Ben Baldus, NRCHA Two Million Dollar Rider Todd Crawford, NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Kelby Philips, 6666 Ranch resident trainer Terry Riddle and Jordan Williams coaching the cowboys. The Cowboy Class Invitational was created to encourage working cowboys and cowgirls to the sport of reined cow horse. It consists of three parts: rein work, cow work and roping or steer stopping. Ranch horses typically know how to work a cow and can execute the maneuvers in a reining pattern, so the class is an opportunity to refine their skills, bring their horses to town, and compete for NRCHA points and money. “The class is great,” said Leathers. “There are a lot more people wanting to get in it than were here today, so I think it will grow. “I think it’s good for the NRCHA and cowboys, and anybody who wants to show a horse who is eligible for it,” he 126 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Left: Buddy Thomas rode 2017 gelding Gas It Cat (Metallic Cat x CDS Starlight MS x CD Olena), owned by his wife, Kelsey Thomas, to tie for the reserve spot with a 430. Below: Tying with a composite 430, Levi Walden rode his DD Quanah Blue (Huerfano River Blue x Quanahs Rooster x Quanah O Lena) to the reserve spot in the Cowboy Class Invitational.

continued. “It’s a good time and fun. Everyone always goes home and works on their horses whenever they leave, whether they do well or not. They go home and make themself and their horse better. So, it’s good for the industry and good for horses and people.” Leathers has ridden the 6-year-old palomino gelding since the horse’s 2-yearold year and says the best thing about him is his consistency. “In a lot of ways, he’s the same at home as he is in the arena,” Leathers said. “He’s maybe a little calmer at home, but we’ve shown him enough now that he’s pretty calm and laid back. He’s the same every day. He’s really consistent and I can read his moods.”

Leathers has ridden George in every Cowboy Class, making a conscious effort to have improved his horsemanship and his horse’s ability each visit to Fort Worth. “This horse has progressed a lot, especially in the last couple of years,” he reflected. “My son and I showed this last summer quite a bit in the Panhandle Reined Cow Horse Association. We’ve had several guys helping both of us along the way and getting input by good guys like Myles Brown, Russell Dilday and Todd Crawford. Those guys are always at the show helping out. Whatever they say, we listen to, and we go home and practice exactly what they said!”


IS

CIP

LIN

E

OSPHOS® (clodronate injection)

F O R E V E RY

N I U EQ

D E

The intramuscular bisphosphonate injection for control of clinical signs associated with Navicular Syndrome in horses 4 years of age and older

Bisphosphonate. For use in horses only. Brief Summary (For Full Prescribing Information, see package insert) CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. DESCRIPTION: Clodronate disodium is a non-amino, chloro-containing bisphosphonate. Chemically, clodronate disodium is (dichloromethylene) diphosphonic acid disodium salt and is manufactured from the tetrahydrate form. INDICATION: For the control of clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in horses. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Horses with hypersensitivity to clodronate disodium should not receive OSPHOS. Do not use in horses with impaired renal function or with a history of renal disease. WARNINGS: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. HUMAN WARNINGS: Not for human use. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. Consult a physician in case of accidental human exposure. PRECAUTIONS: OSPHOS has been associated with renal toxicity. Concurrent administration of other potentially nephrotoxic drugs should be approached with caution and renal function should be monitored. Use of bisphosphonates in patients with conditions or diseases affecting renal function is not recommended. Horses should be well-hydrated prior to and after the administration of OSPHOS due to the potential for adverse renal events. Water intake and urine output should be monitored for 3-5 days post-treatment and any changes from baseline should elicit further evaluation. As a class, bisphosphonates may be associated with gastrointestinal and renal toxicity. Sensitivity to drug associated adverse reactions varies with the individual patient. Renal and gastrointestinal adverse reactions may be associated with plasma concentrations of the drug. Bisphosphonates are excreted by the kidney; therefore, conditions causing renal impairment may increase plasma bisphosphonate concentrations resulting in an increased risk for adverse reactions. Concurrent administration of other potentially nephrotoxic drugs should be approached with caution and renal function should be monitored. Use of bisphosphonates in patients with conditions or diseases affecting renal function is not recommended. Administration of bisphosphonates has been associated with abdominal pain (colic), discomfort, and agitation in horses. Clinical signs usually occur shortly after drug administration and may be associated with alterations in intestinal motility. In horses treated with OSPHOS these clinical signs usually began within 2 hours of treatment. Horses should be monitored for at least 2 hours following administration of OSPHOS. Bisphosphonates affect plasma concentrations of some minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, immediately post-treatment, with effects lasting up to several hours. Caution should be used when administering bisphosphonates to horses with conditions affecting mineral or electrolyte homeostasis (e.g. hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, hypocalcemia, etc.). The safe use of OSPHOS has not been evaluated in horses less than 4 years of age. The effect of bisphosphonates on the skeleton of growing horses has not been studied; however, bisphosphonates inhibit osteoclast activity which impacts bone turnover and may affect bone growth. Bisphosphonates should not be used in pregnant or lactating mares, or mares intended for breeding. The safe use of OSPHOS has not been evaluated in breeding horses or pregnant or lactating mares. Bisphosphonates are incorporated into the bone matrix, from where they are gradually released over periods of months to years. The extent of bisphosphonate incorporation into adult bone, and hence, the amount available for release back into the systemic circulation, is directly related to the total dose and duration of bisphosphonate use. Bisphosphonates have been shown to cause fetal developmental abnormalities in laboratory animals. The uptake of bisphosphonates into fetal bone may be greater than into maternal bone creating a possible risk for skeletal or other abnormalities in the fetus. Many drugs, including bisphosphonates, may be excreted in milk and may be absorbed by nursing animals. Increased bone fragility has been observed in animals treated with bisphosphonates at high doses or for long periods of time. Bisphosphonates inhibit bone resorption and decrease bone turnover which may lead to an inability to repair micro damage within the bone. In humans, atypical femur fractures have been reported in patients on long term bisphosphonate therapy; however, a causal relationship has not been established. ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common adverse reactions reported in the field study were clinical signs of discomfort or nervousness, colic and/or pawing. Other signs reported were lip licking, yawning, head shaking, injection site swelling, and hives/pruritus. POST-APPROVAL EXPERIENCE (December 2018): The following adverse events are based on post-approval adverse drug experience reporting. Not all adverse events are reported to FDA/CVM. It is not always possible to reliably estimate the adverse event frequency or establish a causal relationship to product exposure using these data. The following adverse events are listed in decreasing order of reporting frequency: renal failure, polyuria, polydipsia, abdominal pain, anorexia, lethargy, hypercalcemia, behavioral disorder, discomfort, hyperkalemia, hyperactivity, recumbency, hyperthermia, injection site reactions, muscle tremor, urticaria, hyperglycemia, and fracture. In some cases, death has been reported as an outcome of the adverse events listed above. INFORMATION FOR HORSE OWNERS: Owners should be advised to:

Learn more online

www.dechra-us.com www.osphos.com

As with all drugs, side effects may occur. In field studies and post-approval experience the most common side effects reported were signs of discomfort, nervousness, and colic. Other signs reported were: renal insufficiency/failure, anorexia, lethargy, hypercalcemia, behavioral disorders, hyperkalemia, hyperactivity, recumbency, hyperthermia, injection site reactions, muscle tremor, urticaria, hyperglycemia, and fracture. In some cases, death has been reported as an outcome of these adverse events. The safe use of OSPHOS has not been evaluated in horses less than 4 years of age or breeding horses. OSPHOS should not be used in pregnant or lactating mares, or mares intended for breeding. NSAIDs should not be used concurrently with OSPHOS. Concurrent use of NSAIDs with OSPHOS may increase the risk of renal toxicity and acute renal failure. Use of OSPHOS in patients with conditions affecting renal function or mineral or electrolyte homeostasis is not recommended. Refer to the prescribing information for complete details or visit www.dechra-us.com.

CAUTION: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of licensed veterinarian. * Freedom of Information Summary, Original New Animal Drug Application, approved by FDA under NADA # 141-427, for OSPHOS. April 28, 2014. Dechra Veterinary Products US and the Dechra D logo are registered trademarks of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC. © 2020 Dechra Ltd.

• NOT administer NSAIDs. • Ensure horses have access to adequate water before andafter administration of OSPHOS. • Observe their horse for at least 2 hours post-treatment forsigns of colic, agitation, and/or abnormal behavior. • If a horse appears uncomfortable, nervous, or experiences cramping posttreatment, hand walk the horse for 15 minutes. If signs do not resolve contact the veterinarian. • Monitor water intake and urine output for 3-5 days post-treatment. • Contact their veterinarian if the horse displays abnormal clinical signs such as changes in drinking and urination, appetite, and attitude. Manufactured for: Dechra Veterinary Products 7015 College Blvd., Suite 525, Overland Park, KS 66211 866-933-2472 © 2020 Dechra Ltd. OSPHOS is a registered trademark of Dechra Ltd. All rights reserved. Approved by FDA under NADA # 141-427


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

C

By Abigail Boatwright

OW HORSE FOR ROPERS

ROCKS THE FUTURITY

Cade Rice set the bar for the roping contestants, and no one caught him in the special event. PRIMO MORALES

128 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

I

t’s not every day that you see multiple-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo roping qualifiers taking a cow down the fence in a cow horse class. But they did just that in the inaugural Cow Horse for Ropers class on October 20 at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat. In the end, Cade Rice of Lipan, Texas, riding his sister Robbin Rice’s horse, Cat N Boon, beat seven other riders to claim first place and $1,500 of the $2,500-added purse sponsored by MC Cowhammer. Cat N Boon (Smart Lena Boon x Dual N Cat x Wild Haired Cat) is a 2012 solid chestnut Paint Horse gelding bred by Double S Ranch. When Rice was invited to compete in this class, he turned to his family of cow horse enthusiasts to find a horse. He rode “Chavez,” trained by his dad, Matlock Rice, for the first time the day before the class. For this class, ropers complete a reining pattern, then box a cow, drive it down the fence and rope it, steer-stopping style. In the pen, Rice focused on not missing the cow and performing each maneuver one at a time. “I didn’t want to go too fast, or get caught in the moment— just one maneuver at a time,” Rice said. After scoring a 146 in the rein work and a 148.5 in the cow work, Rice’s 294.5 was the highest score. “The cow work felt really good,” Rice said. “The rein work, I could have been a little smoother. That’s something I’m going to work on in the future. I think I’m going to get a 2-year-old and try this out.” Rice is hooked on cow horse now, he says. “It always feels good to win,” Rice said. “My favorite part was going down the fence. There’s not another feeling like it.” Reserve by just a half-point, NFR qualifier Lane Ivy piloted John and Kay Coltharp’s 2013 roan stallion, Bet Hesa Freckledcat (Bet Hesa Cat x Ms Freckled Star x Freckles Smokin Doc), to score a 144 in the rein work, a 130 in the cow work, for a total of 294 and $750.



///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

FOR CUTTERS

PRIMO MORALES

C

OW HORSE

By Abigail Boatwright

Janet Westfall makes a triumphant return to the cow horse arena.

R

iders accustomed to the routines of the cutting pen tried out cow horse in the Cow Horse for Cutters class on October 20. Out of eight riders, Janet Westfall, of Granbury, Texas, rose to the top aboard Julie Gibbons-owned and -bred 2014 black gelding Unos Blue Lightening (Uno What Time It Is x Miss Vibrant Chex x Nu Chex To Cash). Each rider completed a reining pattern and boxed for 50 seconds before having the option to go down the fence. Westfall and “Blue” scored a 141 in the rein work and a 146 in the cow work for a total store of 287. Westfall received a custom pair of Serna Boots, as did the other top four riders. Westfall competed in cow horse decades ago, but has lately stuck to cutting alongside her trainer husband, Russ. When she had the chance to compete in this class, she connected with National Reined Cow Horse Association Two Million Dollar Rider Todd Crawford to borrow Blue. The horse-and-rider team met the day before they competed. Her strategy was to complete as clean a run as she could. And she tried to think ahead to make sure she completed the pattern correctly. “The romal reins felt so foreign to me because [in reining] we ride with split reins, with our reins down,” Westfall said. “So it was pretty much the complete opposite of what I do. I just tried not to embarrass myself.” 130 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Riding a seasoned reined cow horse, Janet Westfall successfully ran her reining pattern then boxed her way to the No. 1 spot in the invitational event.

After this class, Westfall is eager to try again—this time, with a bit more speed. She is thankful to Blue’s owner and Crawford for their help. “Todd kept telling me to push him a little harder and go a little faster, and I was probably a little tentative, but if I get the chance again, that’s what I’ll do,” Westfall said. “Everybody is really nice—all of this was awesome. Showing and seeing some old faces I know was super fun. Maybe one day I’ll come back with a 3-year-old.” Tim Drummond was reserve aboard Devon Camilleri’s Just Call Me Earl (Once In A Blue Boon x CP Peekn Sneakn Blue x Peeka Pep). The 2015 red roan gelding was bred by Lassen Land and Livestock Co. They scored a 142.5 in the rein work and a 144 in the cow work for a 286.5 total score.


Don Rich Saddlery (270) 791-6448


///////// 2021 NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC

“I love a good hackamore horse, and he is one,” Lance Johnston said of Annies Smart Cat after riding him to the Hackamore Classic Open Championship. 132 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


T

O THE

END

2021 OPEN NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC,

PRESENTED BY OSWOOD STALLION STATION

TOP 10

Fort Worth, TX – October 7-23, 2021 Horse/Rider/Pedigree/Owner/Score/Money 1. Annies Smart Cat; Lance Johnston; (WR This Cats Smart x Shiney Nu Annie x Shining Spark); Rocking BS Ranch; 671 (H:223/R:222/C:226); $20,500 2. Ricato Suave; Clay Volmer; (Metallic Cat x Hip Hip Sue Rey x Dual Rey); Shaleah Hester & Madeline Fountain; 663.5 (H:224/R:218.5/C:221); $15,093.54 3. Hazardouz Material; Erin Taormino; (Metallic Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey); Linda Mars; 663 (H:216.5/R:221/C:225.5); $12,398.27 4. Lil Starlight Cat; Lance Johnston; (High Brow Cat x Lil Foxie Starlight x Grays Starlight); Kenneth & Karen Haugland; 659 (H:217.5/R:219.5/C:222); $10,781.10 5. Goin Down For Real; Corey Cushing; (Metallic Cat x Quejanapep x Dual Pep); Tallian Thompson; 657 (H:219/R:220/C:218); $8,085.83 6. Smart Chic An Tari; Sarah Dawson; (Smart Chic Olena x Shiney Tari x Shining Spark); Aaron Ranch; 656 (H:219.5/R:217.5/C:219); $6,468.66 7. Move That Rock; Cara Hencratt; (That CD Rocks x Smokums Dual Move x Mister Dual Pep); Debbie Proctor; 654 (H:217.5/R:217.5/C:219); $4,851.50 7. Graceful Smart Cat; Justin Wright; (WR This Cats Smart x Gracielights x CD Lights); Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC; 654 (H:217.5/R:219.5/C:217); $4,851.50 9. One Ata Time; Ryan Gallentine; (One Time Pepto x Hip Hip Sue Rey x Dual Rey); Steven Mattson; 653.5 (H:218/R:216.5/C:219); $3,054.65 9. Heza Rowdy Cat; Clayton Edsall; (Bet Hesa Cat x Dear Little Boon Bar x Boon Bar); Kim Basterrechea; 653.5 (H:216.5/R:218.5/C:218.5); $3,054.65 9. Seven S Razzberry; Kelby Phillips; (Blind Sided x Seven S Valentina x Playgun); R.A. Brown Ranch; 653.5 (H:216/R:219/C:218.5); $3,054.65

Annies Smart Cat and Lance Johnston rode from the very last draw to the top of the 2021 NRCHA Hackamore Classic, presented by Oswood Stallion Station. By Kristin Pitzer Photos by Primo Morales

W

ith nearly 100 entries in the Open alone, the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hackamore Classic, presented by Oswood Stallion Station and held at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, had four days dedicated to the herd, rein and cow works in the division. Starting with the herd work on October 9-10 and finishing with the rein and cow works October 18-19, the event proved the old adage that “it’s not over until it’s over,” with the last draw of the entire show, Annies Smart Cat and Lance Johnston, coming out as champions. Johnston and the 5-year-old stallion (WR This Cats Smart x Shiney Nu Annie x Shining Spark), who was bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC, laid down big scores in all three works. In the herd work, their 223 ended up the second-highest of the group. “This horse is so stylish in the herd. Everybody calls him ‘sexy,’ ” Johnston said. “I finally got him shown the way I wanted. I’ve been [2]19s, [2]20s and [2]21s, but I think this is the best I’ve ever shown him.” Johnston said “Wilbur” had been feeling great in the rein work all week. His plan for the Finals was to run him as hard as he could, while still reserving some horse for the cow work since it followed right after their rein work pattern. “His biggest strength is his stop and his presence,” Johnston said. “He’s a plus-1 stopper and he can plus-1 circle, but I can’t run that hard and then go down the fence. I had to leave a little bit of air. But he’ll steal points with his presence.” REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

133


///////// 2021 NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC

///// MEET The pair’s score of 222 was the highest Wilbur has ever marked in the reining, and it also topped the leaderboard. As they went into the cow work, Johnston was grateful to be in the last draw position because he knew exactly what he needed to mark to land in the No. 1 spot. “I knew it was going to be tough, but I also thought I had a shot, as good as this horse is, to beat ‘Rico’ [Ricato Suave],” Johnston said. After scoring a 226 down the fence—the highest score in the Hackamore Classic Open cow work—the pair ended up with a huge 671 composite and the championship. They collected a $20,500 check for owner Rocking BS Ranch. “This horse needed a signature win,” Johnston said. “He’s such a nice horse, he deserved a major win. It’s so cool to be here in Fort Worth to do it.” Johnston expressed his appreciation to his wife, Tammy, his crew, and

Rocking BS Ranch owners Brent and Susie Steward. Johnston rode another stallion they own, Here Comes The Boon, to the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Open Championship in 2019. He was thankful for Brent’s trust in him when he told him he needed to buy Wilbur a year ago. “They are unbelievable,” Johnston said. “Brent and Susie changed our lives and took my program to another level. I told Brent if he bought him [Wilbur], I’d win $100,000 on him in two years, and if I didn’t, I’d get a trainer that would because it would be my fault. This is getting us pretty on track right here.” Ricato Suave (Metallic Cat x Hip Hip Sue Rey x Dual Rey), a 4-year-old stallion, held the lead through most of the show but ended up Reserve with his composite 663.5 (H:224/R:218.5/C:221). Trainer Clay Volmer and the stallion, who was bred by Flag Ranch LLC, took home a $15,093.54 check for owners Shaleah Hester and Madeline Fountain.

In 2021, Oswood Stallion Station, located in Weatherford, Texas, recognized the importance of supporting this vital step in reined cow horse training and inked a multi-year agreement to serve as the presenting sponsor of the NRCHA Hackamore Classic. Started by Jeff Oswood in 1989 with three studs, there are now nineteen stallions that stand at the station. “Oswood Stallion Station has been involved with the NRCHA for nearly three decades,” said Oswood. “To be a sponsor for the Hackamore Classic is really important to us.” This year, Brock and Molly Malson entered into a five-year transition to purchase the station. “I got the opportunity to work for Jeff Oswood and dove in,” said Brock. “He let me grow as an employee. I grew up showing reining horses so I was kind of star-struck at the quality of horses at his facility. To be able to continue on the legacy that [Jeff Oswood] created is important to us; he’s created a brand with values and core beliefs.” The Hackamore Classic was first held in 2012. It has steadily grown in entries and this year boasts $50,000 in added money in the Open and $15,000 for the Non Pro division.

INTERMEDIATE OPEN, LIMITED OPEN CHAMPION & LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN CHAMPION OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

With their composite 663.5 (H:224/R:218.5/C:221), Ricato Suave (Metallic Cat x Hip Hip Sue Rey x Dual Rey) and Clay Volmer took Reserve for owners Shaleah Hester and M. Fountain. The 2017 stallion, who was bred by Flag Ranch LLC, collected $15,093.54.

134 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

With a composite 654 (H:217.5/R:217.5/C:219), Move That Rock (That CD Rocks x Smokums Dual Move x Mister Dual Pep) and Cara Hencratt picked up three championships. Hencratt and the 2016 gelding, who was bred by Erin Mendes and is owned by Debbie Proctor, collected $6,588.45 from the Intermediate, $2,066.38 from the Limited and $4,226.40 from the Level 1 Limited Open.



///////// 2021 NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC

INTERMEDIATE OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

LIMITED OPEN & LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

OPEN NOVICE HORSE CHAMPION

OPEN NOVICE HORSE RESERVE CHAMPION

One Ata Time (One Time Pepto x Hip Hip Sue Rey x Dual Rey), who is a half-brother to Ricato Suave, and Ryan Gallentine rode to a composite 653.5 (H:218/R:216.5/C:219). The 2017 stallion, who was bred by Flag Ranch LLC, picked up $4,941.34 for owner Steven Mattson.

Lance Johnston also garnered the Novice Horse Open title, albeit on Lil Starlight Cat (High Brow Cat x Lil Foxie Starlight x Grays Starlight). He and the 2017 Glenn and Debbie Drake-bred stallion scored a 659 (H:217.5/R:219.5/C:222) and collected a check worth $2,709 for owners Kenneth and Karen Haugland.

136 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

CWR Sanntonio (Sannman x Surfin Calie x Cat Ichi) and Trey Pool brought home two Reserve titles for owner Jane Owens after scoring a composite 650.5 (H:217.5/ R:215.5/C:217.5). The 2017 stallion, who was bred by Devlyn Drake, nabbed $1,617.17 from the Limited Open and $3,381.12 in the Level 1 Limited Open.

Quizzicality (Magicality x Shirley Shine x Shining Spark), a 2017 gelding bred by Anne M. Reynolds, and Gusti Buerger brought home the Open Novice Horse Reserve Championship for owner Home Ranch LLC with their composite score of 653 (H:217/R:219/C:217). They banked $2,128.50.


Kit Kat Sugar

Offspring Earnings in Excess of $5.6 million!

Creating Champions Generation After Generation

Scooter Kat by Kit Kat Sugar

Out of Scooters Daisy Dukes Owned by Eric Freitas

Justin Wright & Jimmy Draper Lte $264,000+ Still Showing Standing at

Santa Lucia

Standing at -

Contact Pete Branch (817) 629-9680

2022 Breeding Fee $3,500 Herda - N/N

Ranch Office (254) 445-2448

817.594.9181 • breeding@weatherfordequine.com

www.weatherfordequine.com

Owned by

El Cid Land & Cattle LLC Barbara Allsup


///////// 2021 NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC

2021 NRCHA NON PRO HACKAMORE CLASSIC,

PRESENTED BY OSWOOD STALLION STATION

TOP 10

Fort Worth, TX – October 7-23, 2021 Horse/Rider/Pedigree/Owner/Score/Money 1. Red Holly Time; Myles Brown; (Hickory Holly Time x Very Red Remedy x Very Smart Remedy); Rob Brown; 872 (H:215.5/R:216/C:217/RO:223.5); $5,500 2. Dualin Alittle Time; Debbie Crafton; (One Time Pepto x ARC Little Dualena x Dual Pep); Debbie Crafton; 864.5 (H:212/R:219.5/C:217/RO:216); $4,204.98 3. Twice In A Blu Moon; Debbie Crafton; (One In A Blu Boon x Teletrona x Little Trona); Debbie Crafton; 647 (H:214.5/R:213/C:219.5); $3,416.55 4. Hesa Wee Bet; Debbie Crafton; (Bet Hesa Cat x Wee Quejana Gal x Quejanaisalena); Debbie Crafton; 646 (H:208/R:218.5/C:219.5); $2,890.92 5. On The Reydio; Emily Kent; (Reydioactive x Bewitching Ichi x Cat Ichi); Emily Kent; 644.5 (H:215/ R:215.5/C:214); $2,365.30 6. Glamour Royallty; Kristy Kay Miller; (One Time Royalty x Kitna Rey x Dual Rey); Kristy Kay Miller; 641 (H:208/R:214.5/C:218.5); $1,839.68 7. Seven S Tuff Boots; Meg Ralston; (Blind Sided x My Boots Are Tuff x Woody Be Tuff); Meg GriffithRalston; 640.5 (H:206/R:215/C:219.5); $1,839.68 8. Voodoo Whiskey; Tylor Todd; (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Whiskey On Wheels x Paddys Irish Whiskey); Tylor Todd; 639 (H:206/R:213/C:220); $1,314.06 9. Dirtyy Little Secret; Tammy Jo Hays; (Woody Be Tuff x Catmas x That Sly Cat); Walter Greeman & Tammy Hays; 638 (H:216/R:211.5/C:210.5); $1,314.06 10. Boonafide Royalty; Jayson Fisher; (One Time Royalty x Boonafide Cowgirl x Peptoboonsmal); Jayson & Teresa Fisher; 636.5 (H:208/R:214/C:214.5); $1,051.25

138 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


R

ED HOLLY TIME RULES RUNOFF

The Non Pro Hackamore Classic came down to a runoff between two tough competitors. By Kristen Pitzer Photos by Primo Morales

D Myles Brown always knew Red Holly Time had talent, and the horse proved it by winning the NRCHA Hackamore Classic Non Pro. It was their last run together, as the horse was slated to sell in the Western Bloodstock Sale later in the week.

uring the Non Pro section of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hackamore Classic, presented by Oswood Stallion Station and held at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, nearly 50 Non Pros went head-to-head to compete for the title. The herd work portion was up first, held October 14, with the rein and cow work wrapping up two days later. When the dust settled, two competitors finished with matching composite and cow work scores. A runoff was called, and after one more run down the fence, Myles Brown was named the Hackamore Classic Non Pro Champion. Brown, on Red Holly Time (Hickory Holly Time x Very Red Remedy x Very Smart Remedy), scored a composite 648.5 (H:215.5/R:216/C:217) during his initial herd, rein and cow works. He was happy with how his horse worked and landing at the top of the pack. “I was really pleased to get through the herd work clean. It was a tough set of cattle,” Brown said. “In the reining, I tried to run for it. I maybe

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

139


///////// 2021 NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC

didn’t get him shown as good as I have in the past, but he tried hard and hopefully looked good. Down the fence, I had just a little miss on my second turn and kind of had to do a little staying alive in the circling. I was pleased to get through it and to show my horse.” But Debbie Crafton, on Dualin Alittle Time (One Time Pepto x ARC Little Dualena x Dual Pep), had matched their composite with her own 648.5 (H:212/ R:219.5/C:217). Brown and Crafton agreed to a runoff, going down the fence a second time in the original order. Crafton marked a 216, then it was Brown’s turn. “I got pretty nervous there for a little bit, so I went and got on my bridle horse that I’m showing tonight and trotted him around,” Brown said. “It helped me settle down and take my mind off it. I know he [Red Holly Time] can be good, and I

NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION

After a runoff where they scored a 216, Debbie Crafton and Dualin Alittle Time, a 2016 stallion bred by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, took home Reserve and a check worth $4,204.98. The pair scored a 648.5 (H:212/R:219.5/C:217).

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO & NOVICE NON PRO CHAMPION

Emily Kent rode On The Reydio (Reydioactive x Bewitching Ichi x Cat Ichi), a 4-yearold gelding, to win two titles with a composite 644.5 (H:215/R:215.5/C:214). For the Intermediate, she and the gelding banked $2,021.63, plus another $1,010.81 from the Novice. The gelding was bred by EE Ranches Inc. and is owned by Kent.

140 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO & NOVICE NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION

Taking Reserve in both divisions was Kristy Kay Miller on Glamour Royallty (One Time Royalty x Kitna Rey x Dual Rey), a 2016 mare bred by Scott Murdock. Miller scored a 641 (H:208/R:214.5/C:218.5) and collected $1,617.30 from the Intermediate and $808.65 from the Novice.


know he craves a cow and wants to circle a cow really nice, so I just decided we were going to go do the best we could.” The pair was called off their first cow, which allowed Brown to gather himself up mentally. The next cow that came out was more “user-friendly.” “I was a little more delicate about getting into that cow’s brain and getting him comfortable with me up next to him instead of scaring him,” Brown said. “When I go to trying to create stuff it never works, so I just have to do my best and see what happens. With that second cow, I finally got my wits about me and let that happen.” After the horn blew, the announcer called a score of 223.5, and Brown and Red Holly Time won the championship, banking $5,500. It was a great note for the pair to end on, as Brown had entered the 2017 stallion, who was bred by Sheri

AMATEUR CHAMPION

Jamieson, in the Western Bloodstock Sale on Friday, October 22. “For this horse to win this, it’s really special to my wife and I,” Brown said. “He’s 4 and I had some success on him as a 3-year-old, but I never felt like I had as much success as I should have on him because of how talented he is. It really couldn’t end a better way. It’s always hard to sell the good ones, but we own his mother and there’s more coming. We’re really excited about the future.” Crafton and Dualin Alittle Time took home the Reserve Champion title and a check worth $4,204.98. Crafton also placed third with Twice In A Blu Moon (Once In A Blu Boon x Teletrona x Little Trona) and fourth with Hesa Wee Bet (Bet Hesa Cat x Wee Quejana Gal x Quejanaisalena), collecting an additional $3,416.55 and $2,890.92, respectively.

The Amateur Championship went to Tylor Todd and Voodoo Whiskey (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Whiskey On Wheels x Paddys Irish Whiskey), who scored a composite 639 (H:206/ R:213/C:220). Todd and the 4-year-old gelding, who was bred by Ricky Dusin, collected $2,241.

AMATEUR RESERVE CHAMPION

William Akin and SJR Starlit Rey (Dual Rey x A Starlit Diamond x CD Lights) won the Amateur Reserve Champion with their composite 632 (H:210/R:198.5/C:223.5), banking $1,792.80. San Juan Ranch bred the 5-year-old gelding.

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

141


///////// 2021 NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC

NON PRO LIMITED CHAMPION

With a 642 (H:208/R:218/C:216), Lori Frampton-Crafton and Hughes This Chic (Thomas E Hughes x Smart Playing Chic x Smart Chic Olena) won the Non Pro Limited and a check worth $2,812.50. The 2017 mare, bred by Liz Arment, is owned by Frampton-Crafton.

Industry & Facility Partners

142 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION

Cheryl Chown rode Xtra Short Trick (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Short And Royal x Short Oak) to a 638 (H:210/R:213.5/C:214.5) for the Reserve Championship. She and the homebred 2016 mare, who is owned by her and her husband, Robert, banked $2,250.


Lay it all on this line When When you you put put your your trust trust in in a a cinch, cinch, DEMAND DEMAND Classic Classic Equine. Equine. From a 100% all natural, premium alpaca From a 100% all natural, premium alpaca to a shock absorbing Aura and to a shock absorbing Aura and everything in between, Classic Equine everything in between, Classic Equine has your cinch needs covered. has your cinch needs covered.

Learn More Learn More


///////// ARHFA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROPE HORSE FUTURITY

THAN EVER

Drawing scores of competitors, the ARHFA Futurity saw ropers back into the box late into the night.

ELITE EQUINE PROMOTIONS / KENZIE MAYER

S

TRONGER

By Lillian Kent

R

144 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

ELITE EQUINE PROMOTIONS / KENZIE MAYER

eturning for the fourth year and spanning three jampacked days, the 2021 American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championship brought cow horse Born In The Boondocs and Tate Kirchenschlager put together a 233.68 run in enthusiasts a different kind of cow work October 21-23. the Open Heading Finals, bringing them to a 915.69 composite and securing the Taking place during the National Reined Cow Horse $23,000 championship check. The team also earned $3,000 in the second round, ® bolstering the 2016 gelding’s ledger. Owned by Tate and Terra Kirchenschlager, Association Snaffle Bit Futurity , presented by Metallic Cat, ropers Born In The Boondocs is sired by Smart Boons and out of Little Doc Lady, by descended into the John Justin Arena as the Snaffle Bit Futurity comLucky Little Lena. petitors moved to the Will Rogers Coliseum for their finals. Sponsored by DT Horses, LLC, the event had so many entries that ropers competed well past midnight. Sporting $110,000 in added money and more than $650,000 paid out in go-rounds, finals and incentives, there were plenty of reasons to back into the box and give a nod. Under the watchful eyes of five judges, ropers navigated through three go-rounds for a chance to advance to the finals. When the dust cleared in the finals, champions were determined using the composite from all four runs. The event included Limited and Intermediate divisions in the Open for both headers and heelers, as well as a 3- and 4-YearAfter three go-rounds, WND Affair (Whizkey N Diamonds x Cowgirl Affair x Major Vaquero) and Joseph Harrison Old Incentive that paid $153,000. Ropers with were sitting at a 692.85 in the Open Heeling. A score of 238.8 in the finals gave them a 931.65 composite and a a #5E or lower card were eligible for the Non $26,000 check for the championship. The 2012 gelding and Harrison collected an additional $6,000 in the first and Pro division, which paid $67,750. third round, bringing their total to $32,000 for owners Treda LLC of Decatur, Texas.


MARTIN PERFORMANCE

COWHORSE Learn More

Visit martinsaddlery.com

®


///////// NATIONAL REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION: OUR SPONSORS

Title, Presenting & Corporate Sponsors

146 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


Breeder Sponsors

Event Sponsors

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

147


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

M

ILLION DOLLAR

MILESTONES By Kate Bradley Byars

In addition to the prestige of exhibiting at the Snaffle Bit Futurity®, two riders and two stallions crossed major earnings marks.

T

he 3-year-old horses often steal the spotlight during the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, but there are several other achievements recognized at the association’s flagship event. During the calendar year, the NRCHA saw several milestones hit both by horses and riders.

PRIMO MORALES

ALL-TIME LEADING SIRE

148 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

PRIMO MORALES

Owned by Bobby Patton’s Rocking P Ranch, based in Patton’s hometown of Weatherford, Texas, the 2005 stallion by High Brow Cat and out of Chers Shadow (by Peptoboonsmal) supported reined cow horse before becoming the presenting sponsor of the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® in 2019. In 2018, Sherri Metallic Cat became an NRCHA Million Dollar Sire and less than a year later surpassed the Two Million Dollar Sire mark. Metallic Cat passed the Three Million Dollar Sire mark in August 2020, and again took less than a year to pass his next major sire milestone. Now, a sire of NRCHA earners of more Above: NRCHA President Corey Cushing (left) than Four Million Dollars, he joins only Shining and Executive Director Anna Morrison (right) Spark (Genuine Doc x Diamonds Sparkle x Mr present Bobby and Sherri Patton (above) and Diamond Dude), bred and owned by Carol Rose, Carol Rose (below) with their awards. with that honor. For 17 years, Shining Spark reigned as the king of cow horse sires. He reached all-time leading sire status first in 2003, and remained at the top until September of this year. He was the first sire to reach Three Million Dollar Sire status in the NRCHA. NRCHA President Corey Cushing and Executive Director Anna Morrison recognized the Patton’s and Metallic Cat and also Carol Rose and Shining Spark with custom gold Gist Silversmiths belt buckles during in-arena ceremonies on the final weekend of the Snaffle Bit Futurity.


The front is smooth and inviting. And it’s got a bold middle flavor that I love but can’t really describe. The finish is warm honey-almond with a smokey tinge on the very back end. It’s damn good. — Kory Pounds, Professional Cowboy, Cutting Horse Champion, Whiskey Advocate

Bozeman, Montana | ghostwooddistilling.com


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY PRIMO MORALES

Larry and Ellen Bell with Pam and MacKinnon Crawford accept their award.

MILLION DOLLAR SIRE

Lenas Wright On, a 1991 stallion by Smart Little Lena and out of Slide Me Again (by Isle Breeze) is the newest NRCHA Million Dollar Sire. As of August 31, the stallion’s offspring have earned $1,004,150.40 in reined cow horse earnings. Purchased in 2006 by a group of investors dubbed the Lenas Wright On Syndicate, the stallion that won the 1994 National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity found a forever home with the syndicate’s purchase when he moved to Crawford Stallion Station in Blanchard, Oklahoma. An

earner of $105,000-plus himself, “Ned” was an American Quarter Horse Association Junior Working Cow Horse World Champion and Junior Reining Reserve World Champion. Lenas Wright On sired multiple successful reining and reined cow horses, but his highest-earner in the NRCHA is Hes Wright On, a 2003 bay stallion out of Shesa Lota Nic by Reminic, who earned more than $158,000 and titles that included the NRCHA Reserve World’s Greatest Horseman with Doug Williamson in the saddle.

///// 2021 PRESIDENT’S AWARD RECIPIENT ational Reined Cow Horse Association President Corey Cushing annually honors an individual that goes above and beyond to assist the membership and association, and in 2021 the recipient was Jeremy Olsen. The founder of Equine Promotion, best known as the video service provider at NRCHA premier events, began in the horse industry as a trainer. Now, though, his work focuses on serving NRCHA members through website and video support. Olsen was integral in the development and implementation of the CowHorse+ program that began during the 2021 NRCHA Stallion Stakes as the Draws, Scores and Results page. Today, the program includes entry verification, draws, nearlive time scoring and official NRCHA results. The program has raised the bar on expectations from members to communicate information during the premier events. To view CowHorse+, visit nrcha.com/cowhorseplus/.

150 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

PRIMO MORALES

N


Special Insider Bundle

+

This bundle includes: • The annual QHN Stallion Register and Spring Edition, plus 12 issues of Western Horseman magazine, shipped free of charge • QHN Insider Stats, featuring verified EquiStat data in the QHN statistical charts you love, sent to your inbox every four weeks • The latest performance horse alerts, news and information at quarterhorsenews.com to help you be successful in the performance horse industry.

Visit quarterhorsenews.com/about/subscribe


///////// 2021 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY

MILLION DOLLAR RIDER

PRIMO MORALES

Jake Telford joins an elite, and small, club as he becomes the fourth National Reined Cow Horse Association trainer to become a $2 Million Dollar Rider. Telford, of Caldwell, Idaho, is no stranger to success in the show pen, but achieving this milestone only nine years after becoming an NRCHA Million Dollar Rider left the horseman speechless. Over the course of his NRCHA career, Telford has earned multiple titles, including 2020 World’s Greatest Horseman Co-Reserve Champion aboard Sparktilion, owned by Michelle Cannon, and 2015 Snaffle Bit Futurity® Open Champion aboard Starlight Kisses, owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses. He achieved Million Dollar Rider status in 2012. Telford’s earnings sum going into the 2021 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, presented by Metallic Cat, was $2,009,625.86.

152 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

KATE BRADLEY BYARS

TWO MILLION DOLLAR RIDER

Ron Ralls became a National Reined Cow Horse Association Million Dollar Rider following his Intermediate Open win aboard One Time Edition (One Time Pepto x PG Special Edition x Playgun) in the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby at the 2021 Celebration of Champions show in Fort Worth, Texas. The two-time World’s Greatest Horseman and NRCHA Hall of Fame member achieved another goal in his lengthy reined cow horse career. Ralls’ career has spanned three decades, with his first recorded earnings in 1987, and his first entry into the Open Bridle class at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® in 1995, riding Infant Dial. Since that initial $400 won cutting, Ralls has ridden horses to top honors in every major NRCHA event, from futurity and derby-aged horses in snaffle bits, to hackamore and two-rein titles, to bridle-aged champions. The Gainesville, Texas, based horseman thanks his wife, Patty Ralls, for keeping him rolling down the road. Achieving Million Dollar Rider status, Ralls joins 19 others in the NRCHA Million Dollar Club.

Joining only three others as a $2 Million Dollar Rider— Todd Crawford, achieving in 2011; Todd Bergen, achieving in 2015; Corey Cushing, achieving in 2018—Telford is part of small group of riders, but an impactful one. The NRCHA congratulates Jake Telford on this achievement!



///////// FROM OUR SPONSOR PARTNER

PULSEVET The Basics and Benefits of Shock Wave Therapy for Horses. By PHOEBE BROWN Originally published in The Plaid Horse. Reprinted with permission.

H

orses carry the dreams, hopes, and goals of equestrians in all disciplines. Riders, owners, trainers, veterinarians, farriers, and countless others work hard to put horse welfare first. In the equine industry, various modalities are used to maintain the health and well-being of horses, including shock wave therapy. The term shock wave is a bit of a misnomer because there is no shock delivered. The goal of any treatment is to reduce pain and improve how horses feel and heal. However, while many therapies appear similar to shock wave, they are all vastly different. While shock wave therapy offers many health and healing benefits to horses, PulseVet’s Director of Client Education, Trudy Gage, says, “Not all shock wave is the same, and not all shock wave is created equal. Find one that is made in the U.S. and backed by science.” Understanding shock wave therapy and where to find licensed veterinarians providing this treatment are added tools in the horse welfare toolbox.

SHOCK WAVE THERAPY BASICS

According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), shock wave therapy for horses, or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), is a noninvasive treatment option which

154 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

uses sound waves to promote the healing of joints, ligaments, tendons, and wounds. It is completely noninvasive. Instead of going straight to invasive procedures, such as injections, licensed veterinarians can deliver a safe and effective treatment that helps the horse’s body regenerate healthy tissue to promote healing from within, shock wave treatment has no negative side effects.

“Protect your horse and your pocketbook. Know what you’re paying for because the results will not be the same if you go with an unproven, not covered treatment.” —Trudy Gage, Director of Client Education

The goals of shock wave therapy include increasing blood flow, improving the growth of new blood vessels, providing pain relief, reducing inflammation, and promoting a healing environment in the treated area.

HOW SHOCK WAVE THERAPY WORKS

Shock wave treatment is provided using a machine that has a trode attached to a generator unit. The unit sends the

sound waves directly to the treatment area through the trode. Typically, there are several trode sizes that penetrate different depths of tissue. This gives the veterinarians the ability to treat various indications from superficial injuries to deep injuries of the muscles, joints, or even the spine. Because of the high-energy treatments and immediate pain relief offered, only licensed veterinarians should prescribe treatment. Be aware of anyone claiming to provide a shock wave treatment who is not a veterinarian. Check with your governing body regarding regulations on shock wave therapy treatments before and during competition.

CONDITIONS TREATED BY SHOCK WAVE THERAPY

This type of therapy can be used for acute injuries, chronic conditions, and as a prophylactic for general wellness. Numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of shock wave therapy. Many common equine conditions (acute or chronic) benefit from shock wave therapy, including: • Tendonitis • Ligament injuries and inflammation • Osteoarthritis • Fractures and bone injuries • Navicular disease


• Muscle pain • Wounds Shock wave therapy can also be used to help avoid injury, maintain elasticity in tendons and ligaments, and promote overall wellness. In fact, PulseVet is the official shock wave therapy provider for the US Equestrian Team Vets, the NCHA, NRCHA, NSBA, and Super Sires.

THE PULSEVET SHOCK WAVE DIFFERENCE

PulseVet uses electrohydraulic-focused shock waves to deliver treatments that can reach tissue depths up to 110 millimeters, offering effective anti-inflammatory benefits, regenerative healing to spinal joints and deep muscles. While therapies utilizing light waves can help with healing, the light is dispersed across a superficial area and cannot penetrate deep tissue. Gage describes the effect like this: “When a light is shined into a pool at night, it does not reach the bottom and dissipates quickly. However, a sound made underwater at one end of the pool can be heard at the opposite side clearly.

Water (and tissue) carries sound waves effectively.” Because PulseVet’s studied and proven electrohydraulic-focused shock waves can treat noninvasively and effectively, veterinarians only need to treat horses between one and three times, with treatments spaced out in 14 day intervals.

PULSEVET BENEFITS

The healing effects of PulseVet’s therapies include: • 90% success in treating chronic back pain and kissing spines • Faster healing of tendon/ligament injuries • 81% improvement in horses with navicular syndrome • 50% faster healing of collateral ligament injuries Additionally, PulseVet treatments offer: • One to three treatments for full healing • An average treatment is 1000 pulses, which takes less than 5 minutes to complete • Energy penetration of up to 110mm in the body

Dr. Molly Bellefeuille treating a horse’s back.

PulseVet’s shock wave treatments are generally included as a fully covered therapy with equine insurance. With results lasting several months and insurance covering the cost, shock wave therapy is a trusted, cost-effective treatment. As Gage says, “Protect your horse and your pocketbook. Know what you’re paying for because the results will not be the same if you go with an unproven, not covered treatment.”

USING PULSEVET TO GAIN GREATER HEALING

PulseVet’s products are made in the USA with quality materials. If a repair is needed, veterinarians can count on PulseVet to address and solve the issue promptly. PulseVet also offers a Vet Locator online to find licensed veterinarians in their area who provide this type of treatment. Shock wave therapy helps promote healing naturally within the body, slowing the progression of arthritis, and bringing in the good proteins to aid in cells talking to each other. Horses carry more than riders; they carry hopes, dreams, and joy. Keeping them healthy and pain-free is an important job that takes a team of dedicated people. Learn more about how PulseVet starts the healing process by contacting a PulseVet representative today at (800) 245-4417 or info@pulsevet.com. Read more about the research at: www.pulsevet.com/research/equine.

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

155


///////// DENNIS MORELAND’S TACK TIPS

SPLIT REIN SELECTION Use these tips to choose between doubled and stitched and harness leather reins.

156 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

JACKIE CAVENDER

O

ne of my favorite questions to answer for riders is “Which split reins are best for training and riding my colts?” When choosing between doubled and stitched, and harness leather reins, you must consider the functionality of each type, personal preferences, hand size, the colt’s size and the climate in which you ride. Doubled and stitched reins are made by cutting two leather strips of equal length and width for each rein. After preparatory steps that include adding leather to the tail ends for weight, one strip is placed on top of the other (doubled), and the two pieces are tightly stitched together. The reins are edged, rubbed, oiled and rubbed again for a smooth, clean finish. Doubled and stitched reins come in a variety of weights, widths and lengths, and can be made entirely of latigo leather or with harness leather on one side and latigo leather on the other. Harness leather reins are cut from hides that are thicker and heavier in the neck and hind ends compared to the rest of the hide. The entire length of each hide is cut with the thicker, heavier areas becoming the tail and bit ends of the split reins, which makes them naturally weighted. Like doubled and stitched reins, harness leather reins are cut and finished in a variety of widths and lengths, so you can select the reins that works best for you and your colts. The width of rein you choose depends on the size of your hands and how the reins feel in your hands. Although this is personal preference, genreally narrower widths work well for people with smaller hands, medium widths fit almost everyone and riders with larger hands or who want a wide rein to train in prefer wider reins. The height of the colts you ride and the amount of slack you like to have in your reins are key factors when choosing rein length. For colts in training that are 14.2 hands and smaller, I recommend reins approximately 7-foot long reins. For colts taller than 14.2 hands, reins that are between 7 and 7 foot, 9 inches work well. These lengths should provide excellent communication with your horse, and the weight in

the tail ends of the reins will keep them in place during quick starts and turns. The reins will also have good balance out of the back of your hands. Another key factor in rein selection is the climate in which you live and ride. In freezing weather, doubled and stitched latigo reins stay more flexible than harness leather reins. In moderate to warm climates, either rein works well. No matter the type of reins you choose, quality reins will only get better with use as the sweat and oil from your horses and your hands work into the leather. In time, they will also come to fit your hands like your favorite gloves.

///// MEET DENNIS MORELAND

N

ational Reined Cow Horse Association member Dennis Moreland, owner of Dennis Moreland Tack, has made quality working and show tack since 1976. Visit www.dmtack.com or call 817-312-5305 to see how he can help you with your tack needs. Dennis Moreland Tack is a full line manufacturer of quality handmade tack and is here to help you!


BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Corey Cushing Vice President: Paul Bailey Secretary: Todd Crawford Treasurer: Trey Neal Executive Committee: Todd Bergen, Joe Carter, Boyd Rice Frank Prisco Diane Edwards Amanda Gardiner Dan Roeser Jon Roeser Jake Telford Cayley Wilson

COMMITTEE DIRECTORY AFFILIATES

Chairperson: Frank Prisco archapresident@gmail.com 631-478-7022

ANIMAL WELFARE

Chairperson: Dr. Joe Carter, DVM jcarterdvm@aol.com • 405-288-6460

ETHICS

Chairperson: Bill Tointon billtointon@msn.com • 303-530-2443

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chairperson: Paul Bailey paulb@cb-trucking.com • 931-260-3909

HALL OF FAME

JUDGES

RULES

Director of Judges: Bill Enk enk.bill@gmail.com

SHOWS

Chairperson: Boyd Rice boydrice1965@gmail.com • 806-282-8113

NRCHA FOUNDATION

Chairperson: MJ Isakson mj@nrchaf.com

NOMINATING

Chairperson: Jon Roeser tanyaroeser@yahoo.com

NON PRO

Chairperson: Diane Edwards Diane2bph@outlook.com • 206-390-0715

Chairperson: Dan Roeser roeserstables@gmail.com 208-841-2052

OWNERS

HORSE SALES

PROFESSIONALS

Chairperson: Todd Crawford toddcrawford333@gmail.com

Chairperson: Linda McMahon maclin@earthlink.net • 415-269-5563 Chairperson: Cayley Wilson cayleyrwilson@gmail.com • 604-300-0401

Chairperson: Dan Roeser roeserstables@gmail.com • 208-841-2052 Co-Chairperson: Todd Bergen tbergenhorses@gmail.com 541-778-0980 Co-Chairperson: Boyd Rice boydrice1965@gmail.com • 806-282-8113

SPONSORSHIP

Chairperson: Anna Morrison anna@nrcha.com • 940-488-1495

STALLION SERVICE AUCTION

Chairperson: Garth Gardiner gardinergarth@gmail.com • 620-635-5632

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Chairperson: Anna Morrison anna@nrcha.com • 940-488-1495

YOUTH

Chairperson: Sarah Clymer shubrick3@gmail.com • 719-330-1932

STAFF Executive Director: Anna Morrison anna@nrcha.com

Programs Manager: Elizabeth Ellis elizabeth@nrcha.com

Communications Manager: Kate Byars kate@nrcha.com

Premier Event Manager: Emily Konkel emily@nrcha.com

Accounting Manager: Kasydi Valentine kasydi@nrcha.com

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

157


AFFILIATE LISTING Current as of November 1, 2021

Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association

European Reined Cow Horse Association

Montana Reined Cow Horse Futurity, Inc

Arizona Reined Cow Horse Association

Gem State Stock Horse Association

Nevada Reined Cow Horse Association

Terri Holowath 250, 200 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary AB T2C 5E3 CANADA Phone: 403-652-8206 Email: info@cowhorse.ca Website: www.cowhorse.ca

Bronwyn McCormick 28150 N Alma School Pkwy Ste 103-520 Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Phone: 480-510-0974 Email: info@azrcha.com Website: www.azrcha.com

Augusto De Fazio via Natalia Ginzburg 1 - 11015 Ivrea (TO) ITALY Phone: +(39) 338 8860657 Email: ercha@hotmail.it Website: www.ercha.org

Callee Miller 301 Market Rd Caldwell ID 83607 541-519-4748 Cowhorse22@gmail.com Website: www.gemstatestockhorse.com

Atlantic Reined Cow Horse Association

Gulf Coast Cow Horse Association

Lia Savas 53 Deerpath Rd Central Islip, NY 11722 Phone: 631-766-0155 Email: LiaARCHA@gmail.com Website: www.atlanticRCHA.com

Andres Sanchez 10227 Pittman Rd Sarasota, FL 34240 Phone: 561-248-1437 Email: andresGCCHA@gmail.com Website: www.gulfcoastcowhorse.com

Australian Reined Cow Horse Association

Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association

Jay Gordon 359 Duri-Dungowan Rd Tamworth, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA 2340 Phone: +61 490 915094 Email: archa@outlook.com.au Website: www.cowhorseaustralia.com

Paxton Deal 509 S 2nd St Homedale, ID 83628 Phone: 208-880-9066 Email: paxtondeal@gmail.com Website: www.idahoreinedcowhorse.com

California Reined Cow Horse Association

Italian Reined Cow Horse Association

Margaret Ore PO Box 1604 East Helena, MT 59635 Phone: 406-227-7019 Email: more@mt.net Website: www.montanareinedcowhorse.com Aubree Englert 6600 W Rome Blvd Las e as, N Phone: 702-290-4231 Email: aubree.rcha@gmail.com Website: www.nvrcha.org

New York Reined Cow Horse Association Lesa Didas 206 Main St Hornell, NY 14843 Phone: 843-441-0618 Email: lisasykes@yahoo.com Website: www.newyorkrcha.com

North Central Reined Cow Horse Association Jim Wilson 2409 25th Ave Rice Lake, WI 54868 Phone: 641-420-0440 Email: wilson@myomnitel.com Website: www.ncrcha.com

Northeastern Reined Cowhorse Alliance

Stacy Duesterhaus 15169 Road 223 Porterville, CA 93257 Phone: 559-999-8146 Email: califcowhorse@gmail.com Website: www.californiacowhorse.com

Laura Ruffino ercellino ia rilloni 22100 Como ITALY Phone: +39 347 26 22 783 Email: segreteria.ircha@gmail.com ebsite: https: nrchaofitaly.com

Central Montana Reined Cow Horse Association

Magic Valley RCHA

Northwest Reined Cow Horse Association

Mid State Cow Horse Association

Panhandle Reined Cow Horse Association

Jill Roberts 1521 Parr Creek Ln Lewistown, MT 59457 Phone: 406-538-7564 Email: vjroberts@hughes.net Website: www.cmrcha.com

Colorado Reined Cowhorse Association

MJ Anderson PO Box 88 Trinidad, CO 81082 Phone: 719-963-4770 Email: coloradocowhorse@gmail.com Website: www.coloradoreinedcowhorse.com 158 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS

Nikki Francis 3644 N 3300 E Kimberly ID 83341 Phone: 208-539-5410 Email: vpnikki@gmail.com Website: www.intermountaincircuit.org Sharon Michelucci 2500 Adobe Rd Paso Robles CA 9344 Phone: 805-835-5014 Email: info@midstatecowhorseassociation.com Website: www.midstatecowhorseassociation.com

Mary Baks 13 Maple Hill Rd RR #2 alkerton, N N CANADA Phone: 519-881-8684 Email: info@walkertonequine.ca Website: www.nercha.ca Diane Edwards PO Box 260 Maple alley, A Phone: 206-390-0715 Email: diane2bph@outlook.com Website: www.nwrcha.com

Lane Arnold PO Box 1053 Canyon, TX 79015 Phone: 806-341-0941 Email: panhandlecowhorse@gmail.com Website: www.panhandlecowhorse.com


AFFILIATE LISTING South Dakota Reined Cow Horse Association

Southern Reined Cow Horse Alliance

South Texas Reined Cow Horse Association

Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association

Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association

Swedish Reined Cow Horse Association

Deb Brown PO Box 655 Buffalo, SD 57720 Phone: 605-797-4514 Email: nphorses@sdplains.com Website: www.sdrcha.com

Tina McCleary 5290 Hearne Rd Bryan, TX 77808 Phone: 979-218-0633 Email: southtexasrcha@gmail.com Website: www.strcha.org

Shelley Schaffer 33175 Temecula Pkwy Ste A, 754 Temecula, CA 92592 Phone: 858-722-5995 Email: smal4joy@gmail.com Website: www.scrcha.com

Larry Westmoreland PO Box 143 Tickfaw, LA 70466 Phone: 985-320-5058 Email: larry.westwindtc@gmail.com Website: www.srchala.com

Utah Reined Cow Horse Association Nikki Francis 3644 N. 3300 E. Kimberly, ID 83341 Phone: 208-539-5410 Email: vpnikki@gmail.com Website:www.urcha.org

Gay Lenz 11587 Hunt Lane Guthrie, OK 73044 Phone: 405-818-7556 Email: glenz@glenzenterprises.com Website: www.srcha.org Silvio Wirth Kyrkbyn Backagarden 1 SE-512 62 Mardaklev., Sweden Phone: +46 70 676 7642 Email: styrelsen@srcha.eu Website: www.srcha.eu

NRCHA Suspended List NRCHA membership privileges will be suspended for the second offense of bad checks, per rule 1.1.6.2 and for non payment of debt to NRCHA Show Management or NRCHA Approved Show Management. Additionally, all amounts for advertising in the NRCHA publication, Reined Cow Horse News, are due and payable within 30 days of receipt. Agricultural Foundation, Fresno, CA

Pompeo Capezzone, Castrocielo 03030, ITALY

Desert Spring Ranch, Queen Creek, AZ

Riccardo Capezzone, Castrocielo 03030, ITALY

Keetch Ranch, Waddell, AZ

Cody Christensen, Heber City, UT

Del Rey Paint & Qtr Horses/Aneka

Tom Daughetee, Kemmerer, WY

Schelbeck, Cotton Wood, CA

Shad DeGiorgis, El Dorado Hills, CA

Bynum Farms/Blair Bynum, Palm City, FL

Laura Delfino, Martine , CA

Donnie Boyd, Sarasota, FL

Pat Faitz, Lakeland, FL

Robyn Bush, Visalia, CA

Robert Frobose, Modesto, CA

Marcy Campbell, Creston, CA

Miguel Gonzalez, Miami, FL

A finance char e of . per month APR will be added to all past due amounts. Membership privileges shall be suspended on accounts greater than 90 days past due and this information will be published in Reined Cow Horse News. There will be a membership reinstatement fee of $75. Current as of November 1, 2021 Babcock Ranch/Jim Babcock, Sanger, TX Brandon Johnson, Nebraska City, NE Bridgette Lanham, Eastover, SC Thera Myers, Oxnard, CA Steed Training/ Rick Steed, Okeechobee, FL Jill Serena, Castaic, CA Vernon Smith, Santa Maria, CA Dream Cross/Susan Ray, TX Lazy T Shamrock Ranch/ Terry Malarkey, Star, ID

Elizabeth Winkle, Sarasota, FL Don Stockman, Dayton, TX Kinsey Dodson, Cleburne, TX Oasis Ranch/Pete & Marilyn Bowling Purcell, OK Roy Hockensmith, Frankfort, KY Brian & Cynthia Holthouse, San Juan Bautista, CA Rita F. Ward, Canyon, TX Darren Roberts, Kent, NY

REINED COW HORSE NEWS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

159


SHOW SCHEDULE

LAE = Limited Aged Event, HS = Horse Show

as of November 8, 2021

Date

Show

Type of event

Location

Affiliate  North Central RCHA

Secretary

Phone

Email

Dec 3 - 5

Holidazzle Futurity

HS / Cat.1 / Cat.2

Winona, MN

Jennifer Fjelstad

jenfjelstad@gmail.com

Jan 11- 12

National Western Stock Show

HS / LAE / Cat.1

Denver, CO

Kelsey Rhyne

knichols06@yahoo.com

Jan 16 - 17

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

HS / Cat. 1

Fort Worth, TX

Nelle Murphy

baldnshiney@hotmail.com

160 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS


IN OR OU T OF T HE SA DDLE , A PL ACE W IT H A C A DENCE A LL ITS OWN.

An iconic ranch community with world-class equestrian facilities, 100 miles of trails to ride and hike, a Tom Fazio championship golf course, and so much more make this historic 20,000 acres more than a preserve, they make it heaven on earth. T E N M I N U T E S FR O M C A R M E L- BY-T H E -S E A | 8 3 3 . 62 0. 676 8 | SA N TA LU C I A P R E S E RV E .CO M



Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

Suspended Member List

2min
page 161

Affiliate List

2min
page 160

Dennis Moreland’s Tack Tips

2min
page 158

ARHFA Results

2min
pages 146-149

Sponsor Spotlight PulseVet

5min
pages 156-157

Cow Horse for Cutters Returns

2min
pages 132-133

Red Holly Time Rules Run-Off

7min
pages 140-145

Cow Horse for Ropers Rocks the Futurity

2min
pages 130-131

To the End

7min
pages 134-139

Leathers tops Cowboy Class Invitational

10min
pages 126-129

MARS Equestrian™ National Finals Rodear Results

4min
pages 122-125

AQHA Ranching Heritage Champions

2min
pages 118-121

NRCHA Futurity Sales

1min
pages 116-117

Horse Show Headlines

15min
pages 102-115

The Weight of the Ride

14min
pages 76-87

Hail to the Chief

13min
pages 88-101

Notable Non Pro: Polly Bremel

9min
pages 60-65

Know the Pro: Jason Patrick

6min
pages 54-59

Trade Secrets

4min
pages 40-47

From the NRCHYA

2min
pages 16-19

From the Judge’s Chair

2min
pages 12-15

Empty Stalls

3min
pages 20-21

From the Executive Director

4min
pages 6-9

NRCHA President’s Letter

2min
pages 10-11

All-Access from the Futurity

1min
pages 48-51

Behind the Buckle: Russell Dilday

1min
pages 52-53
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.