Horse stopping by a fence
Smart Lookin Dual & Will Pennebaker. • Photo by Molly Montag.

Smart Lookin Dual Steps Up To The Plate For Pennebaker At NSHA Futurity

Will Pennebaker entered the National Stock Horse Association Futurity not really knowing what to expect from Smart Lookin Dual. However, the horse gave him a performance that has him eyeballing more futurities.

“You know, he hadn’t been down the fence in two weeks so I was just hoping to put a run together,” Pennebaker said after the horse won the Futurity Limited Open. “I didn’t have any real expectations; I just wanted to get him shown and given the fact that he’s green I thought he did really well.”

Owned by Rock Rose Ranches, Smart Lookin Dual took the Limited Open title with a composite of 643 (213 herd/215 rein/215 cow). He’s a son of Equi-Stat Elite $40 Million Sire Dual Rey out of Smart Lookin Girl (by WR This Cats Smart).

man riding a horse
Will Pennebaker & Smart Lookin Dual.  • Photo by Molly Montag.

Pennebaker, of Wilton, California, was pleased with the horse’s performance at the show that concluded Sunday, Aug. 26, at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We lost a little time on him early this summer so he’s still a little green, but he showed really well here and hung in there and did his job and had a good performance,” he said.

The plans call to show him in more futurities this year. It’s unclear if he’ll go to the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity in Fort Worth, Texas, or the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity.

“He’s not entered in anything,” Pennebaker explained. “We’ll probably talk about taking him to Fort Worth now, I think.”

The Limited Open Reserve Championship went to TRR Roan Lil Playgun and Trinity Haggard. The Wilton, California, trainer – who joined Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Rider Ken Wold’s operation three months ago – also rode the red roan son of Pepcid out of TRR Playgun Showgirl (by TRR Big Iron) to the NSHA Futurity Level 1 Limited Open Championship. Haggard, the owner, pocked $3,200.

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