Normally, there’s a chance Julie Clarke might get nervous when one of her cutting horses compete at big event. Fortunately, she was way too busy helping run the Cascades Futurity to worry too much as What Daddy Don Know walked to the herd in the Classic Challenge Open finals.
The 2012 gelding and Equi-Stat Elite$2 Million Rider Morgan Cromer delivered a big win for Clarke Butte Ranch, marking a 225 to take the Classic Challenge Open Championship.
Clarke, a driving force behind the creation of the Cascades Futurity, said she was incredibly grateful for “Petee’s” winning performance on Monday, Aug. 13 in Redmond, Oregon.
“You always hope,” Clarke said. “You always hope going into a final.”
Cromer said the gelding (WR This Cats Smartx Rockapep x Peptoboonsmal) is a big and strong horse that can really move across a cow.
“He’s just a really, really physical horse, and so it really is a cool move when you get to ride him and he does stuff like he did on the second and third cow today,” Cromer said in the barn area after the win. “He’s just a neat-feeling horse, because he’s so strong.”
Clarke Butte Ranch bought What Daddy Don Know earlier this year from Monte and Catherine Lamb, of San Miguel, California. Even though they sold the horse, the Lambs have remained fans of the gelding and continued to follow his exploits, Clarke said.
“They are so wonderful,” she said. “After every run they call, and have been just incredibly supportive since us acquiring him.”
Cromer, who helped the Lambs buy Petee as a 3-year-old as well as Clarke Butte Ranch’s acquisition, also heard from the horse’s previous owners.
“The first people to text me after I got done on the run was Monte and Cathy. And, so, they’re wonderful people and I’m gonna plan on doing it again. We’re gonna plan on buying a 3-year-old at the end of the year.”
He is the only earner listed on the Equi-Statproduce record of his dam, Rockapep, a 2006 daughter of Peptoboonsmal out of Meradas Rockalena (by Meradas Money Talks). The sorrel gelding was bred by Blair and Kathy Benton, of Benton, Kansas.
The Classic Open Reserve Championship went to Chickmagnet (Metallic Catx Zauberlinda x SR Instant Choice) and Eric Wisehart, of Santa Ynez, California. Their 221.5 earned $5,500 for owner Robert Luty, of Rolling Hills, California.
Click here for the full order of finish of the Cascades Futurity’s Classic Challenge Open finals.
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