Tim McQuay Wins SWRHA Cinder Lakes Ranch $10,000 Added Open on Smart And Shiney

Ardmore, Oklahoma - It was a night of big runs and high scores at the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity Cinder Lakes Ranch $10,000 Added Open. That’s a tradition for this event, which has a legacy of memorable open reining runs from some of the most famous horses in history. Predictably, the 10-horse class featured some of the top names in today’s reining horse world.

“It was a lot of fun. It’s so nice to have this caliber of class to show your horse in,” noted Tim McQuay, who topped the class on Smart And Shiney, a 5-year-old stallion he owns with entertainer, Lyle Lovett. “When I looked at the list I was really impressed with the horses entered. Then, when they went in and I kept hearing such high scores, I knew we’d have to step it up a little bit.”

Pressure only served to make the venerable champion more focused and the run more memorable. As one of the National Reining Horse Association’s $2 Million riders, McQuay is familiar with making high octane runs. “I didn’t want those young whippersnappers to beat us!” he laughed. “It’s why we were going so fast. This is a great horse, and I wanted to show him like he needed to be shown.”

McQuay’s wife, Colleen, added, “He’s such a big, pretty horse. But he does have to go really fast to look like he’s going fast. Tim did a great job showing him tonight. This is a huge win for him, and it’s just disappointing that Lyle wasn’t here to share it with us.”

Tim and Colleen purchased Smart And Shiney, nicknamed Highbeam, late in his 3-year-old year, and made the NRHA Futurity Open Finals. “We bought him first, and had people interested in him, but we really wanted to keep him. Lyle had expressed interest in having a partnership, so that’s all it took. We couldn’t ask for a better partner or friend,” noted Colleen.

Highbeam, by Shining Spark and out of Tronas Pearl, has also earned finalist berths at the NRHA Derby and National Reining Breeders Classic. He also won the Cowboy Capitol Classic Derby in Stephenville, Texas. “He’s been a strong player, but this is big tonight,” said Tim. “He’s a special horse. He’s the same all the time, and is a joy to have around the barn.”

But the Cinder Lakes Ranch Open Championship isn’t the only title that Highbeam has earned during his week in Ardmore, Oklahoma. He won the special Rein In Cancer Performance Halter and Versatility Championship with Monica Hicks just a day earlier! And it’s been a good week for McQuay, as well, as he qualified all three of his entries for the Open Futurity Finals, slated to take place on Saturday.

Randy Paul and Darlins Not Painted earned the Reserve Championship with a 226.5, taking home $3,093. Earlier this week, Paul and the talented mare earned the Novice Horse Open Championship – only their first time to show together. Darlins Not Painted, by Smokin Chic Olena and out of Mi Hollywood Darlin, has twice been the NRBC Intermediate Non Pro Champion with Paul’s wife, Andi.

The SWRHA Futurity is held annually at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Oklahoma. It runs from October 21-October 26, and boasts added money of over $135,000.

For more information on the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity, or to inquire about the SWRHA, please call 580-759-2572, or visit www.swrha.com.