Mandy McCutcheon & Ms Whiz Dunit • Photo by Kelsey PondThe SmartPak Derby Non-Pro, with 75 entries and more than $25,000 in added money, was the main event of the day on Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Tulsa Reining Classic, which runs Aug. 31-Sept. 6 at the Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Level 4 Non-Pro Championship went to Mandy McCutcheon, of Aubrey, Texas, and Ms Whiz Dunit.
McCutcheon and the 5-year-old mare marked a 221 to win the class and a check for $5,324. The win pushed Ms Whiz Dunit (Topsail Whiz x Bueno Poco Dunit x Hollywood Dun It) over the $100,000 mark in earnings. Other performances that helped the mare with this achievment include wins at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity, the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity and more.
“She’s really pretty simple to show and doesn’t give me any grief,” McCutcheon said. “She was really good today, and this win put her over $100,000, so we’re really, really happy.”
Her son, Cade McCutcheon, and Custom Made Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] x Custom Made Dunit x Hollywood Dun It) tied for the Reserve title with Jack Medows, of Cuba, Missouri, and Spooks Smoken Wimpy (Wimpys Little Step x Please Dont Spook x Grays Starlight). McCutcheon admitted that there is a little bit of competition between her and her son.
“Well, showing against him lately has been a pain in the butt,” she said of competing with her son. “I haven’t beat him since last fall, so it was about time for me to get my act together.”
Both Cade and Medows marked a 220, each pocketing $2,835. Custom Made Gun is owned by McQuay Stables and Spooks Smoken Wimpy is owned by Jack and Amy Medows, of Cuba, Missouri.
McCutcheon also captured the Novice Horse Derby title with a 219 aboard My Darlin Tonight (Gunners Special Nite x Darlins Not Painted x Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner]), also owned by McQuay Stables.
Levels 3 & 2 Non-Pro
It’s been a few years since Ellen Cummins and her daughter were showing at Tulsa, but since then, she’s been on the lookout for the right horse. After winning three divisions of the SmartPak Derby Non-Pro, it’s apparent she’s found him with Dunit The Gunner Way.
Cummins, of Houston, and Dunit The Gunner Way (Gunner x Dun It The Hard Way x Hollywood Dun It) marked a 218.5 in the Non-Pro to win Levels 3 and 2, and the Prime Time. They also finished fifth in Level 4, worth a $6,591 paycheck.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so excited,” she said during the awards ceremony. “I was crying before the last stop. She’s an amazing mare and I just love her. I thank Sebastian and Melanie Petroll, because they’ve been great helping me work through everything and helping me believe that I could do it.”
