Shawn Hays

"I didn't know if we could be the 150 that we needed to win, just because it's so hard to get cattle that mark that high," he said of the score he'd need to mark on CGS Starscommand to win the title. "But we drew a good cow down the fence, and he's always good there."

Hays and the 5-year-old cow horse CGS Starscommand marked a 151. That resulted in two Championships – the Open and Intermediate Open! The two wins were worth $14,213. He also took home two Gist Silversmiths buckles, two monogrammed jackets from Circle Y Ranch and a $50 gift certificate from Santa Cruz Biotechnologies.

"I give a huge thanks to Penny Youngblood and the Circle Y Ranch for sponsoring this Derby and the NRCHA. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn't have this event," he said. "I thank my sponsors, Equilix and Equipride. I also thank my herd help - Boyd Rice, Phillip Ralls, Robbie Boyce and Ron Ralls."

Shawn and his wife, Tammy Jo, purchased CGS Starscommand, by Soula Jule Star and out of Sparkcommand, as a yearling at the Triangle Sale in Shawnee, Okla. Hays had seen other Soula Jule Star offspring, and he knew that Shining Spark daughters are proven producers. "We took a gamble on him, and it's worked out well," Hays said.

Hays, Nocona, Texas, plans to continue showing CGS Starscommand. "We'll go to the [NRCHA] Stakes and the derbies. He's for sale, but if we don't sale him, we'll just continue showing him," he said.

Anderson and Tuckers Smart Cat, who won $2,465 for the cow work high score, took home the Open Reserve Championship. Owner David Archer, Clovis, California, won $8,626, a Gist Silversmiths buckle and a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch. Tuckers Smart Cat is by WR This Cats Smart and out of Smoke Time Tuck.

Hays actually finished one-two in the Intermediate Open, also taking the Reserve title, a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch a Gist Silversmiths buckle and $2,123 on Thecrowdlovesme with a 433. Thecrowdlovesme, by Smart Chic Olena and out of Shine Smartly, is owned by Yellow Creek Ranch and D & B Brown.

Benton Bland Takes Limited Open Derby Championship on Savannahboonsmal

Benton Bland

Bland and Savannahboonsmal finished the Derby with a 427, winning $1,145, a Gist Silversmiths buckle and a monogrammed jacket sponsored by the Circle Y Ranch.

The pair started the week with a 141 in the herd work, followed that with a 141 in the rein work and finished strong Monday afternoon tied for the high score of the Limited Open cow work with a 145. "She worked really good all week. I thought I had warmed her up too much in the cutting. I didn't mark like I should have and that was my fault," he said. "I didn't warm up too much today. She was good and had a lot of energy and that was exactly what we needed."

Youngblood purchased Savannahboonsmal at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale in 2010. Benton and the mare, by Peptoboonsmal and out of Savannah Hickory, returned to the Snaffle Bit Futurity in 2011, winning the Limited Open Reserve Championship. "This is only the second time we've shown here. We've been really pleased." He added, "I give a huge thanks to Penny Youngblood for putting me on good horses."

Winston Hansma and Mylights also had a 427 composite, but NRCHA rules dictate that in the event of a tie, the Championship goes to the entry with the higher cow work, so Hansma and Mylights took home the Reserve title, worth $954, along with a Gist Silversmiths buckle and a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch.

Hansma has over $2 million in NCHA earnings, over $200,000 which were won on his stallion CD Lights, sire of Mylights, who is out of A Genuine High Brow. Mylights is owned by Hansma and Danny Motes, Weatherford, Texas.

Joe Harper and DC Quejana Pep tied Bland for the cow work high score of the Limited Open with a 145, winning $273. CD Quejana Pep, owned by Chris Brown Parrish, Florida, is by Quejanaisalena and out of Peppina Hickory.

Corey Cushing and Four Or Five Times Win Novice Horse Open

Corey Cushing

At the Circle Y Ranch Derby, Corey Cushing and Four Or Five Times won the title with a 437.5. They collected $2,266, a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch and a Gist Silversmiths buckle.

"He was good all the way through the event," Cushing, Scottsdale, Arizona, said after the awards ceremony. Cushing and Four Or Five Times marked a 143 in the herd work, followed that with a 148.5 rein work score and finished with a 146 in the cow work. "We didn't cut the best cows out of the herd, but he was really good in the reining and excellent in the cows. He's a good enough horse to make up for mistakes."

Cushing said, "I thank my sponsors and great customers. I've got great customers. I also thank my family for their support, and I really wish they were here."

The plan is for Four Or Five Times to continue showing in NRCHA events. "He's a gorgeous horse. He's so much fun to ride, is easy to train and is up for whatever. I just want to keep going with him," he said.

A scant half-point separated first and second place, and Doug Williamson and ARC Sailing Chic took the reserve title with a 437. Williamson and ARC Sailing Chic, owned by Barbara Hastings, Glendale, California, won $1,813 and a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch. ARC Sailing Chic is by Chic Please and out of Sailing Spark.

Riding Wright Shiney Penny for Garth and Amanda Gardiner of Ashland, Kansas, Jaton Lord marked the Novice Horse Open cow work high score – a 151! That high score came with a check for $518. Wright Shiney Penny is by Lenas Wright On and out of Miss Shiney Cash.

Kelby Phillips and Diamond J Starite Win Level 1 Limited Open Championship

Kelby Phillips

"I had a decent lead and felt a little pressure coming into the cow work," the 23-year-old trainer admitted. "But this mare is a really good fence horse. I knew she had the ability and could handle any type of cow. She was good and just kept trying."

Diamond J Starlite is owned by Ty Jenkins, Idaho Falls, Idaho. The 4-year-old mare won a Gist Silversmiths buckle, a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch and $1,962.

Diamond J Starlite, by Diamond J Star and out of Little Chickalena, was trained and ridden by Phillip's boss, Zane Davis. "Zane showed her and made the Open finals at the Snaffle Bit Futurity and was nice enough to let me ride here. I thank Zane and Ty Jenkins for letting me show this horse." He added, "I also thank Don Murphy, Bozo Rogers and Ken Wold. I thank my herd help, Dan Roeser, Jay Holmes, Zane and John Swales."

Leon Lewis and Playin With Pick took Reserve honors in the Level 1 Limited Open with a 427 composite. They won $1,541, a Gist Silversmiths buckle and a monogrammed jacket from Circle Y Ranch. Playin With Pick, by Playin Attraction and out of Natural Pick, is owned by Burnett Ranches LLC, Guthrie, Texas.

Cody Crow and BR Winning Rey held the distinction of the cow work high score of the division, marking a 150. The high score came with a check for $400. BR Winning Rey, owned by Dona Ramsteck, Loveland, Colorado, is by TR Dual Rey and out of Lenas Putty Tat.

Shawn Hays

Open Herd Work

The 2012 NRCHA Celebration of Champions (which consists of the Circle Y Derby, John Deere/NRCHA World Championship Show and NRCHA World's Greatest Horseman) began Saturday, Jan. 28. In Open competition, the Circle Y Derby herd work was first on the agenda. The Circle Y Ranch Derby Champions are decided in one go-round.

Boyd Rice

Topping the Intermediate Open division were SDP Blue Blood and Matt Koch. SDP Blue Blood previously won the 2011 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Level 1 Limited Open Championship. The pair marked a 147 and earned $506. Koch, Arthur, Nebraska, owns the Laredo Blue gelding, out of SDP I Got Good Genes.

Winston Hansma, Weatherford, Texas, led the Derby Limited Open with a 144 on Mylights. Mylights, owned by Hansma and Danny Motes, is by CD Lights and out of A Genuine Highbrow. Their herd work score won $327. Hansma, an acclaimed cutting trainer, has lifetime National Cutting Horse Association earnings exceeding $2 million. In fact, more than $234,000 of that was won on CD Lights – Mylight's sire.

Riding ARC Sailing Chic, Doug Williamson marked a 145 for the high score of the $5,000 Novice Horse Open division, pocketing $518. ARC Sailing Chic, owned by Barbara Hastings, Glendale, California, is by Chic Please and out of Sailing Spark. Williamson is an NRCHA Hall of Fame inductee, and his resume includes two Snaffle Bit Futurity Championships and a World's Greatest Horseman Reserve Championship.

The Level 1 Limited Open Derby herd work high score belonged to Kelby Phillips, who piloted Diamond J Starlite to a 145. Diamond J Starlite, by Diamond J Star out of Little Chickalena, is owned by Ty Jenkins of Idaho Falls, Idaho. The win netted a check for $400.

Open Rein Work and Composite Leaders

Jay McLaughlin

McLaughlin piloted Shiners Play Wright, by Shining Spark and out of Play A Masterpiece, to a 149, the second highest score of the Open rein work. That accomplishment came with a check for $2,054. Play A Masterpiece, owned by Rose and JT Neal, was also eligible in the Novice Horse Open and won $389.

Leading the Open and Intermediate Open composite with a 294.5 score following the herd work and rein work were Shawn Hays and CGS Starscommand. The pair also earned the high score of the Intermediate Open rein work with a 148.5. That high score came with a check for $506. Hays and CGS Starscommand, by Soula Jule Star and out of Spark Command, won the 2011 NRCHA Stakes Novice Horse Championship and also made the show's Open and Intermediate Open finals. Shawn’s wife, Tammy Jo Hays, Nocona, Texas, owns CGS Starscommand.

The Limited Open rein work high score was a 144.5, marked by Lil Miss Shiney Nic and Adam Johnson. The rein work win netted owner Russ Mothershead, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, a check for $327. Lil Miss Shiney Nic is by Nic It In The Bud and out of Lil Miss Shiney Chex.

Currently leading the Limited Open composite with a 285 is Mylights and Winston Hansma. Mylights is owned by Hansma and Danny Motes of Weatherford, Texas. The 4-year-old gelding is by CD Lights out of A Genuine High Brow.

The Level 1 Limited Open rein work followed the Open divisions. Marking the high score was Woody Taylor and Shortys Stop N Time with a 145.5. Taylor and Shortys Stop N Time, owned by Brian and Kathleen Armstead, Milton, West Virginia, won $400. Shortys Stop N Time is by One Time Pepto out of Shortys Girl.

Leading the Level 1 Limited Open composite with a score of 288.5 are Diamond J Starlite and Kelby Phillips. Diamond J Starlite, owned by Ty Jenkins, Idaho Falls, Idaho, is by Diamond J Star and out of Little Chickalena.