Lenas Star War With Katie & Tarin Rice

Owner Brenda Michael, Amarillo, Texas, bred and raised Lenas Star War (Lenas Busy Bee x Lena Leo War Lady x Shorty Lena). She turned the horse over to Rice, the 22-year-old son of Spearman, Texas, trainer Boyd Rice, as an early 2-year-old prospect.

“I’d had some small successes with him [making December’s 2010 NCHA Futurity Open semifinals and June’s 4-Year-Old Open finals at The Non Pro Plus The Open in Oklahoma City] and we’d had some troubles along the way,” Rice said. The horse, a prior earner of $11,050, and Rice will also compete during Friday’s Derby Open semifinals.

Reserve Champion Woodys Wildest Cat (High Brow Cat x Miss Echo Wood x Doctor Wood), an early career earner of $55,817 with an Abilene Spectacular 4-Year-Old Reserve Co-Championship, plus previous NCHA Futurity Open and Tunica Futurity Open finals appearances, and Clint Allen, Weatherford, Texas, had set the bar high early with a 222 from the No. 2 draw. Woodys Wildest Cat, owned by Cinder Lakes Ranch, Powell Butte, Ore., still crossed the $60,000 mark in career earnings by picking up another $4,714. Woodys Wildest Cat and Allen also compete again in Friday Open semifinals.

Nearly everything went right once Lenas Star War and Rice walked into the show ring and headed toward the herd from the No. 11 draw in the 18-horse, single-set finals.

“We had a good draw and we had a bunch of cows to choose from that we really liked,” Rice said. “All three of them were in a good spot to cut. We got them all cut clean and we got to work them for a while.”

The horse also seemed half-a-step ahead of the cows at nearly all times and he often swooped into the right position just ahead of the cows with a smooth, gliding motion.

“He’s got a real nice low move,” Rice said. “He can trap a cow and he’s just a real pretty mover.”

Tarin’s wife, Katie, helped prepare Lenas Star War for his winning run. The couple plans to move from Spearman in West Texas, where Tarin has worked along with his father Boyd Rice “forever,” to North Texas and Jacksboro to work with horses owned by Carl and Shawnea Smith some time after December’s 2011 NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth.

“We are looking forward to it,” Tarin Rice said. The Smiths own Boyd Rice’s most successful all-time cutter, just retired 6-year-old stallion Third Cutting, and many hot prospects.