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Overdrive Carries Paul Hansma to Another Abilene Spectacular Cutting 4-Year-Old Open Title

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Paul Hansma with his daughter Alannah & Overdrive

Overdrive, a horse who earned $8,485 as a late 3-year-old with his 77-year-old owner, Dub Leeth, in the saddle, picked up another $33,150 by winning Monday’s 4-Year-Old Open finals at the Abilene Spectacular by marking a 221 at his first career show with Weatherford, Texas, trainer Paul Hansma.

The gelding (Hydrive Cat x Lenas Horn x Holidoc) had been purchased by husband and wife cutters Dub and Christy Leeth, Cleburne, Texas, from their longtime friend and the horse’s co-breeder, Georgia Husby, Weatherford, Texas, during her mid-fall dispersal sale. Georgia Husby sold many horses she and her late husband, Dave, bred and owned during that sale.

Dub Leeth, a lifelong horseman who has competed as a cutter and owned cutting nearly 20 years, already ranks the horse he calls “Overjoy” among his favorites.

Leeth had earned all of the horse’s prior earnings by making the Non-Pro semifinals and placing in the Senior division with him during the horse’s debut at December’s National Cutting Horse Association Futurity.

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Skip & Elizabeth Queen & TGI Playtime

Clint Allen, Weatherford, Texas, who trained many horses for the Husbys, headed Overdrive’s early training program. Allen enjoyed great success Monday in Abilene, too, marking a 227 in the 5-Year-Old Open finals at his first event aboard 2007 mare Stylish Martini.

This is the third time in seven years horses ridden by Paul Hansma have won the 4-Year-Old Open in Abilene. Reyminate, another horse owned by the Leeths, earned the 4-Year-Old Open Championship at the 2010 Abilene Cutting Spectacular. Hansma and Sister CD, owned by husband and wife cutters Skip and Elizabeth Queen, won the 2006 title.

Skip Queen, who moved from Texas back to his native state South Carolina with his wife last year, finished as Monday’s Open Reserve Champion rider with 220.5 score aboard TGI Playtime to earn a combined $18,300. The mare (One Time Pepto x Play Miss Lena x Smart Little Lena), owned by Carroll’s Cutting LLC, Turkey, N.C., and Weatherford, Texas, picked up two big checks in Abilene after not earning one in Fort Worth during her 2012 NCHA Futurity debut.

In addition to finishing 1-2 in the 4-Year-Old Open division, Overdrive and TGI Playtime also finished first and second in the Novice Open division. It was open to all horses who had not yet earned $10,000. Overdrive and Hansma actually picked up $30,000 by winning the Open finals, plus  $3,150 by topping the Novice Open division.