NRCHA Celebration of Champions

Hes Wright On and Doug Williamson claim open bridle title during day filled with championships.

By Larri Jo Starkey
The American Quarter Horse Journal
February 5, 2011

For Doug Williamson, the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s open bridle finals February 5 were about redemption.

In 2010, the AQHA Professional Horseman from Bakersfield, California, was reserve champion in the World’s Greatest Horseman competition with Hes Wright On.

Doug returned to San Angelo, Texas, to the Spur Arena this year to step up one notch and claim the title. A numb steer in the fence work preliminaries February 4 knocked Doug and “Nic” out of the finals.

“We all kinda looked at each other and said, ‘Tomorrow’s another day,’” said Garth Gardiner of Ashland, Kansas, who owns the 2003 bay stallion by Lenas Wright On and out of Shesa Lota Nic by Reminic.

February 5 turned out to be the Gardiner-Williamson-Nic Day. First Garth won the reserve non-pro bridle title on Just Rein Or Shine. Then Doug and Nic got busy in the open bridle finals.
 
“Someone said a minute ago, ‘Don’t make Doug Williamson mad, because he’ll come back and bite you like a rattlesnake,’” Garth said.

With a polished reining pattern followed by fierce stops on the fence, Doug and Nic marked a monster score of 448 to take a commanding lead – and the eventual victory.

“He’s a great horse,” Doug said. “He’s probably the greatest fence horse I’ve ever ridden. He can read a cow better than me. In fact, yesterday, he read the cow to stop and turn. My horse read him so quick and I didn’t, and he nearly moved right out from underneath me. I said, ‘Wait for me! I’m coming. I’ll be right there.’”

The former western riding trainer says he constantly schools the bay stallion on small details, such as his silky lead changes.

“He’s not very big, but he’s got a heart as big as this building,” Doug said.

In the non-pro bridle finals, where Garth was reserve, a familiar face was on top. Karen Stallings of Tucson, Arizona, and NMSU Truckin Chex picked up their sixth joint world title. Their most recent title together was from the 2010 AQHA World Championship Show in amateur working cow horse. Karen and “Elvis” both take their training from the horse’s owner, Karen’s husband, AQHA Professional Horseman Kevin Stallings, who has another title with the horse.

Getting to the top February 5 wasn’t easy, though. After Karen and the bay stallion finished their dry work, they turned around for their cow before being whistled off twice.

“I ended up having three cows,” Karen said. “After it was all over, I felt like my second cow was my best one. I was getting a little nervous about (having so many). I knew it wasn’t one of my best runs, but the cattle have been so tough here that it was the best of the day, and I’m thankful.”

Elvis, now 13, just keeps trucking along, Karen said.

“We do very little at home,” she said. “We exercise him, and we have access to a water treadmill for him, so he goes on that three times a week. We just kinda cruise him around and put him on a cow a little bit and take him to a show. He’s really simple. He’s honest and I think his mind is probably what has saved him and created his longevity.”

In the open hackamore, Ron Ralls of Gainesville, Texas, guided Solano Cat to the title for owners Shannon and Hershel Reid of Pilot Point, Texas, in a finals class that was closely contested. Ron and “Gato” were last in the 10-horse draw. Their cow came busting out of the gate, looking for trouble and finding it waiting for her.

“That cow came out and just hit me hard right and left several times,” Ron said. “She had it in her mind to go down the pen in the middle. My horse, he was just right on. He got stopped and turned with her every time. (It was) just what I needed – a tough cow to get in the lead.”

More February 5 Results

In the non-pro hackamore class, Tish Wilhite of Clovis, California, rode The Fresno Fox to the top. The 2006 bay gelding is by Heart Of A Fox and out of Oaks Jewel Doll by Doc Jewel Bars.

In the non-pro limited class, Deah Hessian-Ruple of Fountain Hills, Arizona, rode Teninolena Chex to her second title of the week on the palomino gelding. She won the $5K limited class February 4. Teninolena Chex is by Nu Chex To Cash and out of Rondas Tio by Teninonlena Badger.

In the youth limited class, Alexa Beaty, 14, of Aubrey, Texas, rode Mad About Chics to the championship. The 14-year-old exhibitor owns the 12-year-old sorrel gelding by Smart Chic Olena and out of Echolettes Freckle by Doc Jewel Bars.

February 4 -- Nervous Parents and Fearless Youth

Plenty of nervous parents peopled the stands February 4 at the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Celebration of Champions.

Cow horse trainer Robert Chown was among them. His 15-year-old daughter, Riley, was about to enter the Spur Arena in San Angelo, Texas, for the youth bridle finals on Short And Royal.

The mare by Short Oak and out of Haidas Royal Bay can be a handful, but Robert knows his daughter is up to the challenge, especially since she had the highest score in the preliminaries. No, he was just worried because that’s what parents do.

“I’ve probably won $140,000 on that mare, but (Riley) just did something I never did,” Robert said after Riley’s run. “That’s win a world title on her.”

With a composite score of 436.5, Riley and “Pebbles” outscored the competition by more than 20 points on a day when the cattle were fresh and pushing on the horses.

“She was pretty good for me in the rein work,” Riley said of her ride on Pebbles. “I tried to keep her contained and then let her go and just had fun with it. Then in the cow work, I got a really tough cow. He challenged me for a while and then I decided to go with it. My mare couldn’t have been better for me. She did all she could. She gives me her best every time.”

For her win, Riley took home $540 and a promise that her dad would have a hard time reclaiming his mare.

Robert was far from the only nervous dad. Cow horse trainer Jay McLaughlin of Gainesville, Texas, freely admitted his nerves as his 7-year-old son, Cutter, competed for the first time in the youth boxing class preliminaries. Jay stood on the far side of the arena and yelled advice, same as every other parent. Cutter – and Jay – made it through the preliminaries, but now they have the finals to worry about.

More February 4 Results

Earlier in the day, Jay won the open two-rein title with Genuine Masterpiece by Shining Spark and out of Kings Masterpiece with a 436.5 composite score. The palomino stallion is owned by Wagonhound Land and Livestock of Douglas, Wyoming. He was the AQHA 2010 junior cow working cow horse world champion with Jay aboard, but he had colic surgery shortly after the AQHA World Championship Show.“The final cow work was only his second since the World Show – and the preliminary run was the first,” Jay said."We swam him after the surgery so he was in shape. He’s a good soul."

In the NRCHA limited open hackamore finals, Clint Swales of High River, Alberta, had the high score on his own horse, Twice The Bet by Blessed Twice and out of Frost Me Freckles. His 434.5 composite score

“The mare felt pretty good,” Clint said. “She was a little wilder than she was in the first go-round but seemed OK. I still marked higher. I thought my cow was going to be terrible, but my horse actually paid attention and helped me put it together, so I marked better, and that felt good.”

In the limited open bridle finals, Smart Chic Dot Com with trainer Christina Allen of Nampa, Idaho, marked a 214.5 in the rein work and a 214.5 in the cow work for a 429 total. “Chic” is owned by Kris Troxel of Nampa, who rode the gelding in the $5K non-pro limited class just before the open limited.

“He's a really good, finished bridle horse, so we don't have to ride him too hard,” Christina said. “This might be one of the last times I show him, because Kris has won out of the $5K non-pro limited, and we're trying to convince her to show down the fence. He’s the kind of horse you want to have to learn on.”

In the novice non-pro bridle class, Suzon Schaal of Calgary, Alberta, won with Genuine Brown Gal, her 8-year-old mare by Listo Pollita Lena and out of Genuine Emerald.

In the $5K non-pro limited, Deah Hussian-Ruple of Fountain Hills, Arizona, won with Teninolena Chex with a 426.5.