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Big West Paint Horse Show

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 30, 2011

SUBMITTED BY TYLER BENNETT

Drayton Valley Paint Horse Show July 2011

This is Lisa and Steve Scheistal Winners from the yearling lunge line stake.

I went up to Drayton Valley on Saturday to watch the Big West Paint Show, and it was easy to notice that there were a pile more horses than there were the previous weekend in Drayton Valley. For the past two years I had been showing actively on the Alberta Paint Horse Club circuit, including a few out of province shows. I was able to hear the futurity winners and reserves both from seeing them firsthand and through word of mouth. When I was typing the high point awards had not been released so I was unable to put them in my Big West Paint Show result blog. However, I did hear of all the futurity / stake winners!

Yearling Lounge Line

Champion: Lisa Scheistal and Too Slow and Sleepy

Reserve champion: Steve Scheistal and Sudden Sign of Faith

Non Pro Versatility

Champion: Tommy Lee Loper and Shayley Beaton

Reserve Champion: PP Diamonds Are An Asset and Mindy Kallay

Hunter Under Saddle

Champion: In My Red High Heels and Chris Miller

Reserve Champion: Tommy Lee Loper and Shayley Beaton

Trail

Champion: Tommy Lee Loper and Deserie Armstrong

Western Pleasure:

Champion: Tommy Lee Loper and Shayley Beaton

Reserve Champion: Don’t Skip Lucy and Sherri Soppitt

Drayton Paint Horse Show July 2011

Longe line stake entries.

As I had said before I missed out on the high point winners, and if anyone knows of any please let me know and I will be sure to acknowledge them.

The next show that I will be posting results from will be the Wildrose Quarter Horse Show in Red Deer which starts on July 26 and goes until the 31.

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Canadian Junior Reiners Win Team Medals

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 29, 2011
Canadian Junior Reiners

Photo Courtesy: Waltenberry Inc.

Ottawa, ON—The Alberta/Manitoba Reining Team won the gold medal and the Saskatchewan Team won the Bronze medal on July 28 at the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior Young Rider Championships. Presented by Gotham North, these Championships are being held July 27–31 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.
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From a start list of 20 competitors representing six regions throughout Canada and the United States, the Team from Alberta handily won the competition with a score of 623. The Team, comprised Jessica Green of Dugald, MB; Lisa Hiebert of Grunthal, MB; Nancy Pratch of St. Paul, AB; and Kylie Wasiuta of Winnipeg, MB, finished 3.5 points ahead of the Team Mexico. The bronze medal was awarded to Brett Dembisky of Saskatoon, SK; Shelbie Friesen of Saskatoon, SK; Jon Katzman of Saskatoon, SK; and Lindsay Wankel, Elbow, SK, who formed the Saskatchewan Team earned the bronze medal with a combined score of 615.
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The Ontario/Quebec Team which consists of Antony Jolin St-Laurent of St Francois Xavier de Brompton, QC; Lyndsay Kloster of Newmarket, ON; and Darcy Wilson of Goodwood, ON, finished in fifth place with 596.
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In the Junior Rider division the Ontario Junior Team of Lane Wilson of Goodwood, ON, and Emily Wilson of Uxbridge, ON, finished in second place.
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“Riders from Manitoba have been coming to the Championships since reining was introduced in 2008, so it was a well deserved medal for all their dedication and hard work,” said Wendy Dyer, who is the Chef d’équipe for all four Canadian teams. “Mexico was really good and it was a tough competition between all three of the top teams.”
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The riders from the Team competition go forward to the Individual Final competition, which will be held on Saturday, July 30.
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Complete results are available at www.youngriders.org.
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For additional information on the CRC and its programs, including selection criteria, please visit the Reining section of the Equine Canada website at www.equinecanada.ca/reining or e-mail reining@equinecanada.ca.
About the Canadian Reining Committee
The Canadian Reining Committee is the discipline committee of Equine Canada that is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of reining programs in Canada. The Canadian Reining Committee’s objective is to foster the growth of reining and the pursuit of excellence in the sport at the local, national and international levels. For more information, please visit
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Hank Vogel Memorial Race

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 29, 2011

Kassi Simpson and Torque ~ COURTESEY OF BEFORE THE STORM PHOTOGRAPHY ~ MEGAN McCULLOUGH

SUBMITTED BY MELISSA SWORD

Back when the British Columbia Barrel Racers was a 3D Association, only the Top Ten girls , determined by money won during the season, were eligible to attend the Finals. Even with hosting Novice and Maiden Novice Classes, the Finals were small and the BCBRA decided to hold an additional race at their season finale. 1992 was the inception of the Hank Vogel Memorial Race, a race that was open to all members not qualified in the Top Ten Finals, and the emergence of a much larger BCBRA Finals Competition.

As the number of contestants increased, the two day Finals format of two runs per day held on a Friday and Saturday with the Hank Vogel Memorial Race running on Sunday as the opener of the new season, gradually changed to a three day Finals with one run per day. Eventually, the Hank Vogel Memorial Race was made into a “stand alone” race.

Monica Oram and Mocha ~ COURTESEY OF BEFORE THE STORM PHOTOGRAPHY ~ MEGAN McCULLOUGH

The 2011 Hank Vogel Memorial Race, held at the Stampede Park In Williams Lake July 9th and 10th, was produced by a four person committee headed by Heather Auger and included Lori Rankin, Karen Yaworski and Simmone Fowler of Williams Lake and 150 Mile. Co approved by the Canadian Barrel Racers Association, there were approximately 330 runs in the Open, Junior, Peewee and Senior classes put in over the weekend.

Good weather, good ground and good management contributed to a successful weekend of competition. Kassi Simpson of Prince George, BC, put in a fast time of 15.261 on Saturday to win the Open 1D. Simpson was surprised and pleased with her winning run since her horse, Torque, was just coming off an injury that had kept her from competing for most of the summer. “I’m still in shock!” Simpson laughed when congratulated.

Veteran barrel racer Judy Hyde of Prince George, BC and her horse Kit ran the fastest time of the weekend, 15.217, giving her the Open 1D victory for Sunday. Monica Oram of Logan Lake, BC ran two fast and consistent runs for the weekend, winning her the Open 1D Average as well as the Senior 1D Average.

Amy Hume and Ace ~ COURTESEY OF BEFORE THE STORM PHOTOGRAPHY ~ MEGAN McCULLOUGH

Peewee Amy Hume of Williams Lake, BC captured the Peewee 1D Average Award by placing first in the 1D both days of the competition. Rikki Laviolette of Williams Lake put in times of 15.803 and 15.952 to win the Junior 1D Average Award.

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Calgary Stampede Heavy Horse Pull Results

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 20, 2011
heavy horse pull

A heavyweight team from Airdrie’s Soderglen Ranches, the Antony Family-supported Belgian duo of Ben and Roy, sets a new Calgary Stampede Heavy Horse Pull weight record in the heavyweight division, pulling a 13,300-pound sled the full 14 feet on Sunday night under the Big Top. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

The “weight” was well worth it for Randy Dodge.

Dodge, the veteran horse puller from Albany, Ore., has enjoyed a strong friendship with the Soderglen Ranches outfit of Airdrie, Alta., since he began towing to Alberta for the Calgary Stampede’s Heavy Horse Pull nearly a decade ago. Sunday night, that friendship paid off in spades – not only giving Dodge memories that will last a lifetime, but also rewriting the event record books as the 2011 Stampede drew to a close.

Dodge had already won Friday’s lightweight division and Saturday’s middleweight division at the Heavy Horse Pull, sponsored by Soderglen Ranches, UPS, Burnco, and Wrangler. But he was at a distinct disadvantage for Sunday’s heavyweight divisional showdown under the Big Top, with his Belgian team of Jack and Michael tipping the scales at only 3,876 pounds, about 1,200 lighter than some of the eight other outfits entered.

The Soderglen team, owned by Stan Grad, kindly put the reins of its two teams – Ben and Roy, weighing in at 5,134 pounds, and Rex and Lane, weighing 4,882 – in Dodge’s hands, while Soderglen teamster Nicolas Pouso took over Dodge’s pair. And wouldn’t you know it – with Dodge driving, and Pouso setting the hook, the Antony Family-supported team of Ben and Roy won the heavyweight belt by pulling a 13,000-pound sled the full 14 feet, earning a winner’s cheque of $3,000.

And then, for good measure, they eclipsed the existing heavyweight division weight record of 13,200 pounds by going right back out and performing another full pull at 13,300.

“Stan Grad wanted to give me a hand and have me drive his ‘A’ team, so I gladly agreed,” said Dodge. “This is an amazing feeling. This is great. I didn’t think it would ever happen, but it did. That’s hard to do, win three (divisions) at Calgary.”

The feat is not an official Stampede Heavy Horse Pull triple crown, like the one pulled off in 2010 by Dennis Weinberger of Cochrane, Alta., and his Springbank Belgians outfit, because the winning team was not Dodge’s. But that didn’t prevent grins in the Soderglen stable from being a mile wide.

“Randy is a top teamster in North America. They don’t build ’em any better than Randy. I think the world of him. And I think this is spectacular,” said Grad. “(Prior to the Stampede), Randy comes up and helps us work horses, and works his horses at the same time. We’ve been doing that for quite a number of years.

“Being successful in this game, it’s not only the horses. A lot of it is driving. If you don’t do everything just right, especially on those last loads . . . the horses are so hot and wired up, if you don’t get ’em working together, you’re in trouble,” added Grad. “It’s being smart enough to know when they’re ready to go . . . it’s all split-second timing.”

The nine-team pull had been whittled to just two by the time the sled was loaded to 12,500 pounds. And if not for a great second effort, Ben and Roy would have been forced to take a measured pull at that weight.

But they dug deep and found the few inches required for a full pull. And one round later, at 13,000 pounds, Weinberger’s Belgian pair of Uggh and Jesse, supported by the We’ve Got Pull syndicate, was flagged for a line violation and disqualified.

“(The sled) was in a bad spot, a loose spot, and in a bit of a hole. It just had to go three, four inches to get it across,” said Dodge. “They handled really nice and did a nice job for me.”

Weinberger took the reserve champion’s prize of $2,500. He also picked up third place, worth $1,500, after his Catalyst-supported pair of Doc and Dan managed a 91-inch pull at 12,000 pounds.

This year’s Stampede Heavy Horse Pull, the richest in North America, drew teamsters from as far away as Oregon, Washington, and Saskatchewan, with outfits primarily featuring Belgian and Percheron horsepower.

The teams of the Stampede’s heavyweight division tipped the scales at a combined two-horse weight of 3,501 pounds and more.

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Calgary Stampede Cow Horse Results

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 18, 2011

John Swales of Millarville, Alta., and Maximum Echo show winning form en route to victory in the Open Bridle category at the Calgary Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic, held Sunday under the Big Top. Swales wins his fourth straight Open Bridle crown, and seventh overall, collecting $2,850. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

Once again, the final Sunday of Stampede turned into a Swales Spectacular.

John Swales has virtually owned the Open Bridle division of the Calgary Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic, presented by Tesla Ltd., since the competition was unveiled back in 2001 – and the seasoned trainer from Millarville, Alta., kept both hands on the title once again Sunday afternoon under the Big Top.

Locked in a dead heat atop standings with fellow Alberta foothills rider Vance Kaglea after Friday’s first round of competition, Swales and Maximum Echo ripped off a score of 148 – 73 in the reined work, and 75 on the fence – for a two-day aggregate score of 296.5, shading Kaglea by two points and allowing Swales to tuck $2,850 into his Wranglers.

For Swales, a multi-time finalist at the World’s Greatest Horseman competition, it was his fourth straight title – and seventh overall – in Open Bridle, the Stampede’s premier class for both horse and rider.

“This competition has been really good to me,” said Swales, who finished fourth overall with Maximum Echo in Open Bridle at the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) world championship at San Angelo, Texas, in February.

Maximum Echo, which is owned by Flo Houlton of Caroline, Alta., and carried Swales to the 2010 Open Bridle title at Calgary, “is a very talented horse. I just kind of try and stay out of his way,” chucked Swales, 35. “Today, we needed a good cow, and we needed things to go right – and he was able to take advantage.”

Kaglea, the last rider to dethrone Swales for the Stampede’s Open Bridle crown back in 2007, was forced to settle for reserve champion status and a cheque for $2,375 after posting an aggregate score of 294.5 on Smoke N Pep, owned by Monica Willie of Victoria, B.C.

“John really did shape his cow up really good. His cow came down the fence a lot farther and harder,” shrugged Kaglea, of High River, Alta. “It was a picture-perfect run that he put together . . . my cow was probably a touch softer.”

The Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic honours the tradition and heritage of the early 18th-century Spanish vaqueros in California; horse-and-rider teams are judged on their authority, discipline and precision in two distinct areas – reined work, or dry work, and cow work, otherwise known as fence work. Reined work is based on a predetermined pattern of manoeuvres, including figure-eights, straight runs, sliding stops and 360-degree spins. Cow work, the portion of the show that gets the blood pumping, sees the horse-and-rider team first box a steer, then send it at full tilt along the fence, heading it off and turning it both ways, before finally circling it once in each direction in the centre of the arena.

The Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic hosts bridle and hackamore divisions for fully-trained horses and four- and five-year-olds, respectively, with open, non-pro and novice designations for various levels of rider experience.

Elsewhere, Zane Davis of Whitehall, Mont., made a triumphant return to Calgary for the first time in two decades. The novice bareback champ at the Stampede rodeo during his last trip here back in 1990, Davis teamed up with Reymanator, owned by John Semanik of Idaho Falls, Ida., to win the Open Hackamore class with a two-day aggregate of 297. The duo had scored an eye-popping 150 in Friday’s first round, and followed that up with a 147 Sunday to take home a cheque for $3,165.

“I’ve always wanted to come back to Calgary. It was one of the most enjoyable weeks I had, when I rode here,” said Davis, who’s been a reined cow horse trainer for about eight years and teamed up with Reymanator, who’s now five, for an Open Futurity title at the NRCHA’s Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nev.

“Reymanator is unbelievably intelligent. He doesn’t try to fight you, but he tries to figure out ways to do it himself,” added Davis. “Like all the great ones, he’s been unbelievable difficult to train. And in spite of all that, he wins everywhere we take him.”

Suzon Schaal of Millarville, Alta., and Genuine Brown Gal go through their paces in the reined work during the Calgary Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic under the Big Top on Sunday. Schaal and Genuine Brown Gal captured their second Non-Pro Bridle title in three years, triggering an $1,875 pay day for Schaal. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

In the Novice Non-Pro division, Suzon Schaal of Millarville, Alta., and her mount Genuine Brown Gal continued to leave their mark on the Stampede – as they also have 3,000 kilometres away in the Lone Star State. Schaal and Genuine Brown Gal, an eight-year-old quarter-horse mare, scored a 147.5 on Sunday for a two-day aggregate of 287, clinching victory and earning a cheque for $1,875.

Together, Schaal and Genuine Brown Gal were 2009 Stampede champs – and are back-to-back reigning titleists in the Novice Non-Pro Bridle division at the NRCHA world finals.

“Friday’s score was some serious rider error, so she pretty much bailed me out today. She’s a pretty special horse,” said Schaal, who marked a 74.5 down the fence Sunday. “She’s always pretty good on the cow, and as long as we get something that challenges her a little bit, I know that she’ll come through.”

Clay Webster, captured the Limited Open Bridle on Whiz N Starlight. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

 

Clay Webster of Regina, riding Whiz N Starlight, claimed the Limited Open Bridle category with a two-day aggregate of 286.5. Geoff Hoar of Innisfail, Alta., aboard Ike Ant Be High, was Limited Open Hackamore champ with a 287.5. Meanwhile, Erin Baumung of Duchess, Alta., and Big Boots to Fill claimed the Stampede’s Novice Non-Pro Bridle title with a 286.

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Heavy Horse Pull Auction

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 17, 2011

The gentle giants of the equine world were on show Thursday night at the Victoria Pavilion during the Calgary Stampede’s 10th annual Heavy Horse Pull Advertisers’ Auction. The Heavy Horse Pull will take over the Big Top on Friday, July 15, Saturday, July 16, and Sunday, July 17. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede’s Heavy Horse Pull got a mighty push on Thursday evening.

The annual Heavy Horse Pull Advertisers’ Auction, which acts as the annual kickoff to the Stampede pull, featured plenty of auctioneer patter and bidder banter at the Victoria Pavilion. And when the dust had settled, a whopping $62,200 had been raised – a dramatic leap from last year’s bottom line of $39,300, and a total that’s believed to be the highest in the 10-year history of the auction.

“We had a lot of registered bidders out tonight . . . probably the most we’ve ever had,” said Bill Nelson, chair of the Stampede’s Heavy Horse Pull committee. “And there was really spirited action between bidders, back and forth.

“The per-team totals are as good as we’ve ever had. Our group spent a lot of time prior to the event finding good-quality sponsors, and friends of the Heavy Horse Pull, which really contributed tonight,” added Nelson. “We’re getting more bidders, but we’re also getting people who are really enthused about the program, and willing to support it.”

A total of 23 teams from as far away as Oregon, Washington, and Saskatchewan have arrived for the Stampede’s “tight-tug” pull that is developing a sterling reputation across the continent — and ranks as the richest horse pull in North America, with the winner receiving a cheque for $3,000.

The 2011 Heavy Horse Pull will take over the Big Top for the final three nights of Stampede. The lightweight division gets things underway on Friday, July 15, the middleweights take centre stage on Saturday, July 16, and the gentle giants of the heavyweight division bring the curtain down on Sunday, July 17. Start time all three nights is 7 p.m.

Since it was established in 2002, the Stampede’s Heavy Horse Pull Advertisers’ Auction has become a truly magnetic event for individual and corporate supporters, with attractive and affordable branding possibilities and a unique venue for entertaining clients and employees. For successful bidders, the Heavy Horse Pull advertiser’s package includes passes to watch their teams during competition from a private VIP section under the Big Top, signage on the horses during competition, stall signage in the barns, and an exclusive party in the Victoria Pavilion alongside the horses after the main events.

Thursday night, the Springbank Belgians team of heavyweights, owned by Dennis Weinberger of Cochrane, Alta., garnered the top auction bid, $4,700, from the We’ve Got Pull consortium.

Stan Grad and the Soderglen Ranches team from Airdrie, Alta., commanded the top bid among middleweights, at $4,200, from Lantz Farms Ltd. And Bob McGowan’s team from Lebanon, Ore., earned the top bid among lightweight outfits, at $2,100, from Lone Wolf Wireline.

Also Thursday night, a total of $4,075 was raised for Stephanie Ross, an equestrian rider and 2012 Paralympic hopeful from Vancouver, through the auction of blacksmith art and other items.

Last year, Weinberger and his Springbank Belgians outfit made history by winning the triple crown for the first time in Stampede Heavy Horse Pull history — claiming all three divisions. And Weinberger capped his triplicate win in dramatic fashion, as his gargantuan duo of Dan and Jesse set a Stampede heavyweight division record by pulling a 13,200-pound sled the full 14 feet.

This year’s teams primarily feature Belgian and Percheron horsepower. Outfits compete in three classes based on the total weight of the two-horse team – lightweights from 2,400 to 3,000 pounds, middleweights from 3,001 to 3,500 pounds, and heavyweights tipping the scales at 3,501 pounds and up.

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Miniature Horse Action at Calgary Stampede

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 17, 2011

First Knight’s Flyin Hearts Champagne & Roses, owned by K.C. Pappas and Calgary’s First Knight Miniatures horse stables, was named Supreme Halter Horse, or overall champion, at the Canadian National Miniature Horse Show on Thursday, July 14 at the Victoria Pavilion. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

K.C. Pappas has discovered the fountain of youth . . . and it turns out it’s been somewhere within her First Knight Miniatures horse stables all along.

The veteran miniature horse breeder and trainer from Calgary may crack wise about the Lifetime Achievement Award she received from the American Miniature Horse Association in February — “it’s rare to win this award when you’re only 20,” she quips – but Pappas says it’s pretty easy to pinpoint what’s kept her involved in this mini equine game for a quarter-century.

“It’s the babies. The babies are great,” says Pappas, whose relatively small First Knight herd typically numbers less than two dozen, with five or six newborns every year, but sells minis to the top show farms in the United States and consistently produces champions at the AMHA World Futurity in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I just keep getting better and better babies every year. So somebody’s watching out for me.”

Speaking of youth being served, Pappas entered this week’s 31st annual Canadian National Miniature Horse Show at the Calgary Stampede with Exhibit ‘A’ — First Knight’s Hot Child in the City, which in 2010 was named Supreme Halter Horse at the Canadian National . . . as a mere yearling. The little gal went on to win World Champion Yearling Filly (28” to 30”) and World Champion Futurity Filly (28” to 30”) at the 2010 AMHA World Futurity last September.

“In any breeding program, we as breeders want to see the offspring outbreeding their parents. To me, a young horse beating the older horses is how it should be,” says Pappas. “Old-school thinking from 10 years ago said your senior stallion would be (overall) champion. Now, your junior horses all across the board, I would say, are stronger than the seniors.

“When you keep seeing younger horses come up and beat the older horses, I like that. It means you’re doing the right thing.”

The three-day Canadian National show, sanctioned by the AMHA and staged in the Agriculture Barns, wrapped up Thursday. About 80 miniature horses – which max out at 34 inches tall – from across Alberta and British Columbia were entered in an assortment of classes, including hunter/jumper, obstacle, halter, in-hand jumping, roadster, pleasure driving, log drag, and more.

Miniature horses were originally bred to haul trucks out of coal mines in England, and as a result are startlingly strong, some of them able to pull nearly three times their weight. “Some of them are pets, definitely, but a lot of the horses being shown here do actually work on the farm,” says Bud Klasky, who chairs the Stampede’s Miniature Horse committee. “They have an excellent demeanor; they’re very tame, and they’re just there to do their job. And, quite frankly, a lot of them train younger kids to become horse people.”

Thursday afternoon at the Victoria Pavilion, during the pinnacle of the 2011 Canadian National show, one of Pappas’ herd, First Knight’s Flyin Hearts Champagne & Roses, was named Canadian National Supreme Halter Horse as the overall champion.

Among First Knight Miniatures’ seven other horses entered, First Knight’s Divine Baroness – which has been sold to a buyer in Germany, and will head to Europe after the 2011 show season – was named grand champion in junior halter mare while Flyin Hearts Sundance Wishes was reserve champ in the same category. Elsewhere, First Knight’s Legendary Icon was proclaimed grand champion in junior halter stallion, while First Knight’s Striders Shadow Fax was reserve champ in that class. And in junior halter gelding, First Knight’s Striders Solid Gold took grand champion honours.

As for that AMHA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2011 marked the first time in the trophy’s brief nine-year history that it had travelled north of the 49th parallel. “I am the youngest person to win it,” laughs Pappas. “My daughter (Stephani) said it doesn’t mean I can stop working . . . but my reaction was definitely one of surprise. I’ve been really fortunate in my breeding program.”

Other 2011 Canadian National class grand champions were named as follows: WCR Regalaire, owned by Dawn Labine of Millet, Alta., in roadster driving horse; HCM War Paints Feelin Groovy, owned by Louise and Kim Locke of Calgary, in country pleasure driving horse; Imprint Dustys KixItUpaNotch, owned by Cindy Hunter of Strathmore, Alta., in senior halter gelding; and Smokey Mountain Indian Magic, owned by Dale and Tammy Crocker of Calgary, in classic pleasure driving horse.

Other 2011 Canadian National class reserve champions were: Smokey Mountain Indian Magic, owned by the Crockers, in roadster driving horse; Circle J Princess, owned by the Lockes, in country pleasure driving horse; Lundes Komanche Warrior, owned by Kaycee Lunde of Airdrie, Alta., in junior halter gelding; Circle J Champs Lil Chief, owned by the Lockes, in senior halter gelding; and SKR Exclusive Edition, owned by Labine, in classic pleasure driving horse.

 

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Calgary Stampede Cutting Finals

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 16, 2011

Russ Westfall, of Los Olivos, Calif., and Lil Bit Reckless won the Open class of the Calgary Stampede’s 39th annual Cutting Horse Competition, scoring a 226 in Thursday’s final and collecting $12,753. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

He’s the politest cowboy you’ll ever meet, but Russ Westfall could sure use some mealtime manners. Thursday evening, he set the table . . . and then wouldn’t let anyone else eat.

Westfall, 46, of Los Olivos, Calif., was the first rider to saddle up during the Open class final at the Calgary Stampede’s 39th annual Cutting Horse Competition under the Big Top. The former Pacific Coast Futurity champion and his trusty seven-year-old mare Lil Bit Reckless laid down a 226-point ride – the highest score of the entire week, as it turned out, and one that none of the seven other teams in the Open final were able to touch.

As a result, Westfall – who owns Lil Bit Reckless himself – stuffs $12,753 in his Wranglers, picks up a handtooled Stampede champion belt buckle, and pushes his lifetime National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) earnings ever closer to the $2-million mark.

“I like being early in the draw. You go lay a run down, and give ’em something to shoot at,” said Westfall, a former reserve champion at the NCHA Super Stakes. “And I knew I’d had a good run when we were through. I was pretty confident.

“The mare was just dynamic tonight, really on target – stoppin’ hard, getting’ on both sides of the cow. It was wild and fast, and I just hung on.”

Dustin Gonnet of Cayley, Alta., meanwhile, took another step toward Stampede cutting-horse supremacy. He and Christinas Blue, a seven-year-old mare owned by Calgary’s Ron Patton, posted a 220 to finish as reserve champions in the Open class, and collect $6,801.60 for their runner-up efforts. During the 2010 Stampede, Gonnet and Christinas Blue had teamed up for a third-place finish in the Open.

“Ron bought her as a two-year-old, and I’ve trained and shown her ever since. We went to the Western Nationals this spring on her, and won the $10,000 Novice class,” said Gonnet, 28. “She’s just been a great mare, probably one of the best I’ve ever been fortunate enough to ride and train. I’m real happy. I feel pretty fortunate. If it weren’t for Ron Patton and my wife, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

This is the third year that the Stampede’s Cutting Horse Competition has been a part of the Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting. Because of the World Series’ involvement, the Stampede cutting – which began Monday at the Okotoks Agricultural Society – featured $25,000 in added money in each of the Open and Non-Pro divisions. In all, 22 teams began the week chasing the cash in Open, and 42 in Non-Pro. The Open division featured a purse of $35,340, while $44,740 was up for grabs in Non-Pro.

The sport of cutting highlights the pure athleticism, instinct, agility and intelligence of the cutting horse. With horse-and-rider teams attempting to cut at least three individual cows out of a herd within 150 seconds, cutting has evolved into one of the most exciting equine events in North America.

Carol Ward of Rancho Murieta, Calif., and Lil Dulce Lu won the Non-Pro class of the Calgary Stampede’s 39th annual Cutting Horse Competition, scoring a 221 in Thursday’s final and collecting $12,509. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

Later Thursday evening, Carol Ward of Rancho Murieta, Calif., and her seven-year-old mare Lil Dulce Lu posted a 221 – winning the 12-team Non-Pro final, earning $12,509, and surprising the heck out of Ward.

After all, Ward and Lil Dulce Lu needed to outmanoeuvre defending event champion and current NCHA Non-Pro world points leader Dan Hansen of Nampa, Ida., aboard Woody Be Lucky, as well as seven-time NCHA Non-Pro world champion Mary Jo Milner of Southlake, Texas, aboard Twist N Smart, to claim the Calgary crown.

“All we were trying to do was get to the top 15 (in NCHA Non-Pro world points, which would get Ward into this year’s World Finals), and I think we’re well into the top 15 now. I bought a living-quarters trailer, so I guess I’m on the road,” chuckled Ward, daughter of Fred Anderson, who owned the former Sacramento Gold Miners and the San Antonio Texans of the Canadian Football League.

“I’m riding the same mare that my trainer (Jason Taylor of Rancho Murieta) shows in the Open. Originally, we started the year just to get her over $100,000, but she’s been doing so well that we’ve just kept going. I’ve been trying to find a backup horse, and I haven’t found one,” added Ward.

“But she’s holding up fine, so we just keep going. She got hurt as a four-year-old, so she’s low-mileage, really. She’s been an amazing mare. We’ve just had a ball with her.”

Ward nudged out Kelsey Conn of Hempstead, Texas, who scored a 220.5 aboard Red Money Merada, by a slender half-point for the Non-Pro title. Reserve champion Conn earns $6,790.60 for her troubles.

Brandon Westfall, 11, of Los Olivos, Calif., and Lil Dusty Lola, won the Youth class of the Calgary Stampede’s 39th annual Cutting Horse Competition, scoring a 220 in Thursday’s final to win the three-round aggregate. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

In the Youth class, Russ’s son, 11-year-old Brandon Westfall, won the Bill Collins Youth Excellence Award and a $1,500 scholarship with a 220-point ride Thursday on Lil Dusty Lola that sealed a three-round aggregate title. Emma Reinhardt of Irricana, Alta., was runner-up, earning a $1,000 scholarship, with a 215.5-point ride Thursday on Smart Dixie Kit. “My mom (Janet) didn’t do very well (in Non-Pro) and didn’t make it back (to the final), so she let me show this mare, and I’m very thankful,” said Brandon.

The NCHA counts more than 20,000 members from a wide range of backgrounds, and sanctions more than 2,200 events across North America each year, with tens of millions of dollars in prize money awarded. This year, the World Series will live up to its name by moving outside of North America for the first time, winding up from Oct. 28 to 30 at Lyon, France.

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Calgary Stampede Cutting Finalists Determined

BREED & SPORT NEWS July 14, 2011

He’s won a Calgary Stampede championship. He’s earned a Classic Challenge triple crown across Alberta. He’s followed in his dad Roger’s bootprints and become one of the finest cutting horse trainers in Canada.

And yet Guy Heintz of High River, Alta., can’t disguise the thrill of having seen his beloved sport of cutting become a family affair at the Heintz’s Rafter H Ranche.

“Seeing (daughter) Maria and (wife) Moneca do well is always exciting. They really don’t get too much time to work their horses on cattle or buffalo, because they’re always busy doing everything else around the ranch,” says Guy, who saddled up on the rodeo circuit, in bronc riding, bareback riding, and bull riding, before becoming a cutting horse and working cow horse trainer. “But they’re very professional in their attitude, and if they don’t win, they still like their horses!”

Heintz, riding Call Me Smurf in the Open division at the Calgary Stampede’s 39th annual Cutting Horse Competition under the Big Top this week, scored a 213 in Monday’s first go-round and a 201 in Wednesday’s second preliminary round — not enough to earn a spot in Thursday’s eight-team finale.

Guy’s entire family has tasted success in the cutting horse arena. Guy was the Stampede’s 2007 Open champion on Miss Docaboon, the same year Maria was reserve champ on Smart Peppy Ote in the Non-Pro division. Maria has also been a consistent threat at the Stampede’s annual fall Cutting Horse Futurity — winning the Non-Pro Futurity title in 2008 on Call Me Ote, and earning multiple Non-Pro runner-up finishes. And Moneca was 2009 Stampede Futurity reserve champion in Non-Pro Derby on Miss Kitari, a mare trained by Guy.

“I love the fact that we all participate in cutting together,” says Moneca, who was a self-described “city girl” from Copenhagen, Denmark, before immigrating to Alberta and meeting Guy. “We all love to show. I love it when Guy and Maria excel . . . they both have won numerous events over the years, and I’m very proud.

“We all love this sport, and it’s very addictive. And being able to share it together is just great.”

The finals of the Calgary Stampede’s 39th annual Cutting Horse Competition are set for Thursday, July 13 at 5 p.m. under the Big Top. For the third straight year, the Stampede’s cutting event is a part of the Fort Worth, Texas-based National Cutting Horse Association’s Mercuria/NCHA World Series. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede

The Stampede’s Cutting Horse Competition, a participating event on the Fort Worth, Texas-based National Cutting Horse Association’s Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting, will wrap up Thursday, July 14 with division finals under the Big Top at 5 p.m. — starting with the trainers and professional cutters of the Open division, and following with the Non-Pro and Youth categories. Because of the World Series’ involvement, the Stampede’s Cutting Horse Competition will feature $25,000 in added money in each of the Open and Non-Pro divisions — bringing the total prize purse to just over $80,000.

The sport of cutting shines a spotlight on the pure athleticism, instinct, agility and intelligence of the cutting horse. With horse-and-rider teams attempting to cut at least three individual cows out of a herd within 150 seconds, cutting has evolved into one of the most exciting equine events in North America.

Wednesday under the Big Top, the 22 Open entries battled it out during the second go-round in the hopes of advancing to Thursday’s final. The elite eight qualifying for the Open final, and its $35,340 prize purse, are: Russ Westfall of Los Olivos, Calif., on Lil Bit Reckless; Dustin Gonnet of Cayley, Alta., aboard Christinas Blue; Jason Taylor of Rancho Murieta, Calif., on Lil Dulce Lu; Denton Moffat of Armstrong, B.C., aboard Smart Asa Whip; Chubby Turner of Weatherford, Texas, on CD Boonsmal; Gonnet on Reyligious; Turner on Dual R Smokin; and Westfall on Peptos Opus Cat.

Thursday’s 12 Non-Pro finalists, who started among a group of 42 hopefuls, were determined after Tuesday’s second go-round. Competing for a pot of $44,740 will be: Carol Ward, of Rancho Murieta, Calif., on Lil Dulce Lu; Constance Jaeggi, of Weatherford, Texas, on Dual R Smokin; Michelle Lund, of Red Deer, Alta., aboard No Guns In The Bar; Danny Jones, of Ponoka, Alta., on Time In Montana; Marilyn Anderson, of Calgary, on Christmas Mate; Valerie Dettwiler, of Vanderhoof, B.C., aboard Peppers Fancy Page; Scott Wardley, of Okotoks, Alta., on HAH Rey; Kelsey Conn, of Hempstead, Texas, aboard Red Money Merada; Lucy Streeter, of Nanton, Alta., on Peptos Playtoy 005; Dan Hansen of Nampa, Ida., aboard Woody Be Lucky; Mary Jo Milner, of Southlake, Texas, on Twist N Smart; and Calgary’s David Anderson aboard Peptos Opus Cat.

Guy is the only member of the Heintz family competing at this year’s Stampede. Moneca will be back in action this fall at the Stampede Futurity, while Maria’s schedule with the Calgary Stampede Queens Alumni Fundraiser — she was the Stampede Queen in 2001 — has precluded her from entering the ring this week.

“I’ve been reserve at the Stampede, but I really do want to win it one year . . . maybe even two years or three,” says Maria with a chuckle. “I think my dad’s the best cutting trainer around. I guess I am biased, but I think that’s the truth.”

The Stampede will be webcasting all events being held in the Scotiabank Saddledome and the Big Top this year. Visit http://ag.calgarystampede.com/saddledome-ustream-2011 for live streaming of Saddledome action, and http://ag.calgarystampede.com/big-top-ustream-2011 for events under the Big Top.

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