The 2021 High Plains Ranchers & Breeders Association (HPRAB) Ranch Horse Futurity had a total of 23 entries competing for an unprecedented $30,000 purse.
The Ranch Horse Futurity is open to 3-year-old horses who have sold as a yearling or 2-year-old through the HPRBA Sale.
The event is put on June 5 in Amarillo, Texas, by the HPRBA, which is a group of 10 Panhandle-area ranches that have come together to market their ranch-raised horses in an annual production sale and ranch horse futurity.
Click here for more on the 2021 HPRBA Sale.
Futurity Class Winners
For the third year, a Limited Earnings Rider class was incorporated in the Futurity with a purse of $10,000 to riders who have won less than $2,500 in any major organization, such as the American Quarter Horse Association, Stock Horse of Texas, Ranch Horse Association of America, National Reining Horse Association, National Reined Cow Horse Association & National Cutting Horse Association, etc.
A total of 12 of the 23 entries were eligible for incentive, and were also eligible to compete for the $20,000 Open purse.
When the dust settled, coming all the way from Marsing, Idaho, Matt Frederick and Hal Reysin Cat were crowned the Futurity Open Champions with a 304 score, winning $10,000, a Red Bluff Buckle, and other prizes. Bred by Chisum Ranch and owned by Chelsea Frederick, Hal Reysin Cat is by Hal Of A Run (by Metallic Cat) and out of Little TR Rey (by TR Dual Rey).
For the second year in a row, Reserve Champion in the Open was also the Limited Earnings Rider Champion. This year, it was Jimmy Sorrell of Claude, Texas and H Fancy Rey who took the honor. Sorrell and the horse by Sammi Rey and out of HR Black Smoke (by HR Dun Smoke) bred by H Ranch and owned by Ryan Fairbank scored a 259. They won a total of $4,000 and also took home an Iron Horse Head Brand cinch.
Limited Earnings Rider Champions:
- The Limited Earnings Rider (LER) Champion, Jimmy Sorrell, of Claude, TX and H Fancy Rey were winners again after their Open Reserve Champion title to win $4,000, a Red Bluff Buckle, and an Iron Horse Head Brand cinch with their 259 score. H Fancy Rey is a full sibling to last year’s Limited Earnings Rider Champion, H Maria Del Rey.
- Reserve champion in the Limited Earnings Rider was Bubba Garcia of Portales, NM and Dulces Royal, a son of Dulces Metallic Cat and out of the mare Miss CD Royal (by CD Olena) bred by Chisum Ranch, winning $2,500 and an Iron Horse Head Brand cinch with their 252 score.
Derby Class Winners
The HPRBA Ranch Horse Derby was for 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old horses who had sold as a yearling or 2-year-old through the HPRBA Sale. Accent West magazine sponsored the Red Bluff trophy buckles, and there was $4,000-added money for the 15 horses in the competition held Friday, June 4. Husband and wife team, Orren and Leah Koontz of Des Moines, New Mexico, took away top honors on their Durrett Cattle-bred horses in the Open and Limited Earnings Rider classes.
Open Derby:
- Orren Koontz & Ranch Rooster won the Derby Open with a score of 319. The son of Gallo Del Cielo (Rooster) and out of PC Miss Smoakum (by PC Fire N Smoak) was bred and owned by the Durrett Cattle Company, and won $2,200 and a Red Bluff Buckle.
- Open Derby Reserve Champion was Gatlin Duncan of Clarendon, Texas, and last year’s HPRBA Futurity Open Champion, Little Run Shinning (by Hal Of A Run), with a score of 307, bred by Chisum Ranch and owned by Gatlin Duncan won $1,000.
Derby Limited Earnings Rider:
- Champion was Leah Koontz with a 272 aboard Fano Rio, who was bred by Durrett Cattle and owned by Orren Koontz. Koontz and the gelding by Huerfano River Blue and out of Chipolena Belle (Royal Chipolena) won $1,900 and a Red Bluff trophy buckle.
- Colby Davis of Amarillo, Texas, and SS Packin The Queen were Reserve Champions with a 221 winning $1,140. Bred by Silver Spur Ranches and owned by Colby Davis, SS Packin The Queen is by Chic Packin and out of Gold Angel Queen (by Davis Gold Angel).
