IDING THE WAVE R

With Clayton Edsall piloting, Von Cali has steadily climbed the Open standings to land in the Open Derby Champion spot at the 2023 Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes.

BY KATE BRADLEY BYARS | PHOTOS BY PRIMO MORALES

Von Cali is a “chill” horse with a lot of ability, according to trainer and National Reined Cow Horse Association Million Dollar Rider Clayton Edsall, but his climb to the top of the derby-aged pack hasn’t been without its challenges. It all came together in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes, though, where Edsall rode the K&L Phillips, LLC-owned gelding to a $50,000 payday and the win.

“He’s just a super nice horse to be around, very chill. I can’t say enough nice things about him as a horse in general; he is so kind,” Edsall said.

It was more than the horse’s kind heart that took him to the top with a composite 662 (H: 223/R: 218.5/C: 220.5). Von Cali (Stevie Rey Von x Hotel Cali x Smart Aristocrat) stayed consistent in three events while continuing to also show his strength in the herd work. Prior to this event, the gelding earned preliminary top honors in the herd work at the 2022 Hackamore Classic, presented by Oswood Stallion Station, and out of the herd placed second at the 2022 DT Horses Western Derby and fourth at the 2022 Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby.

In Las Vegas, Edsall piloted the roan to a 223, the top score in the Finals herd work.

“He's always had something special to him in the herd work,” said Edsall. “When you watch him, every time the cow wants to flick an ear or thinks about a turn, this horse [senses that] and lowers or waits on that cow. He is incredibly smart. It’s a neat feeling because you can cut the scariest cows in the bunch, and he can slow them down a little bit with his response to them.”

2023 Open Top 10

Las Vegas, Nevada – March 23-April 1, 2023 (Horse/Rider/Pedigree/Owner/Score/Money)

1. Von Cali; Clayton Edsall; 18G (Stevie Rey Von x Hotel Cali x Smart Aristocrat); K&L Phillips LLC; 662 (H: 223/R: 218.5/C: 220.5); $50,000.

2. Metallic Daisy Dukes; Todd Bergen; 18M (Metallic Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey); Bit Of Heaven Ranch; 660 (H: 221/R: 218/ C: 221); $40,000.

3. Zak 34; Justin Wright; 18S (Woody Be Tuff x Cat Digs Lucinda x High Brow Cat); Melissa Fischer; 658 (H: 218.5/R: 222/C: 217.5); $30,000.

4 (TIE). SJR Stylish N Smooth; Matt Koch; 19M (Smooth As A Cat x Stylish Little Oak x Playin Stylish); San Juan Ranch; 656.5 (H: 215.5/R: 218.5/ C: 222.5); $22,500.

4 (TIE). Metallic Casanova; Clay Volmer; 18S (Metallic Cat x Dark And Sultry x Spots Hot); Pitzer Ranch/Dack Cattle LLC; 656.5 (H: 219.5/ R: 219/C: 218); $22,500.

6 (TIE). Lookin For Hottstuff; Abigayle Mixon; 18S (Hottish x Hotstuff An Then Sum x Peptoboonsmal); Don Murphy/Desi Holt; 656 (H: 211/R: 218/C: 227); $13,500.

6 (TIE). WhatUTalkinAbout; Justin Wright; 19S (Smooth Talkin Style x Smart Blues x Smart Boons); Justin Ray Price; 656 (H: 220/R: 220.5/ C: 215.5); $13,500.

8. SJR Diamonds Justify; Matt Koch; 18G (CD Diamond x Highly Unlimited x High Brow Cat); San Juan Ranch; 655.5 (H: 219/R: 217/C: 219.5); $10,000.

9. Juliette Jonez; Sarah Dawson; 18M (Travelin Jonez x Shine Smarter x WR This Cats Smart); Linda Mars; 655 (H: 214.5 /R: 220 /C: 220.5); $8,500.

10 (TIE). Outfoxxed; Chris Dawson; 18S (Peptoboonsmal x Shiney Tari x Shining Spark); KK Performance Horses; 654 (H: 218 /R: 216.5 / C: 219.5); $6,750.

10 (TIE). Pepinstep; Matt Koch; 18S (One Time Pepto x Better Sue x Bet On Me 498); Flag Ranch LLC; 654 (H: 216/R: 219.5/C: 218.5); $6,750.

The Glade Knight-bred gelding’s cow savvy comes through down the fence, too. But the reining is one element Edsall has worked to put together. The pair’s fifth place finish at the 2023 Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby started an upward trajectory.

“He has always been outstanding on a cow; he stops so hard,” Edsall said. “He hasn’t wanted to break loose on his front end, so it’s been a bit of a struggle to figure out how to make that more presentable. We work at that a lot. It started to get better, and it was better in Fort Worth [at the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby]. It’s been like we survive the rein work, he’s always in the top end of the herd work, then we get to the fence work. We are finally getting a handle on the rein work and that is helping us stay competitive all the way through.”

Adding to the double-registered Quarter Horse and Paint Horse gelding’s more than $28,000 in NRCHA earnings is the $50,000 Derby purse and the Open Chrome Cash high score check for $1,555 from the preliminary rounds. Edsall says that while Von Cali is not finished showing, his future is set.

“When we bought him, he is obviously very attractive, and he is going to be Kathryn Phillips’ forever horse,” he said. “She has some of those horses I’ve shown, like Maliblu Barbie and Metallic Playmate, at her place in Carmel [California]. She enjoys horses and the plan all along is for him to be her horse in the end of it. I’ll show through the derbies, and I wouldn’t

Meet Teton Ridge

Teton Ridge is a multi-platform brand devoted to the American Western way of life and western equine sports, and it is a proud corporate sponsor of the NRCHA. Owned by visionary entrepreneur Thomas Tull, Teton Ridge has stepped into the rodeo and performance horse arenas in a big way, including being the title sponsor of the NRCHA’s Stallion Stakes. Teton Ridge also operates a philanthropic foundation that funds land stewardship, fosters community by preserving America’s Western cultural heritage, and works to ensure the future of ranching and riding sports. tetonridge.com be surprised to put him in the two-rein and the bridle, depending on what Kathryn wants to do. As hard as that horse stops, he’d be pretty spectacular in the steer stopping so maybe one day we will see him in the World’s Greatest [Horseman].”

Reserve Champion Metallic Daisy Dukes (Metallic Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey) and Todd Bergen earned $40,000 for owner Bit of Heaven Ranch. The 2018 mare, bred by Aaron Cook, and Bergen rode to a 660 composite (H: 221/R: 218/C: 221).

Horses sired by a stallion that is in the NRCHA’s Subscribed Stallion Program are eligible to compete in the Derby, both Non Pro and Open divisions, at the Stallion Stakes. The eligibility isn’t a limitation, though, according to Edsall, and doesn’t dampen the talent brough to compete.

“It's mind blowing how good the horses are and how good everybody’s training is,” he says. “It is pretty incredible to watch these Finals, horse after horse, where everybody is doing their homework, and everybody has really good horses. It is fortunate when it all comes together.”

Open Reserve Champion

INTERMEDIATE OPEN CHAMPION

Abigayle Mixon rode Lookin For Hottstuff (Hottish x Hotstuff An Then Sum x Peptoboonsmal), a 2018 stallion bred by Wade Smith and owned by Don Murphy and Desi Holt, to the win with a 656 (H: 211/R: 218/C: 227) and $16,000 in the division.

INTERMEDIATE OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

Bettin Blind (Blind Sided x Bet on Merada x Bet On Me 498), bred by Aaron Ranch and owned by Debra Wattenburg, and James Milum rode to a composite 650.5 (H: 215.5/R: 215/C: 220) to take Reserve and $13,000.

LIMITED OPEN CHAMPION

CR Be Lethally Tuff (Woody Be Tuff x CR High Brow Letha x High Brow Cat), a 2019 mare bred by Center Ranch, and Lilla Bell rode to a 634 (H: 213/R: 214/C: 205) to earn the title and $5,000 for owners Lacy and Wyatt Bourdet.

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LIMITED OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

Daxon Buttars rode 2019 gelding CR Lookout Tuff (Woody Be Tuff x Sucha Smartlookn Cat x High Brow Cat), bred by Center Ranch, to a 632 (H: 206 /R: 219/ C: 209) for Reserve, earning owner Sophia Buttars $4,000.

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LEVEL 1 OPEN CHAMPION

Earning owner/breeder Ellie Willoughby $3,906, Cody Hanson and 2018 mare Shiners Voodoo Doll (Shiners Voodoo Dr x CR CD Slide x CD Lights) rode to a 638 (H: 207.5/R: 217/5/C :213).

LEVEL 1 OPEN RESERVE CHAMPION

Edward John rode Cats Tell Secrets (WR This Cats Smart x Secrets Blue Angel x One Time Pepto), bred by Wagonhound Land & Livestock LLC, to a 634 (H: 213.5/ R: 211/C: 209), earning owner Orlando Gonzalez $3,069.

NOVICE HORSE CHAMPION

Jaymes Bond (Metallic Cat x Shortys Jay Ray x Dual Rey), a 2018 stallion bred by Fults Ranch LTD and owned by Pete Bonds, and Jordan Williams rode to a 660.5 (H: 218/R: 220.5/C: 222) for the win, earning $6,405.75.

NOVICE HORSE RESERVE CHAMPION

Metallic Ruano (Metallic Cat x Royal Red Rosita x Smart Little Lena), bred by Billy Emerson and owned by Teton Ridge, and Todd Bergen picked up the title with a 658 (H: 218/R: 220/C: 218) and a check for $4,927.50.