SWRHA Futurity


Schmersal Wins SWRHA Billingsley Ford Open Futurity


It was a row-


NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Cont from page 7


In an emotional post-


dy, wild, and exciting evening at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum. The Southwest Rein- ing Horse Association Billingsley Ford Open Futurity provides a last-minute opportunity for reiners across the country to evaluate their three-year-olds who will soon be competing in the big arena at Oklahoma City. This year, it was Arizona’s Craig Schmersal who claimed the $18,488 bounty. Schmersal was riding Shining On Ruf, owned by Vaughn Zimmerman. Schmersal has only been riding Shining On Ruf, by Not Ruf At All out of Boom


Schmersal & Shining On Ruf


Shine Sally, for two months. “Bobby Avila Jr. trained this horse, but broke his leg. He called and asked if I would like to try him. I said absolutely!” Schmersal recalled. “So for the last two months he has been with me. Bobby had him super broke, so that was nice. He’s been easy to follow, and tonight this horse was especially good.” Schmersal expertly guided Shining On Ruf through Pattern 8, earning a score


of 225. “He turned big and his circles were good and consistent every time, and his rollbacks are good every time. He’s a really physical, really pretty horse,” Schmersal said. “He’s in the hunt for one of my three for the futurity. We’ve got to go home and regroup and make some decisions.” He added, “I thank Bobby for giving me the shot and calling me when he got hurt,


and to Justin and Vaughn Zimmerman for going along with it. We’ve had a lot of fun riding for those guys. They’re a fun group.” Andrea Fappani rode Gotta Shiney Spook, owned by Wright Reining LLC, to


tie for second in the level 4 with a 224.5. The reserve co-championship came with a check for $9,847. Gotta Shiney Spook is by Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Shiney Dia- mond Lady.


The Other Champions


Brian Bell and Bamn Bam won the Open Level 3 and tied for reserve in the Level 4 with a 224.5, winning $20,228. Competing as draw 5, Bell and Bamn Bam put pressure on the field from the


start. “He turned really big both ways, and circled really good. He stopped super big two out of three times. We had a little rollback trouble on one stop, but he was great,” Bell recalled. “This horse has always been easy about everything, but rollbacks have been a struggle. He’s getting it figured out now.” Bell has had his eye on Bamn Bam, by Yellow Jersey out of Fabulous Guns, since


the colt was a two-year-old. “Me and one of my customers, Jenna Webb, bought him together. We were third at the Colorado Summer Slide, and now we did good here,” he said. “He just had a bunch of stop and turnaround, and was pretty quiet. I just wanted him.”


So how is Bell feeling going into Oklahoma City? “I’m confident. When you mark a 224.5 before the futurity, you’re ready to go,” he said. There was a three-way tie for second in the Level 3. Dany Tremblay had two


horses, Gunnastepya and Lil Gun Affair, and Martin Larcombe rode Drinkin Moon- shine, all of which marked a 222. That score also tied them for eighth in the Level


Continued on page 13 10 SouthWest Horse Trader December 2019 Craig


win interview, Crafton de- scribed her mood as “ec- static”—through her tears. Of the winning mount she purchased as a yearling through the Western Blood- stock Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale, Crafton says, “He’s always been special, since day one, he’s always been a team player. The runs, I had a good herd work, a good reining…I was not real happy with my prelims fence run, so my goal today was just come have a fence run like I know I can do, like I know he can do, and he sure enough delivered today.”


When asked about


riding amongst her he- roes and coming out the champion, Crafton says, “There’s just no words, I have always loved the cow horse and for this to really be me this year, it’s incred- ible. He’s been such a great horse. I’m blessed to have him.”


Crafton added thanks


for her hard-working and supportive family, as well as appreciation for NR- CHA Professionals Matt Koch and Luke Jones for their help and advice. Placing third over-


all in the Non Pro Futu- rity with a 649 (220 herd/ 211 rein/ 218 cow) worth $13,956, was Parke Gree- son riding SCR BetThis- Time. The Bet Hesa Cat son out of the mare PRF One Time Candi, by One Time Pepto, was bred by Milton and Bridey Gree- son and is owned by Sar- co Creek Ranch. Greeson,


of Victoria, TX, finished as reserve champion of the Intermediate Non Pro for earnings of $6,707. As champion of the


Intermediate Non Pro, Ab- bie Phillips cashed in for $8,943. Phillips’ first-place finish in the Novice Non Pro Futurity awarded her an ad- ditional $3,457—bringing her total from nearly sweep- ing the Non Pro division composites to $29,390 (un- officially), without go round money included. Tori Simons, Santa


Ynez, CA, rode her 2016 roan stallion PRF Peptos Smart Cat, bred by Peter De Leeuw, to reserve in the Novice Non Pro Futurity. Simons hustled her way to a 215.5 down the fence for a 641.5 (220 herd/ 206 rein), and was paid $2,766 for her efforts.


NRCHA President


Corey Cushing presented several special awards upon conclusion of the Non Pro Futurity. Daryl Davis Stir- rups went to the Non Pro High Point Horse Twice In A Blu Moon (Once In A Blu Boon x Teletrona x Lit- tle Trona) ridden by Myles Brown. The 2016 mare is owned by Rob A. Brown. The Non Pro High Score Fence Work Award was presented to Dillon Cox who rode Circle C Ranch’s TimeForLightening (One Time Pepto x SDP Gretch- ens Kitty x Hydrive Cat) to a 223 in the fence prelims. Abbie Phillips and CR Guns N Roses won the Non Pro High Score Herd Work and Rein Work. w


Fults


Jerry Mohme


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