 |
| |
| The
First NRCHA World Champions - The Class of 2003
March 19, 2004 - There is only one first time for everything in life. The moment comes at its appointed time, and then is gone forever. Those fortunate few, who are poised just right in time to seize the opportunity, will from that day forward always bear the title and the honor of being the first to achieve it. In Stephenville, Texas, a fortunate few rose to the challenge and became the very first National Reined Cow Horse Association World Champions!
Some of the newly crowned World Champions had the ride of their life to place them in the spotlight early in their careers. Some of them are seasoned professionals. They came to Stephenville February 25-28 from all directions, from all regions. World Champions were crowned from five different states, and every region had at least one representative take home a title. Satisfaction with the whole experience abounded. Exhibitors found the facility extremely comfortable (even through the rough weather), very accommodating, and arena management superlative. The NRCHA board has already voted to return to Stephenville for next year's World Championship event.
Open
Bridle World Champion Smart Time Tuck - The “Iron Horse” Of The NRCHA - Continues To Hurtle Down The Track Of NRCHA Destiny, Devouring Titles Set In His Path Like Mile Markers, Not Milestones.
By Senors Lil Brudder, out of Smoke Time Tuck X Doc Tom Tucker, and owned by Kathryn Schaefer, of Aromas, California, Smart Time Tuck has been ridden for his entire career by Trainer Lyn Anderson, of Madera, California.
This fascinating gelding has amassed an amazing resume in his relatively short life, including the following titles: 2000 Snaffle Bit Futurity Finalist at Reno, Idaho and Chowchilla; 2001 Champion of the NRCHA Futurity Open Hackamore Class; 2002 Hackamore Classic Open Champion; 2002 Salinas, Reno And Cow Palace Open Hackamore Champion; 2002 NRCHA Open Hackamore Gold Year-End Champion, 2002 Idaho Derby Champion, and winner of five saddles from September 2001 through October 2002. In 2003 he began his bridle career by winning the first 10 Open Bridle classes he showed in, earning his NRCHA Supreme Champion Award. The first time he was ever beaten in the bridle was his freshman appearance in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Bridle Sweepstakes in Reno. He won 4th there behind 3 of the best seasoned bridle champions going down the road. Between August of 2002 and August of 2003 he won 15 straight open classes in the snaffle bit, hackamore and bridle. Now add to the list the first ever NRCHA “Grand Slam” home run: Regional Championship, World Championship, and National Championship, all won in the same year. As a matter of fact, this amazing horse is still in his first year in the bridle.
They had a strong test in Stephenville. Anderson gave a play-by-play: "Our cow in the finals was wasn’t honest in the boxing, and when he went running down the wall he was going so fast and so far off the wall we were flying when we went by. I almost lost track of him, but Zip knew exactly where he went. When Zip turned it felt like he dropped three feet out from under me, and somewhere lost a front shoe.” She finished, “It had a huge degree of difficulty and I can’t wait to see the tape on it so I can see what it looked like!” The score posted was a big 585, and it secured the $3,450 first place check and all the prizes.
Open
Bridle Reserve World Champion
Robert Chown, of Gainesville, Texas has ridden Short Oak (Shorty Lena, out of Oakadot by Doc's Oak) for 2 years. The handsome 1994 bay stallion is owned by Linda Wacker, of Valley View, Texas. Chown got the horse as an 8-year-old cutter with over $60,000 to his credit, but no cow horse experience, and certainly no dry work experience. According to Chown, this was not a problem for the smart and gutsy bay stallion. “He is blistering fast, and can just do things that lots of really nice horses can’t do.” He added, “This horse could do any event and be great at it.” Though only started as a cow horse in 2002, Short Oak had a fine year in 2003, qualifying for the AQHA World Show Finals in Senior Working Cow horse. The pair left Oklahoma City with 8th place.
Earlier in the year they were narrowly edged to 3rd place in the Open Bridle Sweepstakes at the Snaffle Bit Futurity Horse Show in Reno, behind Todd Crawford on Starlight Playmate, and Todd Bergen on Nic It In The Bud, who tied for the win. In NRCHA regional competition, Short Oak took 4 wins and 1 second place finish in 5 shows.
At the World Show in Stephenville, the pair finished with a 582 score and $2,760.
Limited
Open Bridle World Champion
Jamie Peters, of Edmond Oklahoma, is a young trainer off to a brilliant start. Only 26, she has grown up with the example of her mother, highly regarded trainer, Marilyn Peters, to follow.
Of her World Championship ride, aged gelding - No Fat Chics - Jamie Peters stated it eloquently, “He has won several saddles….and lots of hearts". No Fat Chicks (Smart Chic Olena X Mokie Merle X Okie Leo) name may still elicit a chuckle or two, but the grand 11-year-old sorrel gelding, owned by Kathryn Schaapveld, of Edmond, Oklahome, has nothing but respect from his peers. His show career is long and rich. A few recent wins include the South Central Region Open Bridle Championship, the Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association Year-end Bridle Championship, the 2003 South Central Non Pro Limited Champion, the North Central Region Limited Open Reserve Championship, the 2003 Limited Open Bridle Championship at the NRCHA Futurity Horse Show in Reno, 5th in the 2003 Senior Working Cowhorse at the AQHA Word Show (he has been a AQHA Reserve World Champion in the past), and the 2002 Silver Year-End Open Bridle Reserve Champion.
Peters and No Fat Chics scored a 573.5 at Stephenville, and received a check for $1,275.
Limited
Open Bridle Reserve World Champion
Danny Morias, of Pleasanton, California, put some proof to the test by coming to the first ever NRCHA World Show. Morias qualified to come with a relatively distant eighth place finish in Limited Open Bridle in his Southwest Region. But when World Show contenders drove into the Stephenville city limits, the Limited Open Bridle was anybodies race, and Morias is the one who finished it in first place Riding Neatnic Jac, by Jac Daniels Neat, out of Hyanic, by Reminic.
He has been riding the 1996 dun mare, owned by Verna Mae Silva of Pleasanton, California, since she was a 3-year-old. He had previously won the Limited Open Bridle Championship at the Hackamore Classic on her, as well as Bridle Champion at the Aloha Classic. She also finished as a finalist in the Derby in the Limited Open for Morias.
Morias credits the mare’s sweet disposition for her ability to win, describing her as “willing and honest as she accepts her training.” She is a working girl as well, helping out on the ranch, and will someday be destined for the broodmare band.
Morias left Texas with a 570.5 score, a trophy saddle, a Morrison bronze, Rios boots, and $1,062.50 in his pocket.
Non
Pro Bridle World Champion
Tammy Jo Hays, of Saint Jo, Texas put on a stellar performance in Stephenville, proving that just qualifying for the World Show is the key, and every one has the same opportunity to win on a level playing field once they get there. In her dramatic rise to the top, she jumped from a 5th place year-end finish in her region, to back-to-back World Championships in Non Pro Bridle and Novice Non Pro Bridle. Ultimately the World Championship earned her the NRCHA Non Pro Bridle National Reserve Championship as well.
Hays’ partner in the coup is her beloved chestnut gelding, Hes Pretty Smart (Haidas Little Pep X Brilliant Little Lena X Smart Little Lena). She got him from JD Yates, as she had heard about him from Shawn Hays, working for Yates at the time. Turns out that Tammy Jo and Shawn ended up married and Hes Pretty Smart ended up ruling the Hays barn. Hays laughed, “It’s no coincidence that I started riding cow horse events about the time that Shawn and I got together. I was raised on a ranch in New Mexico and my dad (Walter Greeman) wanted me to do cow horse for years, now he’s just delighted!”
She described her horse, “He’s the first great one I’ve ever had. He is full of energy and has a huge personality. I believe in turning him out for play time, and it really helps him out. He will run hard for 20 minutes straight”.
His big motor served him well in Stephenville as he churned out three superlative performances there, qualifying for the finals in both Non Pro and the Novice Non Pro Bridle. He was spectacular in the Novice Non Pro Finals, posting the high score of the World Show, a huge 588.5. Hays said, “He was a little softer in the Non Pro”. Indeed he only posted a very respectable 580! Each win paid $1,725.
Non
Pro Bridle Reserve World Champion
Annie Reynolds just missed repeating her Non Pro Bridle Championship at the NRCHA Futurity by a very slim, 1 point margin at the World Show. She still emerged victorious however, making Cash Us McLain, her 1997 sorrel stallion by Nu Cash, out of Nancy McLain, the first Non Pro Bridle Reserve World Champion.
This gritty stallion is not only a seasoned show horse, he is a herd sire at Reynolds beautiful Why Worry Ranch, in King Hill, Idaho. His mother, Nancy McLain (Ima Cougar X Music and Rhythm X Tripolay Bar) has produced multiple champions for Reynolds, including 9 performing foals with earnings over $125,000.
At the Futurity Show Reynolds and Cash Us McLain topped one of the largest Non Pro Bridle classes in recent NRCHA history, 43 in all. At the World Championship show 19 of the top riders for each region showed up to vie for the title.
The 579 score and $1,380 check added to the talented stallion’s life time earnings, bringing him well over the $43,000 mark.
Novice
Non Pro Bridle World Champion
Tammy Jo Hays, of St. Jo, Texas put on a stellar performance in Stephenville, proving that just qualifying for the World Show is the key, and every one has the same opportunity to win on a level playing field once they get there. In her dramatic rise to the top, she jumped from a 5th place year-end finish in her region, to back-to-back World Championships in Non Pro Bridle and Novice Non Pro Bridle. Ultimately the World Championship earned her the Non Pro Bridle National Reserve Championship as well.
Hays’ partner in the coup is her beloved chestnut gelding, Hes Pretty Smart (Haidas Little Pep X Brilliant Little Lena X Smart Little Lena). She got him from JD Yates. Hes Pretty Smart had not found his life’s calling yet when he left Colorado, but he then went to live with NRCHA legend Benny Guitron for a year. Upon his return, Hays began their show career and in 2000 the pair earned the Amateur Reserve Championship at the AQHA World Show. A 2 week journey in 2001 to California to understudy with another NRCHA legend, Don Murphy, yielded their first AQHA Amateur World Championship, and Hays has been a regular at the AQHA World Show ever since, as well as NRCHA events.
Hes Pretty Smart churned out three superlative performances in Stephenville, qualifying for the finals in both Non Pro and the Novice Non Pro Bridle. He was spectacular in the Novice Non Pro Finals, posting the high score of the World Show, a huge 588.5. Hays said, “He was a little softer in the Non Pro”. Indeed he only posted a very respectable 580! Each win paid $1,725.
Novice
Non Pro Bridle Reserve World Champion
Cheryl Chown, of Gainesville, Texas, has been riding since she was three. She has a championship resume competing against the best in the world. However, most of this time she has been chasing three barrels instead of a cow. Long a card holder in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, making over a dozen pro-rodeos every year, Chown also competes in the United Professional Rodeo Association where in 2003 she won the finals year-end. She is no stranger to speed.
That’s probably why “going down the fence” appeals to her so much. She had previously shown a few reining horses, but adding the cow horse experience has been a recent development. So recent in fact, that she laughed, “I had been down the fence at a show just three times before the World Show. Just at the World Show, I did it four times, so I have more than doubled my experience!”
In fact, her very first fence work of the week yielded her a score anyone would be pleased with, a healthy 146. She said, “That was a fast, aggressive cow. It was the highlight of the whole week for me.” She is quick to give credit to her equine partner, Double R Cocoa (Double R Doc X Cocoa Cody Miss X Chub Cody), an 8-year-old mare owned and raised by Cheryl and trainer husband Robert Chown. Robert trained the mare, and Cheryl voiced her appreciation for the solid ability of the quick and athletic mare. In an old but true barrel racer adage, she affirmed, “you are only as good as what you’re on.” She added, “I think the reason barrel racers make a smooth transition to cow horse events, is not just the enjoyment of the speed, but rather the ability to make quick decisions with speed.”
Their steady 560 score in the Finals netted the pair the title, the prizes and a check for $1,437.50. 
 |
|
|
| Contact Horsesdaily HorsesDaily®, ScoreSource® and PhelpsPhotos® are registered trademarks of Phelps Hathaway Enterprises,Inc. All content under this copyright is the property of PHE, Inc. unless otherwise noted. ©1997-2005 horsesdaily.com All Rights Reserved |
