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PHOTOS BY DAWN BAXSTROM
{ OPEN DIVISION }
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF THE NATIONAL REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION AND NRHA REINER VOLUME 33, ISSUE 11.
2012NRHA OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPIONS
Americasnextgunmodel
Casey
Deary
NRHA PROFESSIONAL CASEY
DEARY HAD THE RIDE OF HIS
LIFE ON AMERICASNEXTGUNMODEL.
BY GAVIN EHRINGER
O
N THE MORNING OF THE 2012
NRHA Futurity Open finals
Casey Deary passed by fivetime Futurity champion
Shawn Flarida. Deary’s mare,
Americasnextgunmodel,
and Flarida’s stallion, Yankee
Gun, were tied for the highest composite
score—447 points—after two qualifying gorounds, making them favorites going into the
clean-slate finals later in the day.
“What do you think about scratching your
horse?” Deary jokingly said to Flarida.
“You don’t need me to scratch,” said Flarida
earnestly.
Boy was Flarida ever right. That evening during the second section of the open finals,
Deary, an NRHA Professional from Weatherford,
Texas, made the ride of his career on Americasnextgunmodel (Gunner x Cee Dun It Do It
by Hollywood Dun It). From the first big sliding stop to the break-neck speed of their large
circles to the perfectly timed lead changes at center to the even bigger slides to end their run, the
two gave a textbook demonstration of flawless
execution. Their efforts drew thunderous
DAWN BAXSTROM
MARTINA CICELOVA
Casey Deary and Americasnextgunmodel
Dana Conrad and fiancé Gary Case
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applause from the crowd at the Jim Norick Arena at Oklahoma State Fair Park, the Futurity’s home in Oklahoma City from
November 22 through Saturday’s finale on December 1.
Their score of 228 from a hitherto stingy panel of judges
pushed the pair to a 4.5 point lead over frontrunner NRHA Professional Ruben Vandorp, Aubrey, Texas, and his ride Legacy In
Lights (Hit The Lights x Doc Berry Miss). As Deary cooled his
horse in the warm-up pen, he was mobbed by well-wishers that
included a veritable who’s who of top NRHA Professionals and
former Futurity winners. Like Flarida earlier, they seemed to
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sense that Deary was about
to be anointed.
As the remaining seven
riders flew through the
pattern in the waning half
hour of the competition,
only one rider, Tim
McQuay of Tioga, Texas,
and the stallion Gunners
Tinseltown (Gunner x
Miss Tinseltown), even
came close to challenging
Deary. With a score of 225
points, even McQuay, an
Whitney Conrad
NRHA Hall of Famer had
to bow to the 31-year-old Deary and white-masked, mare who
Deary affectionately calls “Lily.”
OPEN FINALIST NOMINATORS
Two nominators had three or more horses in the finals:
BOB LOOMIS (3)
WEST COAST RANEE: ridden by Mathieu Buton, owned by Bob Loomis
WHIZZER WHIZ: ridden by Thiago Boechat, owned by Xtra Quarter
Horses, LLC
HOT CHIC WHIZ: ridden by Mathieu Buton, owned by Bob Loomis
Tim McQuay and Gunners Tinseltown
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CINDER LAKES RANCH (4)
CHEXAWALLA: ridden by Cody Clock, owned by Day Creek Ranch LLC
REF BLACK MAMBA: ridden by Jordan Larson, owned by Rancho El Fortin
GOTTA GOLD CHAIN: ridden by Cody Sapergia, owned by Jac Point QH
STEPPIN ON SPARKS: ridden by Andrea Fappani, owned by HDC Quarter Horses
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MARTINA CICELOVA
“I had a lot of confidence in the mare the whole time,” said
Deary as he looked back over the grueling 10-day-long competition. “On October 10, my wife (Nicole) was doing her daily Bible study. She got a picture in her
mind that I would win this and she
wrote that down. She didn’t share
that with me until the night we left
for Oklahoma City. It gave me confidence. I had a lot of faith in what
my wife said.”
In a twist of fate, both Lily and
McQuay’s reserve champion horse
Gunners Tinseltown got their start in
life at Silva Reining Horses, the
breeding farm of McQuay’s longtime client, friend, and new NRHA
Million Dollar Owner, David Silva Sr.
and his wife, Bonnie. Silva kept the
colt, slotting it into McQuay’s training program as one of his own candidates for the 2012 Futurity.
NRHA Million Dollar Sire
In a career punctuated with many honors, Bill and Dawn
Pohl’s Whizard Jac, was honored for becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Sire.
Prime Time Open Champions and Level 4 Open Reserve
Champion, Gunners Tinseltown and Three Million Dollar
Rider Tim McQuay, helped push David Silva, Sr. (holding
trophy) into the NRHA Million Dollar Owner club.
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Tim McQuay
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Level 4 Open 3rd
place and Level 3
Open Champions
Ruben Vandorp
and Legacy In
Lights.
Ruben Vandorp
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Level 4 Open 5th
place tie, Level 3
Reserve Champion:
Wimpys High Bid
and Jason
Vanlandingham.
Level 4 Open 4th place:
Jordan Larson and Ref
Black Mamba.
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Level 4 Open
5th place tie:
Yankee Gun and
Shawn Flarida.
Level 4
Open 5th
place tie:
Dos Smart
Santos and
Randy
Paul.
Meanwhile, the filly was started at Silva’s facility in Pilot
Point, Texas, under trainer Alain Calbrix and then passed
to another resident trainer, NRHA Professional Brad
Giesbrecht, to prepare for sale. Silva offered her up for sale
at the 2011 NRHA/Markel Insurance Futurity Prospect Sale,
but she was withdrawn from the sale when she failed to
bring Silva’s minimum price.
“She was very broke, a special horse, and I was surprised when
she didn’t sell,” remembers Silva. After the sale, Deary approached
Silva and struck a private deal for his client Dana Conrad of
Weatherford, Texas. He felt that the horse would be ideal for
his program and hungered to take a chance on the mare that
other potential buyers overlooked. Rather than be dissuaded
by her gender, as many trainers might have been, Deary felt he
could make a winner out of her.
“Typically, stud colts sell for the highest prices but I get along
better with mares,” Deary said. “She was my pick of the 2-yearolds at the sale. She is obviously a very attractive mare and her
pedigree is a highly-successful cross.”
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a more prestigious and impressive pedigree—on both sides. Gunner is an NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire while Hollywood Dun It, the sire of Lily’s dam
Cee Dun It Do It, is second on the all-time leading sire list and
is an NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire.
“The mare is extremely talented and she has a lot of feel. She
is also a little quirky but she’s always been great at the hard things.
She taught me a lot about patience. I had to challenge her at
her own pace,” Deary said.
Earlier in the year, Deary and the mare stepped out for the
first time at the NRHA Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth, Texas,
where they marked 222 points. Despite a poorly-executed lead
change, the score was still good for third place in the Level 4
Open. Then, in September, the pair triumphed at the High Roller
Reining Classic Futurity in Las Vegas, Nevada, claiming the Level 4 Open win with a score of 226.5. The victory at the predictive event positioned Lily as one of the favorites going into the
NRHA Open Futurity, reining’s richest competition.
OPEN FINALIST NOMINATOR PAYOUTS
NRHA Nominator Program nominators took home five percent of a nominated horse’s earnings, regardless of whether or not they were the current owner. Here are a few nominators who took home an impressive check.
DAVID SILVA, SR • $15,423
AMERICASNEXTGUNMODEL: ridden by Casey Deary, owned by Dana D.
Conrad and Arcese Quarter Horses USA
GUNNERS TINSELTOWN: ridden by Tim McQuay, owned by David Silva, Sr.
NRHA Professional Bernard Fonck had a successful 2012
highlighted by achieving NRHA Million Dollar Rider status for
which he was honored at the NRHA Futurity.
Level 4
Open 9th
place:
Mike
McEntire
and
Wimpys
Flashy Jac.
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Level 4 Open
8th place:
Shawn
Flarida and
Spooks Sugar
Rose.
NRHA Million Dollar Rider
Level 4
Open 10th
place:
Gotta Gold
Chain and
Cody
Sapergia.
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CINDER LAKES RANCH • $6,249
REF BLACK MAMBA: ridden by Jordan Larson, owned by Rancho El Fortin
GOTTA GOLD CHAIN: ridden by Cody Sapergia, owned by Jac Point QH
STEPPIN ON SPARKS: ridden by Andrea Fappani, owned by HDC Quarter Horses
CHEXAWALLA: ridden by Cody Clock, owned by Day Creek Ranch LLC
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JANET L. BENSON • $6,939
LEGACY IN LIGHTS: ridden by Ruben Vandorp, owned by Janet Benson
Though Dana Conrad’s name showed up as the owner in the
NRHA Futurity’s The Score and The Draw publications, on the
evening prior to the finals, Deary made a handshake deal on
Conrad’s behalf to sell part of the mare to Arcese Quarter Horses USA. Therefore the Arcese family, NRHA Million Dollar Owners and the all-time leading owner of NRHA Futurity winners
from 2007–2011, had an interest in both of the leading horses going into the Saturday finale. Ultimately, the gambit
played out well for both Conrad and Arcese Quarter Horses USA
who share owner recognition for Americasnextgunmodel. The
mare was awarded $165,000 for the Level 4 Open win.
While the Dearys counted their blessings, runner-up Tim
McQuay felt mightily blessed too. Deary’s win further burnished
the reputation of the late Hollywood Dun It, a stallion forever associated with the McQuay name, as well as the reputation
of Gunner, the McQuay’s NRHA Hall of Fame sire. That alone
would have been a great outcome for McQuay and his family—but it was only the beginning.
The $143,373 check McQuay earned for the reserve championship on Gunners Tinseltown officially pushed him past the
NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider mark, putting him in the rare
company of only two other riders: Shawn Flarida, Springfield,
Ohio, and Andrea Fappani of Scottsdale, Arizona. McQuay’s finish also helped Silva, who has been with the McQuays for roughly three decades, cross the NRHA Million Dollar Owner mark,
becoming the sixth NRHA member so honored.
McQuay also earned praise as the winner of the NRHA Futurity Prime Time Open division where he rode three of the top
ten horses (all owned by Silva). McQuay bagged the prime time
open win for his ride aboard Gunners Tinseltown and also cashed
checks on Nuthin But Hollywood (Hollywoodstinseltown x
Nuthin Chic by Smart Chic Olena) and Chex From Tinseltown
(Hollywoodstinseltown x Lenas Ruby Chex by Smart Peppy Lena).
The day before the open finals, McQuay’s daughter NRHA
Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon Aubrey, Texas,
shared a co-championship in the Level 4 Non Pro division with
Jesse Asmussen, Andrew, Iowa. As if that weren’t enough to celebrate, Cade McCutcheon, the 12-year-old son of Mandy and
her husband Tom (NRHA Futurity finalist and NRHA Million
Dollar Rider), placed in all four divisions of the Cinch NRHA
Non Pro Futurity.
Cade scored 213 points in the finals to claim the youth non
pro division title and the Level 2 and Level 1 Non Pro reserve
championships aboard Dually With A Star, owned by his dad.
Cade’s take during the competition exceeded $41,000. Remarkably, Cade also became the youngest rider to qualify for the finals of the Cinch NRHA Non Pro Futurity, an honor formerly held by his mom who qualified for the 1989 NRHA Non Pro
Futurity at age 13.
“Well, the whole week has been unbelievable,” said McQuay
as he recounted all the gifts of a Christmas that seemingly came
24 days early. “These are dreams come true, the kind you lay
in bed imagining.”
OPEN FINALIST OWNERS
Several owners had multiple horses in the Levels 1–4 Open finals:
BOB LOOMIS (2)
HOT CHIC WHIZ: ridden by Mathieu Buton
WEST COAST RANEE: ridden by Mathieu Buton
DAY CREEK RANCH LLC (2)
CHEXAWALLA: ridden by Cody Clock
CHICS DREAM ABOUT ME: ridden by Cody Clock
VAUGHN ZIMMERMAN (2)
TRISTAN DARK
WIND HER UP PEPPY: ridden by Bobby Avila Jr
WIMPYS HIGH BID: ridden by Jason Vanlandingham
2012 NRHA FUTURITY
SIRE & DAM
AWARDS
Gunner
LEVEL 4 OPEN DIVISION SIRE
SIRE
OWNER
1. Gunner
2. Gunner
3. Jacs Electric Spark
AWARD
McQuay Stables Inc
McQuay Stables Inc
Troy Heikes
$15,292.43
$9,175.46
$6,116.97
LEVEL 3 OPEN DIVISION SIRE
OWNER
Xtra Quarter Horses
Lawson Trophy
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SIRE
1. Wimpys Little Step
SIRE & DAM OFFSPRING AWARDS
HORSE
RIDER
OPEN
One Night Whiz
Todd Martin
NON PRO
Mighty Miss Gee Whiz
Lindsey McCutcheon
OWNER
Todd Martin
Scott & Kathy
McCutcheon
NRHA Million Dollar Rider
During 2012, NRHA Hall of Famer Rocky Dare achieved his
goal of reaching NRHA Million Dollar Rider status.
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Despite seeing his dreams of winning the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open division fade as he was overtaken on the leader board
by Deary and McQuay, NRHA Professional Ruben Vandorp never let his toothy smile fade. In fact, he seemed downright ecstatic about his ride and even rushed to embrace Deary following
his run, in spite of the fact that it had cost him his own position.
“To me, this competition is about being as good as you can
be. Tonight, I was 100 percent pleased with my horse and myself. And happy. I feel very fortunate,” said Vandorp as he reviewed his 223.5 point run on Legacy In Lights, owned by Janet
Benson of Valley View, Texas. “It was fun. I’ve never been that
relaxed in my life.”
Vandorp, who was raised in The Netherlands, still had plenty to be pleased about. He and the stallion he calls “Trinity”
clinched the Level 3 Open championship and held on to their
NRHA Million Dollar Sire
NRHA Million Dollar Sire Jacs Electric Spark was honored in a
ceremony celebrating the milestone.
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Pedro Baiao
Level 2 Open Reserve
Champion: Whimpys
Golden Gun and Sam
Schaffhauser.
Level 1 Open Reserve
Champion: Hot Chic Whiz
and Mathieu Buton.
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Levels 1 and 2 Open
Champion: Wimpys
Cable Lena and
Pedro Baiao.
third-place position in the Level 4,
ultimately resulting in earnings of
$138,785.
Trailing Vandorp in the final
standings of the level 4 open was
2010 NRHA Futurity winner and
NRHA Professional Jordan Larson
of Whitesboro, Texas. The NRHA
Million Dollar Rider captured
fourth place with a score of 222.5
aboard the stallion REF Black
Mamba (Jacs Electric Spark x
Metermaid To Order), on behalf of
Rancho El Fortín (the Ramon
family).
REF Black Mamba was one of
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four horses in the Open Futurity finals sired by Jacs Electric
Spark, the latest horse to earn the distinction of becoming an
NRHA Million Dollar Sire.
“Black Mamba” was a little drowned rat when he was born,
a bunch of spare parts,” recalled NRHA Professional Troy Heikes,
owner of Jacs Electric Spark who was honored in a ceremony
that preceded the evening’s competition. “My wife told me at
the time, ‘that’s my pick for the Futurity.’ And I said, ‘You always
hunt for the underdog. Which must be why you married me.’”
In the end, Heikes admitted that his wife’s intuition proved
accurate. Black Mamba placed highest among the four Jacs Electric Spark offspring. For the fourth-place finish, Larson earned
$69,756 on behalf of Rancho El Fortín.
Filling out the top five were Flarida and Yankee Gun (Rowdy Yankee x Snow Gun), fresh from victory at the 2012 All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity. Owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, the stallion had yet another tie to McQuay Stables Inc. His dam, Snow Gun, was one of Gunner’s offspring
who had an outstanding NRHA Futurity career, finishing third
in the open division in 2002. For Yankee Gun’s finish, Flarida
and Arcese Quarter Horses USA banked $51,052.
NRHA Million Dollar Sire
NRHA Million Dollar Sire Whiz N Tag Chex owned by NRHA
Million Dollar Owner Lance Griffin was one of several sires so
honored at the NRHA Futurity.
OPEN FINALIST SIRES
Several sires were represented by three or more offspring in the Levels 1–4 Open finals:
WIMPYS LITTLE STEP (10) OWNED BY XTRA QUARTER HORSES LLC
WOUND UP WIMP: ridden by Matthew Armenta, owned by Carl Lambert
WHIMPYS GOLDEN GUN: ridden by Sam Schaffhauser, owned by Claude Lindsey
WIMPYS LIL TWO STEP: ridden by Yonathan Baruch, owned by Sherry and
Tom Dean
WLS TINSELTOWN: ridden by Robin Schoeller, owned by B. Elizabeth Himes
CHICS DREAM ABOUT ME: ridden by Cody Clock, owned by Day Creek Ranch LLC
WIMPYS FLASHY JAC: ridden by Michael McEntire, owned by Stanley Coats
WIMPYS CABLE LENA: ridden by Pedro Baiao, owned by Robert Anderson
WIMPYS HIGH BID: ridden by Jason Vanlandingham, owned by Vaughn C.
Zimmerman
STEPPIN IN DIAMONDS: ridden by Marco Ricotta, owned by Rancho Oso Rio LLC
STEPPIN ON SPARKS: ridden by Andrea Fappani, owned by HDC Quarter Horses
GUNNER (8) OWNED BY MCQUAY STABLES, INC.
A SON OFA GUNNER: ridden by Fernando Salgado, owned by Heather Gates
GUNSMOKES TNT: ridden by Sebastian Petroll, owned by Mary Jansma
COOL N DUN GUNNER: ridden by Casey Deary, owned by Trojan Holdings Inc.
GUNNIN FOR CHICKS: ridden by Nathan Piper, owned by Mark Bradford
BROTHER GUN: ridden by Jordan Larson, owned by Sammy Graham
AMERICASNEXTGUNMODEL: ridden by Casey Deary, owned by Dana D.
Conrad and Arcese Quarter Horses USA
MY CHICS GOT GUNS: ridden by Craig Schmersal, owned by KC Performance
Horses, LLC
GUNNERS TINSELTOWN: ridden by Tim McQuay, owned by David Silva, Sr.
TOPSAIL WHIZ (7) OWNED BY BOB LOOMIS
CJ WHIZ: ridden by Fredrik Thomsson, owned by Euro-Vets Inc
HOT CHIC WHIZ: ridden by Mathieu Buton, owned by Bob Loomis
WHIZ STARBRITE: ridden by Stefano Calcagnini, owned by Amabile & Strusiner
USS WHIZ: ridden by Patrice St-Onge, owned by St-Onge Reining Horses Inc
TOPSAIL WHIZ (7) OWNED BY BOB LOOMIS (continued)
CC CHICA WHIZ: ridden by Brent Loseke, owned by Brent Loseke
WHIZEN STARLIGHT: ridden by Jackson A Porath, owned by Robert Peterson
WHIZZER WHIZ: ridden by Thiago Boechat, owned by Xtra Quarter Horses, LLC
JACS ELECTRIC SPARK (5) OWNED BY TROY HEIKES
SHOCK STAR GROUPIE: ridden by Joel (Jody) Brainard, owned by Mary Beth Sellers
REF BLACK MAMBA: ridden by Jordan Larson, owned by Rancho El Fortin
GOTTA GOLD CHAIN: ridden by Cody Sapergia, owned by Jac Point QH
ELECTRIC JAC: ridden by Tom McCutcheon, owned by Turnabout Farm Inc
STEPPIN ON SPARKS: ridden by Andrea Fappani, owned by HDC Quarter Horses
MASTER SNAPPER (3) OWNED BY IMPRESA AGRICOLA CUOGHI
DUNNIT LIKE A MASTER: ridden by Bobby Barko, owned by Impresa Agricola Cuoghi
ZEN MASTER: ridden by Robin Schoeller, owned by Robert A Rosenfeld
SNAP DUN THE BASES: ridden by Justin W Mathison, owned by Lewisville Development, LP
WALLA WALLA WHIZ (3) OWNED BY ARCESE QUARTER HORSES USA
CHEXAWALLA: ridden by Cody Clock, owned by Day Creek Ranch LLC
WALLA WALLA SMARTS: ridden by William Bowen, owned by Southern Trace
Reining
WHATA WHATA WHIZ: ridden by Matthew Hudson, owned by Equine Plus
SMART SPOOK (3) OWNED BY ROSANNE STERNBERG
RUFF SPOOK: ridden by Brad Giesbrecht, owned by Don M Byrne
SPOOKS QUESTION: ridden by Rebecca Adkins, owned by Clark Reining
Horses, LLC
SPOOKS SUGAR ROSE: ridden by Shawn W Flarida, owned by Robert Santagata
In the Level 3 Open, NRHA Professional Jason Vanlandingham of Whitesboro, Texas, claimed the reserve championship
aboard Wimpys High Bid (Wimpys Little Step x Lucky Little
Jewel), owned by Vaughn Zimmerman. The pair finished one
point behind the division winner, Vandorp and Legacy In Lights,
and earned $24,432 for the performance. The win doubled the
stallion’s NRHA Lifetime Earnings.
“He was my best horse, by far, going into the Futurity. I knew
he was gonna give me a chance. He is just so trustworthy that
he built my confidence all year and I knew coming in that he
would be a hard horse for the others to get around,” said Vanlandingham.
“He was the first horse I would get on every morning. He’s
just kind of a special horse around the place,” he concluded.
Splitting third place in the Level 3 Open with matching scores
of 218.5 points was NRHA Professional Brad Giesbrecht, formerly of Canada, and Pedro Baiao, who began his career in Brazil.
Giesbrecht of Pilot Point, Texas, rode Ruff Spook (Smart Spook
x Ruffle Me Up by Lil Ruf Peppy) for owner Don Byrne. The
horse was nominated for the Futurity by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Rosanne Sternberg who bred the stallion.
Giesbrecht scored 218.5 in the preliminary round and felt confident that his horse would be a contender in the finals. He went
in on Saturday and matched that score, but in his mind, the stallion had made an even better effort than in the prelims.
“This horse is good-minded, willing and a big stopper. In the
end, he had the guts to pull out the best run of the week for
me. We had a disappointing result in round two, but I trusted
my horse and my training to get it done in the finals,” he said.
Baiao, making his debut NRHA Futurity Finals appearance
on Wimpys Cable Lena (Wimpys Little Step x Miffs Cablelena by Mifillena), captured the Open Level 1 and Level 2 championships for his ride and was 12th overall in the Level 4. All
told, the rider picked up a check for $72,570 for owner and
breeder Robert Anderson of Flanders, New Jersey.
“I was just flabbergasted,” said Anderson following the wins.
“This is a feeling I will never forget. I am 70 and I may never
get this feeling again. But I sure want to try.”
Anderson said that the march to victory began way back in
1987, when he bought the mare Cable Connection from NRHA
Hall of Fame inductee and Million Dollar Rider Bill Horn and
his wife, Kimberly. Her first foal was Miffs Cablelena.
“At the time, Bill and Kim lived in Cable, Ohio. That’s where
the ‘Cable’ name came from and I use it in all my horses now.
Anything I breed has the name Cable in it,” he said. “Though
Bill passed away, Kim was at the show and saw the horse do
well, so that was really wonderful.”
Asked what the Level 1 and Level 2 Open division wins meant
for him, Baiao replied, “It is life-changing.” Prior to the Futurity, Baiao had NRHA Lifetime Earnings of $19,761; with the
win, his career total now stands at more than $90,000.
“This is my first time competing in the Futurity. I’ve been doing all the work with this horse since the time he was a baby.
I was the first person to put a saddle on and the first to ride him,”
said Baiao.
Baiao said that he was so focused during Saturday’s ride that,
“I was not even aware of all the Brazilians watching me—and
they cheer for us tremendously. I know they were shouting and
whistling, but I could not even hear them!”
The raucous applause at the end of his run drowned out the
sound of the announcer calling Baiao’s score. As the only Level 1 and Level 2 Open rider in the second section of finalists,
he clinched those victories with the 218.5 mark. Not that it mattered to Baiao, who said that he’d dreamed of competing in the
Futurity since he began riding reining horses in Brazil at the
age of 15.
“I could not hear the announcer; I didn’t know that I had won!
But I knew that I would make lots of money!” he said, with obvious delight. “Bob [Anderson] was so excited. It was really a
dream come true for us.” ✦
NRHA Million Dollar Sire
NRHA Million Dollar Owner Rosanne Sternberg’s Smart Spook
was honored for achieving NRHA Million Dollar Sire status.