LloydCox

Equi-Stat Open Rider Award Winner Lloyd Cox

LloydCoxLloyd CoxStandout stallions 4-year-old Hottish and 5-year-old One Time Royalty, owned by two of his clients, did much of the work establishing Lloyd Cox as cutting’s top Open earner last year. The Fort Morgan, Colo., trainer still wouldn’t have finished as the 2012 Equi-Stat Open Award winner for the third time in 10 years without strong performances by two other customers’ 3-year-olds, plus money he earned with two 4-year-olds he and his wife, Christina, owned.

“Those two horses [Hottish and One Time Royalty] did a lot of it, but most times, it is decided at the [NCHA] Futurity,” Cox said of the Equi-Stat Top Open Rider Award. “We did finish up strong.”

Cox earned a combined $699,943 in 2012. He credited his wife with playing a large role. Christina, the daughter of 1986 NCHA Futurity Open Champion rider Jody Galyean, and the sister of 2008 and 2004 NCHA Futurity Open Champion riders Beau and Wesley Galyean, earned $195,605 last year. Christina often warmed up horses for her husband as he earned $1,616,430 during 2009-2012 cutting campaigns.

“I think I had the drive to do well before, but she’s driven me to do even better,” Cox said. “I think we’ve helped each other that way.”

At the same time, Cox added, he would not have fared nearly as well as he did last season without an outstanding group of horses.

hottish2012 NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby Open Champion Hottish and Lloyd Cox — Photo by Suzanne ForrestHottish (Spots Hot x Stylish Play Lena x Docs Stylish Oak), a 2008 stallion owned by Dustin and Deena Adams, Dublin, Texas, and bred by Double Dove Ranch, Benbrook, Texas, carried Cox to earnings of $165,613. They won Derby Open titles at last summer’s NCHA Summer Spectacular, plus May’s Breeder’s Invitational, August’s South Point Futurity and September’s Idaho Futurity.

Already in 2013, Hottish and Cox made the Classic Open finals at February’s Bonanza Cutting in Glen Rose, Texas, and are expected to compete at the March 27-April 30 NCHA Super Stakes in Fort Worth.

One Time Royalty (One Time Pepto x Royal Serena Belle x Shortly Lena), carried Cox to earnings of $178,275 in 2012. In 2010, Cox rode the 2007 stallion, then owned by Matthews Cutting Horses, to the NCHA Futurity Open Championship with a record 230 score. Now owned by Susan Marchant’s SDM Quarter Horses, Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia, “Royalty” earned Classic Open titles at the Breeder’s Invitational in Tulsa, Okla., and at fall’s Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Futurity in Paso Robles, Calif. Bred by Double Dove Ranch, Royalty competed well last year while breeding mares on two continents. One Time Royalty and Cox headed into 2013 having earned a total of $447,383.

onetimeroyaltylloydcoxchritinacoxmt3Lloyd and Christina Cox with One Time Royalty —Photo by Mark ThompsonOne Time Royalty and Hottish accounted for $343,888 of Cox’s earnings in 2012. Cox also secured $140,761 by reaching December’s NCHA Futurity Open finals with a couple of 3-year-olds making their cutting debuts. Lil Catbaloo and Cox placed fourth in the Futurity Open finals with a 221 to earn $112,036. No Way In Hal (Halreycious x A Black Widow x High Brow Cat) finished 29th to earn $28,725.

Gene and Michelle Morris, Florence, Mont., own Lil Catbaloo (High Brow Cat x Sweet Lil Boo x Peptoboonsmal), a stallion bred by John Harrah, Reno, Nev. Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla., owns No Way In Hal, bred by Linda Holmes, Longmont, Colo.

Equi-Stat, a statistical division of Cowboy Publishing Group, owned by Morris Communications Corp., Augusta, Ga., originated in 1985 to research and compile cutting earnings for Quarter Horse News. Equi-Stat now also tracks money earned in other disciplines such as reining, working cow horse, and more. Equi-Stat Awards have been presented since 1992 to top earning Open and Non-Pro cutters.

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