2011 Farnam Superhorse Chex This Dually is owned by Donald Tisdall of Castle Rock, Colorado. (Journal photo)
by Larri Jo StarkeyThe American Quarter Horse Journal
The 2011 Farnam Superhorse race came down to the last class of the 2011 AQHA World Championship Show.
In senior heeling, Rising Starlight placed sixth and Chex This Dually placed third. That was the difference between the Farnam Superhorse Award and the Reserve Superhorse Award.
Chex This Dually is a 2001 sorrel gelding is by Please Send Money and out of Docs Fashion Model by Docs King Chex. He was bred by Durwood Strube of Proctor, Texas, and was started by AQHA Professional Horseman Gary Wells of Lone Oak, Oklahoma.
Donald Tisdall of Castle Rock, Colorado, bought the horse as a gift for his wife, Joyce, who wanted a blaze-faced sorrel, and put him in training with AQHA Professional Horseman J.D. Yates of Pueblo, Colorado.
“Don purchased this horse for Joyce years ago when she was a breast cancer survivor and she wanted to come to the World Show and things didn’t look very good for her at that time, and she wanted to have a horse win something at the World Show,” J.D. says. “I said, ‘I’ve got this horse over here that’s a chestnut-sorrel.’ And now she’s well and we’re well and it’s good.”
The Farnam Superhorse Award goes to the horse that earns the points in open competition. “Dually” was reserve world champion in senior tie-down roping, reserve world champion in senior heading and was third in senior heeling, earning 49 points. He was entered in performance halter geldings as well.
In his World Show career, Dually has only been shown by AQHA Professional Horseman J.D. Yates. He earned $53,903 at the AQHA World Championship Show prior to 2011.
“Prior to coming here, J.D. and I talked a little bit,” Don says. “J.D. was confident the horse could do it, and I was confident J.D. could do it, and so it was fine with me. It was something we had talked about and hoped would happen someday, and it did. We’re very pleased and we’re pleased with J.D. and certainly pleased with the horse.”
Dually’s top-three placings at the World Show have been:2011 – third in senior heeling2011 – reserve world champion in senior heading2011 – reserve world champion in senior tie-down roping2009 – world champion in senior tie-down roping2009 – world champion senior heeling2009 – World Show Most Valuable Roping Horse2008 – reserve world champion in senior tie-down roping2007 – reserve world champion in senior heeling2006 – reserve world champion junior heeling2006 – third in junior tie-down roping
The Tisdalls are retiring Dually, and this World Show is his last in their name.
“Well, he’s going to have a new owner,” Don says. “He’s going to go to J.D.”
As the winner of the Farnam Superhorse race, Chex This Dually and Donald Tisdall received $25,000 from Farnam, $2,000 in Farnam products, a WeatherBeeta blanket and original Lisa Perry bronze along with a bouquet of roses, presented to Joyce Tisdall by AQHA President Peter J. Cofrancesco III.
“This is, I think, my fourth Superhorse, but it’s one of those awards you think you’re never going to win,” J.D. says. “This is a great horse. He’s just got a personality second to none.”
In addition to riding Dually to his Superhorse win, J.D. rode the fifth-place horse, Pink Jeans. J.D. was working injured.
“I think anybody that does what we do, you go through pain, and if you live through the pain, you get some gain, hopefully,” J.D. says. “We wound up being very successful and very lucky this week. It was damn sure tough competition and I feel fortunate that I got the horses to ride that I got. There’s a lot of people out here that train as good as I do. I just happen to have the lucky horses this year.”
The reserve Superhorse receives $10,000 from Farnam and $1,000 in Farnam products. The connections of the horses finishing third through fifth receive $2,500 each and $500 in Farnam products.
Top Five in Superhorse Standings1. Chex This Dually, owned by Donald Tisdall of Castle Rock, Colorado2. Rising Starlight, owned by Eric Dunn of Norwich, Kansas3. Must Be A Detail, owned by Highview Ranch Quarter Horses Inc.4. Vital Signs Are Good, owned by Joe and Karen Moran of Laguna Hills, California5. Pink Jeans, owned by Eric and Wendy Dunn of Norwich, Kansas