They say good things come in sets of three, and that’s certainly been the case for the stallion Woody Be Tuff.
The son of Nitas Wood hit a high note in October when his son, Zak 34, won the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity. Then, the stallion sold for $1.3 million at the Center Ranch Dispersal during the Western Bloodstock National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity Sales.
Now, he’s an NRCHA Million Dollar Sire.
Officials with the NRCHA say it was the win by Zak 34, a black Center Ranch-bred stallion out of Cat Digs Lucinda (by High Brow Cat), that put Woody Be Tuff over the top.
Now owned by Melanie Smith, of Solo Select, in partnership with Kaleb Terlip, the 2001 sorrel Quarter Horse stallion for years was the flagship stallion for the esteemed Center Ranch breeding program. His offspring often sported his signature look: sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail and, often, also a blaze.
“He’s a bigger horse and not a typical smaller, cow-bred horse,” said Jay Dickson, manager of Center Ranch. “His trainability is his most valuable asset, even the horses we punch cows on the ranch. Everyone wants one not only for the looks but for the demeanor and talent. Woody Be Tuff has earned his place in the industry. He’s an awesome horse, and his legacy will live on for many years.”
Though he has found great success in reined cow horse, Woody Be Tuff has been an even bigger force in the cutting industry. A cutter himself with winnings of $351,063, the stallion bred by Craig and Janet Crumpler, of Wichita Falls, Texas, is a full brother to the late NCHA Open Horse of the Year Junie Wood, as both are out of Tuffs Junie (by Tuff Lena). He’s sired more than $5.8 million in the cutting horse industry and, according to EquiStat, his earnings have amassed more than $7.2 million overall.
For more information on the NRCHA Million Dollar Sire list, visit nrcha.com.
