2022 SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY® OWNERS INCENTIVE FUND

Thank you to these supporters contributing to the added money purse for the 2022 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity ®!

Larry & Kathy Barker

Best Kept Secret Ranch

Bet He Sparks

Bet Hesa Cat Syndicate

BMW Quarter Horses

Brazos Valley Stallion Station

Call Me Mitch

D Lazy K Ranch

Double F Ranch / Roy & Sherri Fischer

Dual Smart Rey / Strawn Valley Ranch

DuraPro Health

Fults Ranch / Stevie Rey Von Gardiner Quarter Horses

Hartwood Farms

Hat 6 Ranch

Honeysuckle Rose Boutique

Hooray / Eric & Wendy Dunn

Ann Matthews

Matthews Cutting Horses

Milum Performance Horses

Kit & Charlie Moncrief / Moncrief Quarter Horses

Ophir Creek Ranch

Red Arrow Ranch LLC

Rocking Nine Four Ranch

Carol Rose

Steve and Lori Roseberry

Spahn Law Firm PLLC

Stuart Ranch

War Ponies, Elite Paint Cowhorses

Woodglen Investments

On the first run down the fence the exhibitor must take the cow past the middle marker before attempting a turn. If the animal is reluctant to go with any speed and the exhibitor is in position to drive the animal and the animal turns back on his own, this presents a potential new cow whistle. If the cow is a runner and the rider starts up on the cow (toward the head) and after getting lined out, (at least three strides down the fence) the animal turns, it then becomes a question of whether the rider was out of position or not. Usually, the exhibitor steps on the accelerator to go and the animal turns at the same time. These are difficult calls—new cow or no?

The “slow loper” is another interesting scenario. The animal is loping at a slow speed down the fence and the rider isn’t behind it attempting to encourage it to run, it gets past center then turns and speeds up quite a bit—no new cow! Scenario No. 2, the animal is loping at a slow speed and the rider is behind it trying to get it to speed up, it gets past center and turns and stays the same speed, the rider sets it up for the second turn. The question here is if the exhibitor stays in a controlling position throughout the whole run can he mark in the low 70’s? There is a degree of difficulty to stay in a good position on a slower animal. Everyone would like a cow that they can score big numbers, but it is a draw, and most animals are in the 80 percent area. Do the best you can on the cow that you’ve drawn, and you might be surprised.

Another scenario is that the horse is in working position when it leaves the end on a cow that runs. If the horse is reluctant to go by and turn the cow and the animal goes around the end before it is turned there was a loss of position and control due to the reluctance of the horse to go by and turn the animal. When attempting to turn a cow on the fence, and the cow’s head is in front of the horse’s head, a controlling position has not been achieved.

The same situation when leaving the end starting down the fence except the horse gets by the cow but is in too tight to the animal and it is basically a foot race around the end of the arena. You might get a turn, but the odds are reduced by being so tight to the cow. Are you truly in position and control?

The horse is in good working position when it leaves the end on a suspect cow that runs. The rider attempts to initiate a fence turn but the animal keeps running, the rider then repositions the horse and attempts to block the animal before it gets to the one-point penalty marker. The animal runs through the horse and around the corner. In this scenario, the rider has done his or her part to show the judges that there probably isn’t a fair chance to compete on the animal drawn.

As an exhibitor if you do your part to stay in a controlling position on any cow drawn, you will help the judges make these difficult new cow decisions fair and consistent.

Until Next Time, Bill Enk

NRCHA Director of Judges