Jessicah Keller & Malena Chic Olena

Turnabout Farm Futurity Non-Pro Champions Crowned

Jessicah Keller & Malena Chic OlenaJessicah Keller & Malena Chic Olena • Photo by Kelsey PondThe Turnabout Farm Futurity Non-Pro at the Tulsa Reining Classic, held at the Expo Square from Aug. 31-Sept. 6, featured $26,000 in added money. Jessicah Keller, of Madill, Oklahoma, and Malena Chic Olena won the Level 4 Non-Pro Championship with a 222.5.

The mare (Hickory Chic Olena x Malena Chex x Nu Chex To Cash) was bred and raised by Keller’s family. Her mom, Tammy Hutton, of Hilldale Farm in Brashear, Texas, purchased the filly’s granddam.

“I have a sister to her mother that I won the [National Reining Horse Association (NRHA)] Novice Horse Non-Pro World Championship on,” Keller explained. “Her mother actually got hurt as a 3-year-old. We got her back and she wound up winning about $18,000, but she was never able to do what she could have because she got hurt.”

Malena Chic Olena, who pocketed $5,427 for this performance, is Malena Chex’s oldest foal and has impressed Keller from the start.

“I’ve always been pretty high on and excited about her, so winning this is pretty big,” she said. “I was a complete non-pro today. Sam [Smith] got her ready for me and I showed up and rode her a little bit this morning, and then went and showed. I was tickled to death with her whole run.”

Keller expressed her thanks to Sam Smith and numerous other people.

“I definitely thank Sam because he’s done a lot of work. I also thank my mom for being so supportive. I thank Doug Gerard, my boyfriend Will Sherwood, [who] has been very supportive, and my sister Sarah was here jumping up and down all excited,” she said.

Mandy McCutcheon, of Aubrey, Texas, and her horse Paint The Nite (Gunners Special Nite x Darlins Not Painted x Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner]) won the Reserve title in the Level 4 Non-Pro, worth $3,303, with a 221.5.

Levels 3 & 2 Non-Pro

Chad Clark traveled all the way from Hammond, Wisconsin, to compete in the Futurity Non-Pro. During the Tulsa Reining Classic five years ago, Clark approached Lance Griffin, who owned Whiz N Tag Chex at the time, to inquire about breeding his mare MM Toostsie Pop (Lil Ruf Peppy x MM Jiffy Pop x Hollywood Dun It). Fast-forward to 2015, and the product of that cross, Pudding Pop, won the Levels 3 and 2 Non-Pro with Clark. All told, he took home $5,128.