When Debbie Crafton entered the Will Rogers Coliseum on the first of her two horses for the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity® Non-Pro finals, she said she felt nothing but confidence.
“I wasn’t pressured up at all,” Crafton said, standing in the arena afterward with Dualin Alittle Time. “I was just going to go have a run, enjoy the moment. The pressure is making the finals, and I was just so honored to make the finals on two [horses] so it was, ‘Let’s just go make a run, try to [improve on] what we did in the prelims,’ and we did that.”
Crafton made the finals on 2016 stallion Stylish Reys (Mr Playinstylish x Dual Reys Belle x Dual Rey) (217 herd/215 rein/200 cow) and 2016 stallion Dualin Alittle Time (One Time Pepto x ARC Dualena x Dual Pep) (215 herd/217 rein/223 cow).
When the cow work began, the field trailed leader Abbie Phillips by nine points. The gap didn’t deter Crafton, though, and she piloted Dualin Alittle Time, or “Andy,” to a 223, securing her Non-Pro Championship by a half-point and winning $25,058.
“I love the fence. I love the three events, you know it’s never over until the fence. I love the fact that it takes a great horse to be able to do all three events well,” Crafton said.
The Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, is conducted in Fort Worth, Texas.
Crafton may compete in the non-pro division, but she does all her training herself.
“I’m happy being a non-pro,” Crafton said. “This is kind of my daughter and I’s [operation] and I can pick and choose what I want to ride and I’m real comfortable here.”
According to Crafton, she purchased Andy as a yearling at the Western Bloodstock Sale in Fort Worth. Crafton said his pedigree and ability to lope caught her eye. The sorrel stallion was bred by Arcese Quarter Horses of Weatherford, Texas.
“He’s out of a really good mare [and] he had a full sibling, a couple, that had done very well. I bought him for his pedigree. I thought he was cute, but I really liked his pedigree,” Crafton remarked.
