TOP RIDERS
2023 RULE BOOK
Volume 28, Number 1
NRCHA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
NRCHA STAFF
Have
you checked out NRCHA.com lately? We have a brand NEW LOOK and a few exciting new features including athlete profiles on our top riders and horses, an
Official NRCHA Photographer: Primo Morales | Official NRCHA Videographer: Equine Promotion
REINED COW HORSE NEWS
It’s a new year and that always brings new beginnings! In the horse industry, we often see the new year coming around as a challenge—we need to tackle it and work toward achieving a goal. Whether it is a new horse, a new show to enter like the MARS Equestrian™ World’s Greatest Youth Horseman or roping at the Art of the Cowgirl’s World’s Greatest Horsewoman or a new event, like the American Performance Horseman presented by Teton Ridge. It’s a new chapter; goals are going to be set.
As you start 2023, many of us challenge ourselves to push and strive harder, but remember that this is an industry with a lot of “peaks and valleys” on the road to achievement. While accomplishing new goals and new dreams, there are going to be highs—like finally getting that 3-year-old to understand what you’re asking—and lows, like questioning whether you’re ready for the challenge. Those dips on the way toward your end goal help shape you as a trainer or competitor and make the victory event sweeter.
As Open trainers, many of us are already eyeing October and the Snaffle Bit Futurity®. Our “peaks and valleys” are along the path as we work to do the best for our horses and set ourselves up to have that horse peak at the right time. The pressure can be on with a 5-year-old horse’s last Derby year. If the horse has been a player but not a champion, I’m always looking at what could I do as a trainer different to mentally prepare the horse in the pen or physically do things better. With all the added money to premier events like the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes, the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby or the Hackamore Classic, presented by Oswood Stallion
Station, opportunities for horses in their Derby years continue to grow.
Open trainers aren’t the only ones asking themselves, “How can I do something different to make the goal a reality?” That doesn’t mean working harder but possibly working smarter. Our industry requires tough and hard work, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of thought that goes into how we work our horses.
Doing something different can mean looking outside the box. I look outside the box by watching another horse go around with a different rider than the trainer, and you can tell that it is a certain trainer’s trained horse in cow horse—they have a specific “look.” I’ll look at how I signal my horses or how they travel compared to other horses. As trainers, we are both aiming at similar goals, but how we get there is going to be different.
There isn’t only one way to go about training, showing or competing in the reined cow horse. If you find your own path through the “peaks and valleys,” you’ll find success. Have a happy New Year and good luck at the NRCHA events at the affiliate and premier level this year. We are happy to have you in the cow horse family!
The purpose of this article is to clarify what the herd help is allowed to do without consequence to the exhibitor’s score and what actions by the herd help will result in a reduction in run content. A herd holder’s duty is to assist the cutter in containing the herd and group of cattle the cutter is trying to cut from. This gives the cutter ample opportunity to demonstrate to the judges their ability to work the herd, drive a cow and set a cow up in the middle of the pen.After assisting the cutter in making a cut, the herd holder should move to a position toward the arena wall that will enable them to contain the herd, but not distract from the run. Herd holders should keep in mind their job is to contain the herd without affecting the integrity of the run.
Any excessive action by the herd holder will be dealt with as a reduction in run content. Judges will begin reducing run content when excessive help from herd holders affects the run, such as:saving a major penalty from occurring; cutting the pen down; and in fresh cattle, driving the herd out for the cutter to cut from.
Here are some examples of what the herd holder is allowed to do with no consequences and what actions by the herd helper will reduce the run content of the exhibitor:
Example (A): After the cut is made, the herd holder does not move theirhorse to a position on the arena wall but stops in a position several feet off the wall. The herd holder is not moving but it is obvious to the judge that the cow
being worked is being influenced by the presence of the herd holder’s horse. —The run content will be reduced.
Example (B): While a exhibitor is working, the herd holder is sitting in the corner. As the exhibitor and cow approach the corner, the herd holder: (1) remains in position but moves their horse slightly.—no reduction in run content.(2) comes out of the corner in an obvious attempt to stop or turn the cow. —Run content will be reduced.
Example (C): The exhibitor has worked a cow long enough and needs to get off.The cow is obviously not going to turn away without some assistance. (1)As the cow approaches the side, with the exhibitor in working position, the herd holder moves their horse up to turn the cow away. —No reduction in run content. (2) The exhibitor has lost control of the cow and is out of position when the herd holder turns the cow away. —The point value of the run will be reduced.
A general rule of thumb when a major penalty is saved by the herd helper is to take one-half of the value of the penalty (usually a back fence minus-1 and ½, or a loss minus-2 ½ ) off the run content on that cow.
The herd holder’s duty is somewhat misunderstood as evidenced usually by a confused look on the exhibitor’s face or a groan by the crowd.Basically, their job is to help the exhibitor get cut then herd control.But, as the famous cutter Bill Freeman says, “I want them to help; if I get in a jam I’d rather take the excessive herd help hit than the full blown penalty.”
Hope this helps all our hard-working herd help keep things in the proper perspective.
This information came from the National Cutting Horse Association Rule Book. We use this as a guide for our herd work judging.
Until next time, Bill Enk NRCHA Director of Judges
CAROLYN
Throughout the year, seven affiliates hosted National Reined Cow Horse Youth Association-presented clinics in six different regions. A total of 238 Youth attended and 60 new NRCHA memberships were gained from the clinics. More than 20 clinicians and 40 volunteers stepped up and donated their time to grow the NRCHYA and build the Youth reined cow horse community.
The largest Youth clinic this year came from the Northwest Reined Cow Horse Association. Held June 25 and 26, 65 people and four clinicians participated.
These clinics greatly support the Youth. In addition, they gain lasting friendships from meeting new people at these clinics, as well as leave with a plethora of knowledge from reputable NRCHA professionals.
“Lance and I feel so blessed to be a part of the NRCHA’s free Youth Clinic Program,” said Jodie Scheffel, North Central Region advisor. “In 2022 we hosted our third and largest clinic, and look forward to hosting another clinic in 2023! The NRCHA Foundation’s generosity makes it possible to share our passion with young horse enthusiasts who may have no other way to see the reined cow horse in action! We are lucky to have amazing trainers who volunteer their time and guidance to kids who are eager to advance and learn something new. The Youth who already participate with the NRCHA seem to be excited to take a newbie under their wing and help them learn all they can. It’s a great opportunity to share knowledge and experience with kids who are hungry to learn more!”
Without grants from the NRCHA Foundation, generously funded by donations from the Delaplaine Foundation and Chris and Debbie Swain, these clinics could not be possible. Their donations support clinic expenses, such as facility rental, practice cattle, event advertising and clinician travel expenses. For each clinic to receive this grant, the clinician must be an NRCHA professional, the clinic must be a minimum of one full day, it must be advertised to outside organizations, and it must be free of charge for the Youth.
The NRCHYA would like to extend a thank you to the Delaplaine Foundation, Chris and Debbie Swain, every clinician who has stepped up and supported our Youth, and all of the volunteers that put hours into organizing and producing these clinics.
—Tylor Todd
A revised and updated 2023 NRCHA Rule Book is available in print and linked online for members to review the changes to eligibility, class names and new divisions.
Here is a list of the 2023 rule changes.
Name and Criteria for Level 1 Non Pro Bridle
(formerly Limited Non Pro Bridle)
3.5.5 Level 1 Non Pro Bridle—Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and has not earned more than $15,000 in Open and Non Pro monies at NRCHA events. There is no fall back to the Level 1 Non Pro Bridle.
4.16 Non Pro Boxing, Youth Boxing, and Youth Cow Horse riders may show a 6-year-old in a snaffle or hackamore as they qualified during their 5-year-old year.
4.9.3 The top 10 SHTX world show finalists in Youth, Limited, Non Pro and Open SHTX divisions will be invited to compete at the NRCHA World Show in the corresponding NRCHA classes for which they qualified.
4.11 Regional and national standings and winners will be named at the end of the regular season, before the NRCHA World Championship Show.
4.12 NRCHA World Championship Show Finals will result in World Champions being named, but will not earn points and will not count toward National (year-end) Championship points.
8.1.4 Non Pro Boxing Achievement Certificate—the NRCHA wishes to recognize those horses that excel in the Boxing classes.
8.1.4.1 The horse must have earned a total of $7,500 in Horse Show Category 1 Boxing classes including Select, Youth Boxing and Youth Boxing 13 and Under.
The Non Pro Boxing Achievement Award is now known as the Superior Non Pro Boxing Achievement Award.
8.1.5 Superior Non Pro Boxing Achievement Award—the NRCHA wishes to recognize those horses that excel in the Boxing classes.
8.1.5.1 The horse must have earned a total of $15,000.
8.1.5.2 The horse must have been shown in approved Limited Age Events and earned at least $1,000 in these events in either a fence class or a Limited Boxing class.
8.1.5.3 The horse must win a total of $10,000 in Horse Show Category 1 Boxing classes including Select, Youth Boxing and Youth Boxing 13 and Under.
8.1.5.4 After considering the totals earned from Limited Age Events and the Boxing classes, with the limitations previously stated, the remaining money may be earned in any NRCHA Category 1 class.
11.1.3 Cowboy Class
11.1.3.1 The Cowboy Class includes reined work, cow work, and modified steer stopping.
11.1.3.2 Open to cowboys who have earned less than $15,000 in Open and Non Pro money at NRCHA events other than the Cowboy Class, and are currently employed by ranching or livestock operations.
11.1.3.3 Horses will be shown in the same age appropriate NRCHA legal equipment throughout all phases. No tiedowns will be permitted.
11.1.3.4 Scoring of the reined and cow portions of this contest will be in accordance with NRCHA rules. It will be at Show Management’s discretion if the reined and cow work are run back to back or separately.
11.1.3.5 The modified steer stopping will be run separately from the reined and cow work and will utilize the Steer Stopping Judge Card. Modified steer stopping will be run as a walk-out roping and will not utilize a chute or barrier.
11.1.3.6 Equipment will be checked after each go-round. A score of zero will be given for bloody mouth on the horse.
11.1.3.7 NRCHA rules and regulations will apply in all other instances.
11.1.3.8 NRCHA Payout may be used as a guide but is not mandatory. Payouts must paid on the composite, and goround monies may also be paid.
16.2.8.1 “AAAA” Judge: AAAA Judge is the highest rating and is eligible to judge any Major Event. A 4A judge must be an active, experienced, knowledgeable NRCHA Judge. They must judge by the rules and use their score sheets correctly. (This helps the exhibitors understand their scores). Eligibility for a 4A rating can be achieved by the following criteria:
1. Must have been a 3A Judge that has judged at least 3 Major Events where the NRCHA Director of Judges served at the Judges monitor.
2. Must have judged in a 5 Judge system where the NRCHA Director of Judges served as a Judges monitor.
3. Must be well informed, have practical knowledge, be a co-operative and willing teammate. The Director of Judges and the Chairman of the Judges committee will recommend to the Judges committee that a Judge be elevated to 4A when all criteria has been met. The Judges committee shall then recommend to the Board the judge’s designation.
19.5.1 The use of a rope barrier or an electronic eye will be at the discretion of show management.
19.5.2 The roper on the horse being judged may throw a total of 2 loops within a 60 second time limit.
19.5.14 Once the steer has been released from the chute, should the judges deem it unusable, they have the option of blowing the whistle 2 times to signal for a new steer. This may be done at any time during the run, even after the rider
has thrown a loop. If the exhibitor intends to accept the new cow, he or she must pull up immediately.
NON PRO BOXING LAE ELIGIBILITY:
• NON PRO BOXING (Formerly NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider.
• LEVEL 1 NON PRO BOXING (New Division): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider with less than $1,000 in lifetime earnings.
• SELECT CLASSES (New Division): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is 55 or older as of November 16th, 2022. A select class may be run concurrent with Non Pro Boxing LAE classes. They cannot be run as standalone classes, will not count toward National Standings and will be offered as jackpot only.
NON PRO HORSE SHOW ELIGIBILITY:
• NON PRO BRIDLE: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card.
• INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 25 Non Pro rider listing based on the previous three years of Open and Non Pro earnings.
• LEVEL 1 NON PRO BRIDLE (Formerly LIMITED NON PRO BRIDLE): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and has not earned more than $15,000 in Open and Non Pro monies at NRCHA events. There is no fall back to Level 1 Non Pro Bridle.
(Formerly NON PRO LIMITED HORSE SHOW):
• NON PRO BOXING (Formerly NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider. Riders cannot have earned more than $750 in fence work classes, or must have exercised a fallback option afforded to them in Rules 3.8.1.1 or 3.8.1.2.
• INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BOXING (Formerly $5K NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider who has not earned more than $5,000 in Lifetime Earnings.
• LIMITED NON PRO BOXING (Formerly $1K NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider who has not earned more than $1,000 in Lifetime Earnings.
OPEN LAE ELIGIBILITY:
• OPEN: Open to any rider who possesses a current NRCHA membership card.
• INTERMEDIATE OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 30 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events.
• LIMITED OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 120 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events AND who has not earned over $350,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events.
• LEVEL 1 OPEN (Formerly LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN): Open to any rider who has not earned over $20,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events.
The Judge Cards posted online and in the Rule Book reflect the division changes.
Whether you’re managing a herd of broodmares and studs or are competing at the highest level,
Bet Hesa Cat (High Brow Cat x Bet Yer Blue Boons x Freckles Playboy), saw offspring earnings reach $2,210,137.36 during the 2022 NRCHA show season, launching him into the Two Million Dollar Sire club. The 2006 stallion, bred by Oxbow Ranch, was a star in the show pen in his own right, earning $272,151 during his career as well as the National Cutting Horse Association Open World Champion title. As a sire, the roan has made a greater impact on the cutting and reined cow horse industries.
Owned by the Bet Hesa Cat Syndicate and standing at NRCHA Corporate Partner 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, the stallion is one of only four to sire an NRCHA Open Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion and Reserve Champion in the same year. He is the fourth-leading reined cow horse sire.
Of his NRCHA money-earning offspring, he has shown to be a sire of performing stallions, with the top eight earners being studs. Nathan Canaday, DVM, 6666 Ranch Horse Division Manager, has been involved with managing the stallion with Dr. Blodgett since Bet Hesa Cat stepped off the trailer on the 6666 Ranch for his breeding career about 12 years ago.
“To me, that shows he is a sire of sires, and it shows how strong of a foundation he has, genetically, that not only he was able to perform but his offspring perform and then go on to be sires,” Dr. Canaday said. “It shows the depth of the pedigree.”
With $200,652.91 in lifetime earnings, Hesa Dual Bet, a 2016 stallion out of RJJ Miss Viagra Pep and owned by Teton Ridge, tops the list. NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Matt Koch and NRCHA Three Million Dollar Rider Corey Cushing added to the bay’s earnings.
“All of the Bet Hesa Cat’s I’ve seen or been involved in all have their own eye appeal as far as when they’re working or just standing there,” said Cushing, NRCHA president. “As strong of a sire he has been and as stiff a competition as we have today, we all are lucky to have offspring by Bet Hesa Cat because they are excelling in cutting and cow horse. They are all horses that draw your attention, and you want to watch them work whatever event they are doing that day.”
Following closely are the number two earner, 2017 Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion Plain Catty, a 2014 stallion out of Miss Plain Plain shown by Jake Gorrell and now owned by Kalpowar Quarter Horses, with $195,103.56; and the third-highest earner, Bet He Sparks, a 2014 stallion out of Sparking Train, with NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Clayton Edsall piloting the roan owned by K&L Phillips to $187,968.64.
In addition to the performing cow horses, Bet Hesa Cat is favored as a ranch sire, Dr. Canaday said.
“He’s an exceptional stallion and has proven himself time and again, clearly with hitting this $2 million mark,” said Dr. Canaday. “My favorite attribute is what he stamps into his ranch foals; we’ve bred quite a few ranch mares to him, and it is the perfect cross on athleticism and speed on the big-boned, big size of our ranch mares. I just love that cross.”
Bet Hesa Cat achieved Million Dollar Sire status in 2019 and has quickly joined the elite Two Million Dollar Sire Club. His foals are eligible for the NRCHA Stallion Stakes as well as many other Western performance industry incentives and events and can be viewed at 6666ranch.com. Congratulations to Bet Hesa Cat, the stallion’s owners and their connections for this outstanding achievement.
BRED BY BRAD & MARY ROBERTSON | OWNED BY ROBERTSON RANCHES
SIX PANEL N/N • STANDS 15.1HH • SHIPPED SEMEN TO CANADA, FROZEN SEMEN TO AUSTRALIA & INTERNATIONALLY
The cow horse industry lost two staunch supporters when Glenn Blodgett, DVM, and Sam Rose passed away in 2022.
With sadness, the National Reined Cow Horse Association reflects on the lifetime of work two industry leaders left behind upon their passing.
ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022, Glenn Blodgett, DVM, passed away at age 73. Known affectionately as “Doc” to most people, he was born into a ranching and farming family and raised in Spearman, Texas. Blodgett was synonymous with the 6666 Ranch, having been there since 1982, following graduation from Texas A&M University with his veterinary degree. He previously graduated with a Bachelor of Science in animal science from Oklahoma State University.
Throughout his years of service as the ranch’s veterinarian and horse division manager with Quarter Horses in both Western performance and racing, Blodgett earned several awards, including the Texas Veterinary Association’s Equine Practitioner of the Year, the National Ranching Heritage Center Golden Spur Award, and induction into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame after serving as the AQHA’s 65th president. In addition, he was at the helm of the 6666 Ranch when it earned the AQHA Best Remuda Award in 1993.
Blodgett was passionate about horses, equine welfare and committed to the Western industry, as seen through the ranch’s hosting of the NRCHA Cowboy Clinic for the last two years. Many of the stallions standing at the Guthrie, Texas, ranch are NRCHA Breeder Sponsors, and the 6666 Ranch is an NRCHA Corporate Sponsor.
Through the years, Blodgett was instrumental in developing relationships with other ranches, such as Creek Plantation in Martin, South Carolina; King Ranch
in Kingsville, Texas; Wagonhound Land and Livestock LLC in Douglas, Wyoming; and those nearer in the Panhandle. He often was the driving force in acquiring many of the stallions the ranch stood through the years, including Dash For Cash, Special Effort, Tanquery Gin, WR This Cats Smart, Mr Playinstylish, The Boon, Bet Hesa Cat and Kit Kat Sugar.
“If asked how I would describe Dr. Blodgett to a total stranger, I would say he loved others and loved God like no other human that I ever knew,” said Scot Martin, DVM, owner of Hansford Veterinarian Clinic in Spearman, Texas, in the 6666 Ranch tribute. “He was so patient, beyond reproof. He was as close to living all the Fruit of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol—as anyone I have ever known. It was not something he worked on; it came pretty naturally; he was born into it.”
Blodgett is remembered by his many industry friends, hundreds of interns he taught and numerous ranch visitors he met. The NRCHA offers condolences to his wife, Karen, and daughters, Brandie Blodgett Mustain and Buffy Guynes, as well as his five grandchildren and extended family.
ON NOVEMBER 18, 2022, SAM ROSE passed away in Fort Worth, Texas. The longtime cutting horse trainer and current National Cutting Horse Association director of judges was born in McKinney, Texas. He is the son of American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame trainer Matlock Rose.
A horseman from a young age, Rose was first introduced to cutting horses by his uncles, Stanley, Billy and Jimmy Bush. He worked on several ranches and feedlots in New Mexico before hiring on with C.W. “Bubba” Cascio, who, along with Don Dodge, helped shape Rose’s training and horsemanship, according to NRCHA Director of Judges Bill Enk.
“He successfully competed in cutting, roping and working cow horse events at most of the major shows,” Enk recalled. “He also helped youth and amateurs improve their horsemanship skills. Along the way, he helped with the breeding programs of such famous stallions as Peppy San and Shining Spark.”
At the time of his death, Rose was an NRCHA judge, and one that Enk always found valuable in the arena.
“Sam understood proper form and correctness when horses were training or competing; it didn’t matter the discipline, Sam knew how a horse was supposed to work,” Enk said. “This led him to judging some of the biggest events of our time. He helped the NRCHA evolve into one of the fairest and consistently judged disciplines to date. He had solid opinions, spoke his mind, and was always a welcome teammate.”
In April of 2022, the NCHA hired Rose as the director of judges. He was serving that role at the NCHA Futurity when he passed away.
During his long career as a horseman, Rose served the AQHA as a director of emeritus, the NRCHA on the judge’s committee, provided knowledge to the Brazilian Quarter Horse Association to initiate a judges’ department, and judged in multiple associations, including AQHA, NCHA and NRCHA.
Within NRCHA, Rose earned more than $76,800 in the arena. The horseman will be missed by industry friends, and the NRCHA offers condolences to his wife, Pam, and daughter, Kristen.
Former bull rider and current cow horse trainer Brendon Clark gets into the mental game on “The Gauge” podcast.
On his podcast, “The Gauge,” host Chance Conrado brings in personalities from the Western sports and lifestyle that highlight and celebrate the Western way of life. Brendon Clark, a National Reined Cow Horse Association trainer living in Hollister, California, and originally from Morpeth, Australia, was on the podcast to discuss his bull riding career in the Professional Bull Riders, where he earned nearly $1 million, and how he transitioned to cow horse. Here is an excerpt about why Clark chose cow horse as his second career.
“Change is a hard thing, and when you change something or try to afford to change, you are always like, what if it doesn’t work? ... I’m going to be honest, it was a really big change [to quit bull riding] and a really hard change. I see it now, and it happens with a lot of people, but I went through a period—and before I get into this, I want to say thank God for the National Reined Cow Horse Association and cow horse. If it wasn’t for cow horse, I don’t know what I would have done when I finished riding bulls. I found it before I finished riding bulls and I found that I loved it before I finished riding bulls. I guess I didn’t know I wanted to train horses, but I loved training horse and being able to do something with a horse that some other people can’t do, or to make it [the horse] be the best it can be.
“Going down the fence in the reined cow horse, for me, was the same feeling, adrenaline rush, as riding a bull: it was unpredictable, you really couldn’t control that much what was happening, although you try and control the situation you just have to make the best and go with what you got. That, I think, was what drew me to it in the first place … .
“When I retired from riding bulls, I went through a period of depression and unknown and I didn’t feel like I had anything … I never talked about the depression, I never talked about what I was going through for the change. Then, [I] went into another industry where I was a terrible horse trainer, I sucked. But I had to learn. The one thing about me was that I was always ok with not being very good and always ok with someone telling me I needed to do better. I never had the thought process I was already great … there are people that have trained reined cow horses their entire life that have not had a lot of success and have worked very hard at it, and not because they aren’t great trainers, but because it is so damn hard. You need to have such good horses and so much dedication to do it.”
It is not unheard of for a turnback horse that herd help rides to do double duty, but for “Cruiser,” his two jobs are quite different. When owner and trainer Clay Volmer needs a solid horse to help in the herd, the 7-year-old gelding gets the call. That is, if Volmer’s son, Boyd Wilson, isn’t showing him in the National Reined Cow Horse Association Youth class simultaneously.
“My main turnback horse is Quik Draw Pistol and I started him as a 3-year-old in the snaffle bit,” Volmer said. “He had a little extra speed and when he turned 4, I started turning back on him. I bought him from the owners and I’ve hauled him ever since.”
In addition to having the grit and speed to help in the herd arena, Cruiser still has all the buttons needed to carry Boyd to place in classes such as the Box
Drive Box, Youth Boxing or the Youth Boxing Spectacular. The 2015 gelding, sired by Metallic Cat and out of the Peptoboonsmal daughter Silver Pepto Pistol, was bred by Jose Garcia and is owned by Volmer. Volmer said the horse has the motor and the know-how for both duties.
“Usually, I like an extremely tough horse that can go all day, be cow smart and stay focused,” he explained. “I can sit on one all day long [in the herd arena], so I don’t want the horse to mess around. I look for a horse that pays attention.
“It takes a while for those horses to get used to and be good at being used. Once you have one that you enjoy, it is hard to let them go. People offer a lot of money for a nice turnback horse and a lot of them go on to have big-time rope horse careers.”
But for Cruiser, who has a lot of years left in his career, the dual job of Youth show horse and herd helper suits him fine.
“A good turn back horse can read a cow and get in the right spot,” Volmer said. “Cruiser, I turned back on him the first time at the World’s Greatest [Horseman], and that is an important one. He’s never let me down. He’s a good one.”
When Clay Volmer lends a hand in the herd work pen, he relies on a horse that can stay focused all day.When not turning back with Clay Volmer in the saddle, Quik Draw Pistol is Boyd Wilson’s Youth show mount.
There is something special about turning a typical sports facility that normally hosts two-legged athletes into an arena to showcase equine competitors. Typically, the big event that creates this conversion is rodeo. For example, the Thomas & Mack Arena converts from a basketball court into the world famous Wrangler National Finals Rodeo; Madison Square Garden has hosted Professional Bull Riders events; AT&T Stadium transformed from the home of the Dallas Cowboys to the site of The American Rodeo. March 8 through 11, Globe Life Field won’t host baseball players but rather the best of the Western performance world’s horsemen and -women in the American Western Weekend.
Presented by Teton Ridge, the top five riders, based on earnings, from the National Reined Cow Horse Association will ride in front of a crowd primed and ready to watch a dirt-flying, hair-raising equestrian event on Friday, March 10. In this challenge, the top five riders from cow horse,
the National Cutting Horse Association and the National Reining Horse Association will be grouped into teams and pitted against their fellow riders.
If bringing the best of the best together under one roof on one night isn’t spectacular enough, the $1 million purse for the team of winners is sure to hit that mark. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and by the time the live concert performance by kicks off at 8:30 p.m., one of the NRCHA’s top five Open riders will be a lot richer.
“The NRCHA is excited to be a part of the American Performance Horseman,” said NRCHA Operations Manager Emily Konkel. “We’re lucky to be able to showcase the best of cow horse in such a game changing event for the equine industry and look forward to having our athletes— both horses and riders—on the big stage representing cow horse while bringing exposure to our sport.”
Here are your cow horse competitors to cheer for at the American Performance Horseman.
“For me, the most exciting thing about being able to compete here is the new audience we are going to be able to show the cow horse to, not just the people who already know how cool the cow horse is. I am super excited to show ‘Juliet’ [Shine Smarter] and be able to share our event with a new audience that hasn’t seen the event before.”
LIFETIME EARNINGS: $417,263.96
HOMETOWN: Marietta, Oklahoma
2022 EARNINGS: $311,577.08
3 YEAR EARNINGS: $360,401.82
ACHIEVEMENTS: Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion
“I’m just grateful for it all: the life I get to live, the friends turned to family I get to share it with and the opportunity Teton Ridge has provided our industry. It’s an honor and a privilege to compete amongst the greats of our sport. No matter the outcome, this experience is a blessing beyond my wildest dreams.”
“If everything goes as planned, I’d sure like to show Scooter Kat there. I think it will be a really, really fun experience and put on a different stage. I’m anxious to see it all unfold, at the same time it is easy for me to get overexcited, so I’m trying to think of it as another horse show. The way it is set up for us to ride in the arena, I think it is going to be really cool.”
LIFETIME EARNINGS: $2,112,273.23
HOMETOWN: Santa Maria, California
2022 EARNINGS: $293,156.71
3 YEAR EARNINGS: $929,448.85
ACHIEVEMENTS: NRCHA Two Million Dollar Rider, Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion
LIFETIME EARNINGS: $1,715,866.69
HOMETOWN: Perrin, Texas
2022 EARNINGS: $291,357.01
3 YEAR EARNINGS: $542,032.89
ACHIEVEMENTS: NRCHA Million Dollar Rider
“The money is exciting and the stage we are put on in front of a crowd that is a little bit different and a little bigger than we are normally in front of. We are going to be set up to be treated like a football game, a Super Bowl, that people want to watch and are going to want to see if they have any equine [interest] in them. The show is going to be incredible and the coverage will want more people to want to be involved in our industry.”
LIFETIME EARNINGS: $3,052,711.27
HOMETOWN: Weatherford, TX
2022 EARNINGS: $289,606.11
3 YEAR EARNINGS: $688,293.16
ACHIEVEMENTS: NRCHA Three Million Dollar Rider, Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion, World’s Greatest Horseman Champion
“My plan is to ride CSR Lay Down Sally and have fun there. Having gone and watched the NFR in that arena, I am pumped to see the set up and watch it all. This is the best year I’ve had to date, I think, and when they announced this event halfway through our year, ‘I thought, man that will be fun for those guys.’ Usually, I’m not in the top five for a single year so I was pretty pumped to have everything come together in fortuitous timing. To ride and also watch us all go down the fence in front of the crowd they’re going to put together is going to be pretty awesome.”
Serving as an NRCHA judge provided Kyle Noyce with invaluable insight on honing his expertise as a reined cow horse trainer.
By Jade CurridDrawn to horses at a young age, Kyle Noyce proved he possessed the determination, work ethic and discipline necessary to follow his innate calling of being a horseman.
“I grew up in Northern Minnesota as kind of a town kid,” Noyce said. “The rest of my family didn’t have anything to do with horses. But from as far back as I can remember, [working with horses] was all I ever wanted to do. I got a job working at a trail riding place when I was probably 13 or 14, or something like that, and I did that all through high school and went from there to attend the Montana State University Farrier School.”
Upon graduating from the MSU Farrier School, Noyce moved back to his home state, where he attended the University of Minnesota, Crookston. While in Crookston, he met one of the area’s highly regarded, old-school, all-around horsemen, Joey Jorgenson, who became his mentor.
“I got a job starting colts for him and then riding horses as an assistant for him after that,” Noyce said. “I was there for two years. From there, I moved to southern Minnesota, where I kind of hung a shingle and started training horses on my own way too early. At that point, I hadn’t found the reined cow horse yet; I was starting colts and riding reiners.”
Noyce went on to compete in his first reined cow horse show in 2007 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He went straight up from there to the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity® where he showed for the first time in 2009, qualifying for the Limited Open and Intermediate Finals.
Noyce and his wife, Candice, made a pivotal decision to move from Minnesota to Oklahoma in 2013. They are based at the Sleeping Dog Ranch in Blanchard, Oklahoma.
“By the first of 2014, Candice and I kind of decided that she should go back to school and change our game plan a little bit,” said Noyce. “We sent all the training horses’ home, and I began shoeing horses full time. I didn’t ride from pretty much 2014 through 2018 and half of 2019.”
The Noyces purchased land in Blanchard three years ago to start his reined cow horse business afresh, though he has a couple of reining and cutting horses. Noyce continues to shoe horses, but his shingle is firmly hung in the cow horse community. With lifetime earnings of $156,722.48, Noyce has added milestone achievements to his extensive reined cow horse résumé over the past couple of years.
Much of that can be attributed to SJR Smooth Lil Oak (Smooth As A Cat x Shiners Little Oak x Shining Spark), a stallion Noyce rode in 2021 to win the NRCHA Open Hackamore World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, with a score of 448 (R:221/C:227), setting a record for the event.
“It was awesome,” Noyce said. “It was one of those deals where he just kept getting better from the preliminaries all the way through the finals. And it felt like it was his day no matter what—like he was going to win. It was really cold that year—terrible weather. And it didn’t seem to bother him at all.”
The horse and rider pair were also among the elite who qualified for and competed at the Cow Horse Challenge, presented by Teton Ridge, at The Run for a Million in August of 2022.
A horseman of many hats, Noyce maximizes his expertise and talents by serving as an NRCHA accredited 2A judge as well.
Reined Cow Horse News: What draws you to the reined cow horse?
Kyle Noyce: Oh, it’s a challenge for sure. To me, they’re the best horses there are as far as they’re versatile. They can do just about anything you want to do. They go in so many different directions, and it’s such a specialized world, nowadays. They’re specialized, but unspecialized at the same time, and they can do anything. I kind of like the idea of a horseman that can train a horse to do more than one thing. And that’s what we do with reined cow horse. A really good reined cow horse can go to a reining on Saturday and a cutting on Sunday and maybe go rope next Tuesday to Wednesday. It keeps it very interesting. There’s never really a dull moment.
RCHN: Who have been your greatest men tors, and what did you learn from them?
KN: Specifically in the reined cow horse, I met Chris Dawson that first year out there at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in 2009 and then came down and spent just a little bit of time with him in the winter before the World’s Greatest Horseman and the NRCHA Celebration of Champions, and all that. And through the years, I think he’s probably helped me the most. The move to Oklahoma was a huge change for us. And when we got back to it—I mean we were surrounded by so many really good people. Where we’re at now, we’re real close to Todd Crawford—I have to thank him a ton. He’s helped me a bunch over the last few years. We’ve got a really good peer group here. I mean Lee and Ashley Deacon—we ride together a fair amount. As far as a mentor and steering me where I would need to go, I would say probably Chris.
RCHN: How do you accomplish your training goals?
KN: I try to set achievable goals for each horse individually. Yes, the big goal is to get to the finals at whatever show we’re getting ready for, whether that be the Futurity, the Derby or the Stakes— but, set small goals. Let’s say we’re struggling with a lead change. Let’s try for a week or 10 days to get to where the horse is relaxed about it. Whether they’re actually changing leads or not is one thing. But,
Qif they’re struggling with a lead change they’re worried about it, let’s get them to where they’re relaxed about it. And [take] one step at a time.
AI want to get these horses to where they want to do it. I want them to want to do it. You know when they’re happy about it and they like what they do, and I think that’s a very important quality of a show horse.
RCHN: What is the significance of having a judge’s card to you and, from that perspective, what type of rides draw your big scores on the judge’s card?
I think it helps a bunch. First of all, I think it really helps you understand what a judge is looking for in the show pen and what you can do in the show pen as a rider, as far as when you can help your horse and when you can’t. I think it makes a big difference, and if you’re a judge, you understand the rules. You should understand the penalties and what the judges are looking for to a point where you can show a horse better; you can train a horse better for that discipline or for that [specific] event.
Each horse has a little different style. Some are a little bit more upright. Some are a little more physical. Some are a little more level and smoother, but those things tend to transfer from one event to another, whether it’s in the herd, reining or the fence work. I mean, in the fence work, if they’re smooth and they stop hard and they run down the pen and rate well and can get in the ground and be quickfooted through that turn, they’re going to mark—just like if they can run down the pen smooth and rate well in the reining, and they stop hard, and they turn quick—they’re going to mark.
RCHN: What cow horse would you like to throw a leg over, living or dead?
KN: Doug Williamson trained a horse, Doc At Night, that horse was incredibly fast and such a big fence horse. I’d love to ride him down the fence at least once. And then my friend Erin Taorimino’s Hazardouz Material [owned by Linda Mars].
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At age 14, growing up in California, Mike Lundy had a dream of becoming a reined cow horse trainer. At age 18, he steered into a different career path. And now, in his 40s, he is making that 14-year-old’s dream of success with cow horses come true. Since 2020, Lundy has earned more than $22,000 in the show pen.
“At [age] 10, I had a trainer, Gene Martin, who was like a second father to me for over four years,” Lundy said. “His son, Billy, was winning everything in the bridle and hackamore classes, and I watched him win the Stock Horse Triumph at the Cow Palace in front of a huge rodeo crowd.”
Martin’s barn was a social mecca, where people played darts, harmonicas, cooked and bantered before going out to ride horses.
“It was a blast,” Lundy said. “We’d brand cattle, rope dummies and start Connemara ponies when I was maybe 12. I had experience such as drive-lining them around with a saddle.”
Lundy showed his half-Arabian mare in pleasure and equitation classes before joining the ranks of cow horse exhibitors, even getting to ride at the Cow Palace and Reno Livestock Events Center. Later in his teens, he gravitated into business endeavors.
“I was very entrepreneurial and started businesses from the time I was getting out of high school,” Lundy said. “And then with my best friend, when we were 23, we started our company, Diversified Solutions. It became a successful company focused on cost containment and overcharge recovery for large corporations. We were in the Silicon Valley when we started the company in late 1997. I just worked really, really, really hard and had a lot of naïve enthusiasm and figured I’d be able to get back into horses later.”
“Later” kept becoming later and later, and one day, Lundy realized he was in his 40s.
Lundy moved to Texas and, finally, bought two horses at the Winter Premiere Sale held with the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s World’s Greatest Horseman in 2017.
“I had been going to the horse sales, and so I just hadn’t gotten to the point where I could raise my hand,” Lundy said. “I bought two horses.”
One of those was Cee These Guns, a 2013 bay mare by Colonels Smoking Gun and out of Dun It In The Bay. Lundy planned to ride through the backcountry of New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness on her.
“I was just looking for something that had good handle, and she was reiningtrained,” Lundy said. “I really liked her and got her for a good deal. I didn’t think I would ever show. I didn’t know anything about ‘Gunner’ at that time.”
So, Lundy and “Sasha” started going packing.
“I did a lot of that Man from Snowy River stuff where I’m up at 11,000 feet in the midspring going through snow drifts where my horse is up to its belly in snow and navigating tree fall, and this is the same horse that’s a Superior Reined Cow Horse now,” Lundy said with a laugh.
Lundy’s path to competition was just as unconventional as his path through the mountains. In 2019, he was at the World’s Greatest Horseman and met a new friend who kept encouraging him to come to a Stock Horse of Texas event.
“It was in Belton, Texas, and I just decided to load up my two horses and go there,” Lundy said. “In the back of my mind I thought, ‘If it seems interesting, maybe I’ll even enter.’ ”
Spoiler: He did enter.
“There are four classes in Stock Horse of Texas,” Lundy said. “The first class
“Sasha,”
today.
was reining, and she was reiningtrained. All I’d ever done out in the pasture was practice some lead changes and turnarounds, but I had never run a pattern on her, and I hadn’t run a pattern since I was 17.”
His score of 69 tied him for first place out of 30 in the Novice class, so Lundy was feeling pretty good about his chances. He had mixed results in the next two classes, but then it was time for boxing, and that’s when he confronted the idea that Sasha had never seen a cow before.
“But I figured, ‘Hey, she has good handle and I’ve worked lots of cows in my life, so I’ll just will myself through her and we’ll get it done,’” Lundy said.
“We didn’t do a half bad job. But that was the start. That was when I started to get addicted.”
That’s also when the entrepreneur who started a business at age 23 embraced the challenge of training his own horse to move better and work the cow correctly.
Lundy started going to clinics, reading every book, watching every video and tuning up his horse. At his second show, Lundy earned a buckle as Reserve Champion. He spent more time at Stock Horse of Texas shows before deciding that he preferred rein/cow classes to the other classes.
“I jumped into NRCHA and showed for my very first time at the very last show of 2019,” he said. “And that was my horse’s first time ever working a cow down the fence.”
His takeaway was they needed to work on rate and circling up higher on a cow.
“Because when we stopped, we slid past the cow a little too much because we were going faster than it was,” he said.
Lundy took every lesson from every time he went in the pen and showed all of 2020 with fanaticism, going as far as Montrose, Colorado, to find shows. He also started to buy young horses
and break them himself—starting them bareback.
“It works beautifully for me,” Lundy said. “I don’t recommend it to somebody just to try, because there’s a whole process that I go through.”
Lundy entered 2021 with the same audacious confidence that had always worked so well for him, but a big blow was around the corner.
“My dad was my biggest fan, and we lost him about a week before the 2021 Stallion Stakes, days before what would’ve been my parents 53rd wedding anniversary,” Lundy said. “His parting advice was ‘be kind,’ something with which I remind myself regularly. His belief in me is a huge part of my belief in myself.”
Lundy began entering Limited Open Bridle classes to give himself another go in every show pen and found himself Reserve World Champion at the 2021 NRCHA Celebration of Champions World Show and fourth in the year-end national standings.
“When I was a kid, the Open was the Open, and anybody could go in it,”
“My dad was my biggest fan, and we lost him about a week before the 2021 Stallion Stakes, days before what would’ve been my parents 53rd wedding anniversary. His parting advice was ‘be kind,’ something with which I remind myself regularly. His belief in me is a huge part of my belief in myself.”
Lundy said. “I think a lot of Non Pros are scared to go into it, but if you’re training on your own horses, go enter up in the Limited Open Bridle.”
These days, Lundy is training Sasha and himself to be better in herd work for the Bridle Spectacular three-event class. He’d like to see his herd work scores go up. And he’d like to get Sasha to $25,000 in earnings.
Lundy also plans to pull embryos from her and breed at a level to get his young horses more competitive in the show pen. He plans to show two of them in the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby at the Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions.
He has also started roping on his allaround mare.
“I roped a lot as a kid in breakaway and with the dummy,” Lundy said. “I tune myself up here at my place on a hay bale with a dummy head.”
The dummy stands no chance against him, he said with a laugh.
“It’s fun; that part’s fun,” he said. “But it was another challenge. I think I’d practiced roping live steers maybe once, and then I went and entered one of those Super Spectaculars [at the DT Horses Western Derby]. I didn’t get it on the first loop, but I did get it on the second loop.”
This whole experience has been his second loop—his second chance at reined cow horse—and he has made that catch good.
By Jennifer Denison
The rugged high-desert pastures of the O RO Ranch, north of Prescott, Arizona, is a place where tough cowboys and ranch horses are made. The historic outfit runs cattle on more than 250,000 acres of steep, rocky terrain that is accessible only via horseback in many areas. From the time they are foals, O RO-bred horses learn how to travel in the rocks. By the time they work their way into the cowboy string as 4- or 5-year-olds, they have covered miles of diverse country and roped and sorted thousands of head of cattle. Jed Roark, manager of the O RO, spent more than 20 years starting colts and cowboying on ranches in Colorado, Oklahoma and Wyoming before coming to the O RO nearly five years ago. He has shown in ranch versatility, qualifying for the Ranch Horse Association of American Finals in Abilene, Texas, and placing fourth in the Junior Horse class in 2022 on RO Big Time Chex (RO One Time Kat x RO Chex Win x Dual Winner), aka “Gordon.” The duo made their debut in the Cowboy Class, presented by XIT Ranch, at the 2023 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®
Reined Cow Horse News: What made you decide to enter the Cowboy Class?
Jed Roark: We went and watched the Cowboy Invitational held during The Run For a Million in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I wanted to try it. The XIT Ranch sponsored the event, and I also wanted to support them.
I’ve always followed the cow horse, even when I was living in cow camps. I love the quality of horses and horsemanship, and I enjoy competing. For me, competing is not just about doing your best and winning, but it’s also about seeing how my horses and I measure up to the other horses and riders. I like to bring things back to try and to show the ranch cowboys, so we all get better with hour horses.
I’m proud of the horse I rode, because his genetics trace back to the old bloodlines on the ranch, which predate the American Quarter Horse Association. We’re not trying to raise show horses, but I would like to show that our ranch horses can also go to town and be competitive.
RCHN: What does it take to prepare a horse to go from the wide open spaces of a ranch to the show pen?
JR: The difference between a ranch horse and a true show horse is that a ranch horse must work all day and still have
the stamina get back home at night. When you’re training a show horse, that horse gives you 110 percent for a short time and then it gets put away for the rest of the day. A ranch horse must ride several miles and sort or work a pile of cattle in a day, so you can’t expect it to give you that kind of effort all days long; the horse must pace itself. If you’re training in an arena, you can pull your horse off a cow if things aren’t going right, but on a ranch horse you can’t do that—you must get the job done, no matter what.
If I have a horse that I know has the potential to go to town, I try to split my time between the arena and the ranch. I pick what we do on the ranch, use the horse a few days, then go to the arena in the evening and lope circles to soften it back up.
RCHN: What aspect of your daily ranch work prepared you and your horse for the Cowboy Class?
JR: The whole ranch is rocky—it’s not grassy meadows like we rode in Wyoming—so you can’t go out and expect to train on a horse. I tell our guys to not pick on them. But we rope and sort a lot of cattle. My horse rates cattle really well and he’s stout and strong and doesn’t get pulled around from roping big cattle on the ranch.
Taylor Meek followed her passion to Texas and into the NRCHA’s data and entry results assistant position.
by Kate Bradley Byars Photograph by Cait Russell PhotographyReined Cow Horse News: How did you learn about cow horse and the NRCHA?
Growing up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Taylor Meek tried her hand in different events within the horse industry. But by the time she went to college at Middle Tennessee State University, she was hooked to the versatility of stock horses. Today, she’s followed that feeling to a career with the National Reined Cow Horse Association as data and entry results assistant.
“I started riding horses when I was 7, taking lessons at a hunterjumper barn,” said 22-year-old Meek. “I did that for four years before transitioning to Western pleasure all-around. I rode on equestrian teams all through middle and high school, then through college where I was on the equestrian team and stock horse team at Middle Tennessee State University.”
Prior to graduating with an equine science degree and minors in chemistry and biology, Meek spent a summer internship in Whitesboro, Texas, with reining and ranch riding trainer, and past NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Intermediate Open Finalist, Bud Lyon. It showed her that being in the heart of Texas horse country was where she wanted to be.
“NRCHA’s homebase was nearby and I liked the area, so I scouted out the website and saw a position available; I applied and was hoping to come back out this way once I graduated,” explained Meek.
Soon, she was a fixture in the NRCHA’s Pilot Point office and interfacing with members. As a data and entry results assistant, Meek not only works to record results and assist in show application approval, but she also works to keep all the memberships in order.
“My first premier event on staff was the [2022] Eastern Derby after working here about a month,” she recalled. “It was fun and working in the office [at the show] allowed me to see how our database and system works at shows. Seeing all the work that goes into putting on a show like that, from the show office standpoint, was interesting and a lot of fun.”
Taylor Meek: I first discovered cow horse in high school as it was getting bigger in the Eastern region, and really heard about it through the stock horse association. In college, on the Stock Horse Team, we showed in four events: stock horse pleasure, trail, reining and working cow horse. I showed in that aspect, and we also attended the World’s Greatest Horseman in 2020 as a team. That was the first premier event I attended and got to see that level of horsepower up close. It was a really great experience, and we really enjoyed it; it opened our eyes to the NRCHA as a whole and got us all involved!
RCHN: What excites you working for the association?
TM: Really, I interface with the members, answering the phones, assisting with renewing memberships and answering questions. Finding solutions for member questions is one thing that I enjoy doing daily. I also work with Tina [McCleary] to process shows in a timely manner and check for accuracy. Show secretaries call and I enjoy helping answer their questions.
I also work closely with Emily [Konkel] and she runs all the premier events, so I help her with that data entry and other items that I can take off her plate to help her focus on other tasks. I do travel to our premier event shows, but mainly stay in the home office. Familiarizing myself with the association and the rules allows me to assist in answering questions and provide members with the correct information is a big priority.
RCHN: What are you most looking forward to in 2023?
TM: I’m looking forward to the growth for our association. I love where it is going and the popularity it is gaining amongst people—I see the new memberships coming in all the time! It broadens our horizons as we invite more people into the association, become involved and started in the cow horse. Cow horse is fun, but it is a big family! I love that about the association and how willing everyone is at the shows to talk to each other, help each other out, and you can feel the camaraderie and that it is not just competition for them.
COLUMBUS,
• An Unparalleled Educational Program.
• The Largest Horse-Related Trade Show in North America.
• The “Marketplace” featuring quality consignments for horse & rider.
• The Fantasia (sponsored by Absorbine) — Equine A aire’s signature musical celebration of the horse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
• Breed Pavilion, Horse & Farm Exhibits, Horses for Sale and Demonstrations — Enjoy meeting horses of all shapes, sizes, breeds, colors, and disciplines!
• Equine Fundamentals Forum — Educational presentations, exhibits, and activities for new riders and horse owners, young & old.
• The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition — A fast-paced timed and judged race through an obstacle course with $5,500 at stake!
• Adoption A aire — Find and adopt your next horse at the Adoption A aire, a liated with the Right Horse Initiative!
• A Horse for Heroes — Equine-assisted activities and therapies designed to benefit veterans, active-duty, and first responders, as well as their families.
• NEW! Ohio State 4-H Horse Bowl & Hippology Contest — Teams compete to demonstrate their knowledge of equine science and trivia.
• Youth Activities and a fun and educational College and Career Fair Scavenger Hunt!
Brad Barkemeyer (Reined Cow Horse and Roping)
Rita Timpanaro (Hunter/Jumper)
Bronwyn Irwin (Pole Bending)
Sterling Graburn (Driving)
Carl Bledsoe (Easy Gaited Horses)
Suzanne Galdun (Biomechanics)
Carrie Brandt and Laura Benson (Resonant Riding)
Ali Kermeen (Working Equitation)
Wendy Murdoch (Horsemanship and SureFoot®)
…and many more to be announced!
Horsemen agree that a good hackamore has life and so must the hands on the reins.
Brady Weaver is constantly moving his reins, helping the horse find the center of the bosal where it doesn’t feel pressure. “It’s all about the release,” he said. “I’m constantly lifting and bumping with my reins but never pulling on them or the horse will become dull and resistant.”
Brady Weaver shares his take on transitioning a horse from the hackamore to the bridle to create a cow horse with longevity.
Story and photography by Jennifer Denison
BRIDLE HORSEMEN often remark about being able to ride a horse with only a piece of string in its mouth. Developing such softness and responsiveness comes with years of consistent training that starts with a rawhide-braided hackamore. A traditional piece of equipment introduced to early California by the Spanish Vaquero in the late 1700s during the era of grand ranchos and missions, the hackamore has been refined through the years by generations of horsemen setting the stage for a horse’s training and preparing it for the two-rein and bridle.
With the evolution of reined cow horse and other competitions, horsemen added another tool to their training process—the snaffle bit, which is the foundation for the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s prestigious Snaffle Bit Futurity®. Some horsemen incorporate this before or after starting a horse in a hackamore and before progressing to the two-rein.
Brady Weaver sees a lot of horsemen who ride with their hackamores too high or too low
He adjusts the hackamore so the bosal sits at point where the bony part of the nose meets the soft cartilage. The bosal should fit snugly around the horse’s nose to work off the sensitive areas of the horse’s nose, sides of the face and under the jaw. “Benny told me to adjust the hackamore a little higher than the soft tissue,” Weaver said. “He and Tony both liked it on the harder part of the nose and fitted pretty snug, not to the point there’s no relief, but to where when you bump the reins the horse responds to it.”
Brady Weaver, a cow horse trainer based in Enterprise, Utah, grew up riding racehorses in Blackfoot, Idaho, and became familiar with the snaffle bit and its use in training young horses. However, he had only read about reined cow horses and Vaquero traditions until he was 20 years old and moved to Byron, California, to start colts for John McDonald and cowboy on ranches. Master hackamore horseman Tony Amaral lived a quarter of a mile down the road from Weaver and
loved to talk about horses, hackamores and spade bits to young horsemen willing to listen and learn.
“I had no idea what he was talking about at first,” recalled Weaver. “I was earning $1,000 a month working seven days a week and 14 hours a day, and I’d go down to Tony’s at night and he’d cook me dinner and tell me stories of all the great horses he rode, and then I’d do the dishes. He had all of these [Luis] Ortega hackamores, Blind Bob [Mills horsehair] ropes and Gary Avila silver bits, and it was eye-opening to a young guy from Idaho. When I thought about all the guys Tony learned from, I realized he’s passing down hundreds of years of information to a young guy like me.”
Amaral sparked Weaver’s interest in cow horses and following traditional vaquero training methods. Weaver went on to train cutting horses for a few years before transitioning into cow horses as the discipline gained popularity with his clients. Through the years, he had opportunities to learn from renowned performance horse trainers such as Benny Guitron, Dell Hendricks, Russ Miller, Don Murphy and Randy Paul. One of today’s top cow horse trainers, Weaver shares tips on correctly using the hackamore and making a smooth transition from the hackamore to the bridle, also known as jaquima de freno
The hackamore is a pivotal part of training a cow horse, yet it’s an often misunderstood and misused piece of equipment. Traditionally, the hackamore is the preferred gear to start young horses because it preserves the horse’s mouth while it’s shedding its baby teeth and erupting permanent teeth; this is especially important when starting young futurity colts to show as 3-year-olds.
The hackamore consists of a headstall (or hanger), mecate reins and a braided rawhide or leather bosal. Bosals come in different diameters ranging from ⅝-inch to ½-inch and up ,and often a horseman chooses an mecate of equal diameter. The bosal consists of four key parts: heel knot, cheekpieces, side buttons and the nose button. With a properly adjusted hackamore, these points coincide with the nerves and sensitive parts of a horse’s
“When I thought about all the guys Tony learned from, I realized he’s passing down hundreds of years of information to a young guy like me.”
nose, the sides of its face and under the jaw and send signals to the horse by the lifting and bumping action of the reins.
“In the old days, a lot of the hackamores were 12½ inches long, measured from the inside of the nose button to the heel knot, because the horses had bigger heads,” said Weaver. “If you look at old pictures of horses from the 1920s to ’40s, the mecate was wrapped only a couple of times around the bar of the hackamore because they needed more space to fit the horses’ coarse heads. Today’s horse heads are more refined, and they need shorter hackamores, like 10½ to 11 inches with a 7-inch nose button.”
Weaver likes to adjust the hackamore so the nose button sits approximately halfway between the horse’s eyes and muzzle. He ensures proper placement by feeling the bridge of the horse’s nose and placing it where the bone ends and the sponging cartilage and soft tissue begin. It’s also important that the hackamore be adjusted so the heel knot contacts the jaw when he lifts the reins and that the heel knot readily drops away from the horse’s jaw when he releases the reins.
For a tighter fit, Weaver adds a wrap around the heel knot, while for more space he releases a wrap. If the hanger rubs up against a horse’s eyes, Weaver ties a small piece of leather to each side of the hanger to pull down the headstall.
The hackamore functions through the life of the rider’s hands, offering a give and release motion through lifting and bumping the rein. Akin to a snaffle, the hackamore also works off direct rein pressure, but its main purpose is to introduce indirect rein pressure, or neck reining, which will be honed during the two rein and bridle phases of training.
“The hackamore has similarities to the snaffle, but it works differently and you have to ride differently with it,” said
Weaver. “Tony always told me when riding with a hackamore to keep my hands up [above the saddle’s cantle] and wide with the [mecate] coming out of the ends of my pinkie fingers.”
With his hands in that position, Weaver uses direct pressure on the reins to turn left and right but also follow with a neck rein cue with the outside rein. However, instead of pulling on the reins he uses a lift and bump motion to help the horse find the center of the hackamore where there is no pressure.
Right: The two-rein prepares the horse for neck reining and packing a bit. Weaver adjusts the sides of his headstall so the ties face the outside and don’t rub again the bosalita or horse’s cheeks.
Below: Weaver rides his horses in circles while getting the horse used to the hackamore. He encourages lateral flexion through the neck and rib cage, and vertical flexion over the neck and poll by lifting and bumping his reins.
“If you pull on the hackamore, it’ll lock onto a horse’s nose,” he explained. “The horse will become numb to it and soon learn to run through it. You’ve got to keep your hands alive to direct the horse’s nose to the center of the hackamore where it finds the release.
“The hackamore is really just a bluff,” he added, “and you can lose control or scare a horse if you don’t know how to use it. I want to establish a little bit of control in the hackamore and teach the horse lateral flexion to the right and left and to arc over its topline for collection.”
After a couple of months in the hackamore, Weaver introduces the snaffle. Although it is not part of the traditional bridle horse training process, it is an important part of modern cow horse competition. He adjusts it so that there’s a slight wrinkle on the corners’ of the horse’s mouth.
“When you put a snaffle in a horse’s mouth you can get a little more drive and collection than you can with a hackamore,” said Weaver. “The horse also won’t run through it as easily. In cow horse, it can be really scary going down the fence if your horse doesn’t have a [sensitive] nose and you don’t have control.”
A snaffle works off direct rein pressure and applies pressure to the outside of the
bit and the bars of the horse’s mouth. He practices a lot of lateral flexion exercises, as well as sending a horse straight down the pen, collecting its frame and stopping.
“There’s no real secret in the transition between the hackamore and snaffle,” said Weaver. “If you’re good with your hands and keep them alive it’s not hard.”
In his training program, Weaver may use the hackamore one day and the snaffle the next, based on what he’s working on and how the horse responds.
Once a horse is proficient in the hackamore and snaffle, Weaver rides in a tworein rig, usually when the horse is 6 years old, in preparation for the bridle.
In NRCHA competition, a rider can compete in both two-rein and the bridle, but if Weaver could have his way, he would prefer to keep the horse in the two rein for an entire year for longevity.
“John Ward told me to ride a horse in a
two rein for a year and take that time to get the horse in the bridle,” said Weaver.
In Amaral’s days, he would put a horse in a two rein and then hang the spade loosely in a horse’s mouth without reins to teach the horse to pack it before introducing the signal.
“They would put salt or glycerin on the spoon and mouthpiece and the horse would start licking it and rolling the cricket, which increased salivations, and would pick up the bit in its mouth,” said Weaver. “Pretty soon the horse is learning to pick up the bridle before you even touch the reins. Benny always said a horse would relax its neck muscles if it’s working its tongue and rolling the cricket.”
When the horse responds to subtle tworein cues while packing the bit, Weaver moves to the full bridle. Taking the time to take the horse through the entire process ensures a smooth transition to the spade and builds a confident cow horse for years to come.
“The hackamore is really just a bluff, and you can lose control or scare a horse if you don’t know how to use it.”
Incentives are nothing new to the horse industry, but the consistent payout from the APHA-sponsored Chrome Cash lures breeders toward more colorful cow horses.
One of the challenges for reined cow horse newcomers is understanding the divisions and classes they can enter in the National Reined Cow Horse Association. Even seasoned showmen can be thrown for a loop when new incentives are added or classes are revised. Although Chrome Cash began in 2019, the incentive based on a horse’s registration instead of parentage seems to draw confusion from competitors.
Started by the American Paint Horse Association, Chrome Cash encourages competitors to register their horses as Paints if they’re eligible. It also provides more earning opportunities for registered Paint Horses. Double registering a horse can raise its value initially and allow the horse to compete for additional earnings at a show it was already entered.
Since its start in the NRCHA, the Chrome Cash program doubled at the Snaffle Bit Futurity® from 12 entries in 2020 to 32 in 2021. In 2022, Chrome Cash paid out $10,000 in added money at NRCHApremier events and another $22,000 at the APHA World Championship Show in the working cow horse Chrome Cash Challenge classes. At the 2022 Celebration of Champions, NRCHA Youth member Emily Kent won the Non Pro Derby with her Paint, On the Reydio (Reydioactive x Bewitching Ichi x Cat Ichi), and cashed in on the incentive.
This year, all five NRCHA premier events will have $2,000 added in Chrome Cash, with Linda McMahon’s McSpyder Ranch at the upcoming Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions and the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes.
Curious about the Chrome Cash Incentive? We went straight to the source, Sunny Bates, APHA Chrome Cash representative, to gain insight.
GunnaLetThePaintFlo and Trey Pool topped the Level 1 Open in the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby in 2021, adding to their NRCHA earnings were the Chrome Cash funds from the horse’s Paint registration.
Reined Cow Horse News: Do you have to do anything during registration, like pay into an incentive?
Sunny Bates: There is no incentive fee during registration. You are required to become an APHA member to register a horse. Registration costs are at their lowest while the horse is a foal or weanling, but you can always register as your horse gets older. Your membership must be kept up to date to enter Chrome Cash.
RCHN: Are specific horses eligible or all registered paints?
SB: All registered Paints are eligible for Chrome Cash. Many Quarter Horses bred from double-registered stock may also be eligible. There are many more sires and dams not listed on the website that are registered with APHA. In Paint terminology there are “regular registry,” and “solid bred paints” regular registry are those horses that you would recognize as a Paint immediately. Solid bred means a horse may not have many white markings, but because it had a Paint parent it can be registered. Any offspring from registered stock is eligible.
Loudly
RCHN: How does someone find out if their horse’s parents are double registered?
SB: You can always ask the breeder; many breeders do not advertise that their horses are double registered. Many horses are double registered with the AQHA, it provides more opportunities for a horse and its riders to compete. There is a list of popular cow horse sires and dams whose offspring qualify regardless of markings on the Chrome Cash webpage, including Stevie Rey Von, Smooth As A Cat, Metallic Rebel, Dual Reyish, Shes Twice as Smooth and Sadie The Cat. If you don’t find your horse’s sire or dam on the website don’t worry, there are more than a million registered Paints, if you call the APHA they will be able to tell you if your horse can potentially be registered.
[If the horse has white markings and no APHA parentage], that is called a “cropout” in Paint terminology. If a horse without APHA registered parents has two inches of white above its hock or knee it’ll qualify for regular registry. If you draw a line from your horse’s ear, behind its eye and to its lips and there is two inches of white behind that line the horse is also eligible.
RCHN: Am I able to show a cow horse at APHA events or just in NRCHA Chrome Cash classes?
SB: Once registered you can show at APHA events as well as any other association you were already competing in. Chrome Cash may be paid at NRCHA, American Rope Horse Futurity Association, National Cutting Horse Association, World Cutting Horse Association and National Reining Horse Association events internationally. In addition, competing at select NRCHA events may qualify you to attend the APHA World Show. On the flip side, finalists at the 2022 APHA World Show in cow horse classes earned themselves a qualification to the Celebration of Champions.
Chrome Cash classes will take place at the Celebration of Champions, Stallion Stakes, Western Derby, Eastern Derby and the Snaffle Bit Futurity® in 2023. The incentive was started by the APHA, however, the NRCHA handles the entries and payouts at the shows.
RCHN: Is Chrome Cash a class or how does an exhibitor/horse get signed up?
SB: All you have to do is have a registered Paint horse and get entered for your show. It’s a “side pot,” or a class within a class, so there will not be working finals. It’s just like the NRCHA Select division classes or other breeding based incentives. To be entered select the Chrome Cash option on your regular NRCHA entry form.
RCHN: Is it worth it to get another membership and register my horse just to be eligible for Chrome Cash?
SB: That’s up to you! Last year Vince Von and Sarah Dawson took home $1,240 in Chrome Cash earnings in the Open division of the Snaffle Bit Futurity®, while Brandon Buttars, Todd Crawford, Shane Steffen and Matt Koch also rode Paint horses to incentive winnings. In the Non Pro divisions Debbie Crafton and Sophia Buttars split the $1,300 pot to each take home $650. As these classes continue to grow, they will payout more and more.
For more information, visit apha.com/programs/chromecash/, or contact Sunny Bates at 817-219-7985.
The XIT Ranch is steeped in ranching traditions, which makes it a perfect complement to establish a horse program focused on reined cow horse.
Reined Cow Horse Association through Corporate sponsorship and sponsorship of the Cowboy Class.
“We believe strongly in Vaquero traditions and know that making a bridle horse is a testament to this heritage,” Knowles said. “The NRCHA honors this philosophy and is a great partner for the XIT. Reined cow horse is the epitome of what we do on the ranch and the introduction of the Cowboy Class is something we can really get behind.”
In 2021, Knowles met NRCHA professional Ben Baldus, of Gainesville, Texas, at the Return to the Remuda Sale at the 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas. That meeting helped launch today’s horse program, which emphasizes cow horses that can complete a job.
He now owns competitive cow horses that both Baldus and NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Matt Koch show. A crowning achievement for the XIT brand was when both bridle mares the ranch owns made the Open Bridle Finals during the 2022 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ranching and reined cow horse have long gone together on the West Coast, but today, that complementary partnership is extending to ranches and horse programs throughout the West. A prime example is the horse program launching from the historic XIT Ranch, which has its cattle operation based in Channing, Texas, and its horse program in La Veta, Colorado.
Originally founded in 1885 in the Texas Panhandle as a land grant in return for funding a new Texas Capitol building,
the XIT was run by the Farwell brothers and spanned 3 million acres. While legends around the ranch never died, it ceased cattle operations in 1912 and sold the remaining land in the 1960s. Today, XIT family member and John Farwell’s three times great grandson, Drew Knowles, is bringing the famous brand back to life.
Needing a horse that understands how to work cattle and is athletic enough to get any job done on any terrain, Knowles turned to cow horses. And in turn, he started supporting the National
“The type of mare that can compete in the Bridle classes, they carry a reputation for the owner,” Baldus said. “A rider may have multiple but, most of the time, a good bridle horse for the bridle spectacular and the World’s Greatest. With the added money to those type of events in the last few years, I think you are seeing a focus on some of the older horses, which is great for the longevity of our sport and our horse’s careers.”
Play Rey Sugar Baby, shown by Baldus and sired by Kit Kat Sugar, finished eighth in the deep field, and Smart Ladies Sparkle, shown by Matt Koch and sired by WR This Cats Smart, earned the
Reserve Champion title. Koch sold the mare to Knowles in early 2022.
“It was nice to have someone come along and appreciate her as much as we do, and we were able to sell her to [the Knowles] and give her a chance to be bred to the best stallions out there, and help their program out,” Koch said.
For Knowles, watching the mare show is fun, but when his show horses return to the ranches to gather and brand cattle, that is the epitome of the horse he wants to raise.
“The trainers who work with our horses take great care with individualized training for each horse. Each understands that making a bridle horse is a journey and a partnership,” he said. “We are thrilled with our team’s success in the show pen but have never been prouder than when one of our show horses comes to branding.”
With high quality mares to breed to, Knowles set about finding his ideal sires. The journey led him to Kit Kat Sugar, sired by High Brow Cat. He purchased the horse in August of 2002 not only to
breed to his mares but also to become the pillar of the XIT Ranch’s breeding program.
“Kit Kat Sugar is strong and well balanced with straight and clean legs. He’s got a good wither and a strong back that can hold a saddle. ‘Skeet’ is built to stop and passes this along to his offspring. Another very important factor for us
earnings from the Open Bridle at the Snaffle Bit, Scooter Kat, the class Champion, is also by Kit Kat Sugar and Skeet’s top producer. The XIT Ranch stands the stallion to the public at the 6666 Ranch in Guthrie.
With a solid foundation of mares and an incredibly talented stallion in the XIT’s arsenal, its impact in the reined cow horse is yet to be seen. Along with the XIT Ranch, the re-emergence of several ranch owned and raised horses making a name in cow horse is a sign that the historic and traditional roots of both industries haven’t strayed far from where they started.
is that his disposition is fantastic—he’s friendly, great to be around and easy to handle around mares,” Knowles said.
“Kit Kat Sugar quickly proved he’s a great producer, too, and now has over $8 million in offspring earnings. We are breeding him to all of our top producing mares as well as our ranch mares. We know he’s the total package and are blessed to have him as the first XIT stallion in the modern era.”
In addition to Play Rey Sugar Baby’s
“It is a great complement to our sport that historic ranches want to be involved in the reined cow horse,” Baldus said. “I think the cow horse fits the ranch programs, also. We like a horse with a little more size and speed to go down the fence; most ranches like a horse with a little more size to catch cattle outside when they need to and a horse that can be used all day if they have to. The XIT is coming back as a household name again. It has a lot of history behind it and a rebirth with Drew Knowles and his family.”
3401 W. Lancaster Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
February 10 - 20, 2023
8:00 AM Coliseum Derby Herd Work: Open Divisions - settle @7:40
8:00 AM John Justin Arena Derby Rein Work: Non Pro Boxing Divisions
Derby Rein Work: Non Pro Divisions
2:00 PM Watt Arena Preliminaries: pending class size of INPBX/LNPBX Intermediate & Ltd NP Boxing**
8:00 AM Coliseum Derby Herd Work: Open Divisions (cont.) - settle @7:40
8:30 AM John Justin Arena Special: SHTX Intercollegiate Challenge Preliminaries: Intermediate & Limited NP Bridle**
8:00 AM Watt Arena Preliminaries: Intermediate & Ltd NP Boxing**
8:00 AM Coliseum Derby Herd Work: Open Divisions (cont.) - settle @7:40 WORLD’S GREATEST HORSEMAN Preliminaries: Herd Work
12:00 PM John Justin Arena Finals: Intermediate Non Pro Boxing Finals: Intermediate Non Pro Bridle Finals: Ltd Non Pro Boxing
8:00 AM Coliseum Derby Herd Work: Non Pro Divisions - settle @7:40
8:00 AM John Justin Arena Derby Rein Work: Open Divisions
8:30 AM Watt Arena Preliminaries: Non Pro Boxing ** Preliminaries: Box Drive
8:00 AM Coliseum Derby Herd Work: Divisions - settle @7:40 Non Pro Boxing
8:00 AM John Justin Arena Derby Rein Work: Open Divisions - L1/NH Finals: Limited Non Pro Bridle WORLD’S GREATEST HORSEMAN Preliminaries: Rein Work
WEDNESDAY - FEBRUARY 15
8:00 AM Coliseum
Preliminaries: Non Pro Hackamore Derby Cow Work: Non Pro Boxing Divisions
Tentative Schedule as of January 1, 2023 All subject to change.
8:00 AM Coliseum Preliminaries: Open Hackamore / IOH Derby Cow Work: Non Pro Divisions
8:00 AM John Justin Arena Finals: Non Pro Boxing TBD John Justin Arena WORLD’S GREATEST HORSEMAN
Preliminaries: Steer Stopping followed by Cow Work World’s Greatest Youth Horseman Steer Stopping
FRIDAY - FEBRUARY 17
8:00 AM Coliseum
Preliminaries: Limited Open Bridle
Preliminaries: Youth Boxing / YBX 13&U
8:00 AM John Justin Arena Preliminaries: Youth Cow Horse / YCH 13&U / WGYH Finals: Non Pro Hackamore Preliminaries: Open Bridle / IOB Finals: Non Pro Bridle
SATURDAY - FEBRUARY 18
8:30 AM Coliseum Special: NHSRA Reined Cow Horse Challenge 11:00 AM John Justin Arena World’s Greatest Youth Horseman Herd Work
WORLD’S GREATEST HORSEMAN Finals: Herd Work 5:00 PM (approx) Coliseum Finals: Steer Stopping Finals: Rein Work World’s Greatest Youth Horseman Fence Only Finals Finals: Cow Work
SUNDAY - FEBRUARY 19
10:00 AM Coliseum
Preliminaries: Open Two Rein Preliminaries: Limited Open Hackamore
Preliminaries: Non Pro Two Rein
10:00 AM John Justin Arena Finals: Youth Cow Horse Finals: Open Hackamore Finals: Youth Boxing Finals: Limited Open Bridle
MONDAY - FEBRUARY 20
Preliminaries: Non Pro Bridle**
8:00 AM John Justin Arena Finals: Box Drive Derby Cow Work: Open Divisions
8:30 AM John Justin Arena Finals: Open Two Rein Finals: Limited Open Hackamore Finals: Non Pro Two Rein Finals: Open Bridle ** Select classes (55 & over) are offered and run concurrent with only one corresponding preliminary based on exhibitor choice.
They may have earned the title, on their own horses, but that doesn’t mean a World’s Greatest Horseman champion doesn’t have a favorite in this field of elite horses!
How many reined cow horse enthusiasts could rattle off a half-dozen horses that have been crowned World’s Greatest Horseman champions alongside their rider? More than a few of us, we are sure! No matter if it is from the first few years of the event where Katie Starlight and Ted Robinson captured two titles, or when Russell Dilday and Topsail Rien Maker took three titles in the event, the crowd has their favorite runs.
The same is true for those competing—and winning—this elite event that requires a rider and their equine partner to cut, rein, go down the fence and steer stop. It’s the World’s Greatest Horseman but could just as easily be called the “world’s most versatile horse and man.” Since the event began in 1999, 21 horses have carried their rider to the prestigious title, with three horses having earned multiple wins:
• Katie Starlight (Grays Starlight x Colonel Gunsmoke x Colonel Freckles) – 1999, 2001 | Shown by Ted Robinson and owned by Paula Hunsicker
• Topsails Rien Maker (Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay x Toby Gay Bar) — 2008, 2009, 2011 | Shown by Russell Dilday and owned by Kevin Cantrelle and Russell Dilday
• Olena Oak (Smart Chic Olena x Fritzs Oak E Doakie x Docs Oak) — 2012, 2013 | Shown by Ron Emmons and owned by Mel Smith & Nichole Scott in 2012; LaDona Emoons & Nichole Scott in 2013
Taking that into consideration, Reined Cow Horse News asked the past 10 years of World’s Greatest Horseman Champion riders: “What past champion horse, living or dead and not your own, would you have wanted to show in this event?”
Here are their answers! Be sure to get your ticket to the 2023 Western Bloodstock, BDB Breeders and Hashtags World’s Greatest Horseman Finals held in the Will Rogers Coliseum on Saturday, February 18 .
“There’s a lot of nice horses to pick from, for sure, but if I had to pick one I’d choose A Chic In Time. One of the first horse shows I competed in was the [National Stock Horse Association] pre-Futurity in Fresno,California, where I got to watch Ron win The World’s Richest on him and it was a very impressive performance. I’ve always admired that horse and it has stuck with me ever since.”
“Hott Rod is a pretty awesome horse. I think he is a freaky, physical individual. The Finals in the herd work, and then his fence run, was standout [in 2022], he uses his body so well and is really physical.”
Gunna Be A Smartie (2021 Champion with Shane Steffen)
“I chose Gunna Be A Smartie because she looks like she is all heart and very honest. Plus, she’s a black horse and I like that.”
Topsails Rien Maker (2008, 2009 & 2011 Champion with Russell Dilday)
“When I was first getting to know cow horse, he was really getting showing and one that was fun for me to watch. I never watched him at the World’s Greatest, but one year at Paso Robles during a bridle spectacular, he stood out.They had the cutting in the rodeo arena outside, and the cows were big and hard, and won the herd work. He had a cow that was really trying him [in the fence work] and he went out there and made fence turns out there in the middle of the pen. It is something that stands out to me.”
A Chic In Time (2004 Champion with Ron Ralls)
“He has always been one of my favorites. The first big show I got to see was when he won the $100,000 World’s Richest Stockhorse at Fresno [California],” said Phillips. “Ron has always been a hero of mine, and to me looking back, that horse represents what a true big time cow horse is supposed to be.”
COREY CUSHING, 2015, 2019 & 2022 Champion Oh Cay N Short (2014 Champion with Boyd Rice)
“It would have to be Oh Cay N Short. I watched that horse when Boyd won the Futurity on him, all through the Derby years and then Boyd goes and wins the World’s Greatest on him. I actually showed ‘Coyote’ for an hour to catch ride him, and beat Boyd on him, but he was so strong and so physical, and had his own look and characteristics about him.”
Very Smart Remedy (2005 Champion with Jon Roeser)
“I got to thinking about it and a horse in all four events, and a fence horse, I was between Gunna Be A Smartie and Very Smart Remedy. I picked the stallion because he has great conformation and he’s really good in all four events.”
Year Rider Horse Gender Pedigree Owner Score
1999 Ted Robinson Katie Starlight M Grays Starlight x Colonel Gunsmoke x Colonel Freckles Paula Hunsicker 865
2000 Bob Avila Paid By Chic S Smart Chic Olena x Oaklynn x Docs Oak Paid By Partners) 871 (Jim Babcock/Jim Dunn
2001 Ted Robinson Katie Starlight M Grays Starlight x Colonel Gunsmoke x Colonel Freckles Paula Hunsicker 594.5
2003 Ron Ralls Cowgirls Are Smart M Smart Chic Olena x Sweet San Badger x Peppy San Badger Jim Babcock and 594 George Heckman
2004 Ron Ralls A Chic In Time S Smart Chic Olena x Paula Tari x Tari Glo Broken B Ranch 582.5
2005 Jon Roeser Very Smart Remedy S Smart Little Lena x Remedys Response x Doc’s Remedy Anne M. Reynolds 584
2006 Andy Adams Just Plain Cat S High Brow Cat x Shes Alenaglow Rio x Doc Olena Robert Smith III 871.5
2007 Bob Avila Light N Fine S Grays Starlight x Lenas Fine Freckle x Doc Olena Rhodes River Ranch 870.5
2008 Russell Dilday Topsails Rien Maker S Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay x Toby Gay Bar Cantrelle & Dilday 867
2009 Russell Dilday Topsails Rien Maker S Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay x Toby Gay Bar Cantrelle & Dilday 884
2010 Randy Paul Smokeelan S Elans Playboy x Smart Little Smokee x Smart Little Lena Jill Smiekel - George 875
2011 Russell Dilday Topsails Rien Maker S Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay x Toby Gay Bar Cantrelle & Dilday 874
2012 Ron Emmons Olena Oak S Smart Chic Olena x Fritzs Oak E Doakie x Docs Oak Mel Smith & Nichole Scott 885
2013 Ron Emmons Olena Oak S Smart Chic Olena x Fritzs Oak E Doakie x Docs Oak LaDona Emmons 874 & Nichole Scott
2014 Boyd Rice Oh Cay N Short S Oh Cay Quixote x Bit Of Shorty x Shorty Lena Boyd Rice 877.5
2015 Corey Cushing PRF Spoonful Of Gold S Hes A Peptospoonful x Sons Miss Sprat x Sons Rushette Cathy Corrigan Frank 889
2016 Clayton Edsall Skeets Oak Peppy G Skeets Peppy x Oak Ill Be x Ill Be Smart Clayton Edsall 883
2017 John Swales Heza Diamond Spark S Diamond J Star x Sheza Shinette x Shining Spark 7 P Ranch 874
2018 Kelby Phillips Hickory Holly Time S One Time Pepto x Hickorys Holly Cee x Doc’s Hickory DT Horses 890.5
2019 Corey Cushing Sonita Lena Rey G Dual Rey x Sonita Lena Chick x Smart Chic Olena Sheri Jamieson 877
2020 John Swales Metallic Cat Rose M Metallic Cat x Teletrona x Little Trona Jerry and Nicole Myer 878.5
2021 Shane Steffen Gunna Be A Smartie M Very Smart Remedy x Gunna Be Mine x Gunna Smoke McSpyder Ranch 894
2022 Corey Cushing Hott Rod S Hottish x Sugars Smart Kitty x High Brow Cat Lynne Wurzer 893 * not held in 2002
Year Rider Horse Gender Pedigree
Owner Score
2019 Trevor Hale Survive These Lips G CD Survivor x Lipschic x Smart Chic Olena Trevor Hale 723
2020 Trail Townsend TRR Lucky Playgun G Pepciid x TRR Ms Lucky Gun x Playgun Tripp Townsend 727
2021 Cutter McLaughlin CD Dee Vee Dee G CD Lights x Shiners Missy Jay x Shining Spark Jay & Wendy McLaughlin 746.5
2022 Emily Kent CallMe Mister Mister G Mister Dual Pep X Travelin With Sass x Travelena Leslie Kent 746
The NRCHA Merit Award Program recognizes outstanding equine performers at all competition levels.
Merit is defined as “the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward.” The National Reined Cow Horse Association Merit Award Program recognizes equines that have performed at a consistent level of excellence in reined cow horse. Using their show record, which encompasses an entire career rather than single major event titles, as criteria enables the horse to earn distinction by winning smaller checks at regional and national competitions across the United States. The NRCHA Merit Award Program is a testament to the longevity of those stalwart athletes whose owners and/or trainers can depend on them to bring home a win.
Bet Lucky 13 was ridden by both trainer Todd Crawford and owner Allysn Light to more than $53,000 to earn the Certificate of Ability, Superior and Supreme reined cow horse recognition.
The Certificate of Ability is the first award for which a money-earning reined cow horse can qualify. A horse will be certified after winning a total of $500 in any NRCHA class or combination of classes. It is the NRCHA’s intention that the Certificate of Ability be available to several horses that demonstrate proficiency in cow horse competition. Earnings from Category 2 Special Events are not counted toward this award.
Bet Lucky 13 / owned by Robert and Allysn Light
Chelano / owned by Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Sanguinetti
Flint McCullough / owned by Randy and Celia Gamble
HeloMyNamesJohnyCash / owned by Lance and Tammy Johnston
Martinis Bet 15 / owned by Birgit Self
Mr Shiney Lights / owned by Renee L. Berrey
Remys Merada / owned by Lucava Farms Inc.
Smokum Every Time / owned by Daniel G. Heath
Steady Step / owned by Cheryl A. Swanson
Upper Class Cat / owned by Redtail Ranch Perf Horses LLC
The Metal Doctor / owned by Robert and Cheryl Chown
Xtra Short Trick / owned by Robert and Cheryl Chown
BMP Starfire Pepinic / owned by Cody Heintz
Boons Smart Starlite / owned by Richard L. Charrier
CR Tuff Mercedes / owned by Cuadra Las Gatas
Daisies / owned by Nick and Morgan Penlerick
Playing With Rey / owned by Linda Cellini
Rockstar Lights / owned by Paula Hardy Bremel
RPL Boon / owned by Nancy J. Winkelman
Seven S Corona / owned by Rebecca Winfield
Starlight Time / owned by Stacy Gardner
Starlights Sweet Cat / owned by Lori Seligman
Tee Boone / owned by J.T. and Sandra Neal III
Very Handy Remedy / owned by Corina E. Curtis
DCR High As A Cat / owned by Sabrina Alexis Neiswanger
Arc Peptos Belle / owned by S & T Kirkpatrick/C. Greene
Autumns Purple Rain / owned by Linda Cellini
Bet Shes A Delight / owned by Kelsey or Justin Mueller
CR Cee Its Tuff / owned by Stan Rowlan
Einsteins Cashnchex / owned by Ronja Schippers
Extra Sharp Shooter / owned by Lindsey Thigpen
Jacqueline Jackson / owned by Stan Rowlan
LCR Ambers Last Call / owned by Lisa C. Reiter
LCR ShowedUp InBoots / owned by Lisa C. Reiter
Once In Time / owned by Kelsey or Justin Mueller
Sanna Clara / owned by Kelsey or Justin Mueller
SBF Smooth Reyna / owned by David and Rebecca King
Sioux Wii / owned by Joleen D. Smith
Smooth Cat Voo / owned by Calley Rae Satriana
Snappin Pancho / owned by Rachael G. Snow
SparksGenuineArticle / owned by Leslie D. Thompson
Text Him / owned by Collin Stochmanski
Wing AndA Prayer / owned by Calley Rae Satriana
WKK WhiskeyOnTheRoad / owned by Billie Jo Belt
A horse that has earned $10,000 in any NRCHA class or combination of classes or events may receive the Superior Cow Horse award. All earnings from reined cow horse snaffle bit events can be added to the hackamore and bridle winnings to total $10,000 to receive this award. The NRCHA believes that any horse that wins $10,000 in a single class or combination of classes and events is certainly considered a Superior Cow Horse and should be recognized. Earnings from Non Pro Limited, $5,000 Non Pro Limited, $1,000 Non Pro Limited, Youth Limited and Category 2 Special Events are not counted toward this award.
Bet Lucky 13 / owned by Robert and Allysn Light
BMP Starfire Pepinic / owned by Cody Heintz
Boons Smart Starlite / owned by Richard L. Charrier
Chelano / owned by Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Sanguinetti
CR Tuff Mercedes / owned by Cuadra Las Gatas
Daisies / owned by Nick and Morgan Penlerick
Flint McCullough / owned by Randy and Celia Gamble
HeloMyNamesJohnyCash / owned by Lance or Tammy Johnston
LRR Smart Sioux Zett / owned by Lisa C. Reiter
Martinis Bet 15 / owned by Birgit Self
Mr Shiney Lights / owned by Renee L. Berrey
Playing With Rey / owned by Linda Cellini
Remys Merada / owned by Lucava Farms Inc.
Rockstar Lights / owned by Paula Hardy Bremel
RPL Boon / owned by Nancy J Winkelman
Seven S Corona / owned by Rebecca Winfield
Smokum Every Time / owned by Daniel G. Heath
Starlight Time / owned by Stacy Gardner
Starlights Sweet Cat / owned by Lori Seligman
Steady Step / owned by Cheryl A. Swanson
Tee Boone / owned by J.T. and Sandra Neal III
The Metal Doctor / owned by Robert and Cheryl Chown
Upper Class Cat / owned by Redtail Ranch Perf Horses LLC
Very Handy Remedy / owned by Corina E. Curtis
Xtra Short Trick / owned by Robert and Cheryl Chown
The Non Pro Boxing Achievement award was first presented by the NRCHA Board in 2019 as the Non Pro Limited award. It recognized the value Limited Non Pro horses and riders contribute to the Association, and in return, added a new award to the long-standing program. Non Pro Boxing and Youth Boxing riders meeting criteria can receive the Non Pro Limited Achievement Award, a new level specifically designed for horses that excel in their classes. To qualify, the horse must have earned a minimum of $15,000 with a minimum of $1,000 in Limited Aged Events, such as Derbies or Futurities. This money can be earned in either fence class or boxing classes. A minimum of $10,000 must be earned in Horse Show Category 1 Boxing classes, including monies earned in the Select and 13 and Under divisions. Monies earned in Category 2 classes will not count toward the award.
The Supreme Reined Cow Horse Award is reserved for the unique individual that has shown and won money in all divisions and garnered $25,000 in earnings. A horse must meet the following criteria:
a. The horse must have been shown in approved Limited Age Events (LAE) and earned at least $1,000 in these events. The horse must have been shown in the hackamore and have earned at least $1,000 in this event. Money earned at the NRCHA Hackamore Classic limited age event may count toward either LAE money or hackamore money, so long as it is counted only once. Up to $20,000 of any monies won at these two types of events can be applied to the total earnings required.
b. The horse must win a total of $25,000. After considering the totals earned from Limited Age Events and the hackamore, with the limitations previously stated, the remaining balance must be won in the bridle division.
c. Money earned in the Non Pro Limited, $5,000 Non Pro
Limited, $1,000 Non Pro Limited and Youth Limited classes does not count toward the Supreme Reined Cow Horse Award.
d. To fulfill the hackamore requirement, earnings must come from NRCHA Horse Show Hackamore classes or Hackamore Classic LAE money can count toward either LAE money or hackamore money, so long as it is counted only once.
e. Money earned in the two-rein class will count as bridle earnings for the merit award program.
f. Foals of 2000 and prior will be grandfathered into this program and are not required to have won the $1,000 in Limited Age Events and hackamore, but still must win a total of $25,000. As of January 1, 2002, earnings which count toward the Merit Awards are all NRCHA Approved horse shows, LAE and Category 1 Special Events.
Merit Award applications are available at nrcha.com/nrchamerit-awards-program/.
Bet Hesa Cat x Miss Lucky Starlight x Grays Starlight
Earnings: $53,427.72
Owner(s): Robert and Allysn Light Rider(s): Todd Crawford, Allysn Light Chelano/2011 G
Earnings: Earnings: $25,200.83
Dual Rey x Starlight Playgirl x Grays Starlight Owner(s): Mr. and Mrsx W.J. Sanguinetti Rider(s): Jake Telford, Debby Sanguinetti
Flint McCullough 2016/G
Earnings: $25,255.48
Smart Boons x Smart Dueling Chic x Smart Chic Olena Owner(s): Randy amd Celia Gamble Rider(s): Randy Gamble, Todd Bergen
HeloMyNamesJohnyCash/2014 S
Earnings: $57,016.60
Cee Mr Hickory x Smart Card Chex x Ill Be Smart Owner(s): Lance or Tammy Johnston Rider(s):Lance Johnston
Martinis Bet 15/2015 G
Earnings: $32,174.21
Bet Hesa Cat X Dual Martini X Dual Rey Owner(s): Birgit Self Rider(s): Matt Koch, Ben Baldus, Birgit Self, Ben Self, Chris Anderson, Sarah Anderson
Mr Shiney Lights/2012 G
Earnings: $62,380.68
CD Lights x Lil Miss Shiney Chex x Shining Spark Owner(s): Renee L. Berrey Rider(s): Nicolas Barthelemy, Renee Berrey, Chris Dawson, Sarah Dawson, Garth Gardiner, Stefan Heim, Kelby Phillips
Remys Merada/2015 S
Earnings: $89,126.48
Cats Merada x Chicks Sassy Nic x Reminic Owner(s): Lucava Farms Inc. Rider(s): Jared Jones, Justin Wright
Smokum Every Time/2015 S
Earnings: $61,744.26
One Time Pepto x Smokums Dream x Smokums Prize Owner(s): Daniel G. Heath Rider(s): Justin Wright, Toni Hagen Heath
Steady Step/2012 G
Earnings: $25,945.89
RC Fancy Step x DA Steady Cat Dancer x Steady Tradition Owner(s): Cheryl A. Swanson Rider(s): Ben Baldus, Cheryl Swanson, Keith Vogel
Upper Class Cat/2015 M Earnings: $43,893.20
Moms Stilish Cat x DJ Little Star x Diamond J Star Owner(s): Redtail Ranch Perf Horses LLC Rider(s): Jeremy Meador
Deluxe Strlit Night/2015 M
Earnings: $48,559.47
Lena Inthe Starlight x Ima Deluxe Playgirl x Mr Play Holly Owner(s): Green Pine Ranch Rider(s): Dale Clearwater
Hesa Dual Bet/2016 S Earnings: $192,227.16
Bet Hesa Cat x RJJ Miss Viagra Pep x Dual Pep Owner(s): Teton Ridge Rider(s): Corey Cushing, Matt Koch
MC CowHammer/2015 S Earnings: $93,108.62
Metallic Cat X GunSmart Gay X Playgun Owner(s): Bogle Brothers LLC Rider(s): Trevor Carter, Don Bogle
Metallic Wizard/2016 S Earnings: $52,874.18
Metallic Cat x Smart Chuka Lena x Smart Chic Olena Owner(s): Stan Rowlan Rider(s): Jake Telford, Todd Fitch, Kimberlyn Fitch
Sioux Me Mama/2012 M
Earnings: $27,213.58
A Shiner Named Sioux x Miss Hickory Tari x Taris Catalyst Owner(s): Judge Livestock Rider(s): Lee Deacon, Ashley Deacon, Kourtney Judge
SJR Smooth Lil Oak/2016 G Earnings: $62,765.65
Smooth As A Cat x Shiners Little Oak x Shining Spark Owner(s): Janie Dvorak-Compton Rider(s): Kyle Noyce, Ryan Gallentine
To apply for the Merit Award Program, complete the application and submit a one-time $50 application fee of to the NRCHA Office by November 15 of the award year. All applicants are eligible for all levels of the Merit Award Program upon completion of each requirement. The NRCHA office calculates the applied horse’s show records and automatically processes the awards when each level is achieved.
NRCHA • NRBC • NCHA • ARBC SUBSCRIBED STALLION
Earning a National Reined Cow Horse Association Regional Championship takes lots of hours in the saddle, on the road and in the show pen, both at the national and local affiliate levels. Traits often shared amongst the winners include persistence, consistency and sheer determination. Meet this year’s Regional Champions in each of the NRCHA’s eight geographic regions and approved classes.
Sarah Wolfs, of Calgary, Alberta, and 2015 mare Reydas Sugar Kat (Kit Kat Sugar x Royal Reyda x Dual Rey) have been a team for three years, and in 2022, their efforts paid off with the Limited Open Bridle regional title. Wolfs owns the mare, who was bred by Sadye Simpson, and said her best feature is that she has tons of stop.
Throughout the year, the pair had to work on keeping both Wolfs and Reydas Sugar Kat’s nerves at bay, Wolfs added. The pair saw a big improvement at the Northern Alberta Reined Cow Horse Club Year End Futurity, Derby and Horse Show.
“I had a personal best rein work at the NARCHC year-end show that really made me feel like things had come together,” Wolfs said.
With 2012 gelding Circle Of Lights (CD Lights x Circle N Show Girl x Nu Circle N Cash) between the reins, Pat Bolin, of Stettler, Alberta, rode to the Non Pro Bridle and Intermediate Non Pro Bridle Champion titles in the Canadian region. The pair collected $2,882 in the former and $2,020 in the latter.
“I purchased ‘Woodrow’ in 2018,” Bolin said. “I am thrilled every time I get to compete on him. Woodrow loves to work cattle, and I’m just trying to be a better rider.”
After buying Bagged A Dually (Dually Cat x Smart Goodie Bag x Smart Little Baggins) as a 3-year-old, April Milne, of Sherwood Park, Alberta, was introduced to the reined cow horse world. In 2022, Milne and the 2015 mare garnered earnings of $1,695.75 for the Limited Non Pro Bridle regional award.
“There wasn’t one moment that stands out above all others this year,” Milne said. “In Alberta, our shows have stellar horses with some amazing people, so being in this environment makes showing cow horse the place that fills me up. The improvements that we made throughout the year was our major success story. We put a lot of time into practicing, and I am proud of how far we have come. I am very thankful to my coaches for all the help along the way.”
Milne said her mare has been shown enough that she became show smart, which became her biggest challenge this season.
“A run never looks as bad as it may feel, so learning to just ‘go with it’ allowed me to relax in some uncertain times and continue to show, which in the end worked out for us,” Milne said.
Randi McCook, of High River, Alberta, rode her 2015 gelding Son Of A Sweet Shine (KR Sweet Shine x Shining Echo of TC x Shiney Men Can Jump) to $4,536 in earnings to take the regional championship.
“At the 2022 Alberta Snaffle Bit Futurity when we finished our run and they blew that whistle, I was so excited. It was the first run all year we made where I felt like he stayed connected the whole time and didn’t panic with the cow on his right side. He’s terrified of cattle on his right,” McCook said. “I struggle keeping him connected especially when they’re pushing on him. He really did gain a lot of confidence this summer and improved drastically.”
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With season earnings of $1,265, SLR Smart As A Cat (Metallic Cat x Smart Miss Wolf x Smart Trip Olena) and John Swales won the Open Hackamore regional title for owner Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co., of Longview, Alberta. Swales said the homebred 2017 stallion has a good stop and a great mind. Their most memorable moment from the year was winning the Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association Summer Spectacular Open Hackamore.
Last year’s Limited Open Hackamore regional champs, Surelys Fancy Cat (Bet Hesa Cat x Surely A Chic x Surely A Pepto) and Iaian Durrell, defended their title, winning it in 2022 with $2,189 in earnings. Durrell said his favorite moment this year was stepping into the Will Rogers Coliseum at the 2022 Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions. “I’ve had her since she was a 2-year-old,” the Okotoks, Alberta, resident said of the 2017 mare. “She’s just a touch more cow-smart than the rest.”
BMP Starfire Pepinic (Smart Starfire x Una Lista Pepinic x Smart Little Pepinic), a 2017 gelding, carried owner Cody Heintz, of Calgary, Alberta, to the Non Pro Hackamore title with earnings of $1,120.
“We started riding him as a 2-year-old,” Heintz said. “The herd work has always been tough to get through, but he likes to stop and is a really good fence horse.”
Heintz’ favorite moment was winning his first Non Pro Derby with the gelding.
Krystal Meade, of Okotoks, Alberta, nabbed two regional awards with her 2006 gelding Ferns Whiz (Whizmatic x Fernolena x Shawn O Lena). They collected $2,755 for the Non Pro Boxing title and $1,380 for the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing title. Meade’s favorite moment from the year was holding a tough cow to win the Non Pro Boxing and Intermediate Non Pro Boxing classes at the Alberta Snaffle Bit Futurity.
“My largest struggle was my mental game, believing in myself and trusting my horse. We still struggle with maneuvers like lead changes from time to time, but having a positive outlook and trust in my horse has been my largest hurdle showing,” Meade said. “‘Whiz’ is a great stopper and turns around really great. He’s a lot of fun to show! He also is a big drooler, which is more a quirk than a talent, but makes him special.”
Ever since September 2021, Nancy Perlich, of Lethbridge, Alberta, and Metallic Mollie (Metallic Cat x April Foolish Hotrod x Colonel Hotrodder), a 2013 mare, have been a team. During 2022, the pair earned $845 together to win the Canadian Box Drive regional award.
“My most memorable moment was the first time I showed in the box drive at the Alberta Snaffle Bit Futurity and horse show and scored a 152 on the cow. I had so much fun, I just kept entering that class as well as my boxing classes. I also won my first buckle on Mollie with that score,” Perlich said. “My biggest challenge was getting to know a new horse. Each show we discovered new areas we needed to improve, and each show we got better and better. By far, she is talented on the cow. She loves it, and it makes it a lot of fun to let her do her job!”
David Webster, of Okotoks, Alberta, has been partners with 2015 mare V Eight Tuff Ichi (Woody Be Tuff x Clememtine Ichi x Cat Ichi) for the last two years. The pair saw great success this year, leading to earnings of $1,825 and the Canadian Limited Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“I had two memorable moments — winning the Saskatoon Cow Horse Classic, and scoring a 73.5 on the cow and winning the Canadian Supreme to end the year,” Webster said. “My biggest challenge has been needing to understand the sport is a journey with a lot of not so good days and real good days. The best part is meeting a lot of great people that support us.”
Ella Davis, of Lethbridge, Alberta, and her flashy 2004 Appaloosa High Suspence (High Sign Nugget x Ima Docs Dolly x Ima Doc O Lena) banked $904 for the Canadian Youth Cow Horse regional award. Davis has been riding High Suspence for almost two years and said her favorite moment from the show season was winning the Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association Youth Spectacular.
“Keeping up with the ARCHA show schedule and the high school rodeo show schedule [has been the biggest challenge this year],” Davis said. “My horse’s most special physical talent is being recognized everywhere we go for his color and his past accomplishments.”
Owned by Luca Terzi, of Camaiore, Italy, 2010 stallion Cats Got Freckles (WR This Cats Smart x Playboys Girl x Freckles Playboy), ridden by Samuele Poli Barberis, earned $1,266.96 to win the Open Bridle for the International
Riding her 2014 mare Hot As Wasabi (Little Dulces Rey x Whirlacat x High Brow Cat), who also received the International Open Bridle Reserve regional award, Sarah Destefanis, of Piossasco, Italy, garnered earnings of $734.58 for the Non Pro Bridle regional title.
Massimo Morenghi, of Cassina de Pecchi, Italy, and his 2016 mare WR Smart N Slinky (WR This Cats Smart x Chupikas Real Jewel x Lenas Little Telesis) brought home the International Limited Open Bridle regional award after the mare carried Federico Fanti to winnings of $339.46.
With $130 in earnings, Leni Bartmann, of Osthofen, Germany, and 2008 Paint Smart Little Theo (Smart Flying Colors x Honey Be Smart x Ill Be Smart) collected the International Intermediate Non Pro Bridle regional title.
LITTLE
Hammerteam Syndicate-owned 2012 gelding Mr Little Fury (Linas Little Fury x Ms Rietta Lady x Mr Rietta Jac) and Markus Schopfer scored earnings of $437.76 throughout 2022 for the International Open Two Rein regional title. Owner Dirk Bulir, of Hünenberg, Switzerland, said his most memorable show was the spring show in Italy, though continued problems from the Covid-19 pandemic continued to cause complications throughout the year. He said the horse’s best attribute is that he is brave.
Earnings of $1,002 gave Easy Smart Boons (Smart Easy Deal x Blue Boons Lil Sue x Meradas Blue Sue), owned by Alessandra Bologna, of Sarzana, Italy, and Samuele Poli Barberis the Open Hackamore regional award. Barberis has ridden the 2017 stallion since the horse was 2 years old.
“There wasn’t a memorable event — he always gave his all at every show,” Barberis said. “The biggest challenge was staying consistent through all the rehearsals at every show, and he always succeeded. His greatest talent is precisely that of always remaining constant and never giving up.”
Sabine Brasche, of Woringen, Germany, and her homebred 2017 stallion Bet Hesa Wildcat (Bet Hesa Cat x Lil Peptorella x Peptotime) earned $346.16 to win the International Non Pro Hackamore regional title. “Johnny’s” dam was Brasche’s first great show horse, she said, and she always felt like the mare was her “once-in-alifetime” horse.
“I got really lucky to get Johnny to be my second once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Brasche said. “He has a lot of cow sense and probably has all the physical abilities a horse needs to be a good cow horse. He’s really quick in the fence turns and gets right into place for circling the cow. He wants to really circle the cow by himself, where I don’t have to help him much except for switching sides. As always, my biggest challenge is finding enough time for training while I´m busy being an equine veterinarian running my own practice. My horse probably has the least amount of training compared to others, and I wish I had better opportunities to train more. On the other hand, he lives out in the pasture with his family and has a pretty nice life compared to other show horses.”
Brasche’s favorite moment from the year was scoring a 74 down the fence at the European Reined Cow Horse Association Spring Stakes to win the event.
With earnings of $934.45, Bonnie Wheatley, of Calhan, Colorado, and Wright On Hickory (Hes Wright On x Hickorys Miracle x Doc’s Hickory), a 2013 mare she owns with Scot Wheatley, won the Limited Non Pro Bridle regional title.
“I’ve shown ‘Mandy’ for about two years. My son had a lot of success with her for a couple years prior to that,” Wheatley said. “The biggest challenge is always riding better, schooling better and learning to read cattle better. There’s no end to challenges of this discipline, but fortunately I have a lot of support from family and friends who are willing to help me.
“Mandy is very quick-footed and cowy,” she said. “She’s always good in the cow events and really fun to rope on, too. I’ve enjoyed entering four-event contests on her for the past couple of years. Those are very challenging and allow you to really test your skills. She’s always very good down the fence and takes care of me.”
After earning $2,664.40 in the Non Pro Bridle and $1,292.33 in the Intermediate Non Pro Bridle, Jecca Ostrander and Opus Cat Olena (WR This Cats Smart x Opus Chic x Smart Chic Olena) received both titles from the Northcentral region. The 2014 stallion was shown in the Open prior to going home to Box O Quarter Horses in Gordon, Nebraska, in February 2021, and Ostrander said he’s been easy to get along with.
“Our first show in McCook [Nebraska] for the CRCA Droughtbuster was so memorable. He was so pure and honest, and such an incredible athlete,” Ostrander said. “Another great moment was winning the Reserve Champion Non Pro Bridle during the Snaffle Bit. We made a mistake but came out okay. It was cool!
“I would say my challenge was staying out of his way and setting a run up without stressing him. He knows what to do and if I go at it from an incorrect position, it really bothers him,” Ostrander added. “He is such an incredible, freak athlete. He loves to dominate a cow. His presence in the arena is amazing. He really loves to steal the show.”
Perrin, Texas-based Allyson Tapie’s 2016 mare Cattalicious (Light N Lena x XY Zee x High Brow Cat) and Aaron Brookshire claimed the Open Two Rein regional award after garnering earnings of $2,142.75 in 2022.
Riding her 2016 mare Glamour Royallty (One Time Royalty x Kitna Rey x Dual Rey), Kristy Miller, of Tryon, Nebraska, earned $1,098.60 to bring home the Non Pro Two Rein regional award. Their run at the Colorado Reined Cowhorse Association Mid-America show was her most memorable moment of 2022.
“My confidence [was the biggest challenge during the show season],” Miller said. She added that Glamour Royallty’s fence turns are her best physical talent.
Kyle Trahern, of Walsh, Colorado, has owned A Starlights Magnum (Magnum With A Dream x Shiny Starlight x Grays Starlight) for a little over a year, and in 2022, they earned $1,464 for the Northcentral Open Hackamore regional award.
“Showing this horse in Wyoming this summer at the Firecracker Classic was my most memorable NRCHA show moment. He was incredible,” Trahern said of the 2017 gelding. “He is very simple. He can be so physical and then just turn it off and be as quiet and soft as anything out there.”
John Snyder piloted Ben Choate’s 2018 stallion Hes Pretty Tuff (Woody Be Tuff x CR Shes Uh Secret x Peptoboonsmal) to 42 points and $2,183.70 in earnings to win the Limited Open Hackamore regional award.
“Our most memorable moment was finishing in the Level 1 Top 10 at the NRCHA Hackamore Classic,” Snyder said. “[Hes Pretty Tuff] is a big stopper and has a very good mind. The biggest challenge was balancing running for the regional title while being frugal with our client’s finances.”
Jecca Ostrander earned her third 2022 regional title after garnering $3,074.88 with Boxo Opus Magnum (WR This Cats Smart x Opus Chic x Smart Chic Olena), a 2018 gelding, for the Non Pro Hackamore title.
“Each show has been memorable, but the most challenging was the Colorado Reined Cowhorse Association Sagebrush in Pueblo,” Ostrander said. “The wind was howling nearly 60-miles-per-hour during the rein work that evening — just keeping your hat on was amazing. Mine would vibrate on my head coming around into the wind. ‘Magnum’ is pretty easy to show, but you also have to keep things in position for him. Our challenge was going fast enough to get a good stop. I also struggle in cutting, and we finally put that together at our last show.”
Clayton, Wisconsin, Non Pro Nancy Winkelman earned the Non Pro Boxing and Box Drive titles in the Northcentral region. In total, she amassed $2,982.96 aboard 2016 gelding RPL Boon (Boon Too Suen x RPL Ich This x Cat Ichi).
“Box Drive started out as a fun class to ride in but soon became a challenge to improve on all those minuses I was seeing on the cow side of the scorecard — all rider related,” Winkelman said. “He’s just got a lot of natural cow. The first time we marked a 73 in our rein work was our most memorable moment from the year!”
This was 2016 gelding Metallic Maverick (Metallic Cat x Widows May Play x Widows Freckles)’s first season in the bridle, but Kimberlee Gabel, of Ault, Colorado, derbied him for two years prior. The pair rode to earnings of $882.50 and scored 163 points, winning the regional award.
“I am super fortunate. This gelding is the most honest, willing partner I have ever shown,” Gabel said. “’Jett’s’ special talent is his insane physicality both in the reining and on a cow.
“The best moment was in July at the CRCA Firecracker in Douglas, Wyoming,” she added.
“We scored our personal best of 294.5, with a 150 on our cow work.”
After showing her whole life in American Quarter Horse Association and color breed all-around classes, Josie Bunch, of Frederick, Colorado, was ready for a change of pace. She purchased 2011 gelding BF Little Big Time (One Time Pepto x Flo Little Lena x Smart Little Lena) in the spring of 2020, then had a few setbacks. The 2022 year was the pair’s first consistent show season together, and they earned $650.72 to win the Limited Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“We struggled with putting together consistent runs at the beginning of the season,” Bunch said. “After buckling down at home and working on some things with Jim Cook, I decided to head to South Dakota for the Road to Texas show solo, which happened to fall on my birthday weekend. We marked well on the maneuvers we had worked on and really connected as a team that weekend. A win in the Limited Boxing on my 35th birthday was a definite highlight and felt like a true accomplishment!
“Learning to be a leader for my horse by deciphering where and when to support him versus push him in the show pen has been a rewarding challenge this past year,” she added. “Initially, he needed my support and reassurance pretty consistently, especially on the cow. As the year progressed and his confidence increased, it was time for me to trust him more and really show.”
Owned
On Diamonds (Whizkey N Diamonds x Ms Chic Poco Pine x Smart Chic Olena) was ridden by Woody Taylor to earn $1,727.20 in the Open Bridle and $404.80 in the Open Two Rein to win both titles in the Northeastern region.
Riding
After collecting $1,376.20, Anita Flick, of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, and Dualing Moonshine (Cats Moonshine
“I bought this mare as a 2-year-old, but due to family health issues, we were not able to show consistently until her 5-year-old year,” Flick said. “During that year, we really started to figure some things out together and won the Northeastern region in the Non Pro Hackamore class.
“I don’t think there was a ‘most’ memorable show this year,” she added. “I would say that I showed consistently every time I went into the pen. I felt like I was more mentally prepared to make a good run than I have been in the past, and my goal was to have fun no matter what my score was. My biggest challenge was changing some of my techniques. My trainer, Alex Sigler, worked with my horse and I all year to sharpen our skills and get me comfortable riding one-handed in the bridle.”
Lipka
“The most memorable NRCHA show moment was putting together consistent runs in the herd work,” Lipka said. “As the season went on, the biggest challenge I faced was keeping ‘Laney’ from getting ahead of herself mentally.”
Rebecca Lipka earned a second title with another horse owned by Elizabeth Piccone. She and Talk It Walk It (Smooth Talkin Style x Reyvin My Engine x Dual Rey), a 2018 stallion, banked $738.80 for the Limited Open Hackamore regional award.
“Our fence work at the NRCHA Eastern Derby was our most memorable moment,” Lipka said. “‘Wilson’ was unshown as a 3-year-old, but it didn’t seem to affect him in the show pen. His most special talent is his read and feel on a cow.”
Union Bridge, Maryland, resident Bill Ebberts rode his 2015 mare Red Cats Dun (Little Cat Olena x Dos Playgirl x Dos Palomino) to $961 in earnings, winning the Non Pro Two Rein regional title during his first year showing reined cow horses.
“I bought her as a yearling, and we have been a team for six years,” Ebberts said. “The first show of the year was the most memorable for me as it was our first time showing at this level. Going down the fence was exhilarating. The biggest challenge was learning a new sport and schooling my horse in maneuvers that were new to us to be as competitive as we could be.
“‘Gemmas’s’ most special talent is being able to adapt and do whatever I am asking of her. She gives 110% every time,” he added.
For Erin Keys, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, the most memorable moment leading up to her and 2015 gelding Cats Look Sinful (WR This Cats Smart x A Little Sinful x Docs Stylish Oak)’s Non Pro Boxing regional award was winning the Atlantic Reined Cow Horse Association Non Pro Box Spectacular at the end of the year. The pair collected $768 in 2022 to win their regional title.
“It was the culmination of the past two years of hard work getting us together as a team,” Keys said of winning the Spectacular. “The biggest challenge I faced this show season was maintaining a quiet but reactive mindset for both my horse and self in the show pen. ‘Cat’s’ most special physical talent is his ability to get across the cow, no matter what position I put him in. He is incredibly athletic.”
Amanda Whiteley has shown Seth Whiteley’s 2008 gelding Wright Oledo (Lenas Wright On x Myo Starlight x Paddys Irish Whiskey) for four years. The duo earned $542.70 for the Northeastern Intermediate Non Pro Boxing regional title.
“He certainly loves to play with cows,” Whiteley said of Wright Oledo. “Our biggest challenge was continuing to build and grow in the show pen.”
Gracie Bair, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, purchased 2016 mare Reys Precious Star (Reys Star Cat x Tazanic x Nic It In The Bud) in April 2022, but she’s been riding the mare since August 2021. The pair banked $562.69 in the Limited Non Pro Boxing and $84.60 in the Youth Boxing to earn the regional awards.
“The biggest challenge I faced this year was just figuring my mare out,” Bair said. “I got her right at the beginning of this show season, so we were still new to each other. Throughout these past couple months, we have slowly but surely started connecting the dots! I would have to say her most special talent is her cow work. She’s super gritty and very stylish.”
Annie Kim Decroix, of Repentigny, Quebec, raised 2018 stallion AKD Thunder Smart (Badgers Smart Peppy x Miss Reminic N Dunit x Reminic N Dunit), making their Northeastern Box Drive regional award, which they won with earnings of $235, even more rewarding.
“Our last show in Ancaster, Ontario, where my friends and I all won or placed in the top three in our classes — making us all win our year-end championship titles — was my most memorable NRCHA show moment,” Decroix said. “My biggest challenge was training my horse to be a better cow horse while living in Quebec and having limited access to cows, plus preparing him for some NRHA [National Reining Horse Association] aged events at the same time. It turned out great, winning this title and finishing Reserve in Level 1, third in Level 2 and fourth in Level 4 at the Quebec AQR [Association Québécoise de Reining] 4-YearOld Maturity. His stops are his best maneuvers for sure!”
“The biggest challenge I faced this season was moving from boxing to going down the fence,” Rourke said. “My most memorable moment of the 2022 NRCHA show season was my reining pattern for the Youth Fence Spectacular in Columbiana, Ohio. ‘Luna’ performed at a level she had never reached before, which made me very proud. Her most special talent is circling a cow. She knows exactly where to be to gain full control, and she never
Jake Telford rode Marti Katerberg’s 2015 stallion Northern Metallic (Metallic Cat x Little Cow Hound x Peppy Uh Huh) to $3,657 for the Open Bridle regional award. The duo garnered 81 points together throughout the year.
Katerberg, of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, bred Northern Metallic and put him into training with Telford in August 2021. She said this show season hasn’t been without its surprises, some of which were better than others.
“Jake’s most memorable moment was having Northern Metallic’s bridle fall off in the fence work. That’s mine, too,” she said. “Hearing Jake and Northern Metallic announced as the [Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association] Open Bridle Champions and learning they won a saddle is a close second.”
Tracy Adams rode her 2011 gelding Perfect Light Time (CD Lights x BBR Perfect Timin x A Chic In Time) to two Non Pro regional awards. The pair earned $3,455.50 in the Non Pro Bridle and $3,354.50 in the Intermediate Non Pro Bridle to top their region.
Adams, of Poulsbo, Washington, said the gelding, who she has owned for almost four years, is a big stopper and loves working cattle.
“‘Scooby’ had an abscess early in the year that took a while to really clear up, which was challenging, but Scooby is such an honest guy that I never have much to complain about,” Adams said. “He’s just a once-in-a-lifetime horse. I’ve had a lot of horses in my life, but Scooby is special.
“Being Reserve Champion in the Non Pro Bridle at the NRCHA Stallion Stakes [was my most memorable moment],” Adams added. “Scooby was amazing that day! I really wanted to make my trainer, Trent Pedersen, proud. He’s done such an amazing job with Scooby, and he’s so patient with me. Sometimes it’s tough teaching an old dog new tricks, but Trent always keeps a good sense of humor about it.”
After earning 123 points and collecting $2,024.75 in paychecks, Caitlin Wirth, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, and Peptolena Babe (Jasons Peptolena x Bob Acre Babe x Bob Acre Doc) secured the Northwest Limited Non Pro Bridle regional title. Wirth said her favorite moments with the 2012 mare were the “wild” fence work cows they encountered, especially at the Northwest Reined Cow Horse Association Summer Showdown, where they landed the highest cow work score.
The Wirths have owned Peptolena Babe for six years. She and Wirth have competed together for four years, in addition to working in the branding pen on the ranch.
“‘Babe’ is always honest and consistent,” Wirth said. “She always came in the pen ears forward and ready to go.”
Unfortunately, Peptolena Babe sustained a career-ending injury in July, which required surgery. Wirth thanked the whole team that worked on her to keep her going afterward.
“We are breeding Babe in 2023 and look forward to her future babies,” Wirth said. “Her trainability and disposition are something we hope she passes along.”
Showdown Bred Quarter Horses-owned Time Too Tango (One Time Pepto x Reward Me Please x Chic Please), a 2015 gelding, and Wade Reaney collected $3,045 over the year for the Open Two Rein regional title. The pair has been a team for a year.
“The most memorable moment of the year was watching my daughter, Jenna, show this horse also in the Youth Boxing and doing really well herself,” Reaney said. “The biggest challenge was getting down the road with all these high costs of everything. That horse’s most special physical talent is changing leads 50 times on a rundown towards the cattle pen!”
Riding her 2016 gelding Watchn Girls Go By (CD Diamond x Dulces Royalena x Dulces Smart Lena), Karnell Perry earned $3,343 to take the Non Pro Two Rein regional award.
“I showed ‘Jules’ at the Magic Valley Reined Cow Horse Show in August for the first time straight up in the bridle. He ended up winning the Non Pro Bridle Spectacular and Non Pro Bridle,” said Perry, of Power, Montana. “I dislocated my shoulder in the beginning of July. I couldn’t get my horses saddled on my own for a couple weeks, so my 10-year-old daughter, Pryce, had to saddle and bridle my horses.”
After kickstarting their year by winning the Level 1 Non Pro at the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby, Jace Sheridan, of Maple Valley, Washington, and Blinded By The Storm (Blind Sided x Dew It Flo x Mr Peponita Flo) racked up $2,702.50 for the Non Pro Hackamore regional title.
“‘Stormy’ is a very gritty fence horse and very agile for his size and stature,” Sheridan said of the 2017 stallion. “I have been blessed with him. Our challenge this year was building confidence in the herd work.”
Enumclaw, Washington, Non Pro Delinda Jokela earned the Non Pro Boxing and Box Drive titles in the Northwest region. In total, she won $5,886.60 aboard 2010 gelding Ice Wynnd Fire (Peptoboonsmal x Fancy Frostina x Smart Little Lena).
“I was able to attend my first premier show in Vegas and won second place in the Box Drive class. It was an epic show!” Jokela said. “We did not really have too many challenges other than probably the amount of time we traveled, but that was also a fun challenge to have!”
Jokela said “Riggs” is a “beast” on cows and is also very consistent in his reining patterns.
“I bought her as a yearling, and my husband trained her and then futuritied on her. I took the reins this last year as a 4-year-old,” Frederick said. “At the Magic Valley show this year, we had a great go in the hackamore. Our friends and clients were cheering from the stands, and we marked a 77 down the fence. The run felt good, and it was neat having everyone there supporting.”
Jaynalee Waldrip, of Portland, Oregon, has owned 2014 gelding Roostersrunninshine (Cats Moonshine x Roosters Shady Chic x Gallo Del Cielo) for five years and competed in the reining and ranch riding prior to getting into cow horse two years ago. The duo, who rides with trainer Jim Spence, garnered $2,235.75 to win the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“My most memorable moment in 2022 was competing at the NRCHA Celebration of Champions. This was a dream of mine to compete at a world show, and I can’t wait to go back in 2023,” Waldrip said. “My biggest challenge I faced this show season was letting my horse do his job in the cow work, and remembering I have legs and to use them! ‘Digger’s’ talent is the amount of heart he gives each and every ride. He has a huge personality and enjoys being in the show pen.”
Sara Umback and 2016 gelding SJR Dualin Cadilac’s (Dual Rey x Sumkinda Pinkcadilac x Peptoboonsmal) made 2022, their first full year of showing together, a year to remember by earning $1,672.50 and 159.5 points for the Limited Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“I definitely had a lot of goals this year,” said Umback, of Enumclaw, Washington. “My last horse show of the season I would say was my best with my highest herd work score and fence work score in the boxing. My biggest challenge was my reining stops and just learning how to execute it correctly. My horse’s best physical talent is his cutting and fence work. He is a lot of fun on a cow.”
For five years, Sierra Telford, of Caldwell, Idaho, has been partnered up with Survivors Kiss (CD Survivor x Kiss My Shiny Lips x Shining Spark), a 2010 gelding owned by Jake Telford. The pair collected $862.50 to win the regional Youth Cow Horse award in the Northwestern region.
“My most memorable show moment was when my stirrup broke and I had to go down the fence with no right stirrup,” the 16-year-old said. “My horse is getting older and he’s been doing this for a while, so he gets a little hot and anxious in the show pen, which can be a challenge. He’s also a great head horse, and my dad has entered horse ropings on him, as well.”
Two riders, Daniel Sanchez and Boyd Rice, shared Kit and Charlie Moncrief’s homebred 2016 stallion Fabulous Fletch (Royal Fletch x Little Smart Ginger x Smart Little Lena) to bank earnings of $4,158.30 for the Open Bridle regional award.
“We raised him and have his sire and dam, and we loved to see him every time he showed. His special talents are stopping and turning,” said Moncrief, of Fort Worth, Texas. “Because of overlapping with National Cutting Horse Association shows, the biggest challenge was where trainers had to choose.”
Owned by Caroline Calais, of Allen, Texas, Fool In The Rain (Starlights Wrangler x Hangten Spanish Lady x Hangten Peppy) and Logan Cotten rode to earnings of $3,184.66 for the Limited Open Bridle regional award. 2022 was the first full year for Cotten to show the 2012 stallion, who he said is powerful, gritty and a big stopper.
“My most memorable show moment of 2022 was when we were competing at the NRCHA Eastern Derby,” Cotten said. “He was very consistent and put together good runs all week, which lead us to winning the Limited Open Bridle. I was awarded my first NRCHA trophy, and that was a big highlight of the year.
“I think the biggest challenge that I faced during this show season was going down the fence on ‘Fool,’” he continued. “He is a big, strong horse, and he makes you be dialed in so you don’t lose focus due to his power.”
Parke Greeson and SCR Betthistime (Bet Hesa Cat x PRF One Time Candi x One Time Pepto), a 2016 stallion that was born and raised on Greeson’s family’s Victoria, Texas, Sarco Creek Ranch, earned $5,477.50 throughout 2022 to take home the Non Pro Bridle regional award. The pair’s success this year included winning the Non Pro Bridle at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity.
“The transition between the two-hand equipment and the bridle [has been the biggest challenge this show season],” Greeson said. “He’s a very physical horse down the fence and in the circling.”
Riding her 2012 gelding Electra Tuff (Woody Be Tuff x Electras Boots x Doc O Boots), Amy Bailey, of Sparta, Tennessee, earned $2,915 to win the South Central Intermediate Non Pro Bridle award.
“My most memorable show moment of 2022 was my fence work during the non pro and intermediate non pro bridle class at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. It was a fast, hard-running cow, and we didn’t weaken,” Bailey said. “At the last show of the year in San Angelo, ‘Woodrow’ lost his footing in the first turn and fell with me, causing me to get a concussion and bone bruising. He was fine after the fall; I, on the other hand, was out for approximately five minutes and got a ride to the emergency room in an ambulance.”
With earnings of $1,240.60, Jordan Cheek, of Hico, Texas, and R Chances (Dual R Smokin x Oaks Smart Chance x Doc’s Oak), a 2014 gelding, took home the Southcentral Limited Non Pro Bridle regional award.
“The biggest challenge this show season has been balancing trying to show for the year-end while also going to college full time and showing collegiately as well,” Cheek said. “‘RC’ really excels in the rein work. He is so willing to please, and I can completely trust him in the reining. He is a big-stopping horse and really loves to turn around. It’s always a blast to go show him.”
William Akin, of Midland, Texas, said he’s always struggled with the rein work part of cow horse, but he and SJR Starlit Rey (Dual Rey x A Starlit Diamond x CD Lights) looked like old pros as they garnered $988.50 for the Non Pro Two Rein regional award.
“He is a big stopper and a big fence horse,” Akin said of the 2016 gelding, who was bred by San Juan Ranch. “Anytime you feel the progression in the show pen of a particular spot in the training is a memorable moment.”
Owned by JT III and Sandra Neal of Weatherford, Texas, Tee Boone (Once In A Blu Boon x Skeets My Bro x Docs Curious Cat) was ridden by Jay McLaughlin to earnings of $4,322 to win the Open Hackamore for the South Central region. The Neals said their most memorable moment of the year was watching Tee Boone and McLaughlin win the NRCHA Hackamore Classic Open with a composite 665.5 score.
“From day one, he’s had such a stylish stop,” said his owners, who purchased him in 2019. “The biggest challenge has been trying to get him over a Vitamin E deficiency that’s plagued him since his 3-year-old year.”
Claire Edwards, of Troy, Texas, and homebred 2017 gelding Smooth Rein (Real Smooth Cat x Rein My Belle x Topsails Rien Maker), owned by Laura Edwards, earned $1,796.75 to cement the Non Pro Hackamore regional award. Edwards said “Forrest” is consistent and special through all of the different aspects of cow horse, but his best attribute is his stop.
“Forrest and I have been a team since day one,” Edwards said. “He is one of the colts from the first foal crop we raised at home. It has been really cool to be able to grow and go through all the stages with him. I look forward to continuing to progress with him into the two rein next year. The biggest challenge I faced this show season was having self confidence and allowing myself to trust him. I know he can do so much, but he is always willing to wait on me. I’m continually striving to do better so I can show his full potential.”
called “Miranda,” since 2020, and the pair’s most memorable moment was winning the Limited Open Hackamore class at the 2022 NRCHA Eastern Derby.
“This was our first year stepping up to compete at major NRCHA events,” Johnston said. “Staying composed and riding at this level has been a challenge, but fun. My favorite thing about this mare is how showy she is in the arena.”
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A native of Fredericksburg, Texas, Kendra Suhling guided Metallic Slide (Metallic Cat x Sliden Wright By x Smart Little Lena) to the Non Pro Boxing regional award with earnings of $2,214.45. It wasn’t Suhling and the 2016 mare’s first time in the spotlight, as they won the 2021 Non Pro Limited and $5K Non Pro Limited regional titles.
“She’s a big stopper. She loves to go to the ground,” Suhling said of Metallic Slide. “Finding balance in our schedules was a challenge this year. I didn’t show as much as I usually do, and some days it was a struggle just to find time and the daylight to practice. Making the finals in both the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro Boxing at the NRCHA Celebration of Champions was memorable!”
Fifteen-year-old non pro Talen Berry, of Ellinwood, Kansas, earned the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing and Youth Boxing titles in the South Central Region after collecting a total of $4,674.70 aboard 2006 gelding Smart Rem N Be (Very Smart Remedy x Be Bob To Reno x Bob Acre Doc), who is owned by Jared Barry. They won the 2021 $1K Non Pro Limited regional title, as well.
“My most memorable NRCHA show moment was winning the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity,” Barry said. “The biggest challenge I faced was having confidence in my horse and myself, and just letting him do his job. His most special physical talent is his availability to feel what the rider can handle and at the same time know how to read a cow.”
TREYLEN HANCOCK / SLYD MY WAY
Wharton, Texas 18-year-old Treylen Hancock and 2016 gelding Slyd My Way (Zezes Pepto Cat x Pastels Play Girl x Pastels Smart Lena) rode to earnings of $2,595.05 for the regional award. Hancock said her favorite moment from the year was winning the Limited Non Pro Boxing at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity with her partner of three years.
“The biggest challenge I have faced this show season was being able to take time off from school to go show and making sure I was not getting in my horse’s way of doing his job,” Hancock said. “His most special physical talent is probably his cow work. He is so big, he is able to get over and stop the cow quickly without having to flat out run because he has a long stride.”
After finding out she was pregnant in December 2021, Kelsey Delaplaine Fulmer knew she needed to show as much as possible in early 2022 to get ahead before her son was born in August. 2015 gelding Starlight Driver (Hydrive Cat x Starlights Lynn x Grays Starlight) met her every step of the way, carrying her to $5,114 and the regional award in the Box Drive.
“Winning the Box Drive class at the [NRCHA] Snaffle Bit Futurity just eight weeks after having my son and having him in the win picture with me was one of my most memorable show moments,” said Fulmer, of Cleburne, Texas. “Being pregnant was the biggest challenge I faced during the show season.”
After starting off in the Youth Boxing class with Metallic Blaze (Metallic Cat x Blazen Tornado x Smart Mate) two years ago, Lainey Grewing, 16, began taking the gelding down the fence for the first time this year. Their efforts paid off with the Youth Cow Horse regional title after earning $1,456.40.
“My most memorable moment showing this year would be competing at the [NRCHA] Snaffle Bit Futurity. I had a new personal best of marking a 145 in the rein work,” said Grewing, of Gainesville, Texas. “The biggest struggle showing this year was learning at what point to drive the cow around the corner and take it down the fence.”
Grewing said “Blaze,” a 2016 gelding, is especially talented at turning the cow and rolling back quickly to get back to the fence, traits that have helped her grow in the fence work.
Brandy Johnson and Joe Harper rode Penny Cash’s 2012 gelding Duals Big Catt (Sophisticated Catt x Duallin Docs Girl x Dual Pep) to the Open Bridle regional title after earning checks totaling $1,848. Cash has owned the gelding since 2017.
“He has an unbelievable ability to read a cow,” said Cash, of Kelso, Tennessee. “The best moment in 2022 was seeing the smile on a little girl’s face after winning a ribbon in the buckaroo class on ‘Catman’ with Brandy Johnson.”
After earning $1,119 during 2022, Jed Lawrence and 2016 gelding Blu Boon Shining (Once In A Blu Boon x Azucar De Munyeca x Cats Merada) scored the Limited Open Bridle regional award for owners Jerry and Erica Keeney, of Nancy, Kentucky. The Keeneys purchased ‘Rocky’ when he was 2 years old, and he’s been in Lawrence’s program ever since. A highlight of the year for the pair was winning the Limited Open Bridle at the 2022 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity.
“Keeping the horse happy and enjoying his job [has been the biggest challenge this year],” Lawrence said. “This horse has a lot of heart and try and loves to run down the fence. This is his first year in a bridle, and he has really showed out this year!”
Earning $1,446 together helped Sandra Kaskey and Finish Big (Dun It Big x Photons Cowgirl x Photon) secure the Non Pro Bridle regional award. The pair has been partners for seven years, and Kaskey, of North Port, Florida, said “Big” always gives her his all during every run.
“The biggest challenge is just trying to do my best every time. My horse deserves that,” Kaskey said of the 2012 gelding. “I love the people that participate in this event. It seems like family as everyone is helping everyone else.”
Sareece Brown’s second regional title, the Intermediate Non Pro Bridle, was won on Nee On Lights (CD Lights x Shine Smartly x Shining Spark), a 2012 stallion that collected $590 with Brown. Yellow Creek Ranch has owned “Neon” for six-and-a-half years, but Brown had to wait her turn while he competed in the Open. She has shown him the last three years.
“The biggest challenge has been getting back to the 10-year-old little girl in me and reteaching myself how to truly enjoy each moment with my horses,” Brown said. “We all have bad days but are so incredibly blessed to live this life. All I ever wanted as a little girl was a horse of my own and didn’t care what it looked like. I was not raised in a ‘horse family,’ but my parents did all they could to provide a horse lifestyle for me. My husband bought me my first horse when I was 24. We’ve traveled all over chasing my dream for 15 years. I’ve been fortunate to win some big things, but I was at a place where I wasn’t enjoying it like I should. I’m finding the joy again in the little things.
“Neon’s heart, grit and personality [make him special],” she added. “He’s the sweetest horse I’ve ever been around and truly a once-in-a-lifetime horse that will be with us until he takes his last breath.”
Christina Gilham, of Carrollton, Georgia, and Woody Be A Chic (Smart Chic Olena x Lone Pine Sally x Nu Bar) have been a team since 2018. Gilham said the minute she circled a cow on the 2005 gelding, she knew he would be the perfect horse for her. Their teamwork this year paid off with the Southeastern regional award in the Limited Non Pro Bridle.
“He is such a great horse, and I am so lucky to be his partner,” said Gilham, who banked $959 over the course of the year. “‘Woody’s’ most special physical talent is the way he can read my feelings at the moment. He knows when I am 100% dialed in, and he will step it up. If he senses my non pro brain is fading, he will dial it back to my current level. He gives me 100% of what I ask for even if it is wrong!”
Gilham finds the herd work to be the most challenging but said she and Woody have made a lot of improvements this year. Her most memorable moment came from the NRCHA Dom Conicelli Memorial Eastern Derby, presented by MARS Equestrian™.
“We put in an average ride on the first day,” Gilham said. “My trainer, Joe Harper, told me to quit playing it safe and use the horsepower I had underneath me. The second day I did and had my best scores at the Eastern Derby to date.”
Owned by Janie Dvorak-Compton, of Lyme, New Hampshire, SJR Smooth Lil Oak (Smooth As A Cat x Shiners Little Oak x Shining Spark), a 2016 gelding, was ridden by Kyle Noyce to earnings of $630 for the Southeastern Open Two Rein regional title.
Riding 2016 mare Sixteen Carat Cat (Metallic Cat x All That N Cat x High Brow Cat), who is owned by Yellow Creek Ranch, Sareece Brown, of College Grove, Tennessee, earned $617 for the Non Pro Two Rein regional award. This was her first year to show the mare.
“We have owned her since the end of her 3-year-old year and had lots of ups and downs with her. My husband and I often questioned why we bought her, as it was the most money we have ever spent on a horse,” Brown said. “Now that she and I are becoming a team, the reason she is ours is so apparent. She is a coweating machine and so much fun to work cows on. What I love most about her cow work is her expression on a cow. Her ears are always forward, and you can see how much she truly loves it.
“Just getting this mare to trust me [was a challenge],” Brown added. “She has been a highly-tuned open caliber horse. Trying to get them to dial back for a non pro takes time. She is so talented, but very much an overachiever. Learning a new horse is always a challenge, but it’s one I really enjoy. There’s no pressure. No matter what the level of the horse is, it’s just you and them gaining one another’s trust.”
Jed Lawrence won his second regional title aboard Meghan O’Brien’s homebred 2018 gelding Hes A Stylish Oak (High Stylish Oak x Spoonful Of Mint x Hes A Peptospoonful), who collected $877.50 during the year.
“The most memorable moment was checking the NRCHA National Standings and finding we were in the Top 5 in the standings and leading the region,” Lawrence said. “Keeping him solid and consistent all year long was the biggest challenge. He loves to run down the fence and is really good at it.”
Pendleton, South Carolina, resident Rebekah Thompson and her 2018 gelding SRH Mr Smart Pepper (Barw Red Pepper Jack x Miss Smart Doc x Smart N Gray) amassed earnings of $1,281 for the Non Pro Hackamore regional award. Thompson started the gelding in 2020 and said while she used to pass horses off to professionals to finish, he was the first one she had taken all the way to the show pen.
“I could not have done it without my trainer and best friend Joey MacRae. He has spent the last several years teaching me his techniques, and I finally felt confident to go the whole way,” Thompson said. “The fact that an amateur could train a horse and get this far is a true testament to how great this horse really is. He has a big heart and lots of try — always wants to please and is just a pleasure to ride.
“I struggled most with the mental drive to practice and train day in and day out, to drive all those miles to shows with two young kids and to calm show nerves. The NRCHA Eastern Derby where we were Reserve Champions was the most memorable moment. He was really calm and consistent both days. This is when I felt like we were a team and it was clicking for us.”
Traci Witte, of Fort Worth, Texas, rode Ima Prizcee Hickory (Cee Mr Hickory x Nu Prize x Smokums Prize), a 2015 gelding, to $465.50 in earnings in 2022 for the Non Pro Boxing regional title.
“My mother passed away during the Las Vegas NRCHA Stallion Stakes show,” Witte said. “I showed two days after she passed because I know she would’ve expected me to continue. I felt her with me as I showed in the Non Pro Boxing class, and I tied for eighth. Ima Prizcee Hickory’s most special physical talent is the cow, spins and stops. He’s the fastest spinner I’ve ever been on.”
Lee Alford, 75, and Chexn In For Charlie (Badger Starlight x Smart Royal Queen x Smart Charlie Chexs), a gelding that will be 20 in 2023, prefer to count their regional championships rather than the number of years they’ve been together. The pair accumulated 124 points in 2022 to win two regional titles — the Southeast Intermediate Non Pro Boxing and the Box Drive — banking $1,300 and $1,318.50, respectively.
“I hadn’t competed in a horse show in more than 50 years but started showing in 2016 after being fortunate enough to meet ‘Charlie,’” said Alford, of Summit, Mississippi. “We started showing in the Louisiana Stock Horse Association, and by 2019, began showing in NRCHA shows. Our journey over the last six years has created a growing set of memories, from my first buckle to the 2020 Southeast Region $1K Non Pro Limited Boxing Reserve Championship. In November, I realized Charlie and I had won three regional championships and a USCHA Regional Ranch Cutting award. We’ve shown that ‘old dogs’ can continue to grow in capability and even learn new tricks.”
Kaleb Ice, of Hazleton, Indiana, and Commanche (Woody Be Tuff x CR Smart Lil Kitty x High Brow Cat), a 2017 gelding owned by J.D. and Andi Ice, have only been a team about 10 months, but that didn’t stop them from earning $548.20 for the Youth Cow Horse regional title. The pair’s most memorable 2022 show moment was marking a 76 down the fence at the Volunteer Ranch Horse Association Fall Finale.
“My biggest challenge was working on learning rein work with Commanche,” Ice said. “He is great at it, but he can be a little tricky to show in reining, so I had to learn how to be a better rider. Commanche’s most special physical talent is cow work and going down the fence. He is so powerful and very willing. You can tell he loves it and wants to do good.”
For about two years, Kaylea Marionneaux, of Zachary, Louisiana, has shown Sheza Smart Gal (Colonels Smart Spook x Great Lucy Lynx x Sir Great Fox), a 2015 mare. The pair earned $1,469 together to win the Limited Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“My most memorable NRCHA show moment in 2022 was at the NRCHA Eastern Derby. She put some really nice runs together for me that week, and I couldn’t have been prouder. It was my first time to really challenge my ride, and she gave me everything she had,” Marionneaux said. “One of my biggest challenges and also achievements this year was for me to learn to manage my horse without my parents’ or trainer’s help. It really forced me to mature as a rider to learn how to depend on myself to manage my fears and anxieties. It is because of my trainer, Jon Hawthorne, that I was able to do that. He has helped me grow and accomplish things that could never have imagined for myself.”
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Newville, Alabama, rider Sabrina Neiswanger, 18, piloted A Legacy In Blue (Mecom Doc Blue x Dianas Legacy x Smell The Magnolias), a 2010 gelding, to earnings of $803 throughout 2022 for the Southeastern Youth Boxing regional award.
“I don’t think there was one moment that was more memorable than all the rest last year,” Neiswanger said. “I feel like our partnership as a team really came together this year, and we felt like a true team every time we went in the pen.”
Smartly Starstruck (Very Smart Remedy x Katie Starlight x Grays Starlight) has been in Todd Bergen’s program since he was 2, but the 2012 stallion was purchased by Linda McMahon’s McSpyder Ranch in 2017, as McMahon loved the bridle horses and Bergen realized he’d make a good finished horse one day. In 2022, the pair racked up $5,922 in earnings for the Open Bridle regional title.
“The most memorable NRCHA show moment was when Todd qualified for The Run For A Million at the Stallion Stakes,” said McMahon. “That was the icing on the ‘Stakes Cake.’ I would say the biggest challenge was the competition. The horses get tougher and the riders get better, but those challenges in the competitive world morph into enthusiasm and drive. ‘Frank’s’ special physical talents are his strength and resilience. He has beautiful conformation and is a really good-looking stud!”
Though Amber Johnson has been showing Wicked Weys (Metallic Cat x Wicked Wanda Rey x Dual Rey) since he was four, she’s known him much longer. Her dad, Jason, of Lindsay, California, purchased the 2015 gelding when he was 2. Johnson and “Swayze” won earnings of $2,760 for the Southwestern Limited Open Bridle regional title.
“His stops for sure are his most special physical talent. He is so strong and so physical about it. I can run him as hard as I want, and he will drag his butt. It is a great feeling being able to trust him that he is always there for me,” Johnson said. “Our best moment was at the Western Derby in Scottsdale, Arizona. We won the Limited Open Bridle, and it was my first major win. I was happy to do it on him. Swayze has always been solid and consistent in the reining, but we always had a little trouble down the fence. He gets a little weird about some things, so I have to go slow with him, too.”
Riding Daniel Heath’s 2015 stallion Smokum Every Time (One Time Pepto x Smokums Dream x Smokums Prize), Toni Hagen Heath, of Scottsdale, Arizona, earned $3,422.20 to take the Non Pro Bridle regional award.
Rocking BS Ranch, of Las Vegas, Nevada, has owned Here Comes The Boon (Once In A Blu Boon x Stay Outta My Shorts x Shorty Lena) since 2018. In 2022, the 2016 stallion was ridden by Lance Johnston, who has trained him since he was 2, to the Open Two Rein regional award with $4,556 in earnings.
“Winning the Two Rein Spectacular and class at the National Stock Horse Association Pre-Futurity was our most memorable moment,” Johnston said. “The biggest challenge was overcoming my own health issues. He [Here Comes The Boon] has an elite front end. He can turn around faster than any horse I’ve ever ridden, do it correctly, and be completely relaxed after.”
After earning $1,197.80 throughout the year, Chantz Stewart and Cowsmackin (Smooth As A Cat x Esthers Rita x Dual Pep) took home the Non Pro Two Rein regional award to Cave Creek, Arizona.
“I purchased him at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in 2016 and started showing him in 2017 as a 3-year-old,” Stewart said of the 2014 gelding. “Cowsmackin’s most special physical talent would probably be his ability to stop big going down the fence, and then get out of it and back to the cow.”
Australian-registered Home Creek Twilight Cat (Metallic Cat x Homecreek Dusk x Brooksipep), a 2017 stallion, and owner Craig Cowley, of Temecula, California, collected $2,850 to win the Limited Open Hackamore regional award.
Edison, California, resident Cynthis Bias and 2017 mare Shesa Smooth Lady (Hes Pretty Smooth x Colonels Smooth Lady x Mr Colonel Tee) collected $2,515 throughout the year to clinch the Non Pro Hackamore regional award. The pair won the Non Pro Hackamore horse show class at the 2022 NRCHA DT Horses Western Derby in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“I got ‘Lily’ in June of her 2-year-old year, unstarted. I really didn’t plan on making it to the Futurity that year and was just going to go to the NRCHA Derby, but she was so easy and willing, we got there,” Bias said. “My biggest challenge is always just staying out of my own head. I can be really hard on myself, and l let my doubts get in the way a lot. I just really tried to keep my focus on God and trust the plans He has for me and ride like I was riding for Him and not anyone else.”
Shesa Smooth Lady is the last horse Bias and her dad, David Daniel, bought together before he passed away, which made her accomplishment with the mare even more special.
With $1,757.75 in earnings, Cheri Barnes and Flashy Onetime Pepto (One Time Pepto x Smart Peppy Doc Doll x Smart Peppy Doc) scored the Intermediate Non Pro Boxing regional award. Barnes, of Simi Valley, California, has been a team with the 2016 gelding since buying him from his breeders, Dan and Toni Heath, in 2020.
“Without a doubt, my most memorable moment of this year was marking a 221 in my dry work at the California Reined Cow Horse Spring Derby,” Barnes said. “I feel blessed to have him [Flashy Onetime Pepto] in my barn. He’s not only my partner in all of this but is always giving me all he’s got. ‘Flash’ is a true soldier, honest and loyal.”
2022 was Kristy Johnson’s last year to show Lenas Gun A Smokum (Smokums Prize x Shortys Scat Cat x Shorty Lena), a 2008 mare she’s competed with for the past 10 years. The pair ended the mare’s career on a high note, netting $4,893 for the Southwest Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“I have savored every show, thanked God for each one and each moment, but was also sad that we were one show closer to our last,” said Johnson, of Porterville, California. “Having a partner that has always given me 110%, I didn’t want it to end. With us missing our first show of the year due to an abscess, I didn’t expect much but to just finish the year, but each show ‘Kitty’ did so well. We kept creeping up in our NRCHA points and earnings, including our club points.
“I could not be more blessed and happy with the way we ended as a team,” Johnson added. “Kitty is one of those once-in-a-lifetime horses. Now it’s time to pass the torch to her son. Although I am excited about the new journey and legacy, I am also slightly broken-hearted to move on.”
Daniel Perez had his eye on Jule Of A Time (Hickory Holly Time x Soula Jule Forever x Soula Jule Star) ever since she was a few months old due to her royal pedigree and her potential. He purchased her as a yearling, and said from the beginning, the 2015 mare has been willing to do what he asks of her. In 2022, the pair earned $1,405 for the Box Drive regional title.
“I don’t have one specific [memorable] moment; I am just grateful to be in the show ring with this special mare. Holding her reins has been a highlight for me,” Perez said. “I think we all face the challenge of arriving at a show as prepared as we can be to compete at our highest level. There are so many great horses and riders though that even on days that are not my own personal best, I can’t help but [feel] anything but thrilled just to be competing alongside them. It’s pretty easy to celebrate wins for friends that have become more like family. That’s a big part of what makes this exciting.”
Serafina Madonna, of San Luis Obispo, California, has only owned 2015 gelding Metallic Flame (Metallic Cat x Scooby Dooby Dual x Dual Pep) for a year, but the pair made the most of their brief time together, overcoming several challenges to win $2,148.25 and 166 points throughout the year and nab the Limited Non Pro Boxing regional award.
“I have really bad show anxiety to the point where I will get sick,” Madonna said. “This was one of the biggest challenges for me, but thankfully ‘Tex’ is really good in high pressure environments and took really good care of me. I think his best physical talent is his cowiness. His favorite job is the cow work. I can’t remember how many times I walked up to a cow thinking I was going to lose it, and he stuck it through every single time no matter what.”
Madonna feels like the gelding is very in touch with her emotions, too, and is always there for her. She said she can’t imagine having a better partner in the show ring emotionally or physically.
Nicole Donahoo, of Murrieta,
has been a team with 2015
Smart Pearl (Very Smart Remedy x Black Pearl
Little Pepinic) since April 2021. The 17-year-old said “Captain Jack” is especially gifted in the fence work, as he is physical and powerful on a cow, and he is very fun to show. They collected earnings of $820 throughout the year.
“The biggest challenge I have faced is learning when to press the gas and when to show smooth,” Donahoo said. “My most memorable NRCHA show was at the CRCHA [California Reined Cow Horse Association] Spring Derby when we had the highest non pro fence work of the show and set a new personal best.”
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.
Bozeman, Montana | ghostwooddistilling.com
— Kory Pounds, Professional Cowboy, Cutting Horse Champion, Whiskey Advocate
Iam constantly presented with the challenge during the fall Futurity season of managing coughs, fevers and sick 3-year-olds, so much I compare them to children. A 3-yearold horse going to its first horse show is like a child going to preschool for the first time: It’s not a question of if they are going to get sick, it’s a question of how sick are they going to get?
Lots of factors play into how sick a horse will get, but ultimately, that is determined by exposure to pathogens, the virulence of the organism, the immune status of your horse and its vaccination status—all play major roles. The constant weather change in the fall doesn’t help either, and it adds to stress that decreases a horse’s immune system response to disease.
Wellness takes many shapes and forms. Regarding contagious diseases, it begins with common sense prevention, called biosecurity. Biosecurity is defined as procedures intended to protect animals against disease or harmful biological agents. This means if your horse is not exposed to a pathogenic or disease-causing virus or bacteria it won’t get sick.
Most of the time your horse gets sick because it comes into direct contact with a sick horse or a sick horse’s environment, and most of the time this kind of exposure is within your control. You can make decisions to limit your horses’ chances of getting sick. For example, don’t let your horse get nose to nose with a sick horse. Don’t expose your horse to water and feed buckets of sick horses. Wash your hands after handling a sick horse, i.e. before handling another horse.
A known prevention for illness is to vaccinate. During COVID, vaccines got a bad rap, which mystifies me, but they do work! There is no doubt horse respiratory vaccines limit the scope and severity of diseases like Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis, and Strep Equi. Most of the coughing horses I see at horse shows I suspect are under-vaccinated, or not boostered by show time. For example, it takes 2 to 4 weeks for the horse’s body to generate protective antibodies after a vaccination. Giving your horse flu/rhino boosters the day before a show doesn’t allow the vaccine time to generate antibodies that prevent your horse from getting sick at the show.
What do I recommend? DECREASE STRESS! Everyone gets sick at horse shows— horses and humans.Stress depresses you and your horse’s immune system. It also upsets your horse’s stomach. Hence, the need for strategically planned immune stimulants like vaccines and anti-ulcer medications at horse shows. Decreasing stress takes many forms, including separation anxiety. Practice separating your horse from its friends before going to shows.
If you want to avoid coughs, fevers and sickness in your horse, remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Biosecurity, vaccinations and nutrition are all subjects to consult with your veterinarian about as you develop a plan to keep your horse healthy at shows.
Joe Carter, DVM Oklahoma Equine Hospital Official Veterinarian of the NRCHA
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, chlorocontaining 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. HUMANWARNINGS: 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 FORHORSE OWNERS:Owners should be advised to:
• NOT administer NSAIDs.
• Ensure horses have access to adequate water before and after administration of OSPHOS.
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 NewAnimal DrugApplication,approved by FDA under NADA # 141-427,for OSPHOS April 28, 2014. DechraVeterinary Products US and the Dechra D logo are registered trademarks of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC. © 2019 Dechra Ltd.
• Observe their horse for at least 2 hours post-treatment for signs of colic, agitation, and/or abnormal behavior.
• If a horse appears uncomfortable, nervous, or experiences cramping post-treatment, 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 posttreatment.
• Contact their veterinarian if the horse displays abnormal clinical signs such as changes in drinking and urination, appetite, and attitude.
Manufactured for: DechraVeterinary Products 7015 College Blvd., Suite 525, Overland Park, KS 66211 866-933-2472
© 2019 Dechra Ltd.OSPHOS is a registered trademarkof Dechra Ltd
All rights reserved Approved by FDA under NADA # 141-427
• Cushioned isolator improves ride comfort for animals and passengers
• Offset pin dampens vertical chucking and fore-aft motion during starts and stops
• Compatible with CURT and B&W® gooseneck hitches with round or square holes
• Simple, drop-in installation to easily replace traditional gooseneck ball
• Dampens jerking and jarring from bumps and potholes for smoother towing
• Cushioned isolator reduces rattling and vibration for a more comfortable ride
• Improved trailer control during events of sudden braking
• Minimizes stress on tow vehicle's suspension and brakes for extended longevity
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War Bird Dog (254) 485-8280 2018
Whizkey N Diamonds (405) 288-6460 2021 2022 2023
Wimpys Little Step (405) 600-1990 2018 2019 2020
Woody Be Dual Cat (541) 401-4978 2021
Woody Be Tuff (903) 563-7090 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
WR This Cats Smart (806) 596-4424 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Wranglered (940) 372-0259 2018
YOR The One (639) 471-8600 2021 2022 2023
Zezes Pepto Cat (940) 859-6587 2018
1. By nomination of a foal crop, offspring of a subscribed stallion from the nominated foal crop are eligible to show in the NRCHA Stakes both as 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds. 6-year-olds are also eligible in the Non Pro Boxing Division only.
2. Any stallion of any breed may be subscribed to the NRCHA Stakes program, subject to provisions as set forth in these rules and stipulated on the entry form.
3. Nominations must be postmarked and paid by February 1 of the following year for each calendar year to avoid paying the higher fee of the following year.
4. Nomination fees will be as follows: a. Paid during the breeding year (the next year’s foal crop) - $1000 b. Weanling year - $1,250 c. Yearling year - $1,500 d. 2-year-old year - $1,750 e. 3-year-old year - $2,000 e r ol e r o n t ons re e e et een e ru r o t e e r ol e r n t e fin l entr e l ne or that NRCHA Stakes event will be accepted at the rate of $3,000. 5-year-old and 6-year-old foal crops that have not been previously subscribed may also be paid in for $3,000.
6. All nominators of stallions must be members in good standing of the NRCHA.
7. In the event the stallion owner or syndicate manager chooses not to enroll the stallion, nominators may be persons other than the owner or syndicate manager of the stallion. In the event that the nominator is someone other than the owner or syndicate manager of the stallion, the nominator represents that they are authorized to nominate the stallion.
8. All subscription fees will be made payable to the NRCHA in US funds or its equivalent.
9. The added purse for the NRCHA Stakes will consist of not less than the total stallion nomination fees received less 20% for NRCHA administration. The remaining 80% will be divided between the Open and Non Pro divisions in accordance with NRCHA Board policy. The NRCHA shall have the right to supplement the added-money purse for the event, but shall be under no obligation to do so. A minimum of 5% of the total purse will be used for the Stallion Nominator Award as described below.
10. There shall be no refunds of the nomination fee paid for any reason, and the fee (less 20% for NRCHA administration as set forth above) will become part of the purse for the NRCHA Stakes.
11. In the event a subscribed stallion changes ownership, any previously paid foal crops will remain eligible under the new o ner o n tor r s ll e p to t e or n l no n tor unless ot er se spe fie n r t n to t e and signed by both the original nominator and the new owner.
12. Stallion Nominator Award: The nominator of the stallion siring the winners of the NRCHA Stakes will receive a monetary award as set by the NRCHA Board of Directors.
13. A list of subscribed stallions nominated to this program and their eligible foal crops will be posted on the NRCHA website, and will be available upon request from the NRCHA.
14. These rules are subject to change at any time by the NRCHA Board of Directors.
Bee Silva ©
(Must be postmarked by February 1 – annually)
SECTION 1
Horse Name: Breed: Registration #: Year Foaled: Year of First Foal Crop: Website:
Owner Name: Address: City / State / Zip: Phone Number / Best Contact: Email Address: Display the above as contact information on the NRCHA website (only one is listed)
Standing At: Address: City / State / Zip: Phone Number / Best Contact: Website: Display the above as contact information on the NRCHA website (only one is listed)
Name of Nominator (Will Receive Win Checks): Check 1 Same as Owner Other Person / Company: Address: City / State / Zip: Phone Number / Best Contact: Foal Crop Year(s): $ Amount:
Enclosed Check/Money Order All credit cards must be processed online here: nrcha.com/subscribed-stallions/ Payment is made to NRCHA in full on receipt of same by the nominator no later than February 1. Acceptance of payment by NRCHA is not to be considered approval of nomination until contract is complete and all rules are complied with. Traditional payment methods accepted are cash and check. I accept this offer to make the above-named stallion eligible to participate in the NRCHA Subscribed Stallion Program and agree to be bound by the conditions of the program.
Nominator Signature: Printed Name: 256 N HWY 377 • PILOT POINT, TX 76258 • 940-488-1500 WWW.NRCHA.COM
INTERMEDIATE OPEN - open to any rider who is not on the top thirty (30) Open Rider Listing; based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events.
LIMITED OPEN - open to any rider who is not on the top 120 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events, has not earned over $350,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events.
Rank Rider Name 2020 2021 2022 Sum of Earnings
1 Justin Wright
$206,767.28 $429,524.86 $293,156.71 $929,448.85
2 Sarah Dawson $250,726.43 $223,889.82 $376,819.24 $851,435.49
3 Corey Cushing $205,673.28 $193,013.77 $289,606.11 $688,293.16
4 Kelby Phillips $260,113.57 $215,844.32 $103,917.65 $579,875.54
5 Chris Dawson $87,868.17 $162,807.71 $291,357.01 $542,032.89
6 Matt Koch $127,537.43 $126,802.83 $218,978.59 $473,318.85
7 Erin Taormino $158,552.96 $141,970.62 $112,500.54 $413,024.12
8 Nicholas Dowers $118,475.88 $77,246.58 $181,892.87 $377,615.33
9 Lee Deacon $13,906.15 $34,918.59 $311,577.08 $360,401.82
10 Luke Jones $89,315.03 $126,404.51 $141,429.76 $357,149.30
11 Zane Davis $132,612.84 $145,643.29 $75,182.80 $353,438.93
12 Clayton Edsall $82,211.60 $145,346.46 $104,172.35 $331,730.41
13 Clay Volmer $94,599.80 $122,003.32 $98,321.60 $314,924.72
14 Brandon Buttars $33,821.38 $28,972.05 $220,705.27 $283,498.70
15 Phillip Ralls $43,539.96 $66,723.83 $169,182.15 $279,445.94
16 John Swales $90,018.44 $61,109.16 $111,418.16 $262,545.76
17 Lance Johnston $80,535.81 $101,201.42 $66,567.37 $248,304.60
18 Ben Baldus $100,863.85 $54,914.20 $76,732.37 $232,510.42
19 Shane Steffen $42,602.19 $101,512.00 $82,422.28 $226,536.47
20 Cayley Wilson $36,540.71 $15,823.47 $170,596.22 $222,960.40
21 Dustin Mills $10,644.38 $202,760.50 $1,058.00 $214,462.88
22 Todd Crawford $44,393.67 $80,708.55 $85,824.05 $210,926.27
23 Todd Bergen $66,314.44 $76,447.57 $62,375.93 $205,137.94
24 Jay McLaughlin $35,963.62 $98,140.50 $64,216.05 $198,320.17
25 Jared Jones $94,897.79 $57,930.25 $36,143.20 $188,971.24 26 Jake Telford $59,749.98 $54,916.40 $74,019.97 $188,686.35 27 Ryan Gallentine $11,043.52 $62,053.92 $91,889.49 $164,986.93 28 Brady Weaver $28,293.97 $63,886.45 $63,236.47 $155,416.89 29 Boyd Rice $27,895.25 $83,482.61 $42,862.75 $154,240.61 30 Gusti Buerger $79,974.14 $50,638.76 $21,807.14 $152,420.04 31 Jake Gorrell $17,415.71 $88,335.13 $43,928.90 $149,679.74 32 Dale Clearwater $48,604.29 $47,541.25 $47,714.22 $143,859.76 33 Brendon Clark
$1,721.70 $13,167.03 $126,759.01 $141,647.74 34 Cara Hencratt $7,282.32 $119,133.13 $12,614.25 $139,029.70 35 Shadd Parkinson $42,237.06 $38,964.03 $ 55,316.76 $136,517.85 36 Russell Probert $11,266.17 $68,987.29 $47,930.77 $128,184.23 37 Ron Ralls $42,228.75 $43,640.10 $31,608.64 $117,477.49 38 Trevor Carter $70,795.90 $4,850.00 $31,579.40 $107,225.30 39
Giovanni Campanaro $23,134.81 $50,393.16 $32,193.78 $105,721.75 40 Shawn Hays
$38,264.78 $30,772.62 $36,258.33 $105,295.73 41 Tyson Benson
$21,648.64 $31,483.17 $50,094.44 $103,226.25 42 Chris Krieg
$11,230.10 $11,996.00 $73,002.56 $96,228.66 43 Kyle Noyce $19,149.51 $31,175.69 $37,066.75 $87,391.95 44 Clint Swales $21,007.66 $25,610.91 $38,050.39 $84,668.96 45 Clifton Shopbell
$48,966.45 $15,723.77 $17,865.86 $82,556.08 46 Jim Spence
$16,808.87 $37,821.88 $26,300.63 $80,931.38 47 Robert Chown $24,321.56 $23,565.70 $31,807.71 $79,694.97
Rank Rider Name 2020 2021 2022 Sum of Earnings
48 Veronica Swales
$2,793.50 $39,442.43 $37,263.16 $79,499.09
49 Ashley Deacon $7,887.98 $20,884.00 $50,487.88 $79,259.86
50 Matt Frederick $4,855.85 $34,781.02 $38,451.88 $78,088.75
51 Clay Roeser $14,460.38 $26,793.41 $33,954.57 $75,208.36
52 Abigayle Mixon
$5,832.73 $51,323.16 $18,036.96 $75,192.85
53 Wade Meador $33,045.29 $18,108.69 $23,332.11 $74,486.09
54 Daniel Sanchez $23,220.15 $47,282.90 $70,503.05
55 Travis Young $18,918.48 $22,738.07 $28,747.98 $70,404.53
56 Brad Barkemeyer $3,629.91 $7,260.95 $57,433.92 $68,324.78
57 Lance Scheffel $13,232.55 $18,451.76 $36,492.06 $68,176.37
58 Flint Lee $1,612.71 $15,742.08 $49,767.45 $67,122.24
59 Tucker Robinson $22,776.23 $20,818.94 $22,661.95 $66,257.12
60 B. J. Avila $3,987.45 $55,240.76 $6,400.60 $65,628.81
61 Trent Pedersen $15,069.03 $33,070.02 $17,158.62 $65,297.67
62 Todd Fitch $52,852.43 $10,663.31 $63,515.74
63 Randy Paul $22,405.23 $18,210.00 $22,879.11 $63,494.34
64 EJ Laubscher $26,087.82 $15,624.70 $19,540.04 $61,252.56
65 Jordan Williams $25,981.04 $23,663.07 $8,346.90 $57,991.01
66 Seth Abrahamson $18,527.39 $7,100.96 $31,407.00 $57,035.35
67 AJ Black $9,742.75 $47,036.01 $56,778.76
68 Robert Smith III $29,401.61 $16,442.60 $9,807.86 $55,652.07
69 Roy Rich $10,827.10 $27,773.45 $16,170.61 $54,771.16
70 Jake Barry $21,842.61 $18,460.00 $14,269.04 $54,571.65
71 Luke Hammerness $14,737.08 $23,266.35 $14,710.48 $52,713.91
72 Rick Wiebe $7,244.40 $25,798.57 $18,415.23 $51,458.20
73 Trey Pool $8,742.61 $25,834.84 $15,526.44 $50,103.89
74 Doug Williamson $23,428.88 $24,477.53 $2,115.17 $50,021.58
75 Ron Emmons $2,516.00 $7,550.63 $39,168.82 $49,235.45
76 Jesus Roman $34,493.91 $11,286.92 $3,412.05
77 Jason Gay $1,956.16 $7,011.88 $40,167.60 $49,135.64
78 Ken Wold $16,857.02 $9,607.50 $22,395.59 $48,860.11
79 Wade Reaney $7,260.61 $19,292.18 $21,033.94 $47,586.73
80 JD Johnson $26,590.09 $20,042.10 $46,632.19
81 Kyle Trahern $15,480.20 $13,846.50 $17,107.90 $46,434.60 82 Dell Hendricks $16,141.52 $1,270.80 $27,877.92 $45,290.24
83 Tack Louthan $10,862.72 $6,423.44 $25,872.03 $43,158.19
84 M. Terry Riddle $211.63 $42,562.40 $42,774.03
85 Mark Sigler $19,929.80 $5,708.00 $17,087.71 $42,725.51 86 Andy Kurtz $29,168.09 $3,061.67 $9,572.43 $41,802.19 87 Wes Housler
$3,898.65 $ 844.00 $36,725.41 $41,468.06 88 Dan Roeser
$17,269.60 $10,046.83 $11,598.75 $38,915.18 89 Jeremy Meador $18,718.46 $11,693.45 $8,253.73 $38,665.64 90 Monica Caetano
$2,277.00 $4,730.26 $29,964.31 $36,971.57 91 Taylor Peters $3,138.59 $28,981.79 $4,606.91 $36,727.29 92 Keith Vogel
$15,428.64 $15,844.16 $5,374.52 $36,647.32 93 Tracer Gilson
$1,036.13 $35,540.53 $36,576.66 94 Stefan Heim $2,135.55 $3,360.01 $29,739.28 $35,234.84 95 Wyatt Misrasi $2,257.20 $31,479.69 $1,450.14 $35,187.03 96 Caleb Jantz
$2,742.60 $18,665.99 $13,742.59 $35,151.18 97 Justin Lawrence $15,773.93 $18,373.41 $944.58 $35,091.92 98 Jeremy Knoles $9,757.09 $3,020.34 $22,262.46 $35,039.89 99 Michael Vipham $6,595.58 $14,565.25 $13,853.73 $35,014.56 100 Chad Blaisdell $18,909.30 $13,643.50 $2,066.54 $34,619.34
Rank Rider Name 2020 2021 2022 Sum of Earnings
101 Will Pennebaker $10,444.67 $19,487.78 $4,250.00 $34,182.45
102 Ricky Piggott $29,869.33 $334.07 $3,744.00 $33,947.40
103 Aaron Brookshire $3,860.05 $19,153.54 $10,796.00 $33,809.59
104 Alex Alves $16,766.58 $12,825.36 $3,842.71 $33,434.65
105 Lavert Avent $16,044.85 $13,976.78 $2,481.22 $32,502.85
106 John Love $3,339.25 $15,076.65 $14,077.65 $32,493.55
107 Russell Dilday $22,593.64 $2,938.38 $6,211.38 $31,743.40
108 Les Oswald $4,566.39 $22,629.85 $4,228.66 $31,424.90
109 Monty Bruce $17,029.27 $13,024.14 $1,232.84 $31,286.25
110 Ricky Nicolazzi $4,139.90 $15,224.76 $11,686.81 $31,051.47
111 George Lewis $4,419.78 $5,007.49 $21,152.30 $30,579.57
112 Danielle Lybbert $ 343.25 $27,222.56 $2,765.48 $30,331.29
113 James Milum $4,791.85 $11,081.79 $14,309.63 $30,183.27
114 Iaian Durrell $3,746.00 $5,551.80 $20,812.50 $30,110.30
115 Craig Cowley $2,673.05 $7,602.56 $19,633.39 $29,909.00
116 Lyn Anderson $23,305.77 $2,670.00 $3,764.83 $29,740.60
117 Joe Harper $10,432.00 $6,051.00 $13,152.50 $29,635.50
118 Wyatt Fisher $4,392.76 $21,824.42 $3,256.25 $29,473.43
119 Taylor Gillespie $1,879.12 $3,418.54 $24,090.29 $29,387.95
120 Joshua Briggs $ 564.30 $28,374.72 $28,939.02
Riders ineligible for LAE Limited Open based on earnings over $350,000 (see rule 10.4.3):
Anne M. Reynolds $1,775,366.00
Bob C. Avila $1,187,080.48
Bobby C. Ingersoll $357,295.61
Brad L. Lund $466,305.12
Debbie R. Crafton $514,730.53
Dema M. Paul $695,835.60
Eric M. Freitas $363,112.86
Greg Ward $429,321.91
Jay Holmes $453,718.24
Jo Anne Carollo $536,106.87
John Ward
$1,204,871.87
Jon Roeser $1,635,125.83
Kevin Stallings $351,829.48
Laurie Richards $553,931.96
R.Mike Miller $623,983.42
Robbie D. Boyce $756,090.50
Sandra M. Collier $806,613.19
Smoky Pritchett $559,804.14
Tammy Jo Hays $366,719.70
Ted Robinson $1,946,785.11
INTERMEDIATE NON PRO - open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 25 Non Pro rider listing based on the previous three years of Open and Non Pro money won at NRCHA approved events.
LAE LIMITED NON PRO - open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not on the Top 60 Non Pro rider listing based on the previous three years of Open and Non Pro money won at NRCHA approved events, have not earned more than $100,000 in Open and Non Pro money at NRCHA approved events.
Rank Rider Name 2020 2021 2022 Sum of Earnings
1 Debbie Crafton
$61,618.61 $123,138.06 $197,154.26 $381,910.93
2 Trail Townsend $4,381.89 $74,861.34 $11,609.56 $90,852.79
3 Abbie Phillips $6,490.14 $53,774.34 $30,154.50 $90,418.98
4 Nicole Westfall $51,775.43 $23,501.77 $12,852.78 $88,129.98
5 Cutter McLaughlin $26,147.82 $30,614.45 $25,571.71 $82,333.98
6 Pam Myers $21,186.92 $37,893.49 $19,809.84 $78,890.25
7 Myles Brown $25,930.20 $29,306.97 $20,782.86 $76,020.03
8 Tylor Todd $19,516.67 $30,769.60 $15,787.00 $66,073.27
9 Parke Greeson $21,309.24 $31,218.48 $13,178.79 $65,706.51
10 Katherine De Haan, DV $30,920.07 $15,890.03 $14,261.50 $61,071.60
11 Lanham Brown $15,542.43 $41,878.50 $57,420.93
12 Toni Hagen Heath $30,605.80 $12,726.84 $9,792.20 $53,124.84
13 Julia Winders $23,879.13 $11,107.91 $17,407.55 $52,394.59
14 Tammy Hays $19,508.82 $14,640.09 $17,361.68 $51,510.59
15 Addison Fjelstad $12,615.35 $29,920.37 $8,683.00 $51,218.72
16 Landon Luce $46,238.39 $2,829.02 $49,067.41
17 Karnell Perry $9,167.47 $13,960.02 $24,597.91 $47,725.40
18 Bret Paulick $35,682.25 $3,622.80 $6,622.45 $45,927.50
19 Paris Starn $17,299.85 $19,909.45 $7,847.12 $45,056.42
20 Kenneth Schueller $12,803.11 $17,323.64 $12,817.50 $42,944.25 21 Sophia Buttars $1,894.35 $5,692.94 $35,030.00 $42,617.29
22 Gianna Hansen $19,118.68 $22,661.63 $41,780.31 23 Cody Halford $41,722.01 $41,722.01 24 Amy Bailey
$11,871.55 $12,120.00 $16,616.43 $40,607.98 25 Elizabeth Kania $4,417.60 $12,286.38 $21,975.30 $38,679.28 26 Terry Christiansen $25,251.53 $8,973.50 $4,246.25 $38,471.28 27 Kristy Miller $6,509.64 $20,845.96 $10,379.36 $37,734.96 28 Jace Sheridan $1,708.50 $4,442.13 $29,525.26 $35,675.89 29 Stefani Wagley $1,032.45 $20,392.87 $14,215.70 $35,641.02 30 Jecca Ostrander $3,588.55 $12,476.60 $18,507.41 $34,572.56 31 Garrell Reilly $4,109.32 $25,339.02 $4,954.46 $34,402.80 32 Brittany Factor $3,013.94 $25,059.71 $5,825.58 $33,899.23 33 Brent Ratliff $7,554.76 $11,575.15 $14,046.35 $33,176.26 34 Lindsey James $19,948.23 $3,000.00 $8,574.57 $31,522.80 35 Kathy Wilson $6,774.92 $9,880.02 $14,403.73 $31,058.67 36 Catelyn Walker $ 27.50 $18,895.97 $10,705.36 $29,628.83 37 Hope Mills $13,952.51 $10,215.02 $4,920.50 $29,088.03 38 Karey Louthan
$12,164.78 $ 934.55 $15,822.98 $28,922.31 39 Erin Mendes $21,852.30 $ 360.00 $6,336.20 $28,548.50 40 Suzon Schaal
$4,620.00 $12,981.01 $10,853.80 $28,454.81 41 Meg Ralston
$2,140.78 $21,608.66 $4,051.75 $27,801.19 42
Carlene Meeks
$10,699.44 $11,551.09 $5,384.33 $27,634.86 43 Lynne Faust
$2,595.10 $12,491.72 $12,524.14 $27,610.96 44 Eric Freitas
$13,409.89 $7,698.95 $5,956.25 $27,065.09 45 Tracy Adams
$6,072.85 $8,754.00 $11,909.57 $26,736.42 46
Jonathan Morrison $8,477.60 $10,886.80 $5,802.50 $25,166.90 47 William Lewis $5,515.11 $17,298.23 $1,942.20 $24,755.54
Rank Rider Name 2020 2021 2022 Sum of Earnings
48 Tricia Gilson
$7,779.57 $16,967.86 $24,747.43
49 Dakota Cox $21,624.93 $2,084.00 $ 555.00 $24,263.93 n elle r fit s
51 Lannie-Jo Lisac $5,705.63 $12,000.55 $5,533.07 $23,239.25 s le e e son s er e un nt s
56 Lori Conrow $6,135.67 $8,328.00 $7,257.95 $21,721.62 o nston t ol n el pr tl n le
60 Landri Lisac $1,167.85 $19,059.60 $20,227.45
Riders ineligible for LAE Limited Non Pro based on earnings over $100,000 (see rule 10.4.8):
R. Mike Miller $623,983.42 ur e r s n ens e n u nett elle o n u ett rt olo t el rol o erts
ll o n o n o lter r our et r en u n elle urp or n ol es err eu el n ul le
President: Corey Cushing Vice President: Paul Bailey Secretary: Todd Crawford Treasurer: Trey Neal Executive Committee Members: Todd Bergen, Dr. Joe Carter, Boyd Rice Board Members: Ben Baldus, Diane Edwards, Amanda Gardiner, Dan Roeser, Jon Roeser, Jake Telford, Cayley Wilson
AFFILIATES
Chairperson: Ben Baldus ben@baldushorsemanship.com 940-923-7255
ANIMAL WELFARE
Chairperson: Dr. Joe Carter, DVM jcarterdvm@aol.com • 405-288-6460
ETHICS
Chairperson: Trey Neal trey@treyneal.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairperson: Paul Bailey paulb@cb-trucking.com • 931-260-3909
HALL OF FAME
Chairperson: Dan Roeser roeserstables@gmail.com 208-841-2052
HORSE SALES
Chairperson: Todd Crawford toddcrawford333@gmail.com
JUDGES
Chairperson: Boyd Rice boydrice1965@gmail.com • 806-282-8113
Director of Judges: Bill Enk enk.bill@gmail.com
NRCHA FOUNDATION Contact NRCHA
NON PRO
Chairperson: Diane Edwards Diane2bph@outlook.com • 206-390-0715
Chairperson: Linda McMahon maclin@earthlink.net • 415-269-5563
PROFESSIONALS
Chairperson: Cayley Wilson cayleyrwilson@gmail.com • 604-300-0401
RULES
Chairperson: Dan Roeser roeserstables@gmail.com • 208-841-2052
SHOWS
Co-Chairperson: Todd Bergen tbergenhorses@gmail.com 541-778-0980
Co-Chairperson: Boyd Rice boydrice1965@gmail.com • 806-282-8113
SPONSORSHIP
Contact NRCHA
STALLION SERVICE AUCTION
Chairperson: Garth Gardiner gardinergarth@gmail.com • 620-635-5632
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Contact NRCHA
YOUTH
Chairperson: Sarah Clymer shubrick3@gmail.com • 719-330-1932
Operations Manager: Emily Konkel emily@nrcha.com
Accounting Manager: Kasydi Valentine kasydi@nrcha.com
Data Entry & Results Assistant: Taylor Meek • taylor@nrcha.com
Media & Communications Manager: Callie McCarthy-Boevers callie@nrcha.com
Membership & Affiliate Show Manager: Tina McCleary • tina@nrcha.com Programs Manager: Jennifer Bishop jennifer@nrcha.com
Sponsorship Assistant: Bailey Carter bailey@nrcha.com
Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association
Krystal Meade 250, 200 Quarry Park Blvd SE
Calgary AB T2C 5E3 CANADA
Phone: 403-991-4617
Email: info@cowhorse.ca Website: www.cowhorse.ca
Arizona Reined Cow Horse Association
Jeffry Heyer
Phone: 508-221-1358 Email: jrhyer@comcast.net Website: www.azrcha.com
Atlantic Reined Cow Horse Association
Jennifer Black 1600 Mapledale Rd Elizabethtown, PA 17022 Phone: 717-433-5357 Email: ARCHASecretary.2022@gmail.com Website: www.atlanticRCHA.com
Australian 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
California Reined Cow Horse Association
Stacy Duesterhaus 15169 Road 223 Porterville, CA 93257 Phone: 559-999-8146 Email: califcowhorse@gmail.com Website: www.californiacowhorse.com
Central Montana Reined Cow Horse Association
Judy Blough
P.O. Box 413 Wilsall, MT 59086
Phone: 409-223-3690 Email: info@cmrcha@gmail.com 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
Current as of January 1, 2023
European Reined Cow Horse Association Augusto De Fazio via Natalia Ginzburg 1 - 11015 Ivrea (TO) ITALY Phone: +(39) 338 8860657 Email: ercha@hotmail.it Website: www.ercha.org
Gem State Stock Horse Association
Callee Miller 301 Market Rd Caldwell ID 83607 Phone: 541-519-4748 Email: Cowhorse22@gmail.com Website: www.gemstatestockhorse.com
Gulf Coast Cow Horse Association Paul Kaskey 6329 Old Court St. North Port, FL 34291 Phone: 941-256-4760 Email: paulkaskey@aol.com Website: www.gulfcoastcowhorse.com
Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association
Laura Kiracofe P.O. Box 1375 Caldwell, ID 83606 Phone: 208-409-5656 Email: laurakiracofe@yahoo.com Website: www.idahoreinedcowhorse.com
Italian Reined Cow Horse Association ur u fino er ell no r llon 22100 Como ITALY Phone: +39 347 26 22 783 Email: segreteria.ircha@gmail.com e s te ttps nr ofit l o
Magic Valley RCHA
Nikki Francis 3644 N 3300 E
Kimberly ID 83341 Phone: 208-539-5410
Email: vpnikki@gmail.com Website: www.intermountaincircuit.org
Mid State Cow Horse Association
Sharon Michelucci 2500 Adobe Rd Paso Robles CA 9344 Phone: 805-835-5014
Email: info@midstatecowhorseassociation.com Website: www.midstatecowhorseassociation.com
Montana Reined Cow Horse Futurity, Inc
Margaret Ore PO Box 1604 East Helena, MT 59635 Phone: 406-227-7019 Email: more@mt.net Website: www.montanareinedcowhorse.com
Nevada Reined Cow Horse Association
Robyn Englert
Phone: 702-768-3224 Email: rocketdog2333@yahoo.com Website: www.nvrcha.org
New York Reined Cow Horse Association Jacob Partridge 996 Flickner Rd. Arkport, N.Y. 14807 Phone: 585-738-1057 Email: jpartridge996@gmail.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
Deb Carruth
Email: debcarruth@hotmail.com Website: www.nercha.ca
Northern Alberta Reined Cow Horse Club
Shawna Husted 27245 TWP 350 Red Deer County, AB T4G 0M4 Phone: 403-875-1369 Email: nabreinedcowhorseclub@gmail.com
Northwest Reined Cow Horse Association
Debbie Pilgoret
P.O. Box 302 Newburg, OR 97132 Phone: 503-318-7339
Email: nwreinedcowhorse@gmail.com Website: www.nwrcha.com
Panhandle Reined Cow Horse Association
Lane Arnold PO Box 1053
Canyon, TX 79015
Phone: 806-341-0941
Email: panhandlecowhorse@gmail.com Website: www.panhandlecowhorse.com
South Dakota Reined Cow Horse Association
Jill Swanhorst
P.O. Box 55 Alzada, MT 59311 Phone: 605-484-5788 Email: Jswanhorst5278@gmail.com Website: www.sdrcha.com
South Texas Reined Cow Horse Association
Tina McCleary 1111 E Poe Prairie Rd Millsap, TX 76066
Phone: 979-218-0633
Email: southtexasrcha@gmail.com Website: www.strcha.org
Southern California Reined Cow Horse Association
Roy Rich
Phone: 951-529-6258 Email: socalrcha@aol.com Website: ltht@airenetworks.com
Southern Reined Cow Horse Alliance
Debra Motichek
Phone: 985-373-8347 Email: srcowha@gmail.com Website: www.srchala.com
Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association
Gay Lenz 11587 Hunt Lane Guthrie, OK 73044 Phone: 405-818-7556
Email: glenz@glenzenterprises.com Website: www.srcha.org
Swedish Reined Cow Horse Association
Silvio Wirth
Kyrkbyn Backagarden 1 SE-512 62 Mardaklev., Sweden Phone: +46 70 676 7642 Email: styrelsen@srcha.eu Website: www.srcha.eu
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
Volunteer Ranch Horse Association
Rachael Snow 4807 Shadecrest Dr. Nashville, TN 37211 Phone: 615-405-5219
Email: volunteerranchhorseassociation@gmail.com Website: www.volrha.com
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
Desert Spring Ranch, Queen Creek, AZ
Keetch Ranch, Waddell, AZ
Del Rey Paint & Qtr Horses/Aneka Schelbeck, Cotton Wood, CA
Bynum Farms/Blair Bynum, Palm City, FL
Donnie Boyd, Sarasota, FL
Robyn Bush, Visalia, CA
Marcy Campbell, Creston, CA
Pompeo Capezzone, Castrocielo 03030, ITALY
Riccardo Capezzone, Castrocielo 03030, ITALY
Cody Christensen, Heber City, UT
Tom Daughetee, Kemmerer, WY
Shad DeGiorgis, El Dorado Hills, CA ur elfino rt ne
Pat Faitz, Lakeland, FL
Robert Frobose, Modesto, CA
Miguel Gonzalez, Miami, FL
Babcock Ranch/Jim Babcock, Sanger, TX
fin n e r e o per ont ll e e to ll p st 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 January 1, 2023
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
Chris Anderson Marietta, OK
Feb 25-26 CRCHA Horse Show #2
HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA California RCHA
Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com
Mar 3 NvRCHA Show #2 HS, Cat.1 Las Vegas, NV Nevada RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 laura.saddleup@gmail.com
Mar 4-12 Sun Country Circuit HS, Cat.1 Scottsdale, AZ Arizona RCHA Shawn Martin 623-217-3871 emailmyentries@gmail.com
Mar 8-12 SRCHA March Show Swing Into Spring HS, LAE, Cat.1 Ardmore, OK Southwest RCHA Nelle Murphy
Mar 17-19 March Pot O’ Gold HS, Cat.1 Temecula, CA Southern California RCHA Kelley Hartranft (714) 267-5912 klsgrn@yahoo.com
Mar 18-19 PRCHA Spring Fling HS, Cat.1 Lubbock, TX Panhandle RCHA Nelle Murphy 580-276-0761 panhandlecowhorse@gmail.com
Mar 18 MSCHA Show #2 HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA Mid State CHA Laura Norman (559) 760-2769 laura@midstatecowhorseassociation.com
Apr 8 MSCHA Show #3 HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA Mid State CHA Laura Norman (559) 760-2769 laura@midstatecowhorseassociation.com Apr 11-16 CRCHA Paso Robles Spring Classic Derby, Spectacular & Horse Show #3 HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA California RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com Apr 13-16 SRCHA April Show Swing Into Spring HS, Cat.1 Ardmore, OK Southwest RCHA Nelle Murphy Apr 19-23 CRCA Sagebrush HS, LAE, Cat.1, Cat. 2 Pueblo, CO Colorado RCA Keri Croft 503-701-3305 dkcroft4@frontier.com
Apr 21 NvRCHA Show #3 HS, Cat.1 Las Vegas, NV Nevada RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 laura.saddleup@gmail.com
May 6 MSCHA Show #4 HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA Mid State CHA Laura Norman (559) 760-2769 laura@midstatecowhorseassociation.com May 11-14 Jimmy Flores Sr Memorial/Wine Country Classic HS, Cat.1, Cat.2 Temecula, CA Southern California RCHA Kelley Hartranft (714) 267-5912 klsgrn@yahoo.com May 19 NvRCHA Show #4 HS, Cat.1 Las Vegas, NV Nevada RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 laura.saddleup@gmail.com May 20-21 NARCHC Cow Horse Show HS, Cat.1 Ponoka, AB Northern Alberta RCHC Shawna Husted 403-875-1369 nabreinedcowhorseclub@gmail.com May 20-21 PRCHA Windy City HS, Cat.1 Amarillo, TX Panhandle RCHA Nelle Murphy 580-276-0761 panhandlecowhorse@gmail.com May 18-21 CRCHA Horse Shows #4 and #5 HS, Cat.1 Tulare, CA California RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com June 16-18 NARCHC Wildrose Derby & Horse Show HS, LAE, Cat.1 Ponoka, AB Northern Alberta RCHC Shawna Husted 403-875-1369 nabreinedcowhorseclub@gmail.com June 24-25 CRCHA Tulare Summer Series Horse Show #6 HS, Cat.1 Tulare, CA California RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com Jul 7-9 Grant Berg Memorial HS, Cat.1 Temecula, CA Southern California RCHA Kelley Hartranft (714) 267-5912 klsgrn@yahoo.com July 7-9 PRCHA Red Dirt Rendezvous HS, LAE, Cat.1 Lubbock, TX Panhandle RCHA Nelle Murphy 580-276-0761 panhandlecowhorse@gmail.com July 15-16 CRCHA Tulare Summer Series Horse Show #7 HS, Cat.1 Tulare, CA California RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com Aug 5 MSCHA Show #5 HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA Mid State CHA Laura Norman (559) 760-2769 laura@midstatecowhorseassociation.com Aug 12-13 CRCHA Tulare Summer Series Horse Show #8 HS, Cat.1 Tulare, CA California RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com Sep 8-10 Cow Horse Classic HS, Cat.1 Temecula, CA Southern California RCHA Kelley Hartranft (714) 267-5912 klsgrn@yahoo.com Sep 21-24 PRCHA Fall Into Autumn HS, Cat.1 Lubbock, TX Panhandle RCHA Nelle Murphy 580-276-0761 panhandlecowhorse@gmail.com Sep 23-24 NARCHC Fall Cow Horse Show HS, Cat.1 Claresholm, AB Northern Alberta RCHC Shawna Husted 403-875-1369 nabreinedcowhorseclub@gmail.com Oct 11-15 NARCHC Futurity, Derby & Horse Show HS, LAE, Cat.1 Ponoka, AB Northern Alberta RCHC Shawna Husted 403-875-1369 nabreinedcowhorseclub@gmail.com Oct 21 MSCHA Show #6 HS, Cat.1 Paso Robles, CA Mid State CHA Laura Norman (559) 760-2769 laura@midstatecowhorseassociation.com Nov 8-12 CRCHA Tulare Fall Classic Futurity, Derby & Horse Show #9 HS, LAE, Cat.1 Tulare, CA California RCHA Laura Norman 559-760-2769 crcha@saddleup-enterprises.com
ALVIN FULTS 101
AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION 166
BDB BREEDERS, LLC 80/81
BLOOMER TRAILERS 119
BOB’S CUSTOM SADDLES 131
BRAZOS VALLEY STALLION STATION 95
BRUMBAUGH’S FINE HOME FURNISHINGS 182
CALIFORNIA REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION 31
CANNON RANCH QUARTER HORSES 35
CAPO CUSTOM SADDLES, LLC 165
CAROL ROSE QUARTER HORSES 84/85
CARTER RANCH HORSE 183
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET 117
COWTRAC SYSTEMS 123
65
ESTELLE ROITBLAT ESTATE 29
GHOSTWOOD DISTILLING CO. 167
GIL SIQUEIROS 47
GIST SILVERSMITHS INC............................147
GOOD, JAMES C 53
HASHTAG VENTURES LP 48/49
HEDLUND, CODY 11
HOLY COW PERFORMANCE HORSES 129
HOME RANCH PERFORMANCE HORSES 137
IRON ROSE RANCH 17
JEFF SMITH’S CUSTOM SADDLES 149
K&L PHILLIPS, LLC 13
KALPOWAR QUARTER HORSES 93
LOS JABONCILLOS RANCH 103
MAGGIC MIKE ADVERTISING 39
MANION RANCH 51
MARKEL INSURANCE 179
MARQUISS QUARTER HORSES 19
MARS EQUESTRIAN 141
MATTHEWS CUTTING HORSES LLC 56/57
METALLIC REBEL 37
MILLER INTERNATIONAL 3
MONCRIEF QUARTER HORSES 59
NOBLE PANELS AND GATES BC
NUTRENA FEED DIVISION 145
OKLAHOMA EQUINE HOSPITAL 163
OLERICH, JILL 87
OPHIR CREEK STABLES LLC 155
OSWOOD STALLION STATION 14/15
PLANTATION FARMS 45
PLATINUM PERFORMANCE, INC 157
PULSE VETERINARY TECHNOLOGIES, LLC 181
QUARTER HORSE NEWS 151
RED ARROW RANCH 143
RICATO SUAVE LLC 21
RIOS OF MERCEDES 5
ROBERTSON RANCHES 26/27
ROCKING BS RANCH 42/43
ROCKING P RANCH IFC-1
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLUES 7
ROLLZ ROYCE 25
SAMI FINE JEWELRY 133
SAN JUAN RANCH / SANTA CRUZ 159
SCOOTER KAT PARTNERS 153
SDM QUARTER HORSES 22/23
SERVI, BEVERLY 107
SHORTY’S CABOY HATTERY 36
SHOW PRO INDUSTRIES 61
SJ RANCH 113
SKYBAND RANCH, LLC 125
SMARTLIC SUPPLEMENTS 20
STELLA SWANSON 62/63
STRAWN VALLEY RANCH 109
THE SADDLE HOUSE 172
TOML 171
TR9 RANCH 66/67, 76/77
TRES OSOS PERFORMANCE HORSES 168/169
TRIPLE D RANCHES 121
WAGONHOUND LAND AND LIVESTOCK 105
WESTERN BLOODSTOCK 32/33
WESTERN LEGACY CO. IBC
WESTWIND MORGANS 89
XIT RANCH 68/69
