FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2005 

The deadline is next week for entries in three Regional Experience events. Regions Four, Six and Seven will need show entries by Wednesday, June 1.

The Region Four Regional Experience is July 14-17 at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio, and will feature a variety of AQHA classes as well as educational clinics, including:

• Dan Trein – Showmanship & Halter
• Tommy Sheets – Western Riding
• Blair Nichols – Trail
• Troy Priddy – Barrel Racing & Pole Bending
• Jason Martin – Hunter Hack
• Shawn Flarida – Reining

The Region Six Regional Experience is July 14-17 at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds in Skowhegan, Maine. Besides the AQHA show, it will feature clinics and demonstrations by:

• Leslie Lange – Western Pleasure, Trail & Hunter Under Saddle
• Sherrye Trafton – Showmanship
• Doug Leasor – Barrel Racing
• Leslie Lange – Judges Q&A

The Region Seven Regional Experience is June 15-19 at the Washington County Regional Park in Hurricane, Utah. It will also feature a large show as well as clinics and demonstrations by:

• J.D. Yates – Working Cow Horse
• Vicky Holt – Western Horsemanship, Hunt Seat Equitation & Showmanship
• Shane Dowdy – Western Pleasure
• Judy Bonham – Trail

For more information on classes, entry fees and other aspects of the Regional Experience, click on the links above or click here.

Unwanted Horse Summit Report Released

The report detailing the work of those who participated in the nation’s first Unwanted Horse Summit is now available from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

The purpose of the summit, which was April 19 in Washington, D.C., was to identify long-term solutions designed to improve the quality of life of unwanted horses. More than 25 equine-industry organizations, including AQHA, and individuals participated.

Attendees worked in small groups during the summit to examine the causes of unwanted horses and the approaches to dealing with this segment of the equine population. Also discussed were the groups within the industry who can play a direct role in solving the problem. At the end of the summit, participants reached complete consensus on the following key action steps:

• The formation of a national steering committee to direct efforts on behalf of unwanted horses.
• Working groups to be formed as part of this national body to work on specific issues such as education, funding and rescue/retirement facility standards.

“This is an ambitious and ongoing effort that will take the active participation of the entire horse industry to be successful,” said Scott E. Palmer, V.M.D., 2005 AAEP president. “The summit was our first step and we’re encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of those who participated.”

Groups that continue to be involved with this effort will next begin the organizational process with the intent of holding another face-to-face meeting by late summer.

Afghanistan President Goes for a Ride

His schedule was pretty much set in stone but that didn’t stop Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai from taking a ride on an American Quarter Horse earlier this week.

The Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star reports that while the Karzai was visiting Cuming County, Nebraska, his motorcade unexpectedly stopped at Knobbe Farm’s feedlot. The president wanted to look at the more than 5,000 head of cattle.

Reporter Matthew Hansen writes that Knobbe asked Karzai if he would like to ride a horse. “The West Point (Nebraska) farmer said the president of Afghanistan looked around, as if he needed permission from one of the dozens of men wearing dark suits and guns.

“Then he said, ‘Yeah,’” Knobbe told Hansen.

“The short ride on “Pretty,” a Quarter Horse mare, may have been the only moment of spontaneity during Karzai’s heavily scripted and heavily secured three-day trip to the United States.”

Maybe we’ll start seeing some Quarter Horses being imported to Afghanistan.

— Tonya Ratliff-Garrison

The Journal staff has been in “Texas Horse Country” for the past three days catching some training and lifestyle stories for future issues.

It’s always great being in that neck of the woods of Texas. The Gainesville/Whitesboro/Tioga/Pilot Point/Aubrey area is so full of horse farms. Everywhere you look, there’s a home of some famous Quarter Horse. I did a story with Carol Metcalf, who lives near Aubrey, and right across the highway from her is the home of Smart Little Lena. Needless to say, I was very tempted to drive up and say “hello.”

But it’s just wonderful getting out and meeting the people we write about and for. They are extremely hardworking but so very down to earth. Can you imagine a top trainer like Dell Hendricks gushing over his new babies that are scattered around his Tioga farm? He sounded just like a proud papa while he walked through his broodmare pastures.

Anyway, I just thought I would let y’all know why I haven’t written anything in the past three days and also show you a few of the pictures taken on our trip (click here see the photos). If you ever have a story idea or training question you would like us to tackle here at the Journal, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I always love to hear from my readers.

Shawn Flarida and Smart Spook do the Impossible

Shawn Flarida and Smart Spook took the open title at the 2005 NRHA Derby on Saturday.

For the first time in National Reining Horse Association history, a horse that won the NRHA Futurity has won the NRHA Derby back-to-back. Shawn Flarida, once again aboard Rosanne Sternberg's homegrown stallion Smart Spook (Smart Chic Olena x Sugarplum Spook by Grays Starlight) took the open title at the 2005 NRHA Derby on Saturday. Although Tim McQuay and the Paint RR Star won the Futurity and Derby, it was not back-to-back titles.

Flarida was the last draw in the finals, and he knew he had to score big to win the $80,000 added NRHA Derby open division. When the pair stepped into the pen, Dell Hendricks was leading with a 224.5 on Starbucks Sidekick (Smart Starbuck x Dun It For Chex by Hollywood Dun It), owned by Adair Reiners LLC, with Custom Mahogany (Custom Crome x Gay Doc Nell by Gay Doc), ridden by Brent Wright for Arcese Quarter Horses USA, close behind with a 224.

But Smart Spook’s circles were fluid and controlled; his spins were explosive yet precise; his stops and rollbacks were trademark Flarida – deep and pretty with a crisp fluid “over the hocks” about face. Flarida scored a 226 for the win and earned $50,000 for his winning ride.

Mandy McCutcheon Clinches Derby Non-Pro Title

Mandy McCutcheon and her gelding Smart Great Dude won the NRHA Derby non-pro finals.

Nothing’s ever stopped non-pro rider Mandy McCutcheon, not even pregnancy. The wife of trainer Tom McCutcheon and daughter of Tim McQuay, won the NRHA Derby $15,000 non-pro finals aboard Smart Great Dude (Smart Starbuck x Miss Great Dude by Great Pine) while almost four months pregnant.

Mandy said the win was a “team” effort. Tom trained Smart Great Dude while her father coached her and Bill Horn helped Mandy fine tune her performance. Her winning ride earned $10,356.50.

Tom and Mandy have a 3-year-old son. Their next child is due November 1 and although Mandy will have a C-section, she plans on showing a horse at the 2005 NRHA Futurity at the end of the month.

NRHA Mourns the Loss of Randy Cutbirth

Horse trainer and NRHA judge Randy Cutbirth passed away while preparing to compete in the NRHA Derby in Oklahoma City last week.

Cutbirth became an NRHA member in 1983, and served on the 2005 NRHA Judges Committee. He worked on the East Coast for many years before moving to Missouri.

The Randy D. Cutbirth Endowment for Judging, made possible by the founding donations of Rick Weaver, Dave Belson and Five B Quarter Horses, has been established. Donations made through the Reining Horse Sports Foundation for this endowment will enable any NRHA member wanting to participate in the NRHA Judges Program to do so.

If you would like to contribute, please e-mail RHSF Manager Tania Warnock.

Texas Joins States with Vesicular Stomatitis in 2005
 
On May 20, Texas joined New Mexico and Arizona as states with confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis this spring. Two Travis County horses were hauled home May 10 from a trail ride in Arizona, where they apparently were exposed to the virus that can cause animals to develop blisters and sores in the mouth, on the tongue, muzzle, teats and hooves.  The year’s first VS cases were confirmed April 27 in two horses in southwest New Mexico. Since then, infection has been detected in 17 horses on 11 premises in New Mexico, Arizona, and now, Texas.
 
“A number of states and countries impose strict testing, permitting and inspection requirements for livestock that originate from VS-affected areas or states. Check with the state or country of destination before hauling livestock from Texas,” said Bob Hillman, D.V.M., head of the Texas Animal Health Commission, the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency.  
“VS rarely causes death, but an animal can suffer several weeks, while the lesions heal,” said Hillman, who also serves as Texas’ state veterinarian. “To help prevent the spread of VS, an infected animal and the other livestock on a premises are quarantined until at least 30 days after the sores heal. Prior to releasing movement restrictions, a regulatory veterinarian will examine the affected animal to ensure healing is complete. Other livestock also will be checked. If infection is detected, the quarantine will begin anew.”
 
Hillman explained that the clinical signs of VS mirror those of foot-and-mouth disease. Horses are susceptible to VS, but not FMD; however, both diseases can affect cattle, sheep, goats, swine, deer and a number of other species.

“When sores or blisters are seen in FMD-susceptible animals, we must immediately rule out an introduction of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). When horses have lesions, a VS test rules out other possible causes for blisters and sores, including toxic plants, chemicals or poison. Tests are run at no charge to the animal owner, and the VS diagnosis in horses is confirmed at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.”
 
 Hillman noted that the disease occurs sporadically, but outbreaks generally follow a 10- to 15-year cycle. In 1982-83, the country suffered its worst recorded VS outbreak, when infection was confirmed on 617 premises in nine states: Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.
 
Subsequent outbreaks in 1995, 1997 and 1998 were limited to New Mexico, Colorado and Texas, with a few cases in Arizona.  Last year, Arizona was "spared,” when Texas had 15 VS cases, New Mexico had 80, and Colorado had 199.

Livestock owners and private veterinary practitioners are urged to report suspected cases of VS to their respective state's livestock health regulatory agency:

• Texas Animal Health Commission: (800) 550-8242
• New Mexico Livestock Board: (505) 841-6161
• Colorado Department of Agriculture, State Veterinarian's Office: (303) 239-4161
• Arizona Department of Agriculture,  State Veterinarian's Office: (602) 542-4293

— Tonya Ratliff-Garrison

Journal Editor Jim Bret Campbell gets a little photography help from a friend while at Sheri Light's place in Whitesboro, Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 1-month-old halter filly has a unique way of grazing at Kathy Smallwood's ranch near Aubrey, Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hollywood Dun It's grave at Tim McQuay's place in Tioga, Texas, is covered with flowers and has a small stone marker. Located near the road, it will eventually have a larger memorial on the gravesite to honor the great reining stallion.