While ongoing construction at the Oklahoma State Fair Park caused delays and detours, reiners brought solid, confident three-year-olds ready to walk straight through the Gateway of Champions to make their debut at the NRHA Futurity.
The NRHA Futurity & North American Affiliate Championship Show began on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. The First Go, Section 1 went through Draw 65 of 399 Futurity entries making their first of hopefully three trips to the NRHA show pen. It was an awesome display of talent! Bryant Pace and Duane Latimer shared the high score of 222.
Pace rode Gunball Machine by NRHA Hall of Fame member Gunner and out of Pearl Handled owned by Pace and Ann Salisbury, Smithfield, NC/Pilot Point, TX, respectively. The stallion was soft between the reins and ran aggressive large fast circles with a great transition to small, slow. “When I sat back, he slowed down and I said to myself, ‘This is going to work,’” said Pace. And he was right.
Latimer rode Dun It In The Bay (Starlights Wrangler x Cee Dun It Do It) owned by Manntana LLC. This beautiful filly caught Duane’s eye and was purchased at the 2005 NRHA Futurity Prospect Sale. “I looked at her, loved her and I thought she cold do what she did today,” said Duane. “I backed off her,” Duane said of her preparation. “She had a 25-minute warm up today and the next time it will be 20 minutes. That’s the kind of mare she is.”
NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider and NRHA’s All Time Leading Money-Earner Tim McQuay rode Kick It In The Bud (Nic It In The Bud x Peppys Little Orphan) owned by Melissa Bergen and Eleuterio Arcese, Eagle Point, Oregon, to third place with a score of 221.5.
Abby Boyd is leading the Futurity’s Intermediate Open Division with a score of 218.5 earned on Boomerang Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Shining Bubbles) owned by Bob Loomis Quarter Horses Inc, Marietta, OK. Marcy Ver Meer, Cave Creek, AZ., logged a 217 on her Slide To Be Safe (Rowdy Yankee x Sailin Bueno) for second place.
Magnifichic (Magnum Chic Dream x Special Dose) owned by Eby Horse Company, Olathe, KS, was ridden to the head of the section’s leader board in the Limited Open Division by Fred Berschauer with a score of 216. Lisa Boon scored a 215 on Frostys R Starlight (Grays Tamarak x Frostys Peppy Fran) owned by Jim Lucason, Oneco, CT, for second place.
The 2006 Adequan North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC), which runs concurrently with the NRHA Ancillary classes, got underway with the Rookie Professional and Limited Open classes. Becky Hanson won both of the Rookie Professional classes on Slide Zone owned by William Bertolani, S. San Francisco, CA. Kathy Stafford, Clements, CA., was second in the NAAC division on her Rollin Back Rawhide with a score of 214. Brent Callahan was second in the Ancillary Rookie Professional class after a run off with Becky Hanson. Brent rode Best Stop owned by Wagman Ranch, Talala, OK.
Jessie Allred won the NAAC Limited Open class on Boogachex owned by Castle Valley Ranch, Emery, UT. Dan Mayer rode Sensationalwhizm to second place for J Bar E Reining Horses, Riverton, UT.
Gilson Vendrame won the Ancillary Limited Open class on Groovy Chexinic owned by Green Valley Partners, Aubrey, TX. Becky Hanson and Brent Callahan tied for second place and went to the pay window once again. Hanson rode Bertolani’s Slide Zone and Callahan rode Best Stop for Wagman Ranch.
The NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show continues through Saturday, December 2. Saturday’s program includes the, NRHA Futurity Prospect Sale, the Clinton Anderson Downunder Horsemanship Clinic where Clinton will be assisted by NRHA Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani and the NRHA Futurity Open Finals where the winner is guaranteed $125,000.
