The bright lights of Las Vegas seem to bring out the best in Blind Sided.
The Aaron Ranch-owned stallion by Peptoboonsmal first tasted success in Sin City when he won the 2015 National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Stakes Open Championship.
On Friday night, the red roan stallion out of Lil Miss Shiney Chex (by Shining Spark) took home another big prize at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa – the NRCHA Stakes Open Bridle Spectacular Championship.
“You know, this is a big deal, the bridle [spectacular],” a happy Jay McLaughlin said after the win. “If you can win at that, it’s pretty cool.”
Blind Sided, who is doing double duty as a breeding stallion, has been a consistent top competitor since his debut at the 2013 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. He was that year’s Futurity Open Reserve Champion, and went on to earn the American Quarter Horse Association Working Cow Horse Reserve World Championship.
Not content to stick with cow horse, McLaughlin expanded Blind Sided’s repertoire to include the four-event format of the World’s Greatest Horseman competition. The stallion was third in his first attempt in 2017, and fourth this year.
“He doesn’t care. As long as there’s a cow out there, he’s fine,” McLaughlin said. “You know, he likes the roping pen – he likes all of it. He likes just to be used.”
Chances are he’ll get another shot. McLaughlin said the plan is to take Blind Sided to the NRCHA Derby, and then save him for a return trip to the World’s Greatest Horseman.
“I think that that horse is great enough to win that and I really want him to win that,” he said.
Two horses marked a composite 652.5 to share the NRCHA Stakes Open Bridle Spectacular Co-Reserve Championship: Sonita Lena Rey and Corey Cushing (214.5 herd/218 rein/220 cow) and CSR Lay Down Sally and Chris Dawson (218 herd/216 rein/218.5 cow).
Each pair earned $8,050.
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