It was Saddle Up for a Cure on the final day of the AQHA World Championship Show. The day highlighted cancer survivors and the horses they love. So what better way to celebrate than to have a cancer survivor win the senior reining finals.
On May 9, Randy Paul underwent salivary cancer and reconstruction surgery. The reining trainer and part-time singer was needless to say worried about the outcome of the procedure.
"The surgery was pretty invasive. They had to go in there and cut me up pretty good,” Randy said. “Everything went good, and I got a clean bill of health but it took me a little while to heal up.”
Randy was back in the saddle again by July 1 and went to his first show after the surgery on September 14 at the Las Vegas Reining Classic Derby.
“I’m getting a little stronger now, and I think it will just slowly get better,”
On November 13, Randy showed Pat Warren’s Sorcerers Apprentice in the senior reining prelims. By Colonels Smoking Gun, better known as "Gunner," and out of KR Anniegitergun by Gun Start, the 6-year-old gelding has been Pat’s non-pro pony since he was purchased shortly after the 2004 National Reining Horse Association Futurity
“He was really good at the Futurity. Tim (McQuay) had a good run on him,” Randy recalled. “Pat has been showing in all the non-pro stuff, and I show him every once in a while in the open stuff. He’s won about $63,000. He’s just a really neat horse.”
In the prelims, Randy and the bald-faced gelding marked a 222.5, putting them in first, just half a point higher than second place qualifiers Tim McQuay and Mister Nicadual.
When Randy and Sorcerers Apprentice entered 14th in the draw of 16 in the senior reining finals November 17, Tim and Mister Nicadual had just taken the lead with a 224.
“It didn’t surprise me a bit,” Randy said. “I watched his run because I was in the tunnel waiting to go in. I knew I had my work cut out for me. And I knew I could do it if everything worked just right. I just needed to stay clean and let him do his job.”
Although it was a high score, Randy decided to keep it simple and not change his original game plan. The two entered the arena and began their left circles for reining pattern No. 5.
“The first set of circles to the left, he felt really good,” Randy said. “I didn’t want to try to over show him and get him wound up. I just tried to do the maneuver correct, and he felt good. He felt really good turning to the left. That’s usually not his forte turning, but he turned really good tonight both ways.
“He circled a little bit better to the right. I think I just stepped him up a little bit more and then turned real good to the right. He did the figure-eight good. The first stop felt really good and the second stop felt like he kind of shuffled a little bit, but it probably felt worse than it looked, maybe. Then the last stop felt real good.”
As Randy and Sorcerers Apprentice left the arena, Randy had a good feeling about the run.
“When I was done walking out of there, before they said my score, I felt like I might be close. At that point I knew I would be OK. I would be at least in the top three somewhere.”
But as he walked under the Gateway of Champions, the score was announced: a 224.5.
“I’ve shown this horse at the National Reining Breeders Classic and some other big derbies and stuff, and always we’ve been good in the first go and then just for some reason I just can’t get through the finals,” Randy said. “Tonight I tried not to over show and stay clean and let him do his job. And I think obviously that was a little better for tonight. I was happy with my horse and everything worked out for me.”
What also worked out for Randy was finally winning a world championship.
“This is my first world championship. I’ve been reserve four times and third 100 times, but I finally got the monkey off my back,” Randy said with a laugh.
But Randy might not have a place to sleep for the next few nights.
“I’ve been staying down at Tim McQuay’s with my 3-year-olds for the upcoming NRHA Futurity. Matter of fact, Colleen McqQay came running up and said, ‘You just lost your bed, buddy,’ because I’ve been staying at their house. I said, ‘You own the stud. So come on. Can I at least have the couch?’”
But even with the surgery, it’s been a pretty good 12 months for Randy. He won his first NRHA Futurity in December 2006. Now he has a world championship.
“It doesn’t feel too bad. It feels great,” he said with a smile. “Especially since I had to go through some stuff this year that wasn’t too much fun. To come back and do real good here, and I was reserve world champion last night, it feels really good.”
