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Written by Mark Thompson
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Third Cutting & Boyd Rice
“Yes, there is a chance [Third Cutting will compete in at least one more limited-age event], a pretty strong chance,” Smith said after the 5-year-old stallion and his career-long trainer and rider Boyd Rice, Spearman, Texas, placed eighth in the Classic Open finals at the West Texas Futurity on Tuesday, Aug. 17 to earn two more Horse of the Year points. “We sure think he is the Horse of the Year, so we’ll try to have the points to prove it.”
Third Cutting and Rice, Co-Champions at the NCHA Super Stakes in April and Champions at the NCHA Summer Spectacular in its Classic/Challenge Open on July 18, were late additions to the Classic Challenge Open field at this month’s West Texas Futurity. Rice decided he could compete at the Amarillo event, after it moved up its Classic Open schedule by one day. That allowed Rice, who is also competing with working cow horses at an event in Ardmore, Okla., later this week, to compete at both.
Third Cutting, the current NCHA Open Horse of the Year leader with 60 points, will not compete at as many late season events as top rivals Dont Look Twice (56 points after placing fourth in the Classic Open in Amarillo) and LHR Smooth Jamie May (54 points after tying for fifth in Wednesday’s West Texas Futurity Derby Open finals), Smith said. But if he still has a chance at the NCHA Open Horse of the Year title, it is likely Third Cutting will compete at least at the PCCHA Futurity in Paso Robles, Calif., during mid October, Smith said.
Dont Look Twice & Phil Rapp
“That [competing at the El Rancho Futurity] would mean a catch rider,” said Smith, who remains reluctant to send Third Cutting to a cutting event with anyone but Rice as his rider. “We [Smith and Rice] have talked about it. It would mean a lot to us to get to win it [Horse of the Year]. I don’t know if we [Carl and his wife, Third Cutting’s co-owner Shawnea Smith] would want to do it [send Third Cutting to a show] without Boyd.”
Third Cutting, a career earner of more than $426,000, counting $3,750 he and Rice picked up by placing No. 8 in the Classic Open finals with a 217 in Amarillo, might have earned more points and money while placing higher if not for a bad break at the event.
A loose rein slipped out of Rice’s hand and wrapped around Third Cutting’s leg late in their finals run, denying the duo a chance to finish up strong with a third cow.
Phil Hanson & Smooth Jamie May
Dont Look Twice (High Brow Cat x Tapt Twice x Dual Pep), last year’s NCHA Open Horse of the Year runner-up, and her career-long trainer and rider, Phil Rapp, have earned more than $400,000 together, and more combined money than any horse and rider since January of 2009. Louis and Corliss Baldwin’s Waco Bend Ranch, Graham, Texas, owns Dont Look Twice, while Phil and Mary Ann Rapp bred the mare.
LHR Smooth Jamie May (Smooth As A Cat x Just Scarlet x Smart Lil Richochet) and Phil Hanson, Derby Open Champions at the NCHA Summer Spectacular on July 31, and finalists in Wednesday’s Aug. 18 Derby Open at the West Texas Futurity, have earned more cutting money than any other horse and rider team ($204,668) so far this year. South Lazy H Ranch owner Sherry Chamberlin purchased the mare from her original owner and trainer, former pro rodeo star Scott Johnston, Weatherford, Texas, at Hanson’s suggestion shortly before last fall’s 2009 NCHA Futurity.
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