To no surprise, the uber-competitive Open Hackamore division at the National Reined Cow Horse (NRCHA) Celebration of Champions required a fantastic finish to win and it was MoonshineAndTwoAdvil who stepped up to deliver it on Wednesday afternoon.
The 2014 gelding and trainer Shawn Hays dropped a 443.5 composite out of the eight spot, including a finals-best 228 in the cow horse, to nail down a World Championship at the John Justin Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
“A lot of cows have been really sticking down there,” said Hays, whose training operation is based near his home in Nocona, Texas. “That cow came out pretty good, untracked himself and let me knock a little air out of him. I knew he was going to be a lot of cow, but if I could stay in position and do my job that cow would be a good cow for us.”
During the run, MoonshineAndTwoAdvil, who had a 215.5 in the reining portion, displayed the athleticism and cowy demeanor that served him so well in posting an Equi-Stat record of better than $37,000 in 2019, which included a first at the American Quarter Horse Association World Show.
The class of horses in the Open Hackamore raised eyebrows throughout the week. Only horses who scored a 290.5 or better advanced to the finals.
“Anytime you can compete with those guys in that caliber of class … it took a 290.5 to make it back,” Hays said afterward incredulously. “It was crazy. If we ran all 10 of us back again [in the finals], it might be a totally different outcome.
“That’s the way the horses were in there today.”
MoonshineAndTwoAdvil, bred by Wichita Ranch of Brenham, Texas, was one of two Metallic Cats in the finals, including Stylish Metallica (ninth). Bet Hesa Cat, an Equi-Stat Elite $3 million sire, had three finalists.
MoonshineAndTwoAdvil’s dam is Little Short Stuff, a producer of nine offspring performers who had an Equi-Statrecord of $275,870 entering the Celebration of Champions. She is by Shorty Lena.
The gelding’s owner is Angela Massey of Louisville, Tennessee.“He’s always been a great little horse,” said Hays, 46. “Always on your side, a team player … just a trooper and a fun horse. A good show horse.”
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