Oklahoma Professional Horseman Kyle Noyce and SJR Smooth Lil Oak started 2021 with a new title: National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Open Hackamore World Champions.
Each year the National Reined Cow Horse Association invites the top horses and riders to compete in the World Championship Show at the NRCHA Celebration of Champions. Noyce and “Jose” earned the World Champion title in the Open Hackamore division at the show last month in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bred by San Juan Ranch, SJR Smooth Lil Oak is by Smooth As A Cat and out of the ranch’s matriarch mare Shiners Little Oak (by Shining Spark). The 2016 gelding is owned by Janie Dvorak Compton, of Lyme, New Hampshire, and is trained by Kyle Noyce at Sleeping Dog Ranch in Blanchard, Oklahoma.
SJR Smooth Lil Oak topped a tough class by marking a 221 in the rein work and a huge 227 in the cow work, for a 448 composite to clinch the win. This massive score not only secured the win but set a new record for the NRCHA Open Hackamore World Finals.
Earlier in the week, the pair were third in the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby Intermediate Open and topped the Intermediate Open and Novice Horse reined work with a 220.5.
In spite of the bumpy show season, SJR Smooth Lil Oak had a successful year earning the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Reserve World Championship in Junior Working Cow Horse Level 2 and was the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association (OQHA) Champion in Junior Working Cow Horse Level 3 with Kyle Noyce. This pair was also top ten at this year’s AQHA World Show in Junior Working Cow Horse Level 3 and Junior Ranch Riding Level 2.
SJR Smooth Lil Oak and Professional Horseman Mike Keller from Keller Performance Horses located in El Reno, Oklahoma also secured Champion titles this year with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association. Mike and Jose scored the titles of OQHA Champion in Ranch Riding Level 1 and OQHA Champion Junior Ranch Riding Level 3.
SJR Smooth Lil Oak is one of six money-earning performers out of his dam. In total, she has foaled the earners of more than $185,000.
