Futurity Open Champions Todd Bergen & Peptos Shiney PistolAs reined cow horse trainers prepare their 3-year-olds for the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nev., Todd Bergen can easily say he’s getting excited. Up against some of his future Reno competition, Bergen piloted Peptos Shiney Pistol to a National Stock Horse Association (NSHA) Futurity Open win. The show was held in Paso Robles, Calif., Aug. 15-18.
The duo began their trip to the winner’s circle by marking a 218.5 in the rein work. That score landed a tie for fifth going into the herd work. Bergen and Peptos Shiney Pistol, owned by Roxanne Koepsell, went in to the cow work with a 434.5 composite, knowing a win was within reach. After scoring an impressive 221 down the fence, the team finished first with a 655.5 total on three. The Champion’s check was worth $17,088.
Camilla The Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Bit Of Starlight x Grays Starlight) and Jake Telford finished as Futurity Open Reserve Champions, also with a 655.5 composite score after three events. Telford and the horse’s tie with the Champions was broken by the cow work, where they had marked a 219.5. The duo earned $11,377.
The Futurity Intermediate Open title went to Shadd Parkinson riding Smoking Red Pepper. The horse and rider earned a composite score of 652.5, which earned them a fourth-place finish in the Open, as well. Their show total exceeded $25,000.
Erin Taormino piloted Sugar Frosted Cat to a 624.5 total on three, landing the team the Futurity Limited Open win. That finish earned them $792.
Complete results of the NSHA Futurity Open are available online.
Futurity Non-Pro
Futurity Non-Pro Champions Jayson Fisher and Catjumpoverspoon 10Jayson Fisher had a phenomenal show in Paso Robles. The owner of JJ Fisher Construction won the Futurity Non-Pro and Intermediate Non-Pro championships aboard his roan gelding Catjumpoverspoon 10.
Fisher, who purchased the horse as a yearling in Fort Worth, Texas, at the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity sales, boasted that Catjumpoverspoon 10 had a great balance of cowy and reining talent.
The duo finished with a 640 composite (211/216.5/212.5), which earned them checks totaling more than $4,000. While Fisher was thrilled about his success aboard Catjumpoverspoon 10, he was quick to say the proudest moment of his day was when his son, Wyatt, finished third in a Hackamore horse show class that morning.
The Futurity Non-Pro Limited Championship went to Linda Wood riding Haida Heart. Their 409 total won a $1,480 paycheck.
Futurity Amateur
Linda Solheim-Diehl worked hard with Nic It In The Gun, by Nic It In The Bud, to earn a 610.5 composite. That score landed the horse-and-rider duo the Futurity Amateur title, $1,768 and bragging rights.
Solheim-Diehl, who recently started training with Tina Fry, was touched, inspired and undoubtedly thankful for her success in Paso Robles. Nic It In The Gun is the last foal she has out of her favorite mare, who was sold during some life changes. This is the first 3-year-old the Washington-based flight attendant has shown, and she said she loves watching the young horses develop.
Complete results of the Futurity Non-Pro and Amateur are available online.
Derby Open
Derby Open Champion Justin WrightJustin Wright, who recently picked up a Magnificent 7 win and ninth-place World’s Richest Stock Horse finish aboard A Dazzlin Prize, won the Derby Open aboard another of his family’s stallion’s offspring.
Wanna Winna Prize (Smokums Prize x Ill Be A Winning Gal x Ill Be Smart), owned by Wright Quarter Horses, began the NSHA show with a 221 in the rein work, putting him second going into the herd work. After marking a 218 in the herd, the team returned to score a 218.5 down the fence, bringing their total on three events to 657.5.
This win was worth $8,200, and Wright’s sixth-place finish on Maximum Spoonful (Hes A Peptospoonful x PG Maxine x Playgun) with a 651 earned the rider an extra $3,280.
Jake Telford, who finished second with Hes Shinettes CD in the World’s Richest Stock Horse competition later the same evening, earned a Derby Open Reserve Championship aboard Shining Cinderella (Shining Spark x Cats Okey Dokey x Doc’s Oak). He and Shining Cinderella also topped the Novice Horse Open, altogether earning around $7,500 in the Derby.
Sandra Collier and Too Long Til Autumn (Autumn Acre x Lil Lena Long Legs x Smart Little Lena) earned the Intermediate Open title, as well as a seventh place in the Derby Open. Their total composite came to 648.5, earning them nearly $5,000.
The Derby Limited Open title went to Dan Daponde riding Hot Pink Brakes (Peptoboonsmal x Sticky Brakes x Grays Starlight) for owner John Scheck. Their 639.5 was good for $804 in the Limited, along with $631 in the Intermediate for finishing fourth.
Complete results of the Derby Open are available online.
Derby Non-Pro
Riding a wave of success with his family this year, Jayson Fisher topped the Derby Non-Pro and Intermediate Non-Pro after borrowing his son, Wyatt’s, horse Little Brown Indian (Hickorys Indian Pep x No Pleasin This Chic x Chic Please). The family bought the bay gelding with the intention of Wyatt using him for High School Rodeo Cutting; however, the horse picked up the reining and is making a great cow horse.
Fisher and “Tomahawk” marked a 211 in the rein work at the beginning of the NSHA show, and returned in the herd work to score a 216. Sitting in a good position going into the cow work, Fisher piloted Little Brown Indian to an impressive 219 down the fence for a 646 composite.
Derby Amateur
A 22-year-old college student with plans to go pre-med topped the Derby Amateur division on her first derby horse, Im Bratman (Im Chairman x Brata Tat Tat x Paid By Chic). The Mary Tamme and her horse earned a composite 622 from the last draw of the Non-Pro cow work.
With this win, Tamme is excited to continue with the derbies, and she said she doesn’t think “Bart” will ever leave her barn after this success. She extended a special thank you to her mom, Angie, for coming out to watch her show.
Complete results to the Derby Non-Pro and Amateur are available online.
For complete coverage of the NSHA Futurity, World’s Richest Stock Horse competition and NSHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.
