Steer Stopping

Two events down, and two more to go; one rider separates himself from the pack.

By Tara Christiansen
The American Quarter Horse Journal
July 6, 2012

Adan Banuelos and MH Boon In My Blood in steer stopping

Adan Banuelos and MH Boon In My Blood, owned by Sandy Jirkovsky of Kearney, Nebraska, marked an outstanding 225 in the steer stopping portion of the event. (Tara Christiansen photo) To view more photos, scroll down to the slide show below.

He wowed the crowd in the herd work, and then he dazzled them in the steer stopping. Adan Banuelos, riding for the National Cutting Horse Association, is putting quite a distance between himself and the rest of the pack in the World's Greatest Horseman Shootout.

Riding MH Boon In My Blood, Adan charged out of the header's box as eighth in the draw, pointed his sorrel mount straight to steer, threw a loop and stopped his cow, good for an outstanding 225 points.

With cutting as his specialty, it wasn't too surprising that Adan put up the high herd work score - 217 - but roping is a whole other sport. This latest development gives Adan an 18.5 point lead over his closet competitor, fellow NCHA rider Bubba Matlock. Bubba, riding Oh Cay N Short, threw down the second-highest score in the steer stopping - a 222.5

It could be anyone's game as the 10 riders head into the rein work portion of the event July 7. The real deciding factor in this race is certainly the fence work, and that could be where the National Reined Cow Horse Association riders, Dustin Rogers and Thomas "T.C." Scheer, make up lost ground.

To view photos and scores from the steer stopping, scroll through the slide show below, brought to you by The American Quarter Horse Journal.