Cutting
SMACKDOWN
at the NCHA Summer Spectacular
Contributed by Gala Nettles, Photography Courtesy NCHA, by Suzanne Forrest
Twice owned by Louis and Corliss Baldwin and Dustin Adams split reserve champion
and working last in that bunch took that with a score of 217.
honor. The two already knew about winner’s
circles, having won the Augusta Futurity OTHER DERBY FINALS
and the Bonanza Derby, proof enough that Derby Limited Open-The Derby was
Don’t Look Twice, sired by High Brow Cat the time for Sigourney Rey, a mare owned
and out of Tapt Twice, a mare with connec- by Joan Haun to claim the limelight.
Austin Shepard &
tions to Rapp, knew how to engage a crowd. Shown by Clay Johnson, Millsap TX,
Paul Hansma &
Thomas E Hughes
Plenty of fire flashed as the pair went Sigourney Rey easily won the Limited
Al Poocino
head-to-head with three cows putting spec- Open, a class that started with 83 entries
The weather was extra hot, the cattle extra
tators on the edge of their seats. When the run with a 222 earning $6,254 for the run. Sweet
Prior to Hansma, there was a score of zero,
testy because of it, but none of that hampered
ended judges smiled on the pair with a score of Lil Gem, owned by Carol Ward and shown by
a score of 180, a score of 186, two scores of 209,
cutters who came to cow town July 13-August
228, and a breathless crowd felt they had Chris Johnsrud scored 219.5 5o win reserve
and even Hansma, who had already shown an-
3 to compete in the 2009 NCHA Summer Spec-
surely seen the winning run. After all, 228 had champion and a check for $5,864.
other horse had scored 210.
tacular, everyone of them with a hankering to
been the top score of all previous Derbies. Derby Limited Non Pro- Caleb Anderson,
Drawing last in any bunch isn’t a favorable
take home the greenbacks.
It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, 14, riding Chulas Stargun owned by his dad
draw and in this bunch, it seemed a death sen-
Now that it’s over along with the memories
though. Steve Anderson, Victoria, TX, emerged victo-
tence, but Hansma and Al Poocino put life back
of hot weather and hot cattle are memories of
Boyd Rice, who already had one Derby rious over 29 competitors to win his class with
into the cutting No one had told Al Poocino, a
some of the hottest runs witnessed in several
Championship under his belt riding Peptos a 220, pocketing $6,640. Houston resident An-
Dual Pep gelding out of a CD Olena mare about
years.
Stylish Sue in 2008, wanted another one, and gela Montalbano won Reserve Champion
all of the strikes against him. Instead, he just fol-
A total of 1,579 entries competed for the
he had just the horse to do it. Third Cutting aboard Sweet Lil Louie scoring 218 to take
lowed in his ancestral footsteps, those of this
$2,041,623 purse. The Summer Spectacular
sired by Boonlight Dancer and owned by Carl home $6,439. A total of 113 entries vied for a
granddam Hicapoo who had won the class, and
showcases four-year-old horses in its Derby
and Shawnea Smith had already carried him finalist position.
laid down a run the judges had to mark. Milking
Classes and five and six-year-old horses in its
to the 2009 NCHA Super Stakes champi- Derby Amateur -Viki Williamson and
every cow for every possible good move, Al
Classic/Challenge Classes.
onship. Meradas Gott Run outran the competition to
Poocino and Hansma capped the first bunch of
In fact, Rice and the stallion had already win her class, which started with 147 entries.
Finals contenders with a score of 222.
THE DERBY
demanded attention by winning the first and The pair scored 216, earning a check for
While the pair had uplifted a first bunch
By Finals time, August 3, of the 254 four-
second go-rounds and placing 5th in the Semi- $4638. Whitt Bell scored 214.5 riding
which was dominated by horses rather than cat-
year-old horses entering the Derby the number
Finals. Still the awesome Third Cutting had Mixmeastrawberrylena to win second place
tle, the second set of cattle proved to be as trou-
had narrowed to 24 for the last shootout - and
plenty of fire left and he proved it in 2 ½ min- and a check for $4481.
blesome as the first. Again, there were scores of
what a Finals it was!
utes of sheer hoof-stomping, heart-pounding
194, 205, and 207, proving who was doing the
This year the horses had an exuberant
action. THE CLASSIC/CHALLENGE
winning. Then drawing next to last, Austin
crowd since the race was on from the begin-
When the score of 228.5 flashed on the When the cattle you pick to cut in antici-
Shepard and Thomas E Hughes, a stallion sired
ning. Asscher Cat ridden by Roger Wagner, the
board, the crowd went wild. That time they pation of your run are the very ones a com-
by High Brown Cat and out of a Smart Little
second horse to work threw down the gauntlet
had witnessed the run of the champion, a run petitor working before you cuts, it’s usually a
Lena mare rode to the herd and for the next 2 ½
when his crowd-pleasing run earned a score of
that netted $75,000. bad thing. It means back to the drawing board
minutes, the crowd was back in the ballgame.
221. It caused the remaining riders to rev up
Rapp and Don’t Look Twice took reserve to find the right cow during an already stress-
In a run Shepard described as “one step
their horses with cowboy determination to beat
honors and a check for $28,777. ful competition.
away from disaster,” Thomas E Hughes proved
Asscher Cat.
Sometimes though, it can be a good thing
he could walk that tightrope and win, scoring
And what a race it was! Before the first set
NON PROFESSIONAL DERBY – and that’s exactly what happened at the Clas-
222 to tie with Al Poocino for the Classic/Chal-
ended, Beau Galyean competing on Metallic
It was the homegrown gelding Laredo sic/Challenge Finals.
lenge Championship. The runs netted both
Cat upped the ante with his score of 225, but
Montana and owner Billy Martin, Millsap, Both Paul Hansma and Austin Shepard,
horses $37,439.00.
that didn’t even top the scores for the first
TX, who snatched the gold from 151 other watching the cattle prior to the Finals had Continued on page 38
bunch. Instead, Phil Rapp riding Dont Look
competitors in the Non Professional Derby. picked what they thought would be excep-
Sired by Light N Lena, a stallion Martin tional cattle on which to show their horses.
Michelle Anderson
Billy Martin &
had raised and shown - and out of Little Competitors before them cut those very cat-
& Clifford Rey
Laredo Montana
Memory Maker, a mare he had also raised tle, however, and what they had believed to
and shown – Laredo Montana easily won be good workable cattle turned out to be
the class with a score of 221.5, a full 4 ½ heifers with an attitude!
points ahead of their nearest competition. Wisely, both trainers quickly changed
The run netted him $13,314. to Plan B and Plan B was a good thing.
All of the ties to Martin’s own breeding Hansma, showing Al Poocina, a gelding he
program only made the gelding’s champi- and his wife Julie own and Shepard showing
onship that much sweeter. Thomas E Hughes, a gelding he and his wife
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Laredo Stacey once owned but had since sold to
Montana carried Martin to a second victory Don and Cathy Boone, tied with a score of
in the Derby Senior Non Pro. The 69-year- 222 to win the Classic Open.
old Martin won an additional $3,044, when Hansma was the first to earn the score,
the pair scored 220 to win that class. although he was the last in the first bunch of
In an unusual twist, four competitors, 14. A tough bunch of cattle made the win-
Paula Wood, Megan Miller, Kyle Manion, ning puzzle pieces hard to fit together.
October 2009 SouthWest Horse Trader 17
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56