SJR Metallic Beau and Ron Emmons didn’t let a myriad of circumstances deter them from clinching the Sherri Gilkerson Memorial Open Bridle Championship at the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity.
Emmons, a National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Hall of Fame Member and Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Rider, decided to show SJR Metallic Beau straight up in the bridle for the first time at the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity. According to Emmons, the added money at the show made the Open Bridle class irresistible.
On Sept. 17, the pairs’ careful planning and tenacious performance made the chance worth it. Their composite of 439.5 (217 rein/222.5 cow) brought home a $5,340 payday.
Emmons recalled his winning fence run, saying he remembered the cow from the Non-Pro Futurity Herd Work.
“I knew it was a little soft so I just hit it a few times at the end, got its attention and took is down the fence. And it had a lot more run than other cows,” Emmons said.
SJR Metallic Beau
SJR Metallic Beau, sired by Equi-Stat Elite $36 Million Sire Metallic Cat, is out of Shining Juliet (by Shining Spark). The 2014 stallion was bred by the San Juan Ranch of Weatherford, Texas.
According to Emmons, SJR Metallic Beau was started as a 2-year-old and was largely unridden throughout his 3-year-old year. Emmons has patiently worked with him and done a lot of “homework” to catch him up. Emmons graciously thanked the owner Jill Pierre of Red Bluff, California, for trusting the training process.
Reserve Champion
Reserve Champion in the Sherri Gilkerson Memorial Open Bridle was Rubys Radar (One Time Pepto x Ruby Bagonia x San Peppy Badger) and Zane Davis.
The pair also marked a 439.5 composite, and the tie was broken on the cow work as SJR Metallic Beau’s 222.5 had the edge over Rubys Radar’s 220.5. Davis and Rubys Radar earned $4,272.
Sherri Gilkerson Memorial
The Sherri Gilkerson Memorial Open Bridle is named in honor of Sherri Gilkerson, an avid cow horse competitor who passed away in 2006 at the age of 34. The Sherri Gilkerson Memorial Foundation distributed $15,000 in scholarships in 2020 and seeks to enrich the cow horse community through scholarships and sponsorships in memory of Gilkerson.
