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SOUTH POINT CONTINUES
OFFER FOR “FREE” NCHA FINALS
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Jan. 26, 2010
Do you ever wonder what happened to the offer by South Point
Hotel, Casino and Equestrian Center to hold an NCHA Finals
basically free of charge at their state-of-the-art facility.
Following is a step-by-step of correspondence showing where
the offer stands today.
On Nov. 10, 2009, I published
an article regarding the South Point offer, including a copy
of a Nov. 1, 2009, letter that Steve Stallworth, General Manager
of the South Point Equestrian Center sent to NCHA President
Chubby Turner, extending a proposal to the NCHA to hold a
Finals for the NCHA classes that presently do not have a Finals.
As it stands today, only the NCHA Open and Non-Pro have a
Finals that in 2009 were held during the NCHA Futurity.
Offered was the indoor arena
attached to the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas,
Nev.,, move-in and move-out expenses, hotel rooms for NCHA
working staff, conversion and take-down expense, dirt, judge’s
stands, cattle pens, practice pens, dirt, drags, show office,
office equipment, a vet clinic and judges lounges. Also, favorable
hotel rates would be given to participants in the event. The
NCHA would also be able to make money on stall rental.
Click
here for proposal letter from Stallworth>>
On Nov. 24, 2009, Executive
Director Jeff Hooper responded saying that the Executive Committee
had met on Nov. 18 and discussed the proposal. He wrote that
the NCHA was no longer conducting an NCHA Finals under the
same structure as it was when it was held in Amarillo for
the past several years and that the other class winners would
be honored during the Futurity.
Click
here for Hooper response>>
On Jan. 14, Stallworth wrote
Hooper, stating that the South Point was still interested
in a relationship with the NCHA, stating that the previous
offer was not just limited to 2010 – and that it was
not meant to interfere with the World Finals of the Open and
Non-Pro held during the Futurity – but rather to accommodate
those members in the rest of the classes that have now been
deleted from having their own Finals.
Click
here for Stallworths offer>>
That same day, Hooper responded
to Stallworth in an e-mail stating that he would make sure
the Executive Committee was updated on the opportunity.
Click
here for Hoopers response>>
If you have an opinion on the above, please e-mail
me at glory@glorykurtz.com with your comments.
PARKING AT FORT WORTH
NCHA EVENTS WILL NO LONGER BE FREE
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Jan. 22, 2010 – Fort Worth, Texas
Parking at the NCHA events, or any other events for that matter,
at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth will no longer be
free. According to Bud Kennedy of the Fort Worth Star Telegram,
when the Fort Worth Stock Show ends on Feb. 7, permanent parking
gates will go up around the Will Rogers Memorial Center and
Amon Carter Square.
Beginning around March 15,
visitors will pay either $5 or $6 a day year round to park
near the coliseum, cattle barns and the Amon G Carter Jr Exhibits
Hall. That’s for horse shows, cattle barn flea markets,
gun shows, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and
the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. This means that the fee will be
in effect for the NCHA Super Stakes scheduled for March 26-April
16 and the Sale, April 3.
Although the Fort Worth Cultural
District parking plan isn’t written yet, tenants and
employees are being told that everyone will pay $5 or $6 to
help finance the much-needed 1,100-space Western Heritage
Parking Garage. Whether or not the NCHA or other associations
will provide parking for entries, box-seat holders, ticket
holders or the media is not yet known.
MORRIS PUBLISHING GROUP
ENTERS BANKRUPTCY
REORGANIZATON EXPECTED TO BE ONE
OF THE FASTEST IN U.S. NEWSPAPER HISTORY
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Jan. 21, 2010
The day before the Augusta Futurity
was set to begin its nine-day run in Augusta, Ga., the man
who is credited with its growth and success, William Morris
III, chairman of Morris Publishing Group saw his company granted
critical “first-day” motions by Judge John Dalis
of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Augusta.
According to Mark A. Berkoff,
a partner with Morris Publishing’s legal counsel Neal,
Gerber & Eisenberg LLP, expects the Morris restructuring
“will be one of the fastest newspaper reorganizations
in U.S. history.”
The motions allowed the company
to continue its business operations by paying wages and benefits
to employees and to continue covering both pre- and post-petition
obligations to suppliers and customers, according to a Morris
press release. The court also granted the company authority
to continue using its cash to fund its operating expenses.
The court also set a deadline of Feb. 10 for objections to
the plan and disclosure statement submitted by Morris, and
scheduled a confirmation hearing for Feb. 17.
“This allows us to complete the final step in our debt
restructuring without any noticeable impact to our newspapers.
Just as important it saves thousands of jobs and enables us
to continue to operate our business with the same high standards
we have for three generations,” said Morris in the press
release.
Morris Publishing filed a
prepackaged bankruptcy plan of reorganization on Tuesday,
Jan. 12. The company is asking the Court to approve a plan
that will reduce bondholder debt through the issuance of $100
million of new second lien secured notes due in 2014 in exchange
for the cancellation of approximately $278.5 million principal
amount of outstanding senior subordinated notes due 2013 plus
accrued interest. Holders of approximately 93 percent of the
existing notes who voted, voted to support the pre-packaged
reorganization plan.
With its restructuring
plan, Morris Publishing will reduce its overall indebtedness
from approximately $415 million to $126.5 million. For more
information about the bankruptcy plan, visit
www.morrisrestructures.com.
MORRIS PUBLISHING GROUP
ANNOUNCES BANKRUPTCY PLAN
MORRIS OWNS 13 DAILY NEWSPAPERS,
WESTERN HORSEMAN MAGAZINE, QUARTER HORSE NEWS AND BARREL HORSE
NEWS
Compiled by
Glory Ann Kurtz
Jan. 14, 2010
Morris Publishing Group, an Augusta,
Ga., company said in a company news release today that it
would file a “prepackaged” plan, preapproved by
a majority of its creditors, in federal bankruptcy court by
Tuesday of next week. The plan, through Chapter 11 bankruptcy,
seeks to slash Morris Publishing’s debt of $415 million
by nearly 70 percent. The decision was made when the holders
of 99 percent of the company’s debt couldn’t be
obtained for its proposed “exchange plan” presented
late last year.
The owner of 13 daily newspapers
plus a group of other publications, including Western Horseman
Magazine, Quarter Horse News and Barrel Horse News, has been
struggling with declining advertising revenue for several
years, resulting in layoffs and other cost-saving measures.
As newspaper profits have dwindled industry wide from the
economic recession and the loss of readers to online media,
Morris Publishing has been saddled with debt which came mostly
from its acquisition of newspapers in the 1990s. The company
was unable to pay $19.4 million in interest on unsecured bond
debt of $278.5 million that was due in two semiannual payments
in February and August of last year.
In 2009, the company was
granted more than a dozen extensions to pay $19.4 million
in interest on a portion of its $417 million debt. Since October,
Morris Publishing has been trying to get creditors to support
the restructuring plan but failed by the deadline earlier
this week to get the near-unanimous approval required to settle
its debt out of court. The new plan allows Morris Publishing
to exchange $100 million in new debt for $278.5 million in
existing debt – which are 7 percent senior subordinated
notes. A statement from Morris said that the offer required
that 99 percent of existing notes be tendered but the condition
was not met by a Jan. 12 deadline, so Morris terminated the
offer.
Morris will follow other
newspapers who have filed bankruptcy, including the Philadelphia
Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, the Tribune Company
in Chicago and the Star Tribune in Minnesota. Newspapers owned
by Morris include the Amarillo (Texas) Globe News; Athens
(Ga.) Banner-Herald; Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle; Bluffton (S.C.)
Today; Brainerd (Minn.) Dispatch; Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville;
Juneau (Alaska) Empire; Log Cabin Democrat, Conway, Ark.;
Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal; Peninsula Clarion, Kenai,
Alaska; The St Augustine (Fla.) Record; Savannah (Ga.) Morning
News and the Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal.
After the bond exchange is
approved, Morris Publishing says it plans to further reduce
its debt by paying back $110 million of $136 million in debt
owed to J P Morgan Chase (the administrative agent for Morris’
creditors) and other banks by using funds generated by the
company’s sale of a majority stake in a billboard company
last October. According to the Metro Spirit, an Augusta, Ga.,
publication, JP Morgan had previously forced the Journal Register,
the owner of 20 dailies, to file for bankruptcy. Under that
bankruptcy proposal worked out with JP Morgan, the paper would
trade much of its debt to the banks in exchange for stock
in the newspaper company. The publication also said that William
S. Morris III had sold his MediaCom stock for more than $100
million in a deal that closed early in 2009.
Although the Western publications
have not been as affected by the downturn in advertising and
subscriptions as the daily newspapers, the publications have
cut staff and costs. The position of Robert Eubanks, an employee
of Quarter Horse News for over 20 years, was eliminated several
months ago, Carl Mullins, publisher of the Western publications
and President of MCC Magazines resigned and more recently
employees of the production department of the Western publications
in Fort Worth, Texas, were eliminated, with the work going
to the Augusta Chronicle.
According to Morris’
press release, the plan of reorganization is not expected
to have any noticeable impact on Morris’ ongoing operations.
“Under the terms of a restructuring support agreement
among the company and holders of approximately 75 percent,
or $209 million, of the existing notes, the company agreed
to file voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of
the United States Bankruptcy Code on or prior to Jan. 19,
1010. If the Plan is confirmed by the bankruptcy court, 100
percent of the existing notes, plus all accrued and unpaid
interest, will be canceled.”
Information for the above
article was obtained from press releases issue by Yahoo News,
the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Amarillo Globe News, Savannah
Morning News, Jacksonville Business Journal and the Metro
Spirit.
TODAY’S NEWS
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Jan. 10, 2010
Kate
Gaughan and Cookie Banuelos were married in Las Vegas on Friday.,
Jan. 8.
PEOPLE,
TRAINERS AND FACILITIES:
Congratulations to KATE GAUGHAN,
the daughter of Michael and Paula Gaughan, and COOKIE
BANUELOS, who tied the knot in their hometown of Las
Vegas, Nev., on Friday, Jan. 8. Both Kate and Cookie qualified
for the recent NCHA World Series Finals held during the NCHA
Futurity, with Kate showing in the Non-Pro and Cookie in the
Open. Cookie trains horses for the Gaughan family.
DUSTAN
HORNE, who has worked for Steve and Michelle Anderson,
Weatherford, Texas, for several years, will be taking some
outside horses of all ages to train, including 2-year-olds.
He will also accept a few Non-Pros and Amateurs. Dustan and
his wife, Maria, who are expecting twins in April, also are
continuing to work for the Andersons. You can contact Dustan
at (817) 304-2732 or e-mail him at DmHorne1@aol.com.
Talking about the Andersons,
their beautiful 137-acre equine facility at Silverado On The
Brazos between Weatherford and Granbury, is for sale. It includes
two stone homes, a 17-stall barn with an upstairs lounge and
game room, two pools, a 125x250 indoor arena with a commercial
kitchen and dining area, two round pens, covered panel walker,
truck and hay barn, seven wells and five stock ponds. The
facility is listed by Mac Coalson.
Also, according to a Mac
Coalson Real Estate ad, the Silverado show arena is for sale.
The 222-acre facility includes an attached barn, plus a separate
barn, outside arena, 117 paved parking spaces, 28 RV hookups,
horse swimming pool, cattle pens etc., five water wells and
five stock ponds – among other amenities. The facility
is equipped to hold large cutting events.
Other news is that Richard Fields, the owner of Jackson Land
& Cattle Co., Jackson, Wyo., is purchasing Lindy Burch’s
Oxbow Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. The final papers haven’t
been signed yet, but that should take place within a week
or so.
KEENELAND
JANUARY HORSES OF ALL AGES SALE TO BEGIN ON MONDAY
For five days, starting on Monday, Jan. 11, the Keeneland
January “Horses of all ages” sale will be held
for five sessions in Lexington, Ky. According to Thoroughbred
Times Today, Keeneland has 1,753 horses cataloged –
down 26.3 percent from last year when the Thoroughbred auction
industry suffered its biggest drop in history – a $308.8
million decline from 2008 – which had been cut in half
from its peak in 2006.
However, Keeneland’s
Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell, says that the sale is
really part of the 2009 sale season. He isn’t expecting
anything to change during this sale from the 2009 sales, especially
since temperatures are expected to be in the teens with negative
wind chills. “We’ll have to wait for the yearling
sales,” said Russell. “Credit is still tight and
it affects everyone on many levels.”
Last year, Dan Liebman wrote
an article on bloodhorse.com regarding the Keeneland yearling
sales, saying, “Markets don’t correct themselves
overnight, especially ones like for Thoroughbred horses that
take a long time to bring the product to the buyers. It is
tough to admit when the market problem you encounter is caused
by none other than yourself, but breeders and consignors recognize
they are paying dearly now for years of sending too many mares
to the breeding shed. They couldn’t resist temptation
to take the money off the table in the short term during a
lengthy up market which has caused harm to the breed in the
long term.”
The result of the down market
in the Thoroughbred industry has been sales that are down
in size and amount and reduced stud fees. Doesn’t that
sound pretty familiar for cutting horse buyers and sellers
as well as stallion and mare owners?
ENTRIES
DUE FOR NCHA WORLD SERIES AT SAN ANTONIO RODEO
The deadline for online entries, as well as the final deadline
for entering the NCHA World Series at the San Antonio Stock
Show, Feb. 6-8, is Jan. 23. A total of $25,000 will be added
to both the Open and the No-Pro, and will play a key role
in the year-end Open and Non-Pro races. There will also be
Youth, Novice and Non-Pro classes and limited age classes.
With new sponsor Mercuria Global Energy, the NCHA World Series
has expanded to eight shows in 2010. Following San Antonio
will be the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, March 3-5,
following a full slate of AQHA cutting and NCHA classes beginning
Feb. 25.
CONGRESS REQUESTS HORSE WELFARE
STUDY:
According to an article in “America’s Horse,”
the U. S. Governments wants the General Accounting Office
to look into the effects that the closure of U. S. horse slaughter
plants have had on horse welfare. The request is part of the
Senate Appropriations Committee Report, which accompanies
the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2010, which
provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Congress
wants to know what changes the closures have made on farm
income and trade, any impacts on state and local governments
and animal protection organizations, how the USDA oversees
the transport of horses destined for slaughter in foreign
countries, particularly Canada and Mexico, as well as general
conclusions regarding the welfare of horses as a result of
the ban.
Keith Kleine, the American
Association of Equine Practitioners’ director of industry
relations, says it is hoped that the study will provide facts
to congressional leaders that will help in crafting legislation
to aid the horse industry in dealing with ever-increasing
numbers of unwanted horses
SHOWDOWN ON THE HORIZON
BETWEEN TEXAS HORSE DENTISTS AND VETERINARIANS
Dec. 29, 2009
Horse dentist Carl Mitz, Buda, Texas,
and three other horse dentists have filed a suit against the
Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, who have ordered
unlicensed equine teeth floaters to stop practicing or work
under the supervision of a licensed vet. The Mitz lawsuit
claims that the board is violating the state constitution,
specifically Article 1, Section 19, which holds that "no
citizen of this state shall be deprived of life, liberty,
property, privileges or immunities, or in any manner disfranchised,
except by the due course of the law of the land."
The equine dentists claim
that regulating equine teeth floating deprives them of their
right to earn an honest living. They are represented by Clark
Neily, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, a
non-profit libertarian law firm, which wants to stop state
governments from overregulating. The institute is also fighting
on behalf of equine massage therapists. The group lost a teeth-floating
suit in Minnesota last year. several customers of the equine
dentists have also joined in the lawsuit.
According to a Dec. 27 article
in WSJ.com, a website of the Wall Street Journal, states vary
in their approach to floating. Arizona requires floaters to
be certified by their trade association, Nebraska lets licensed
vet techs do the work under supervision and Maryland imposes
no restrictions. Last year, Oklahoma made it a felony to float
teeth without a veterinary license, but when a rodeo star
and state hero was arrested, the law was repealed due to outrage
by citizens and the horse community.
Although several teeth
floaters have quit in the face of cease-and-desist orders,
others have gone underground. Mitz, who has been floating
teeth for 25 years, is currently allowed to continue until
the lawsuit is resolved; however, it has not yet been set
for trial. However, more than likely, a trial will be set
for sometime in 2010.
PITCHFORK RANCH RECEIVES
CHARLES GOODNIGHT AWARD AT 20TH ANNUAL GOODNIGHT GALA
NCHA HALL
OF FAME RECIPIENTS HONORED
Article and photos by Robert Eubanks
Dec. 10, 2009 - Fort Worth, Texas
Ron
Lane, Eugene F. Williams Jr., Bob Moorhouse, Bernice Humphreys
(widow of former manager Jim Humphreys), Eugene F. Williams
III.
The Pitchfork Land
& Cattle Co., popularly known as the Pitchfork Ranch,
with roots in the West Texas counties of King and Dickens,
was presented the Charles Goodnight Award at the 20th annual
Goodnight Gala on Dec. 7 at Fort Worth’s Worthington
Hotel.
The award is named after
Charles Goodnight, a legendary cattleman and trailblazer of
the 19th century. The award acknowledges self-determination,
individualism, achievement and concern for one’s neighbors.
Each recipient personifies the ideals of the Old West and
has made noteworthy contributions to the preservation of the
Western heritage that has meant so much to the economy and
culture of Fort Worth and the state of Texas.
Pitchfork’s brand has
grown steadfastly since 1870s. In addition to its Texas Panhandle
locations, the ranch has a satellite operation in Oklahoma’s
Jefferson County and branch operations once extended to Wyoming
and Kansas.
Accepting the award on behalf
of the ranch was Eugene F. Williams III. Corporate headquarters
are in St. Louis, Mo.
Proceeds from the gala benefit
the ranch management program at Texas Christian University,
the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and
the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
Previous recipients of the
Charles Goodnight Award were Perry R. Bass, John S. Justin,
Jr., Anne W. Marion, W.R. “Billy Bob” Watt, W.R.
Watt Jr., Watt Matthews, Stephen Murrin Jr., Dolph Briscoe,
Buster Welch, Waggoner Ranch, Edward P. Bass, King Ranch,
Zack T. Wood Jr., Edwards Family Ranches, Houston Livestock
Show and Rodeo, Beggs Family, Red Steagall, Bob Green/Green
Family Ranches, and Clarence Scharbauer Jr.
Trace
Atkins
Country/Western singer Trace
Atkins provided the entertainment for this year’s gala.
Inductees into the National
Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame also were recognized.
Inductees into the Members Hall of Fame are Pat Earnheart,
Kenneth Jackson, Murlene Mowery, Mel Shearin and Greg Welch.
New members in the NCHA Riders
Hall of Fame are David Costello, Dennis “Zeke”
Entz, Sean Flynn, Lee Francois, and Gavin Jordan. NCHA Non-Pro
Hall of Fame honorees are Lindy M. Ashlock, James “Spunky”
Hawkins, Billy Martin (Texas), Lach Perks and Stacy Shepard.
Special recognition was given
to Kathy Shaughnessey, who had labored tirelessly for 20 years
to ensure that the gala remained a treasured part of activities
during the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity. Mrs.
Shaughnessey died at age 58 on Nov. 1.
TODAY’S NEWS
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Nov. 23, 2009
International buyers “save the day” at Keeneland
November Breeding Stock Sale; Cindy Monroe Young gives deceased
dad credit for her AQHA World Show win and you can win a Dodge
Truck to be given away at the National Finals Rodeo in Las
Vegas.
INTERNATIONAL
BUYERS SAVE THE DAY AT KEENELAND NOVEMBER BREEDING STOCK SALE
Even though the 13-day run of the Keeneland November Breeding
Stock Sale was filed with gyrating figures – going up
then down – when all was said and done on the final
day, Sunday, Nov. 22, optimism reigned. Helped by the Overbrook
Farm dispersal and a “globally diverse” group
of buyers, the final results were not as bad as some expected.
A total of 3,545 horses went
through the sale ring, 15.4 percent fewer than in 2008; 2,779
actually sold, down 7.9 percent from 2008’s 3,019 and
21.6 percent didn’t sell – down from 2008’s
27.9 percent. Sales totaled $159,727,800, down 13.9 percent
from 2008’s $185,552,300. The average of $57,477 was
down 6.5 percent from $61,462 2008 average. However, the median
was the most encouraging – staying even with the 2008
median of $20,000.
Five horses topped the $1-million
mark compared with 19 last year. A total of 148 horses sold
for $31,760,000 during the W. T. Young family’s Overbrook
Farm dispersal, averaging a healthy $214,595. Keeneland Director
of Sales Geoffrey Russell gave the dispersal, whose horses
sold without reserve, for “putting confidence back in
the market.” Russell said with optimism that changes
are taking place throughout the industry – a reduced
number of mares bred, reduced stallion fees and other measures
that will insure a return to market profitability in the near
future.”
The next test will be the
Tattersalls’ nine-day December sale which begins today
and includes sections for yearlings, weanlings and mares.
CINDY
MONROE YOUNG GIVES DECEASED DAD CREDIT FOR HER WIN
Cindy Monroe Young, the daughter of cutting horse trainer
Herb Monroe, who passed away in December of 2007, knows her
father is proud of her. Cindy won the AQHA World Show Senior
Hunter Under Saddle at the event just over in Oklahoma City,
Okla. Cindy was Reserve World Junior Hunter-Under-Saddle Champion
last year and also won the 1999 Congress in the 2-Year-Old
Hunter Under Saddle. Also her husband, Shane Young, won the
Congress t his year in the AQHA Junior Western Pleasure and
the NSBA Junior Western Pleasure. Shane also was Reserve Champion
of the AQHA Senior Western
Pleasure in 2000.
WIN
A NEW DODGE TRUCK
The United Horsemen’s Front, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit,
is raffling off a truck at his year’s National Finals
Rodeo in Las Vegas. Chapman Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Las Vegas,
has provided a 2009 Dodge 4WD 2500SLT Short Bed pickup, which
will be displayed at Gaughan’s South Point Casino. No
more than 2,000 tickets will be sold at $100 each. You can
view the pickup and purchase a ticket from their website:
Click
here to register for pickup>>
SOUTH POINT HOTEL &
EQUESTRIAN CENTER MAKES OFFER TO HOLD NCHA FINALS “FREE
OF CHARGE”
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Nov. 10, 2009 – Las Vegas, Nev.
The
South Point Hotel and Equestrian Center has offered a "free
of charge" facility for the NCHA World Finals.
For the first time
in several years, there will be no NCHA Year-end Finals for
haulers in all the NCHA classes, except for the Open and Non-Pro
– which this year will be held during the NCHA Futurity
this month. Steve Stallworth, general manager of the South
Point Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, Nev., wants to change
that.
In a Nov. 1 letter sent to
NCHA President Chubby Turner, Stallworth outlined a proposal
for the NCHA World Finals to be held “free of charge”
at the South Point Equestrian Center in Las Vegas. “The
South Point Equestrian Center will waive ALL “event
day” rent of $7,800 per day and “move-in/move-out”
rent of $3,760 per day, with a total value of $86,250,”
said the letter. The proposal includes the cost of ushers,
security, video scoreboard (with the video feed from the NCHA),
registration area, media and announcer’s stand, house
sound and house lights.
The paid-up expenses would
also include conversion, arena set-up/take down, panels, gates,
judge’s stands, cattle pens, practice pens, cutting
dirt, drags, show office, all office equipment, veterinarian
clinic and judges lounges. For the NCHA staff, the South Point
will provided up to 10 hotel rooms for working staff at no
charge, plus up to five rooms for judges – plus favorable
hotel room rates will be given to participants in the event.
(Hotel guests can watch and hear the events in the Equestrian
Center on a television channel in their rooms). The NCHA would
also have an opportunity to make money on stall rental.
According to Stallworth,
the proposal presented is for a 2010 event for 2009 qualifiers;
however, if year-end awards have already been purchased for
the 2009 qualifiers, the three-year proposal would include
approximately the same dates in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
“We are extending this
proposal in response to the many favorable comments from our
cutting horse customers regarding our facility,” said
Stallworth. “By providing you with this aggressive proposal
(virtually no expenses), we are hopeful it will enable you
to have a World Finals event. I truly believe the National
Cutting Horse Association World Finals and the South Point
Equestrian Center can come together in Las Vegas to provide
your participants, fans and supporters
the best experience possible.”
Click
here for a complete copy of proposal>>
For
more info on the Events Center, click here>>
LOUISIANA STORM LEADS
TO HORSE EVACUATIONS
Nov.
2, 2009 – Bossier City, La.
With over 25,000 residents of Bossier City urged to evacuate
due to levees being threatened by rising storm water, Louisiana
Downs evacuated approximately 250 horses.
According to an article in
Thoroughbred Times Today, The severe storm on Saturday and
Sunday (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) caused flooding and threatened to
breech the Red Chute Bayou and Flat River guideline levees
– with flood waters splashing over them on Saturday.
The National Guard joined Bossier City authorities, working
to reinforce the levees.
According to authorities,
the water has not yet crested and may not crest until Wednesday
(Nov. 3). The entire property is closed down – including
the casino.
WEATHERFORD, TEXAS, CONSIDERING
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MULTI-USE ARENA THAT COULD ATTRACT CUTTING
HORSE COMPETITION AND SALES
Oct..
28, 2009 - Weatherford, Texas
According to a Sept. 19 article in the Weatherford Democrat,
the city of Weatherford is considering the building of a multi-use
arena consisting of 6,000 fixed seats plus a number of luxury
suites, private boxes, premium seating, retail office space,
convention space, and a hotel.
The city has already paid
for a feasibility study for the unnamed project that already
has several members of horse associations involved in the
design and layout. The campaign is being initiated by local
attorneys Jim and Jack Eggleston.
Following is a copy of the
Sept. 19 article that ran in the Weatherford Democrat:
Civic center project rises
from grass roots campaign
Sept. 19, 2009 - WEATHERFORD — Cities across the United
States and particularly Texas have turned to convention and
civic center projects for much-needed fuel for economic development,
job creation, increases in property tax bases, increases in
sales and uses taxes, and for entertainment options and commercial
development.
Weatherford may see such
a development thanks to a grass roots campaign initiated by
local attorneys Jim and Jack Eggleston.
The project received a city
appropriation of $85,000 to complete a feasibility study for
the as-yet unnamed project. The city also endorsed the formation
of the Weatherford Civic Center Development Corp. to undertake
the initial planning for the project.
The proposed location is
on Fort Worth Highway, midway between the Courthouse and the
I-20/Highway 180 interchange where a livestock auction barn
used to be.
According to the Development
Corporation, initial plans for the project include a multi-use
arena consisting of 6,000 fixed seats for basketball, hockey
and rodeos, with the capability of adding 2,500 seats for
concerts. The arena is expected to include a number of luxury
suites, private boxes, premium seating and retail and office
space. Plans for the site also include 75,000 square feet
of convention space, a hotel, a 1,200-seat performance theater,
a 500-seat amphitheater and outdoor parks.
Members of several horse
associations have already been involved in design and layout
ideas and have been enthusiastically receptive even to the
point of writing letters of endorsement for the project.
In addition, event promoters
have already begun asking for dates for future shows beginning
in 2012.
Eggleston says that while
it is a little premature to start taking reservations, “You
have to start planning for and seeking out all potential users
in order to prove up the viability of the project. We are
still in the early stages, though we are more certain now
that it can become a reality than we were six months ago.”
The Development Corporation
has also approached several national associations in the equine
and cattle industries who have shown an interest locating
headquarters, major shows or annual sales at the site.
“One of the key ‘hooks’
for Weatherford and this facility,” Eggleston said,
“is our city’s reputation as the ‘Cutting
Horse Capital of the World.’ We plan to build something
that meets the exacting standards of the cutting horse, reining
horse and roping professionals. If we do that, then we can
attract events from all over the country because the competitors
will see the quality of the facility and enjoy the experience.”
He also noted a minor league
hockey group from Scottsdale, Ariz., has already been to the
site several times, engaged in discussions with minor league
sanctioning authorities and has begun to do their own feasibility
study.
“For this to work,
it has to be a multi-use facility,” Jack Eggleston said.
“Weatherford’s city and chamber groups have done
extraordinarily well drawing people to the city with the limited
facilities that we have. Now, with more true tourism, convention
and civic center facilities, we could really ratchet up our
tourism and convention outreach as well.”
When asked how the project
may get funded, Eggleston responded it will have to be a city-owned
facility, but that private funding will be sought to compliment
any public-funding measures.
“[As far as] the impact
on taxes, I can say that we have never contemplated or projected
one penny of tax increase to pay for this,” Jim Eggleston
stated in an e-mail.”
He reported some “very
preliminary” letters of interest have already been received.
The pending feasibility study is expected to reveal sources
of private capital and private interest.
“For example, personal
seat licenses will likely be offered, though not at a ‘Dallas
Cowboys Rate,’ but at more of a Weatherford rate,”
laughed Eggleston. “A preliminary plan of the Development
Corporation would give people the opportunity to ‘buy’
their seats and then have the first right to buy tickets for
rodeos, concerts, horse shows and other events before tickets
are open to the public.
He further projects the economic
impact on the city will be several times what the cost of
facility may entail.
“The key to funding
this kind of a project,” Eggleston said, “is to
remember that the return to the City of Weatherford will be
enormous in terms of economic development, increases in property
values, hotel and motel revenues, retail sales and the creation
of jobs.”
The payoff is most often
projected a 10 to one or above Eggleston said according to
information he has received from officials in Fort Worth,
in excess of $25 million per year goes from Parker County
into Fort Worth because Weatherford lacks the facilities to
keep those events within the county.
Several meetings have reportedly
been held with companies interested in purchasing naming rights
to the arena. Eggleston would not disclose any names of who
has shown such interest, but he did say the companies are
primarily local to the North Texas area.
The Development Corporation
has enlisted the help of people with experience in developing
these kinds of projects. In addition to CSL, Jim Lites, former
president of the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers, has been
involved in the early planning.
Lites was instrumental in
building the American Airlines Center in Dallas, several of
the Dr Pepper/Stars Centers and Cedar Park Center near Austin,
the new home of the top minor league franchise of the Dallas
Stars.
“What is encouraging
is that the base of support is really beginning to encompass
all kinds of groups including convention planners, music and
arts supporters, horse people and others who see what this
could do for our future,” Jack Eggleston said. “It
will set us apart from Fort Worth and help us further define
our unique identity.”
“Depending on the results
of the feasibility study,” Jim Eggleston said, “we
will have a clearer picture of the next steps. This is a pretty
big elephant and we are going to just eat it a bite at a time.”
NEW FUTURITY FOR APHA
CUTTING HORSES ANNOUNCED
Sept. 19,
2009 - Fort Worth, Texas
Beginning at the 2013 APHA Fall World
Championship Paint Horse Show, cutting will be added to the
Breeders’ Futurity line-up for eligible 3-year-old horses.
This will be a great opportunity for your Breeders’
Trust-nominated foal to earn cold, hard cash! A 4-year-old
Futurity will begin in 2014 when these foals reach that age.
Make sure your 2010 cutting-bred
Paint foals are eligible for the American Paint Horse Association’s
new Breeders’ Futurity by enrolling their stallion in
the APHA Breeders’ Trust by November 30, 2009.
In order to compete, foals
must be sired by a stallion that was subscribed to the APHA
Breeders’ Trust program for the applicable breeding
year, and the foal must be nominated to the Breeders’
Trust prior to earning any APHA points. The foal’s dam
must also be nominated to the Breeders’ Futurity program
for the respective foaling year, and applicable fees must
be paid prior to competing in Breeders’ Futurity competitions.
The APHA Breeders’
Futurity makes its debut at the 2009 Fall World Championship
Paint Horse Show. The program was created to add value to
Breeders’ Trust-subscribed stallions, the mares bred
to these stallions and their offspring. It also presents yet
another added-money opportunity to the World Championship
Show.
The long-established Breeders’
Trust program provides added incentive for Paint Horse owners
to exhibit their horses in the show arena or on the track.
The Breeders’ Trust pays cash dividends for points earned
by nominated horses at APHA-approved events. In fact, the
Breeders’ Trust is the most unique incentive program
in the horse industry today. Some of the program’s latest
enhancements include:
• Highest stallion subscriber payback ever offered—20%
• Non-owner stallion subscriptions.
• Preferred treatment for re-subscribing stallions.
• Extended deadline for stallions standing for the first
time.
• New Breeders’ Futurity program designed to make
your Breeders’ Trust foal even more valuable.
The Trust is designed so
that everyone responsible for the success of an outstanding
foal is rewarded. The stallion subscriber, foal nominator
and horse’s owner all share in the profit.
For more information
about the Breeders’ Trust and Breeders’ Futurity
programs, visit apha.com/breederstrust, apha.com/breedersfuturity,
or contact Steven Imhof at simhof@apha.com or (817) 222-6441.
VESICULAR STOMATITIS QUARANTINE
LIFTED IN STARR COUNTY, TEXAS
HORSE OWNERS URGED TO CONTINUE CHECKING
WITH STATES OF DESTINATION BEFORE HAULING LIVESTOCK
Aug.
9, 2009
Texas Animal health officials have lifted a quarantine on
a ranch in Starr County, where horses have recovered from
vesicular stomatitis (VS), a virus that occurs sporadically
in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and other
western states. Currently, there are no quarantines or active
investigations for vesicular stomatitis in Texas. Livestock
susceptible to VS include horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, deer
and other cloven-hooved animals. Infected animals can develop
blisters, lesions and sloughing of the skin on the muzzles,
tongue, teats and above the hooves and usually recover in
two to three weeks. To prevent the spread of this virus, which
is not fully understood, quarantines remain in effect until
at least 21 days after the animal?s lesions have healed.
"Although the quarantine in Texas is released, some states
may continue to enforce enhanced entry requirements or restrictions
on Texas livestock until the height of the VS season ends
in late fall, when temperatures drop, said Dr. Bob Hillman,
Texas' state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health
Commission, the state?s livestock and poultry health regulatory
agency. New Mexico also has had VS this year, and it is possible
that another VS case could be detected in Texas, since the
virus is active this year." He urged private veterinary
practitioners and livestock owners to check with the states
of destination prior to moving animals to ensure all entry
requirements are met.
Dr. Hillman explained that the clinical signs of VS mimic
the highly dangerous foot-and-mouth disease, and a veterinary
exam and laboratory tests are needed to confirm a diagnosis.
?Horses are not susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease, but
they are often the first animals to get VS,? said Dr. Hillman.
?We can assist with private veterinary practitioners with
disease investigations at no charge, and we can receive disease
reports 24 hours a day at 800-550-8242.
PLANNING ON HAULING HORSES
TO NEW MEXICO - THEY'VE UPDATED THEIR VESICULAR STOMATITIS
REQUIREMENTS
July 1, 2009
According to the Texas Animal Health
Commission, if you are planning to haul Texas horses to New
Mexico, you will have to obtain a certificate of veterinary
inspection issued within seven (7) days prior to arrival in
that state, due to the vesicular stomatitis (VS) outbreak.
New Mexico updated their
vesicular stomatitis requirements Tuesday, June 30. (When
Texas is free of vesicular stomatitis, certificates of veterinary
inspection will again be valid for 30 days for Texas equine
animals entering New Mexico.)
For ALL livestock entering
New Mexico, the New Mexico state veterinarian requires the
following statement on the certificate of veterinary inspection:
"The animals represented
on this CVI (health certificate) have not originated from
a premises or area under quarantine for vesicular stomatitis
(VS), or a premises on which VS has been diagnosed in the
past 21 days. I have examined the animals and have found no
clinical signs of VS."
You must have an entry permit,
issued by the New Mexico Livestock Board, if you are transporting
livestock to New Mexico from a county with vesicular stomatitis.
(Currently in Texas, vesicular stomatitis is limited to STARR
COUNTY in far south Texas.) The entry permit may be obtained
at no charge by calling the New Mexico Livestock Board at
505-841-6161.
LAW CREATES TEXAS HORSE
INCENTIVE PROGRAM
June
30, 2009
According to the AQHA publication, America's Horse, All American
Quarter Horses, American Paint Horses and Appaloosas conceived
by mares and stallions living in Texas during 2009 are eligible
to be nominated to the new Texas Equine Incentive Fund. House
Bill 1881, which was signed by Gov. Rick Perry on June 19,
becomes law Sept. 1.
The bill creates a voluntary
monetary incentive program to keep Quarter, Paint and Appaloosa
horses breeding, showing or racing in Texas.
The bill was introduced into
the Texas House by Rep. Sid Miller (R) of Erath in February
and garnered broad support as a nonpartisan bill that did
not assess taxes on Texas residents.
Miller was the 2006 and 2007
amateur tie-down roping world champion and the 2007 reserve
world champion in amateur breakaway roping at the AQHA World
Championship Show, and the reserve world champion in breakaway
roping at AQHA’s 2008 Bayer Select World Championship
Show.
The Texas Equine Incentive
Fund will provide rural jobs in the state of Texas by providing
incentives to raise and show horses in Texas, rather than
other states. The funds for the program are raised within
the horse industry and will be administered by the Texas Department
of Agriculture. The rules and guidelines for the program will
be determined by a panel representing each of the stock-horse
breeds.
The equine industry was worth
more than $11 billion in 1998, according to studies at Texas
A&M University.
Texas is home to about 900,000
horses. More than 450,000 people are employed by or involved
in the industry. More than 101,000 service-providers’
jobs are affected, including veterinarians, veterinary support
staff, real estate agents, trainers, farriers, horse trailer
dealerships, truck dealerships, fertilizer dealers, feed stores,
saddle and tack makers, western apparel stores, hay growers,
hotels and restaurants.
For more information, contact
the Texas-Bred Horse Association at (214) 223-4188.
SOUTH POINT PLANNING INVITATIONAL
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
April 3, 2009 – Las Vegas, Nev.
Are you a weekend cutter? Would you
like an Invitational World Championship Finals with $210,000
in added money and possible $620,000 total purse? If so, you’ll
be happy to hear about the planned South Point Invitational
World Championships, scheduled to take place at the South
Point Hotel, Casino and Equestrian Center, next February,
in Las Vegas, Nev.
Since the NCHA has announced
that their NCHA World Championship Finals will no longer be
held in Amarillo, and instead will be held during the NCHA
Futurity, with only the top 15 Open and Non-Pro riders being
able to compete, weekenders are disappointed that they will
no longer have a World Championship Finals and that their
World titles will be decided by the total money won throughout
the year.
Since 1992, Michael and Paula
Gaughan have had large, added-money aged-event shows that
have paid out over $14.1 million. On the drawing board is
an invitational event for the top 50 in the NCHA approved
divisions, except the Open and Non-Pro, where invitations
will go to contestants ranking. 16-65. The top 15 going to
the finals in Fort Worth will not be eligible. ALL
CLASSES WILL BE A CLEAN SLATE COMING IN – WITH THREE
FULL GO-ROUNDS THAT WILL PAY DOWN 10 PLACES IN EACH GO-ROUND.
The event will not be NCHA approved.
With a planned $210,000 in
added money, the total purse is estimated to be $620,000,
based on 50 entries in each division. The Gaughans are also
currently working on getting sponsors for this event. There
will be an added purse of $25,000 in the Open, Non-Pro, $10,000
Novice Horse and $15,000 Novice Horse Non-Pro rider. The entry
fee will be $1,475 with $900 jackpotted. A total of $23,333
paid out in each go-round and first place in each go-round
will pay $4,000.
There would be $20,000 added
in the $50,000 Amateur, $20,000 Non-Pro, $10,000 Amateur,
$3,000 Novice Horse and $5,000 Novice Horse Non-Pro Rider.
The entry fee will be $1,375 with $800 jackpotted. With $20,000
paid out in three go-rounds, first place in each go-round
will pay $3,100.
The $2,000 Limited Rider
class would have $10,000 in added money, a $1,175 entry fee
and $600 jackpotted. With $13,333 paid out in each of the
three go-rounds, first place in each go-round will pay $1,800.
There are also a lot of quality awards planned.
I would like to hear from
you about whether or not you like this format, how you would
change it and if you would consider attending the show. E-mail
me at glory@glorykurtz.com – or call me at 940-433-5232.
Click
here for a chart of classes and pay-out>>
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann Kurtz
March 13, 2009
The industry has lost legendary
horseman and clinician Ray Hunt, Ernie Vest passes away from
coronary heart failure and AQHA implements a "Green Pastures"
program.
EMPTY
BOOTS
Legendary Horseman Ray Hunt, who was in his late 70s, passed
away on March 12. With a summer home at the Rattlesnake Ranch
in Mountain Home, Idaho, and a winter home at the Oak Valley
Ranch, Era, Texas, Hunt was the first to become a traveling
clinician. He used the natural horsemanship methods of the
Durance brothers and promoted it throughout the horse industry
by holding clinics across the country for over 30 years. In
fact, he had a spring clinic scheduled at his Texas Ranch.
For more information on Ray Hunt, go to his web site at www.rayhunt.com.
Ernie Vest, 65, Valley View,
Texas, passed away on Feb. 14 at Denton Regional Medical Center,
Denton, Texas, from coronary heart failure. Vest, well known
at horse sales throughout the industry, was cremated.
AQHA IMPLEMENTS
“GREEN PASTURES” PROGRAM
If there is a horse in your life that you would like to provide
a “forever home,” you can now indicate on a horse’s
registration certificate that should that horse ever become
unwanted or unusable, you will, if possible, assist in finding
him or her a suitable home. The program is voluntary and does
not imply that a buy back or exchange of money will occur,
or that a horse is guaranteed a home – because sometimes
situations change. – but at least you will know when
one of your favorite horses is in trouble. You can list up
to five horses with the AQHA. Contact the AQHA customer service
department at (806) 376-4811 or go to their web site at www.aqha.com,
put in your membership number and password – then go
to “Business Services” and then “Greener
Pastures Enrollment.” You will need the horses’
registration numbers and names.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann Kurtz
March 11, 2009
Liz Haverty, wife of top
reining horse trainer, Clint Haverty, is hospitalized with
Bacterial Meningitis; John Mitchell and Peptos Stylish Miss
take first go-round in the Open Classic/Challenge at the Bonanza
Cutting; Eastern Nationals offering $334,000 in purse money;
and who’s in the NCHA standings following the high-paying
NCHA World Series held during the Houston Stock Show.
LIZ
HAVERTY HOSPITALIZED WITH BACTERIAL MENINGITIS
Liz Haverty, wife of reining trainer Clint Haverty, has Bacterial
Meningitis and is in ICU at Presbyterian Hospital in Denton,
Texas. For anyone wanting to send flowers, she is in room
2120. The hospital is located at 3000 N I-35, Denton, TX 76201.
PEPTOS
STYLISH MISS/JOHN MITCHELL TAKE FIRST GO-ROUND OF BONANZA
CLASSIC/CHALLENGE
John Mitchell took home $1,500 for his 222 score in the first
go of the 85-entry Open Classic/Challenge during the Bonanza
Cutting, held March 10-17 in Abilene, Texas. Mitchell was
riding Peptos Stylish Miss, owned by Slate River Ranch, Weatherford,
Texas. A championship has eluded the pair as they seem to
always be the bridesmaid, not the bride. Previously they were
Reserve at the 2008 PCCHA 4-Year-Old Open Stakes, and tied
for Reserve at the 2008 Brazos Bash Open Derby and 2009 Augusta
Classic Challenge. The 2004 daughter of Peptoboonsmal out
of Stylish And Foxie by Docs Oak has lifetime earnings of
$163,286 going into the Bonanza.
Second place went to Playin Pistol, a 2003 gelding by Smart
Little Pistol out of Play With Belles by Freckles Playboy,
ridden by Tarin Rice to a 220, taking home a $1,000 paycheck.
The mare came into the Bonanza with $60,621 in lifetime earnings.
Third was a three-way tie between Your Turn To Play ridden
by Boyd Rice, Desires little Rex, ridden by Bubba Matlock
and Rubys Royal CD ridden by Phil Hanson. Each collected a
$166.66 for their 219 score. Riders may ride an unlimted number
of horses in the Open 4 and 5/6-Year-Old classes.
Click
here for the Bonanza schedule & results>>
NCHA EASTERN NATIONALS
TO OFFER $334,000 IN PRIZE MONEY
For the 30th year, the Wayne
Hodges & Outlaw Conversions/NCHA Eastern national Championships
are being held in Jackson, Miss., March 9-20. Texas, with
227 entries, tops the list of states with entries. Obviously,
entries from the Eastern part of the country made up a majority
of the entries, including Florida with 85, Alabama with 71
and Mississippi and Louisana with 64. Oklahoma was represented
by 54 entries.
The purse for the event totals
$120,000, or $12,000 for each of the 10 classes, with the
cut-off day being Nov. 23, 2008 – the last day of the
point year. The entry fee is $500 plus $125 for a stall. Entry
fees for the youth are $150.. Entries are limited to the Top
10 2008 area leaders from the 25 NCHA areas or the Top 10
from each affiliate. However, any horse shown in the Open
or Non-Pro of the world Finals and finishing in the Top 15
in the final standings are ineligible. Classes are one go-round
and finals.
The two classes with their
first go-round already held include the 97-entry $10,000 Novice
Horse and 89-entry $3,000 Novice Horse divisions. Heading
up the $10,000 Novice Horse Division are Peptos Stylish Bay,
owned by Carol Pace, Rossville, Tenn., and ridden by Dennis
(Zeke) Entz to a 218. Second is Lenas Silver Pistol, owned
by Lori Broome, Aubrey, Texas, and ridden by Casey Crouch.
Third place is tied between five horses, all scoring a 216,
including Grandpaws Playgirl, Leon and Peggy Lewis, Carthage,
Texas, owner, Brett Davis rider; Gun N Sandy Candy, owned
by Larry Grimes, Thayer, Mo, ridden by Nathaniel Lansford;
Justa Lil Freck, Randall & Nicole Aldridge, Killeen, Ala.,
ridden by Todd Gann; Miss Rey Hickory, owned by Kenneth Wrobbel,
Hillsdale, Mich., ridden by Randy Chartier and Tracker Jones,
owned by EE Ranches Inc., Whitesboro, Texas, ridden by Guy
Woods.
In the $3,000 Novice division,
the leader is Grandpaws Playgirl, with a 218 and second is
split four ways with a 216. They include bobby Joe Rey, owned
by Connie Price, New Underwood, S.D., ridden by Clinton Price;
Lakers Playboy, owned by EE Ranches, ridden by Guy Woods,
San Tule San doc, owned by Roger and Star Cagle,, Paragould,
Ark., ridden by Rusty Jeffrey and Starcat Merada, owned by
Daniel Jaeggi, Switzerland, ridden by Chubby Turner.
For a schedule and results, go to:
Click
here for Eastern Nat'ls schedule & results>>
NCHA
STANDINGS FOLLOWING NCHA WORLD SERIES OF CUTTING
The new NCHA World Standings following the World Series of
Cutting held Feb. 28-March 7 during the Houston Livestock
Show & Rodeo have been posted. The top 15 money earners
in the Open and Non-Pro divisions for the year will qualify
for the World Finals to be held during the NCHA Futurity in
Fort Worth, Texas. Other class winners will also receive their
year-end awards during the Futurity.
Neat Little Cat, a High Brow
Cat stallion owned by Jim and Judy Spaulding, Millsap, Texas,
and ridden by Scott McClurg tops the Open Standings. The pair
has now shown at 11 shows, earning $11,119.07. A close second
is Cats Royal Jewel, owned by Robert and Connie Rust, Gordon,
Texas, and ridden by Robert during 14 shows, earning $0,150.03.
Third is Mike Coleman riding Lenas Dualin for Buck Daniel
to 10 shows, $7,336.69; fourth Rust riding Jazzys Pep Talk
for Willard Alexander, $7,336.69 and sixth, Austin Shepherd
riding Thomas E Hughes for Don & Kathy Boone, $6,972.95.
Elizabeth Queen, Weatherford,
Texas, who topped the Non-Pro World Series of Cutting, tops
the Non-Pro Standings. Riding Sister CD and Jazzy Touche,
Elizabeth went to nine shows, earning $11,840.79. Second goes
to Steve Norris of Colorado Springs, Colo., is second riding
Freckles Royall Doc to 14 shows, earning $10,049.90. Third
is McKenzie Mullins riding Belles N Bullets, $9,017.77; fourth
Dan Hansen riding Woody Be Lucky, Neverey and CD Owen to $8,387.29
and fifth, Janet Westfall, riding Jeeps Posi Traction to $7,634.95.
Click
here for NCHA Standings>>
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
March 9, 2009
It looks like the registration of cloned
horses by the AQHA will be put off until next year following
a decision made at the AQHA Convention in San Antonio, Texas;
AQHA lowers points for most 2009 World Show qualifiers; the
PCCHA Derby and Classic/Challenge are in full swing in Paso
Robles, Calif.; the NCHA World Series of Cutting is won by
Roy Carter while Elizabeth Queen takes Non-Pro; Doug Williamson
wins Open title at National Stock Horse Classic; and Magna
Entertainment, who owns the license for Lone Star Park in
Grand Prairie, Texas, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
AQHA
CLONING DECISIONS ON HOLD UNTIL 2010 CONVENTION
Following a 2008 proposal to the AQHA Stud Book and Registration
Committee, that cloned horses be registered with the AQHA,
the proposal was revisited during a meeting of the Stud Book
and Registration Committee held March 6 during the AQHA Convention
in San Antonio, Texas. With members being invited to the meeting,
the AQHA announced that it would also be a live webcast so
all members could watch the proceedings. When all was said
and done, the Stud Book and Registration Committee approved
a motion that recommended that action on the proposal to approve
the registration of clones be put off until the 2010 AQHA
Convention.
The forum panelists included
Katrin Hinrichs, a veterinarian involved in equine cloning
at Texas A&M University; Sharon Spier, an epidemiologist
at the University of California-Davis; George Seidel, a professor
specializing in biomedical sciences at Colorado State University
and an expert on cloning and Blake Russell, vice president
of ViaGen, a cloning company that recently moved to Canada.
The Smart Little Lena clones were created at Texas A&M,
while ViaGen cloned several horses, including the cutting
industry’s leading dam Royal Blue Boon and the barrel
racing industry’s most famous gelding – Charmayne
James’ Scamper. Hinrichs stressed that all the clones
from Texas A&M appear to be normal. Even though ViaGen
did not have a 100 percent success rate, Russell spoke out
positively about the technology that makes cloning possible.
Also present was a lawyer
representing an AQHA member who owns some cloned horses, as
well as Chad Pierce, the AQHA attorney. Several members supported
cloning, while others didn’t – bringing up the
fact that the mitochondrial DNA received from the donor mare
carries certain health risks, as well as the fact that there
is no test now available which can distinguish whether a foal
is sired by the original stallion – or his clone.
The NCHA has already made
a ruling that clones will be allowed to show in the NCHA Futurity
and several will be of the age where they can compete this
year. In fact, Doc’s Serendipity, a daughter of Doc
Bar, was cloned and her clone is not only in training for
this year’s Futurity, but was bred to High Brow Cat
last spring. The carrier mare of the embryo transfer foal
should give birth to the first offspring out of a cloned cutting
horse this spring.
AQHA
LOWERS POINTS FOR MOST 2009 WORLD SHOW QUALIFIERS
With the 2009 AQHA World Show scheduled to be held Nov. 6-21
in Oklahoma City, the number of points it takes to qualify
have been lowered for most classes. Amateur and Open performance
halter and ranch sorting were not reduced, as well as classes
that only required two points.
Classes that now take 2.5
to 5 points were lowered by a half point, points that now
take 5.5 to 10 points were lowered by one point, from 10.5
to 15 were lowered 1.5 points, 15.5 to 20 were lowered two
points and points 20.5 and up were lowered by 2.5 points.
Qualifying points necessary
in Junior or Senior cutting are 4.5 each, Amateur Cutting
requires 3 points; Junior Working Cow Horse requires 4 points,
Senior Working Cow Horse requires 5 and Amateur Working cow
Horse requires 2 points. Junior Reining requires 13 points,
Senior reining requires 12.5 and Amateur Reining requires
12 points.
For the requirements for
all classes go to:
http://www.aqha.com/news/2009PressReleases/
030609_conventioncoverage.html
PCCHA
DERBY AND CLASSIC/CHALLENGE IN FULL SWING
Steve Schlesinger and Cats Full Moon, the 2008 Open Derby
Champions and Open Cutting Stakes Champions, are trying to
make it three in a row. The pair won the first round of the
Open Classic/Challenge competition at the PCCHA Derby and
Classic/Challenge held March 8-14 in Paso Robles, Calif. The
pair led the 42-horse field with a 224 score. Cats Full Moon,
owned by the Brinkman Ranch, Lockeford, Calif., is a 5-year-old
stallion sired by High Brow Cat out of Darlin Little Dually
by Dual Pep. Cats Full Moon was also Reserve Champion of the
2007 PCCHA Open Futurity with Tim Smith in the saddle. The
stallion currently has over $96,600 in NCHA earnings.
Finishing second was Smith
riding Gimme A Little Pepto for Mike Rawitser. The pair scored
a 219. The 6-year-old mare is by Peptoboonsmal and out of
Gimme A Little Sugar by Smart Little Lena and has over $13,000
in lifetime earnings. Third was taken by David Costello riding
Smart Little Minnie, owned by Ron and Vicki Mullins, to a
218.5 score.
Leading the eight-entry Classic/Challenge
Gelding Division was Spookys Cat Deville, owned by Jeff Barnes
and ridden by Brent Erickson, Wilton, Calif., with a 217.5
score. The 6-year-old gelding, sired by High Brow Cat out
of San Starlight by Grays Starlight, has over $10,700 in NCHA
money. The leading Novice Horse was High Brow Kitty, owned
by Susan Hearst and ridden by Bonnie Johnson to a 218.
The 77-entry Open Derby began
this morning at 9 a.m., followed by the second go-round of
the Open Classic/Challenge.
Four NCHA classes were held
at the beginning of the show, with Sandy Bonelli, Petaluma,
riding Shakin Rondee to the 14-entry Open Championship and
$2,447.60 paycheck earned for her 222 score. The Reserve title
went to Scott Weis, Ojai, Calif., riding Hick Chicaroo to
a 220.5, earning $1,836.70 for the Latigo Canyon Ranch, Los
Olivos, Calif. Roni Tanner, Salinas, Calif., won the 18-entry
Non-Pro riding Boo Lou Cat to a 219 score and a $2,145.90
paycheck. Second was Debbie hall, Paso Robles, riding Ifitaintgotthatswing
to a 216.5, earning $1,788.25.
The 28-entry $20,000 Non-Pro
was won by Nicole Carson riding Peptos Promise to a 73, earning
$651.42, followed by Lynn Trayham riding Kellys Catalac scoring
72.5 for $535.10. Vicki Mullins rode Flos Remedy to a 145
and the championship of the 30-entry $10,000 Amateur class,
earning $810.75. Second was Teresa Home riding Ms Boons Sweet
N Low to a 144 and $648.60.
For full results, go to:
http://www.pccha.com/shows.asp?id=8
NCHA
WORLD SERIES OF CUTTING WON BY ROY CARTER; ELIZABETH QUEEN
TAKES NON-PRO
Roy Carter rode Scootin Boon to a whopping 226, winning the
first event of the NCHA 6666 Ranch World Series of Cutting
finals held at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, March
7. Owned by Hal Sutton’s S&S Farms, Shreveport,
La., Scootin Boon is a stallion sired by Smart Lil Scoot out
of Susies Blue Boon by Peptoboonsmal. With $25,000 in added
money, Carter picked up $8,013 in the Open Division which
featured 59 entries. The Reserve title went to Lindy Burch
riding Play Peek A Boon for her Oxbow Ranch in Weatherford,
Texas. The daughter of Freckles Playboy out of Peek A Boon
by Smart Little Lena scored a 224.5, earning $7,137. Third
went to the 2007 NCHA World Champions, Dual Rey Me, owned
and ridden by Jeremy Barwick. The Dual Pep gelding out of
Miss Smart Rey Jay by Smart Little Lena scored a 221 and earned
$6,260.
The 51-entry, $25,000-added
Non-Pro Division was won by Elizabeth Queen, Weatherford,
Texas, riding her great gelding Sister CD to a 223. Sired
by CD Olena and out of Little Baby Sister by Dual Pep, the
pair earned $7,797. The Reserve title was split between Nutn
Buta Houndog, owned and ridden by Joe Howard Williamson, Weatherford,
and Snow Rey, owned and shown by Chad Bushaw, also from Weatherford,
to scores of 219. Nutn Buta Houndog is a gelding sired by
Smart Mate and out of Liza Quixote by Doc Quixote while Snow
Rey is a son of Dual Rey out of Lenas Snow by Docs Stylish
oak. Both earned $6,522.
The World Series, which will
culminate with the top Open and Non-Pro riders competing for
the World Championship titles during the 2009 NCHA Futurity,
helped the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo post record
numbers with the NCHA and AQHA cutting totaling close to 1,000
entries. The series will continue at the Calgary Stampede
in Calgary, Alb., Canada, the All-American Quarter Horse Congress
in Columbus, Ohio and the American Royal in Kansas City. All
money earned during this series will count toward the 2009
World Championship title.
DOUG
WILLIAMSON WINS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT NATIONAL STOCK HORSE
ASSOCIATION CLASSIC
Doug Williamson, riding Cattys Dual Doc, a 5-year-old son
of Cattin out of Dual Docs Starlight by Grays Starlight, scored
a total of 438.5, winning the Open title of the National Stock
Horse Association Classic, held Feb. 24-March 1 in Tulare,
Calif. The pair took home $12,000. The Reserve title went
to Lance Johnson riding Shesa Special Pastel (Pastels Smart
Lena out of Especials Poco Bell by Especial), owned by Gary
and Kay Watt, Porterville, Calif. The pair scored a total
of 437.5 after the three events – herd work, reined
work and cow work, taking home $7,762.50.
Get a Dual Pep, owned by
Steven and Kathleen DeBolt, Escondido, Calif., ridden by John
Ward, won the Open Classic Novice $2,500 division, taking
home $2,318.40. Second was Mark Luis riding Pearl Escence
for Joe Kathrein. The pair collected $1,821.60. They also
won the Intermediate Open Novice for an additional $1,188.
The Intermediate Open Classic
was won by Brad Buttrey riding Shock And Awe for Ron Landskroner,
collecting $1,545.60. The Limited Open Classic was won by
Billy Martin riding his horse MH Im Just Booning, Ty Rohrbaugh
won first and second in the Limited Open $2,500 Novice riding
Indian Pep, owned by Linda Mars, and Chic San Olena, owned
by Rogers Heaven Sent Ranch.
The first two places in the Non-Pro Classic were taken by
Anne Reynolds riding Very Smart Sir to first and Very Smart
Flo Jo to second for $3,000 and $2,000 respectfully. The Intermediate
non-Pro Classic was won by Kristi Locatelli riding Last To
Dance.
MAGNA
ENTERTAINMENT FILES CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY; LONE STAR PARK
NOT PART OF FILING
With the prospect of defaulting on multiple loans, Magna Entertainment
Corp., filed for relief under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware
on Thursday, March 5. According to Frank Stronach, its chairman
and chief executive, the company will continue its day-to-day
operations and will begin selling assets to repay debts. However,
according to a March 6 article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram,
operations at Lone Star park at Grand Prairie, Texas, will
not be affected by the filing and still plans on opening its
new season on April 9, which will run until July 26. According
to General Manager Drew Shubeck is not among the parties filing
for bankruptcy and will not be included in the proceedings.
None of their assets will be frozen or negatively affected
by the filing. However, the Toronto Stock Exchange plans to
delist Magna Entertainment Corp stock at the close of market
on April 1.
According to an article in
the Thoroughbred Times Today, The company and its subsidiaries
will try to reorganize to address their debt problems and
will begin by selling assets, including interests at Lone
Star Park. Magna owns the racing license but leases Lone Star
Park from the Grand Prairie Sports Facilities Development
Corp., which owns the track. Magna has entered into an agreement
with MI Developments, its controlling shareholder and largest
secured creditor, to sell its interests in at least six tracks
and other properties for $195 million.
Magna manages Pimlico
Race Course in Laurel Park, Md., and Santa Anna Park in Arcadia,
Calif. Pimlico is the site of the Preakness Stakes, the second
race in horse racing’s Triple Crown. In bankruptcy proceedings
the Preakness Stakes could be offered as an entity for bidding;
however, Maryland law gives the state the right to match any
offer for the race. The current balance of MI Developments
loans and interest owed by Magna total $372 million, including
$171 million under the Gulfstream Park project financing,
$23 million in Remington Park financing, a $125-million bridge
loan in September 2007 and a $53-million loan in December
2008.
TODAY'S NEWS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Feb. 21, 2009
Magna Entertainment default on loans
could affect Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas; the All-American
Quarter Horse Congress could partially relocated to Hillard,
Ohio, and the winners of the cutting at the San Antonio LIvestock
Show.
MAGNA
ENTERTAINMENT DEFAULTING COULD AFFECT ARLINGTON, TEXAS’
LONE STAR PARK
Lone Star Park racetrack in Arlington, Texas, could be in
jeopardy following the release of information that Magna Entertainment,
who operates Lone Star Park, is in danger of defaulting on
loans. However, according to a Feb. 21 article in the Fort
Worth Star Telegram, Magna Entertainment, who could face a
March 20 deadline for repayment of a $126-million bridge loan
owed to an MI Developments subsidiary, $100-million in financing
of its Gulfstream Park project, as well as an additional loan
of $48.5 million owed to the MI Developments subsidiary, owns
the racing license for Lone Star Park and leases it from Grand
Prairie Sports Facilities Development Corp., which owns the
track. (MI Developments Inc., is the parent company of Magna
Entertainment.)
The article said that if
needed, the Sports Corp. could operate the racetrack, which
is continuing to prepare for its April 9 opening. Magna announced
it has been informed by the Toronto Stock Exchange of an “expedited
review” of the company’s eligibility for continued
listing. Friday, on the NASDAQ stock market, the price of
a Magna share fell 21 percent to 30 cents, after having already
fallen 25 percent Thursday.
According to the Thoroughbred
Times Today, Magna had hoped to obtain more capital from MI
Developments to pay off loans but the investors in the companies,
with Frank Stronach as chairman of both, opposed the plan.
With its increasing debt and failure to receive new capital
Magna Entertainment was unable to submit a required $28.5
million license fee with its request to add slot machines
at Laurel Park, and were thereby disqualified by the Maryland
Video Lottery Facility Location Commission. Lone Star Park
had been hoping to also obtain slot machines at their facility.
Lone Star Park general manager Drew Shubeck said he will be
continuing his efforts in Austin on behalf of legislation
favorable to the horse industry.
ALL-AMERICAN
QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS COULD “PARTIALLY” RELOCATE
TO OHIO’S FRANKLIN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN HILLARD
Currently the All-American Quarter Horse Congress is held
annually in October at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus,
Ohio. However, the event, which attracts about 650,000 visitors
annually, has outgrown the Columbus facilities.
According to Denny Hales, the event’s Executive Vice
President, the Columbus facility is “limited in time
and space” and they want to expand their exhibits by
having satellite operations at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
A feasibility study, participated in by the Franklin County
Commissioners, Franklin county Agricultural Society, the city
of Hilliard and the All-American Quarter Horse Congress is
currently being done. The commissioners are also appointing
one at-large citizen to help craft the study. Hilliard is
located approximately 15 miles north of Columbus on North
Loop 270, just prior to Dublin.
JAMES
DAVISON WINS SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK SHOW CLASSIC
James Davison , Fredericksburg, Texas, rode Tripp Deperier’s
Freckled Leo Lena to the championship of the San Antonio Livestock
Show Open Classic. Davison and the 5-year-old son of Smart
Little Lena out of Freckled Leo Girl by Freckles Playboy scored
a 147.5, earning $2,194. The Reserve title went to Dualin
Lil Playgirl, a daughter of Dual Rey out of Dainty Playgirl
by Freckles Playboy, owned by Gary and Mickey Goodfried, Flint,
Texas, and ridden by Ronnie Rice. The pair scored a close
147 for $1,803.
The Non-Pro Champion was
Lica Pinkston, Mountain Home, Ark., riding Play A Bet, a 6-year-old
daughter of Bet On Me 498 out of Play A Masterpiece by Freckles
Playboy to a 147. The pair picked up $1,524. The mare also
won the AQHA Senior Cutting with Craig Gilham in the saddle.
Second in the Non-Pro, with a 143, was Billy Crenshaw, Beaumont,
Texas, riding Cat Sees De lights, a 6-year-old daughter of
High Brow Cat out of Madrones Last Star by Grays Starlight.
The pair collected $1,252.
The AQHA Junior Cutting was
a tie between Davison and Freckled Leo Lena and Kathy Daughan,
riding Metro Fletch for Kit Moncrief and LeeTennison, Fort
Worth, Texas. Metro Fletch is a 4-year-old gelding by Royal
Fletch out of Mo Flo by Mr Peponita Flo.
The AQHA Amateur Cutting
was won by April Hames Widman, Weatherford, Texas, riding
SR Instant Tee, a 1999 gelding by SR Instant Choice out of
Tee Cross O Lena by Tree Cross. The pair took home $496. Second
was Ray Whitmire, Sallisaw, Okla.m riding Can Yall CD Freckles,
a 2002 daughter of CD Olena out of Miss Freckles Wilson by
Freckles Playboy. The AQHA Novice Amateur Cutting was split
between Dan Osterman riding Gunnin Smart and Dennis Myers
riding HH Poco Hickory. The Youth was also split between Justin
Henson riding Playboys Slider and Lauren Kleck, Sallisaw,
Okla., riding Lucky Nurse.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Feb. 12, 2009
A deadly tornado in Lone Grove, Okla.,
missed several cutting horse facilities; two trainers running
for Vice President will guarantee that eight trainers will
still be on the NCHA 14-member Executive Committee; Richard
Fields of Jackson Land & Cattle Co supports AQHA Youth
World Show Assistance Program; Tunica Non-Pro and Amateur
champions named; stallion auction planned to fund Doug Ingersoll
fire fund and economic turbulence affects Fasig-Tipton Winter
Mixed Sale.
LONE GROVE TORNADO MISSES
CUTTERS
The devastating tornado that hit Lone Grove, Okla., on the
evening of Feb. 10, went right over several horse facilities,
but miraculously caused no damage to them. It traveled directly
over Bill and Ann Riddle’s facilities, but was not on
the ground at the time. James Payne’s place was just
east of its path but was missed as was Dick and Brenda Pieper’s
facilities – although they were without power for the
evening.
It also dropped down only
a mile from Michael and Emily Townsend’s facilities
in Edmond, where he had broodmares in the pasture. (Michael
owns the stallion Peeka Pep) The Galyeans, who had just had
a tremendously successful show in Tunica were on their way
home and found everything OK when they got there. Also, Brad
Wilson, who won the Classic Non-Pro at Tunica, was already
home but he and his wife, Connie, who is an emergency room
doctor at Mercy Memorial in Ardmore, also were fortunate enough
to be spared.
ANOTHER
TRAINER SCHEDULED TO REPLACE BRONC WILLOUGHBY
When Bronc Willoughby’s year-long NCHA presidency is
over in June, during the NCHA Convention in Denver, another
trainer – Chubby Turner, the president-elect will take
his place. Trainer Chris Benedict will then move up to President
Elect. Two trainers have been selected to run for the vacant
Vice President position – Pete Branch, Farwell, Texas,
and Keith Deaville, Covington, La. Currently there are eight
trainers on the 14-member board and it will stay that way
following the election.
RICHARD
FIELDS FAMILY FOUNDATION SUPPORTS AQHA YOUTH WORLD SHOW ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
Richard Fields, the owner of Peptoboonsmal and the Jackson
Land & Cattle Co. of Jackson, Wyo., have made it possible
for many qualified youth participants to attend the AQHYA
World Championship Show. Through the assistance program, the
Fields Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization created
by Fields, awards need-based monetary grants to qualified
youths. Since its inception in 2005, the program has helped
about 170 AQHYA members make it to the World Show. Fields
is also a supporter of the Jackson Hole High School rodeo
Cloub and the Teton County 4-H Group.
TUNICA
NON-PRO, AMATEUR CHAMPIONS NAMED
The Non-Pro champion of the 4-Year-Old Futurity at Tunica
was Jimmy Kemp, Eastland, Texas, riding Fantastic Plastic,
a daughter of Whittle Mike O Dual out of Miss Remanita by
Mr Peponita Flo. The pair scored a 217.5 in the finals, collecting
$16,760. The Reserve title went to Phil Layne, Weatherford,
Texas, riding Hills Rim Shot, a son of Playgun out of Lynneas
Smart Lena by Smart Little Lena. The pair scored a 216 for
$13,141.
The Limited Non-Pro Futurity
was won by Max Collins, Channelview, Texas, riding A Tule
Named Su, a gelding by San Tule Freckles out of Layla Su by
Miss N Okie. Their 215 score gave them $2,735 in the Limited
Class, along with a third-place split in the Non-Pro for $9,212.
Collins and A Tule Named Su also tied for the championship
of the 4-Year-Old Amateur with Denver Mead. Both scored a
216 and won $4,139, giving Collins a total paycheck of $16,086.
Denver was riding TRs Smokin Gun by TR Dual Rey out of Smokin
Rita by Tigerote. Second and third went to Christina Galyean,
Ardmore, Okla. She rode Seca Rey Lena, a daughter of Dual
Rey out of Seca Little Lena by Smart Little Lena to second
and His Reyflection, a Dual Rey gelding out of Sweet Shorty
Lena by Shorty Lena for third, for a total paycheck of $2,735.
Sasha Thompson, wife of trainer
Craig Thompson, Buffalo, Texas, tied for the championship
of the 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro Classic, with Brad Wilson, Lone
Grove, Okla. They both scored a 220 and collected $14,758.
Sasha also won the Limited Non-Pro, collecting an additional
$2,425. Sasha was riding Smart Shiny Bet, a 5-year-old daughter
of The Smart Bet out of Haidas Shiny by Haidas Little Pep,
while Brad rode Redneck Style, a 6-year-old daughter of Peptos
Stylish Oak out of Frontpage Peppy by Peppy Motorscooter.
Third was Dustin Adams, Dublin, Texas, riding WSR Joses Cat,
a 5-year-old gelding by High Brow Cat out of Joses Dually
by Dual Pep to a 219, collecting $11,061.
Chris Thibodeaux, the owner
of Grace Ranch, Jennings, La., won the 5/6-Year-Old Amateur
by scoring a 222 on Ginas Cat, a 6-year-old gelding by High
Brow Cat out of Gina Badger by Peppy San Badger. Reserve went
to Bruce Cournoyer, Miami, Fla., riding Dulces Lena, a 5-year-old
daughter of Dulces Smart Lena by Doobie Pep by Dual Pep.
For full results go to: http://www.nchadella.com/tunica
STALLION
AUCTION PLANNED TO FUND DOUG INGERSOLL FIRE FUND
Following a Jan. 23 fire at Doug Ingersoll’s training
facility in Lincoln, Calif., that killed 12 performance horses
and a 4,000-square-foot barn valued at $250,000, the horse
industry has come together and donated stallion services to
be auctioned off. All money raised will go directly to Doug
and Debbie Ingersoll to rebuild their facility and business.
Over 35 stallion breedings have been donated, with bids starting
for as little as $500. Some of the stallions involved include
Chic Please, Chics Magic Potion, Hollywood Vintage, Lenas
Wright On, Matt Dillon Dunit, Nu Circle Of Cash, Real Gun,
Roosters Wrangler, Smart Lil Highbrow, Smart Spook, Smokums
Prize, Sweet Like Pepto, The Love Man, Topsails Rien Maker,
Doc Soula and Yellow Roan Of Texas. The auction will end at
the Back To Basics show at Rancho Murieta, CA on March 8.
For more information call LaDona Emmons (209) 256-0172 p or
LLLDare@aol.com or mail a check to The Ingersoll Fire Fund,
c/o PO Box 59, Lincoln, CA 95648. www.gotcowhore.com will
be posting bids as they come in.
Also, an auction will be
held Feb. 28 at the NSHA Stock Horse Classic, held Feb. 24-March
1 in Tulare, Calif. Ted Robinson will be the auctioneer. Items
donated so far include: (donator-item) Flanigans- Sliver Brow
Band Headstall; Don Brown - 5/8" Hackamore; Larry Gay
- Silver Snaffle; Glaser Saddlery - Custom Pair of Chaps;
Carlos Silver - Silver Split Ear Head Stall
Ronnie Richards - Spanish Bit; Benny Guitron - Steve Guitron
Custom Braiding Complete Spanish Bridle, Headstall, Bit &
Reins; D Bar M Western Store - Spanish Bit; Bill & Teresa
Black - 5/8" Rawhide Hackamore Horsehair Hitch Quirt;
Les Vogt - Spanish Bit; Avila Pro Shop - Rawhide Reins; Kim
Paul – Spurs and Chuck Chapin - Custom Chaps
ECONOMIC
TURBULENCE AFFECTS FASIG-TIPTON WINTER MIXED SALE
Fasig-Tipton reduced the winter mixed sale from two sessions
last year to one day this year and cataloged 306 horses for
the day, down 40 percent from last year’s 510 horses.
But with the current depressed economy, only three horses
sold for over $100,000 compared with 13 last year. The number
offered were down 42 percent (244), the number sold down 35.2
percent (206) and gross was down a whopping 62.9 percent to
$2,392,900 from $6,452,400 with a 15.6 percent no-sale rate.
The average dropped 42.8 percent to $11,616 from $20,291 and
the median was down 28.6 percent to $5,000 from $7,000. This
year’s high seller was $130,000 down from the $320,000
brought by last year’s high seller.
In other Thoroughbred racing
news, Triple Crown nominations have declined by 10.7 percent
to 401 nominations compared to 2008’s 449. During the
past 10 years, the years with the lowest nominations were2005
with 358 and 2000 with 387. The highest was 450 in 2007.
AQHA CLONING FORUM TO
BE WEBCAST ON AQHA.COM
Press
release from the AQHA
Feb. 6, 2009 - Amarillo, Texas
American Quarter Horse Association members who can’t
make it to the equine cloning forum at the 2009 AQHA Annual
Convention to be held March 6-9 in San Antonio, Texas, can
watch the event online in the members section of www.aqha.com.
The forum Webcast will begin at 2 p.m. March 6.
“Based on member requests
we’ve received, we are going to Webcast the cloning
forum,” said Bill Brewer, AQHA executive vice president.
“We are fortunate that the forums lends itself to being
Webcast so that more AQHA members have up-to-date information
on equine cloning.”
You must be an AQHA member
and have a Personal Identification Number to login to www.aqhamembers.com
and access the Webcast.
Within the past couple of
years, commercial cloning of a number of horses, including
American Quarter Horses, has been well publicized. However,
under Rule 227(a) of the AQHA official handbook, a rule that
became effective in 2004, American Quarter Horses produced
by any cloning process are not eligible for registration.
The AQHA Stud Book and Registration
Committee first considered a proposed change to Rule 227(a)
at the 2008 AQHA Convention. That proposed change would allow
a live foal produced via a particular type of cloning to be
registered if its DNA matches that of a registered American
Quarter Horse. At that time, the SBRC recommended that any
decision regarding the proposed change be postponed pending
further study to be undertaken at the direction of the SBRC.
The proposed change to Rule 227(a) will again be on the SBRC
agenda at the 2009
Convention.
Confirmed forum panelists
include Katrin Hinrichs, a veterinarian involved in equine
cloning at Texas A&M University; Sharon Spier, an epidemiologist
at the University of California-Davis; George Seidel, a professor
specializing in biomedical sciences at Colorado State University;
and Blake Russell of ViaGen.
AQHA anticipates the forum
will include presentations by a panel of speakers from the
equine industry and educational research institutions.This
forum is open to all interested AQHA members.
Following the forum, AQHA
members will have the opportunity to leave online comments
on the information presented. Comments will be limited to
100 words and need to be related to the topics presented during
the forum.
“We know our members
are interested in the topic of cloning,” Brewer said.
“We hope our members will provide some good feedback
on the forum, while becoming more educated on the topic.”
MULTIPLE NCHA WORLD CHAMPION
GUN SMOKES WIMPY PUT DOWN AT 25
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Feb. 2, 2009
“That was the best Christmas present I ever got,”
said Debbie Patterson, Tecumseh, Okla., when she affectionately
talked about how she got Gun Smokes Wimpy, the gelding who
took her to two NCHA Non-Pro World Championship titles and
won over $670,000. She had to put the gelding, whom she affectionately
calls “Gunner,” down last week following a bout
with colic at age 25. According to Debbie, he had had successful
colic surgery four years ago.
“Gunner was colicking
when I went to feed him Sunday night, so I took hime to the
clinic and Dr. Larry Powers worked with him all night trying
to get his gut to work - to no avail," said Debbie. “I
felt surgery was out of the question since he had surgery
four years earlier.”
The 1984 chestnut gelding
by Gun Smokes Pistol by Mr Gun Smoke out of Lacy Jo Whipple
by Davey Whipple, was bred by Lanna Wolfenbarger, Ledbetter,
Ky. As a 5-year-old in August 1989, he sold to Norman Morefield,
Oxford, Mich. Ernest Cannon, a lawyer from Madisonville, Texas,
and the owner of the now-deceased Hall of Fame horse, Jae
Bar Fletch, found the gelding in 1991 and bought him for Summer
Hightower. However, the horse was soon transferred to Ernest’s
name.
Ernest sent the horse to
Debbie's dad, cutting horse legend Pat Patterson, the winner
of $1.5 million in NCHA lifetime earnings, a 1988 inductee
into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame and a 1989 inductee into
the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame. However, he was suffering from
lung cancer and died in August 1993 when he contracted pneumonia.
"After Dad died, I took Gunner back to Ernest,"
said Debbie.
However, following Pat's
death, Ernest gave Gunner to Debbie on Christmas - Dec. 24,
1993. The rest is history.
Debbie said that her most
memorable win on the gelding was their first World Championship
title in 1995. “He was the last horse that my dad rode
before he died,” said Debbie. "and affter he had
ridden him for a couple of months, his goal was to haul for
the World. So I dedicated my win to him.” Riding Gunner,
she won the NCHA Non-Pro World Championship title again in
1997.
Asked why Ernest gave her the horse, Debbie said, “With
Ernest, he was either really good or he ran off and I think
he just got tired of it.” Debbie gave the horse to her
dad to ride and said that he would still run off occasionally
but there was a vast improvement. “He was a real hyper
and nervous horse and hated to get in trouble,” said
Debbie. “When you were riding him and something went
wrong, he would just run faster and faster and then freak
out.” Debbie said it took about a year after she got
him until he trusted her and he didn’t worry about doing
something wrong. “He would still run off occasionally,”
said Debbie, “but rarely. I guess he trusted me.”
Later she bought a full brother
to Gunner named Whole Lot Of Smoke; however, she felt he wasn’t
quite as good as Gun Smokes Wimpy, so she sold him. “If
I would have kept him, I think I could have gotten him close
to being as good as Gunner. He wasn’t quite as hyper
as him.”
Debbie is currently living with her mother on their home place
in Tecumseh and she still has seven horses. Her mother, who
will be 88 on Feb. 3, is still very active and in good health.
“She still goes to the barn,” said Debbie. For
10 years, Debbie was the stallion manager at Chris and Vickie
Benedict’s DLR Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. “I
just got burned out,” said Debbie. “I’m
a perfectionist and I gave it all I had. It took seven months
out of my life each year and I had no life. So I came home
to spend time with my mother.
Debbie still trains and shows
cutting horses, having made the semifinals of the 2008 NCHA
Non-Pro Futurity. She has a 25-year-old mare who was Gunner’s
partner, and another younger broodmare that is crippled. “I
was going to sell her,” said Debbie, “but she
has a 3-year-old High Brow Cat who is one of Austin Shepard’s
best babies.” She’s in foal to the 2008 NCHA Horse
of the year, Reys Dual Badger and she is planning on breeding
her to High Brow Cat again this year. Debbie previously owned
Dos Palomino, the earner of over $200,000, sired by San Jo
Lena out of Docs Flying Sug by Doc’s Sug. She sold the
Palomino stallion in July to Brazilian buyer Antonio Carbonari
Neto. “I think they were planning on showing him and
breeding him,” said Debbie.
Even though many top trainers
had ridden Gunner, such as Faron Hightower, Don Pooley, Chris
Benedict, Kathy Daughn, and Chubby Turner, the last person
to win on the gelding was Don and Kim Pooley’s son,
Clint, who, following the gelding’s colic surgery, won
the big NCHA Scholarship cutting in Fort Worth.
“I was the last one
to ride him,” said Debbie, “but I wished I hadn’t.”
She said that she had entered Dos Palomino in the 2005 NCHA
Finals, but when Dos Palomino broke his sesmoid bone prior
to the Finals, her friends talked her into showing Gunner.
“It was too late to get Gunner in shape,” said
Debbie, “so we went through two rounds and quit. I wish
I hadn’t rode him – it wasn’t fair to him.”
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Jan. 28, 2009
The Augusta Futurity finals in Augusta,
Ga., are coming up on Thursday and Saturday; cutting winners
from the Fort Worth Stock Show, Flynn Stewart recuperating
from heart surgery, Ken Bartlett scheduled for triple by-pass
heart surgery, tax tips for the horse industry; NRCHA Celebration
to start in San Angelo; the PBR makes cuts; four-time National
Steer Roping Finals qualifier Jim Prather dies at age 74 and
are you interested in Color Genetics?
HAVE
YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE E-NEWSLETTER?
Tomorrow an article with statistical charts will be sent out
in an E-Newsletter, which ranks the sires of the Open and
Non-Pro classes at the 2008 NCHA Futurity by the average money
won by their offspring. You’ll be surprised which stallions
are in the lead, when the number of entries are divided into
the total money won by each stallion’s offspring. There’s
still time to sign up for the E-Newsletter. Just go to www.allaboutcutting.com
and click on the upper right-hand side of the page where it
says, “Sign Up For Newsletter” and fill in your
e-mail information. With a few more days, another article
and chart will be e-mailed, combining all the classes at the
NCHA Futurity, ranking sires the same way. Also listed will
be the latest stud fees for the stallions, as quite a few
of them have been reduced over the past few weeks.
.
AUGUSTA FUTURITY
Brett Davis leads Open Futurity on Sly Angel, scoring a 434
on two go’s; the Open Classic is led by the NCHA Futurity
champs Austin Shepard and High Brow CD scoring a 442 and the
Non-Pro Classic is being led by Brad Wilson with a 437 riding
Redneck Style. The 5/6-Year-Old Open and Non-Pro Classic finals
will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, jan. 29, while the Futurity
Open and Non-Pro finals will be held Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Click
here for results>>
CUTTING
AT THE FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW:
ARC Catty Dual won first under both judges at the Fort Worth
Stock Show AQHA cutting. The 1994 daughter of Dual Pep is
out of Cat Mist by High Brow Cat was ridden by Phil Rapp,
Weatherford, Texas, and owned by Arcese Quarter Horses. The
Reserve title under Judge No. 1 went to High Classed JPB,
a 2005 stallion by Cats merada out of High Classed Model by
Gallo Del Cielo, owned and ridden by Kathy Daughn. Under Judge
2, Bobby Jolena, a gelding by Little Polo Joe out of Jolena
Folena by San Jo Lena, owned and ridden by Ed Dufurrena, finished
second.
In the Senior Cutting, Dual
Rey Me,, owned by Jeremy and Candace Barwick and ridden by
Jeremy, finished first under both judges. The 1999 gelding
is sired by Dual Pep out of Miss Smart Rey Jay by Smart Little
Lena. Captains Choice, a 1999 gelding by SR Instant Choice
out of Miss CC Wilson by Doc Wilson finished Reserve under
Judge 1, owned by JK Logan LLC and ridden by Casey Crouch.
Under Judgeg 2, Playin By Five, a 2001 gelding by Plain Stylish
out of Swingin By Five by Justa Swinging Peppy, owned by Cole
and Crystal Benedict and ridden by Chris, finished second.
The Amateur Cutting was won
by Karen Hansen under both judges riding Woody Be Lucky, a
2000 gelding by Nitas Wood out of Playboys Ladyluck by Freckles
Playboy, owned by Karen and her husband Dan. Reserve under
both judges was Gayle Karanges riding Tracks On The Moon,
a 2004 stallion by DJ Tracker out of Same Lake Same Moon by
Laker Doc.
In the AQHA Working cow Horse,
C. J. Shopbell rode Mesquite Lena to the championship in all-Age
Open working Cowhorse. The mare is a daughter of Chex That
Out and out of Sweet Mesquite Smoke by Chex My Freckles. Reserve
went to Mr Playinstylish, a 2005 stallion by Playin Stylish
out of Tari Chick Gay by Doc Tari, owned by Charlie and Kit
Moncrief and ridden by Boyd Rice.
In Amateur competition, P.
W. May rode Zezes Superstar for Toby May. The 2001 mare is
by ZeZe Gunsmoke out of Super Lizzie by Superstar Bar. Ashley
Good rode the second-place horse, Cinnabars Lil Spark, a 2005
stallion by Cinnabars Lil Lena out of Shiners Oakie Val by
Shining Spark.
FLYNN STEWART CONSIGNS HIGH
SELLER AT SHAWNEE SALE
Flynn Stewart, Bowie, Texas, who had quadruple by-pass heart
surgery only weeks before the NCHA Futurity –then came
to the Futurity sales where he had horses consigned, had the
high seller at the Triangle Sales Winter Classic Consignment
Sale, held Jan. 16-18 in Shawnee, Okla. Stewart consigned
Twentyfour Karat Cat, a 2-year-old palomino stallion by High
Brow Cat out of Aristocratic Cookie by Smart Aristocrat, who
was purchased for $39,000 by Wayne Sands, Moville, Iowa, a
truck driver for Fed Ex.
“I never saw a horse
sell so fast,” said Stewart. “He just kept going
up. When they looked at me and asked if I had something to
sell, I just said, ‘Sell him.’ “ Flynn was
please with his price and said that he thought the horse market
had stabilized or even rebounded some.
With 710 consignments and
a gross of $1,859,575 for a $2,619 average it was 37.4 percent
lower in the gross than the same sale in 2008. A total of
80.8 percent of the horses sold this year, compared to 85
percent in 2008. The second high seller was Scootin Lil Mate,
a 5-year-old bay gelding by Smart Mate out of PCR San peppy
Lena by Peppy San Badger. Consigned by Les Graham, Byars,
Okla., he sold for $27,000.
Flynn says he is feeling
great following his by-pass surgery and has lost 37 pounds.
“I just kept taking him with me wherever I went,”
said his wife Norma. “The doctor said he needed to get
exercise and he’s getting it.”
KEN
BARTLETT SUFFERS HEART ATTACK
Boyd, Texas, NCHA cutter, Ken Bartlett, suffered a heart attack
last week and is scheduled for triple by-pass surgery next
week – using the same hospital (Decatur) and same doctors
as Flynn had. The new hospital, which is now part of the Baylor
Hospital system, has state-of-the-art equipment with many
high-qualified doctors coming to practice there. Decatur is
located about an hour northwest of Fort Worth. Bartlett, a
non-pro, was a familiar face in the cutting shows around Fort
Worth on his horse Freightrain.
ON
THE MOVE:
Debbie Patterson’s beautiful palomino horse, Dos Palomino,
sold last August, going to a Brazillian buyer. The 1999 stallion
had a semifinalist, Touch Of Lena, owned and ridden by Debbie,
in the semifinals of the 2008 Non-Pro Futurity. Also, Joanne
Parker, Weatherford, Texas, will be standing her stallion
Starlights Gypsy, a 1995 son of Grays Starlight, at her ranch
for a $3,000 stud fee. With only eight 2005 AQHA-registered
foals, the stallion recently had Swinging Gypsy, owned and
ridden by Julie McCloud win $30,439 in the Non-Pro finals
of the NCHA Futurity. Also, with Tim McCloud leaving, Jason
Clark is now working out of her facilities.
INTERESTED
IN COLOR GENETICS?
Animal Genetics, Tallahassee, Fla., is the largest private
provider of genetic tests for birds in the USA and is now
moving into color genetics for horses. If you are interested
in color, genetics you can click on the following link for
equine color testing:
Click
here for more on Color Genetics>>
PBR
MAKES CUTS TO REFLECT TOP 40 RIDERS:
At the beginning of the 2009 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS)
season, the PBR’s Rules & Regulations Committee
made the decision that only the top forty bull riders in the
world will now compete on the prestigious tour. The decision
was made to create a stronger competitiveness among those
qualified riders. On Monday, January 26, the PBR administration
announced the first official cut of the 2009 season.
The riders who were dropped
from the prestigious BFTS tour following the Dickies Invitational
in Dallas, Texas are: Harve Stewart (Stephenville, Texas),
Reese Cates (Carthage, Texas), Pistol Robinson (Burleson,
Texas); Clayton Williams (Carthage, Texas), LJ Jenkins (Texico,
N.M.), Vince Northrop (Davidson, SK, Canada), Clayton Foltyn
(El Campo, Texas), Dustin Hall (Springfield, Mo.), Aaron Roy
(Asquith, SK, Canada), Brian Canter (Randleman, N.C.), Colby
Yates (Fort Worth, Texas), DJ Domangue (Schriever, La.), and
Ednei Caminhas (P. Alves, SP, Brazil).
However, due to their standings in the Copenhagen Bull Riding
Challenger Tour and as a previous PBR World Champion, Canter
and Caminhas will remain on the BFTS tour. In addition to
those two riders, Pete Farley (Kempsey, AUS), Jock Connolly
(Queensland, AUS), Skeeter Kingsolver (Mclouth, Kan.), and
McKennon Wimberly (Cool, Texas) will also advance to the elite
BFTS tour by virtue of their achievements at the Copenhagen
Bull Riding Challenger Tour level.
The purpose of the cut is to determine which 40 bull riders
will be competing on the elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS).
Upon the conclusion of every fifth BFTS tour stop, the lowest
ranked riders in the BFTS point standings are dropped from
the tour and replaced by the top five riders in the Copenhagen
Bull Riding Challenger tour standings. Money earned at all
lower level PBR tours – Copenhagen Bull Riding Tour,
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, Discovery Tour, and international
tours – counts toward earning a spot among the 40 best
bull riding athletes in the PBR. All 2008 PBR Built Ford Tough
World Finals qualifiers received five BFTS events before they
were subject to the cut. (Above article
provided by PBR)
BENEFICIAL
TAX TIPS FOR THE HORSE INDUSTRY
Tax season is near and the American Horse Council has extensive
tax information that can influence your equine business tax
returns. For 40 years, the American Horse Council has provided
the horse industry with tax information through the Tax Bulletin,
the Tax Handbook and other various publications.
The American Horse Council is pleased to announce that Mr.
Joel B. Turner of Frost, Brown, Todd in Louisville, KY will
be joining the AHC’s Tax Bulletin Advisory Board. Mr.
Turner will be joining the very skilled group of professionals
who are currently contributing to the AHC’s Tax Bulletin.
The Tax Bulletin is a must have for the equine business person.
A bi-monthly publication featuring timely articles on equine
tax and business issues written by an editorial board of tax
professionals, as well as updates on the latest tax court
decisions, IRS regulations and legislation that might impact
your ability to run a profitable business.
Order your copy of the Horse Owners and Breeders Tax Handbook.
This 1000-page book explains the Internal Revenue Code as
it pertains to the U.S. horse industry. No one commercially
involved with the horse industry should be without it. Topics
covered in the Handbook include: Business versus hobby-including
summaries of important court decisions; Forms of doing business;
Sales, Exchanges and Involuntary conversions; Tax planning;
Depreciation; Record keeping and accounting rules; and much
more.
Above article provided by the American
Horse Council. AHC’s Tax Bulletin and Tax Handbook are
included in certain levels of membership or can be purchased
separately. For more information on obtaining these items,
call 202-296-4031 or email ahc@horsecouncil.org. Their web
site is www.horsecouncil.org.
NRCHA
CELEBRATION TO START IN SAN ANGELO
Nine days of NRCHA competition will begin on Jan. 31 when
top 4- and 5-year-old cow horses will compete in herd work,
rein work and cow work in the Circle Y Ranch SRCHA Derby,
which concludes on Feb. 2 at the First Community Federal Credit
Union Spur Arena in San Angelo, Texas. The three day event
paid out $107,303 to 203 entries in 2008. The champion, Corey
Cushing pocketed $11,753. On Feb. 3, the NRCHA World Championship
Show will kick off. Last year the show saw 289 entries with
the top 10 advancing to a clean-slate finals and the $171,290
purse. The Finals will be held Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday,
Feb. 7. On Feb. 8, the World’s Greatest Horseman contest
will be held. The events they must show their skills in are
cutting, reining, cow work and steer stopping. The 31 entries
will compete earlier with the top 10 competing on Feb. 8.
In 2008, Russell Dilday and Topsails Rien Maker won the title
and $30,000 paycheck. They are returning this year to renew
that title.
JIM PRATHER
DIES AT 74
Jim Prather, Post, Texas, died at his home on Jan. 9. He was
74. Prather, who qualified for four consecutive National Steer
Roping Finals (1965-68) worked as a cattle buyer for many
years and produced the OS Ranch Steer Roping and Art Exhibit,
a fund-raiser for the West Texas Children’s Home.
DOUG INGERSOLL LOSES 12
HORSES IN BARN FIRE; TACK DRIVE PLANNED
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Jan. 24, 2009
Despite the efforts of firefighters, a dozen cutting, reined
cow horse and reining horses were killed early Friday morning,
Jan. 23, when a 4,000-square-foot barn burned at the training
stables of Doug Ingersoll, Lincoln, Calif. Ingersoll and the
firefighters tried to rescue the horses, but it was too late.
The barn was valued at $250,000; however, there was no immediate
estimate on the value of the horses, which were owned by Ingersoll
and his customers.
Ingersoll, a brother to Bobby
Ingersoll, a legendary reined cow horse competitor and trainer,
and his wife, Debbie, who lived only 1,000 feet from the barn
but didn’t hear a thing until it was too late, had a
second barn where eight horses in training were stalled and
which was not impacted by the fire. However, all of his show
and working tack, including saddles, bridles, pads and blankets
were lost in the fire.
Ingersoll’s neighbor,
Deb Shatley, is heading up a drive to obtain some new or used
tack for Ingersoll so that he can continue to train the rest
of his horses. “If anyone has had cutters or reiners
you probably have an idea what he needs,” said Shatley.
“ However, he does work young horses and uses plain
snaffles, wire snaffles, etc., and if anyone has something
they wish to donate, please call or e-mail me so I can determine
if that item is still needed.” Shatley’s phone
number is 916-768-6837 and her e-mail address is dgshatley@gmail.com.
Doug has a daughter
Ashley, married to trainer Corey Cushing, currently living
in Scottsdale, Ariz., and another daughter, Kirsten, living
at home. You can contact Doug at 2499 McCourtney Rd., Lincoln,
CA 95648-9710 or by phone at 916-645-7056.
CEM-INFECTED STALLION
CONFIRMED IN TEXAS
Jan. 15, 2009
Released by the Texas Animal Health Commission
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC)
reports that laboratory tests have confirmed that a stallion
in Texas is infected with contagious equine metritis (CEM),
a highly contagious venereal disease of horses.
The Texas-born quarter horse had spent the 2008 breeding season
in Kentucky, where CEM was detected in a stallion during routine
testing in mid-December As of January 15, a total of nine
infected stallions have been detected: four in Kentucky, three
in Indiana, and one each in Wisconsin and Texas. All of the
infected stallions have epidemiological links to one or more
CEM-infected equine during the 2007 or 2008 breeding season.
State and federal authorities are continuing to seek the source
of the infection.
At least 38 states are involved in a nationwide epidemiological
investigation and testing of about 275 horses that may have
been exposed to CEM through natural breeding or artificial
insemination. The disease can be spread among stallions, if
strict biosecurity measures are not maintained during the
collection of semen.
CEM is not routinely spread through casual contact or shared
boarding facilities, and horses can be treated with disinfectants
and antibiotics to wipe out the infection. Potentially exposed
and infected equine animals are being held under movement
restrictions by state animal health authorities, until they
test negative for the disease or they complete veterinary
treatment and are certified as CEM-negative.
Currently, the TAHC is working with accredited private veterinary
practitioners to test another stallion and 21 mares with potential
exposure to CEM. In some cases, CEM may cause infected mares
to abort.
CEM is not known to affect humans. The equine disease was
first detected in the U.S. in 1978, then again in 1979. In
both instances, the limited outbreaks were eradicated.
Click
here for USDA web site>>
AHC PRESIDENT JAY HICKEY'S
TAKE ON THE 111th CONGRESS AND THE ISSUES THAT IT FACES
Jan. 13, 2009
The 111th Congress has convened and the Democrats have picked
up seats in both the House and Senate. The country also has
a new President, Barack Obama, who will take office on Jan.
20. President Obama will have to deal with some of the most
difficult issues a new President has faced in modern times.
Many are wondering what these changes will mean for the horse
industry.
“For the most part, issues affecting the horse industry
are not partisan,” noted AHC president Jay Hickey. “Like
most industries, our legislative concerns don’t clearly
split along party lines. Democrats may approach issues from
a different perspective than Republicans, and vice-versa,
but the industry works on a bi-partisan basis with members
of Congress from both sides of the aisle.”
Nonetheless, since the Democrats
now hold larger majorities in both houses, there may be less
partisan “gridlock” that has prevented Congress
from acting on a lot of legislation in the past. But the margins
are not so great that the Democrats can simply push through
whatever they want. They will still need some Republican support,
particularly in the Senate, to pass legislation.
In the “new”
category, Congress will have to deal with a down economy,
“bailouts” of various industries, a giant tax
stimulus package to assist industries and states and preserve
jobs, and to fund energy alternatives, health care and two
wars. So there will be many new issues that impact the horse
industry tangentially. But Congress will also be dealing with
issues that are important to the horse industry that were
not dealt with in the last Congress and will be part of the
legislative mix.
Tax issues and the state
of the economy will have a staring role in the coming months.
The inclusion of the Equine Equity Act in the farm bill that
was passed in the last Congress was a victory for the horse
industry. Beginning in 2009, all race horse will be depreciated
over three years, regardless of when they are placed in service.
Previously, race horses were depreciated over three or seven
years.
But the second part of the
Equine Equity Act, reducing the holding period for horses
to one year from two for capitol gains purposes, was not passed.
This issue will once again be pushed by the horse industry,
along with the Pari-Mutuel Conformity and Equality Act, which
would repeal the 25 percent withholding tax on winning wagers
over $5,000 when the odds are at least 300-to-one.
The increase of the Section
179 expense deduction to $250,000 and the reinstatement of
bonus depreciation were benefits to the horse industry that
were included in last year’s tax stimulus bill. Both
expired at the end of 2008, but it is likely that Congress
will extend both provisions in this year’s stimulus
bill. As Congress considers these bills it will be important
to remind Congress of the $102 billion impact of the horse
industry and the 1.4 million jobs the industry supports.
In the “old”
category, the last Congress tried to enact comprehensive immigration
reform several times, but failed. The problems with immigration
and a large undocumented work force have not gone away and
Congress will have to deal with this, although it is not likely
to be one of the first issues to be considered.
The horse industry relies
heavily on foreign labor. Some of this labor is provided by
the H-2A agricultural and H-2B non-agricultural temporary
worker programs, which are costly and inefficient. In addition,
the H-2B program is capped by Congress at 66,000 workers a
year, making competition for these workers from all industries
intense. The horse industry also relies on a large number
of undocumented workers who must be considered in any comprehensive
package.
The AHC supports a comprehensive
approach to our immigration problems that would address a
better guest worker program and a way to handle undocumented
workers in the U.S. The last Congress considered the AgJobs
bill that dealt specifically with undocumented agricultural
workers and would have reformed the H-2A program. In addition,
the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act would have
provided some cap relief to H-2B users. Both of these bills
will be debated again.
“The agricultural industry
laid a good foundation for reform with the AgJobs bill and
that will be pushed again in this Congress,” said Hickey.
“Senator Obama and Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA),
who has been nominated to be Secretary of Labor, supported
AgJobs, so there is reason to hope for action in this Congress.”
Internet gambling will continue
to be a topic in Congress. The Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA), passed in 2006, contains provisions
protecting racing’s activities allowed under the Interstate
Horseracing Act (IHA). However, rules adopted by the Bush
Administration in November could prove troublesome to the
industry. It is likely there will be efforts to modify the
restrictions on internet gambling during this Congress in
order to regulate, license and tax it. The horse industry
will need to watch any such efforts closely to ensure that
any legislation does not adversely impact the current interstate
wagering allowed on pari-mutuel horse racing under the IHA.
Last Congress several bills
were introduced to prohibit the shipping, transporting, or
sale of horses for slaughter for human consumption, including
the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and the Prevention
of Equine Cruelty Act. Neither bill was voted on in the House
or Senate, but it is likely the same bills will be reintroduced.
The election of Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) as chairman
of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, replacing Congressman
John Dingell (D-MI), could impact the passage of the slaughter
prohibition bill. That committee has jurisdiction and Congressman
Waxman was a cosponsor of it in the last Congress, while Mr.
Dingell was not.
Members of Congress can be
expected to look at animal welfare in general, including the
welfare of horses, in the 111th Congress. Some members raised
welfare issues regarding racing and showing last year and
there is no reason to think that will not be a concern again.
Legislation was introduced
in the last Congress to ensure equestrians are not unfairly
excluded or removed from federal public lands to which they
have traditionally had access, including the Right to Ride
Livestock on Federal Lands Act and the Preserving our Equine
Heritage on Public Lands Act. The American Horse Council will
be working to make sure similar legislation is reintroduced.
But we will need substantial support from horse owners and
recreational riders to have any chance of passing this legislation.
Other bills that could impact the horse industry are likely
to come up as well, including the Travel Promotion Act, which
could positively impact equine tourism.
No matter what legislation
is introduced in the coming months, it will be important for
the new Congress to hear from members of the horse industry.
This is why the AHC, in cooperation with its member organizations,
has launched a new grassroots initiative called the Congressional
Cavalry program. All individual horse owners, breeders, veterinarians,
trainers, competitors, recreational riders, service providers,
or anyone who desire to join the grassroots efforts of the
horse community in Washington are encouraged to join. It costs
nothing and the AHC will let you know if legislation that
effects the horse industry is introduced and when and how
to contact your members of Congress. If you would like to
sign up for this program or have any questions please call
the AHC (202) 296 4031 or email ahc@horsecouncil.org .
A new Congress has convened,
just like it does every two years. Some of the players may
change, but if the industry works together as it has in the
past, we will adjust and continue to be successful.
As the national association
representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington,
D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent
equine interests and opportunities. Celebrating its 40th anniversary,
the AHC promotes and protects the industry by communicating
with Congress, federal agencies, the media and the industry
on behalf of all horse related interests each and every day.
The AHC is member supported by individuals and organizations
representing virtually every facet of the horse world from
owners, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, breed registries
and horsemen's associations to horse shows, race tracks, rodeos,
commercial suppliers and state horse councils.
CLONING IS THE TOPIC OF FORUM
AT 2009 AQHA ANNUAL CONVENTION
Jan.
6, 2008
Equine cloning will be the focus of a forum at the 2009 AQHA
Annual Convention, March 5-9 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio.
Within the past couple of
years, commercial cloning of a number of horses, including
American Quarter Horses, has been well publicized. However,
under Rule 227(a) of the AQHA official handbook, a rule that
became effective in 2004, American Quarter Horses produced
by any cloning process are not eligible for registration.
At AQHA’s 2008 convention,
the AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee was for the
first time presented with a proposed change to Rule 227(a)
that would allow a live foal produced via a particular type
of cloning to be registered if its DNA matches that of a registered
American Quarter Horse. At that time, the SBRC recommended
that any decision regarding the proposed change be postponed
pending further study to be undertaken at the direction of
the SBRC. As a result, on Oct. 15, representatives from Colorado
State University, Texas A&M University and ViaGen, a commercial
cloning company, met with the SBRC in Amarillo to discuss
equine cloning.
The proposed change to Rule
227(a) will again be on the SBRC agenda at the 2009 AQHA Convention
March 5-9 in San Antonio. In an effort to make the most recent
information on equine cloning available to AQHA members, AQHA
has scheduled an open forum for Friday, March 6 from 2-4:30
p.m. at the Grand Hyatt hotel. AQHA anticipates the forum
will include presentations by a panel of speakers from the
equine industry and educational research institutions. This
forum is open to all interested AQHA members.
Above article reprinted from AQHA's
America's Horse Weekly Newsletter
TODAY’S NEWS
By
Glory Ann Kurtz
Jan. 5, 2009
CHANGES AT THE AQHA:
Most of us knew that on March 9, AQHA Executive Vice President
Bill Brewer will end his 16-tenure with the AQHA. According
to the AQHA, the next day, 34-year-employee Don Treadway will
officially become AQHA’s new executive vice president.
But most weren’t aware of the other changes going on
at the AQHA. Gary Griffith, executive director of registration
will be retiring on April 1 after which the registration and
customer service departments will be combined with the accounting
and human resources areas and will be overseen by Trent Taylor,
a 14-year-employee of the AQHA and the treasurer and executive
director of operations.
Jim Jennings, executive director
of publications retired on Dec. 31 and the marketing and publications
were merged and will be under 16-year-employee Tom Persechino,
the executive director of marketing and communications. Karen
Latta, a 22-year employee will also be promoted to executive
director of corporate and alliance partnerships/business development,
overseeing corporate partnerships, membership services, affiliates,
youth and sales.
R.
L. CHARTIER – MICA MOTES TO MARRY MAY 30
R. L. Chartier, 24, who wowed the audiences of the NCHA Futurity
when he won the Limited Open and finished fourth and fifth
in the Open Finals, will be marrying Mica Motes, 20, daughter
of Danny Motes, at the Motes Weatherford, Texas, ranch on
May 30. Since 2007, Chartier has been an assistant trainer
to Clint Allen, who works for Julie Wrigley in Weatherford.
The couple met during the 2007 NCHA Super Stakes and this
year both made the NCHA Futurity Finals riding two horses.
Chartier rode Hay Maker for
Scott Cusick to fourth place and Pretty Katz to fifth place
in the Open for the Wrigley Ranches LLC., for a total of $243,300.
He also won the Limited Open on Hay Maker for an additional
$24,062. Mica finished 12th in the Non-Pro riding Two times
A Star and 25th riding Too Bossy, winning over $51,850. She
has now won over $300,000 in the cutting arena. Both horses
were from the first full foal crop of CD Light, the stallion
owned by her mother and stepfather and top trainer Winston
Hansma.
Mica’s brother, Ryon Motes, is a third-generation qualifier
for the NFR, followed in the footsteps of his dad, David,
who qualified for the NFR more than 20 times and his grandfather,
Glen, who qualified in 1960. He recently won the Speed Williams
Roping in Las Vegas following the loss of his thumb only last
October. (see article in Industry News Misc.)
Chartier also comes from
a family steeped in cutting horse tradition. His father Randy
Chartier is a long-time NCHA member, judge, judge’s
monitor and Executive committee member and his now-deceased
grandfather, Mel Chartier, owned the famous stallion Dry Doc,
a son of Doc Bar out of Poco Lena and a full brother to Doc
O’Lena.
Danny said that Mica had
always said she wasn’t going to marry anyone until she
found someone just like her brother Ryan. One day cutter Freddie
McGee called Danny and said, “I found Ryan.” Danny
asked what he was talking about and he said that he found
someone just as nice as Ryan for Mica. It wasn’t long
before Mica agreed.
ABILENE
SPECTACULAR IN PROGRESS:
The Abilene Spectacular, held Jan. 2-13 in Abilene, Texas,
is in full progress, following a highly successful cutting
circuit. The event started out with the 4-Year-Old Amateur,
followed by the 5/6-Year-Old Amateur, with their finals being
held Sunday, Jan. 4. The championship of the 4-year-Old Amateur
was split between Erika Black, Stephenville, Texas, riding
TR Show Me Yours and Whitt Bell, Hickory Plains, Ark., riding
Mixmeastrawberrylena, with both scoring a 217.
The 5/6-Year-Old Amateur
was won by Robert Masterson, Guthrie, Texas, riding Classy
Mecum to a 220, Reserve was a tie between Jim Price, Stephenville,
Texas, riding Rey Of Fire and Von Sutten, Fort Worth, Texas,
riding Smartware to 216s.
The first go of the 4-Year-Old
Open, with many of the high money-winners from the NCHA Futurity
entered, including champion Metallic Cat with Beau Galyean
riding, started Jan. 4 and continues on today. After the first
day, Phil Rapp is in the lead with a 219 riding Don’t
Look Twice, owned by the Waco Bend Ranch; Paul Hansma and
Coupe Dualville, owned by the Bar H Ranche scored a 218; J.
B.l McLamb, riding Shez TA Reysa for Leslie Troyer, Weatherford,
finished with a 217.5 and R. L. Chartier and Hay Maker, owned
by Scott Cusick, Orem, Utah, and Kory Pounds riding Tammy
Faye Rey, owned by Winsome Capital, Calgary, Alb., Canada,
both scored a 216.5. Metallic Cat shows today.
The 5/6-Year-Old Open starts Tuesday, Jan. 6 and continues
Wednesday Jan. 7. Both 4-Year-Old and 5/6-Year-Old Open finals
will be held Friday, Jan. 9. Non-Pro classes start Saturday,
Jan. 10 with the finals being held Tuesday, Jan. 13. For current
results of the Abilene Spectacular, go to: http://www.gullyranch.com/abilenespectacular/2009_Schedule.htm
CUTTING
HORSE FORUM – AN INTERESTING B LOG SITE FOR CUTTERS
If you haven’t had a chance to go to www.cuttinghorseforum.com,
you might try it out and see what the talk of the day is.
It’s entirely free, with a variety of subjects (and
you can even add your own), and participated in by cutters
from across the country. Lately, the way today’s cutting
horses stop seem to be the main topic of discussion.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann Kurtz
Dec. 30, 2008
BRAZOS VALLEY
CUTTERS HOLD AGED EVENTS:
Aged-event classes were held during
the NCHA cutting held at Silverado on the Brazos, Weatherford,
Texas, Dec. 29-31. The 4-year-old division is being held today
and the 5/6-year-old will end the year on Dec. 31. The winner
of the Open Futurity was Casey Morris riding Fiesta Zack for
Bobby and Francie Butler, also of Weatherford. Scoring a 76,
the pair took home $1,930.77.
Reserve went to Darren Simpkins
riding My Gal Wood for Eddy Longley’s Crystal Creek
Ranch, Aledo, Texas. Their 75 score netted $1,465.09. Matt
Gaines finished third riding ARC Purdy Boonsmal for Gary and
Shannon Barker, Madill, Okla., with a 74.5 score, winning
$1,302.30. Matt also finished sixth on that Catomine, owned
by Jack and Susan Waggoner, Bridgeport, Texas. It was interesting
to note that every horse in the open was ridden by a Weatherford
trainer, except two – which were ridden by Stephenville,
Texas, trainer J. B. McLamb.
In the Non-Pro Division,
Mary Ann Rapp took the top spot riding Amanda Starlena to
a 74 and a $1,365.84 paycheck. Reserve went to Dan Hansen
riding Cuttin Corn to a 73 and $1,024.38. Ray Baldwin finished
third riding Sierra Louie LV, scoring a 72 for a $682.92 check.
Hanson also finished fifth on Woody Jazz, eighth on Tiana
Rey and 12th on Pepcorn.
The Open cutting was won
by Chubby Turner riding Starcat Merada for Daniel Jaeggi of
Switzerland, with a 76 score. The pair picked up $1,528. Reserve
was Jeremy Barwick riding Horse Of The Year Dual Rey Me, scoring
a 75 for $1,146. Short Scootin, owned by Debbie and Don Jarma,
Prosper, Texas, and Dan Popeck came in third with a 74 and
Neat little Cat, ridden by Scott McClurg and owned by Jim
and Judy Spaulding finished fourth with a 73 for $382. Hansen
also won the Non-Pro riding Woody Be Lucky to a 76 and $1,534.
Reserve was Elizabeth Queen riding Sister CD to a 74 and 4920.40.
NATIONAL
TEAM ROPING HORSE ASSOCIATION TO HAVE $50,000 ADDED TO FUTURITY
The inaugural National Team Roping Horse Association (NTRHA)
World Champion Futurity for 5-year-old rope horses will be
held in Tulsa, Okla., April 28-May 3, 2009, along with the
first ever World Championship Sweepstakes for 6- and 7-year-old
horses. With $50,000 added for the six-day extravaganza, it
will be the richest aged event in the history of rope horses.
Horses of any breed can enter
both the Futurity and Sweepstakes; the Futurity will be horses
coming 5 in 2009 – regardless of where they have competed
in the past. The Futurity will be the first leg of the NTRHA
Triple Crown. All horses must be age verified through breed
registration papers, or if unregistered, must be NTRHA permitted.
Divisions will be the Open, Limited Open, Amateur and Novice
Amateur.
Owners may purchase as m
any slots as they like, but the total number of slots is limited.
Entries are open through march 30, 2009. If the slots are
sold out prior to march 15, a waiting list will be kept in
the order of entries made. For more information, contact Taylor
Tune at taylor.tune@ntrha.com or call (817) 598-0110.
DEADLINE
TO NOMINATE FOAL FOR NRHA FUTURITY/DERBY NOMINATION IS DEC.
31
The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has a new way
of funding their 2011 NRHA Futurity and 2012 Derby. The fact
is that it’s the only way to play at the NRHA Futurity
and NRHA Derby. All 2008 foals by subscribed stallions must
be nominated by tomorrow - Dec. 31 - for the one-time nomination
$300 fee. On Jan. 1, the fee jumps to $2,000. Also at the
time of nomination, you need to complete a competition license
application and send it in along with the nomination –
along with appropriate fees for both.
The purses, based on 3,000
nominations are estimated to create a Level 1 Open Futurity
purse of $46,000 and Level 1 Non-Pro Futurity purse estimated
at $34,000. This would triple the total payout in the Limited
Open Futurity Division and make substantial increases –
as much as 100 percent – to the total payout in the
Intermediate Open, Intermediate Non-pro and Limited Non-Pro
Divisions of the NRHA Futurity.
The Nominator Incentive is
a perk of the program that gives money back to the person
who nominates the horse. Five percent of all the money that
the horse earns at the Futurity and/or Derby is paid back
to the nominator of the horse – even if that person
no longer owns the horse.
When the horse is at
the age to compete, all applicable entry and judge’s
fees will apply. For further information, contact the National
Reining Horse Association t (405) 946-7400 or fax (405) 946-8425.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann Kurtz
Dec. 16, 2008
OSCAR BLACK SENTENCING
DELAYED
Sentencing for Oscar Black, the Weatherford,
Texas, mortgage banker and cattleman that allegedly bilked
investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in a ponzi
scheme, was delayed to Feb. 17. Several of those investors
were well-known cutting horse owners and trainers in the Weatherford
area.
His sentencing was to take place today in Federal Court; however,
according to Kathy Colvin of the United States Attorney’s
Office, the sentencing has again been delayed. Originally
it was to take place in September, then November and then
yesterday, Dec. 15.
DAVID
MCDAVID WINS $281 MILLION LAWSUIT
David McDavid, Fort Worth, Texas, the owner of the popular
stallion Hes A Peptospoonful, won a $281 million lawsuit stemming
from his failed bid to purchase the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta
Thrashers sports teams in 2003 from Turner Broadcasting Sytem,
Inc. (TBS) , a Time Warner Inc. company.
According to an article in
the Fort Worth Business Press, the auto dealer and former
Dallas Mavericks minority owner, had formed an investment
company, DMC Group, with his brother-in-law, Stephen Dieb,
to purchase the basketball and hockey franchises and operating
rights to Phillips Arena in Atlanta. A Georgia court ruled
that TBS broke a contract it had with McDavid, 66, by selling
it to a different party. There was no word on whether or not
TBS will appeal.
AMATEUR
MEETING
With the Amateur Meeting scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13,
I was unable to attend as I was at the sales. If anyone was
at the meeting and would like to share any observations with
me, please e-mail me at glory@glorykurtz.com or call me at
940-433-5232.
HORSE
SALES:
Prior to the NCHA Futurity Sales, the big Thoroughbred sales
were suffering a 50 percent setback in the average of the
horses selling. Also, the NRHA had their sales, which were
down about 30 percent in the net and average. During 2007,
there were 372 consignments, 298 sold (80%) for a net of $4,663,500
and a $15,649 average. This year featured 364 consignments,
with 265 (72.8%) changing hands for $2,905.800 and a $10,965
average.
According to unofficial results
posted by Western Bloodstock, this year’s NCHA Futurity
sales were down about 29 percent in the net and 36 percent
in the average from last year. The percentage of horses sold
was also down 5 percent from 82 percent to 77 percent. The
number of horses consigned was up by 213 and the number sold
was up 106 head.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann Kurtz
Dec. 12, 2008 – Fort Worth, Texas
NCHA FUTURITY SALE
RESUTLS:
OXBOW EVENT
– DEC 9
17 head, $384,700 gross, $22,629 average
The high-selling horse was Reys Yer Bet, a weanling red roan
filly by Dual Rey out of Bet Yer Blue Boons by Freckles, Playboy,
however, the filly did not sell. This made Better Sue, a 2003
daughter of Bet On Me 498 out of Meradas Little Sue by Freckles
Merada, the high seller at $50,000. The earner of $51,498
sold with an embryo by One Time Pepto. Although she had arthroscopic
surgery on her stifle in May, she was sold as sound to continue
cutting.
NEW
SIRE SPOTLIGHT - DEC 9
141 head, $1,432,200 gross, $10,157 average
With this sale held for offspring of the industry’s
newest sires, he high seller was Caboom On The Moon, a yearling
daughter of Cats Moonshine out of Stylish Play Lena by Docs
Stylish Oak, bringing $70,000 for consignor Gail Holmes of
the Double Dove Ranch, Longmont, Colo. Second high seller
was One Time Long Legs, a 2007 bay roan daughter of One Time
Pepto out of Lil Lena Long Legs by Smart Little Lena. Consigned
by the Kickapoo Farms, the filly brought a $66,000 final bid.
One Flashy Style, a yearling red roan son of One Time Pepto
was passed out at $53,000 by the southern Star Ranch, as was
One Time Colonel, consigned by Carroll’s Cutting Horses,
and passed out at $45,000. The yearling sorrel colt was also
a son of One Time Pepto.
PREFERRED
BREEDERS SESSION 3 – DEC 10
57 head, $911,800 gross, $15,996 average
Shorta Ticket, bringing $39,000 was the highest-selling horse
in the Preferred Breeders Sale Session 3 that actually sold.
The 1999 daughter of Shorty Lena out of Eticket by Gallo Del
Cielo brought a $39,000 final bid. Consigned by the Wagonhound
Land & Livestock, the mare earned $44,467 and was bred
to Reys Dual Badger.
Daintys Cat, was passed out by Tommy Manion at $145,000. The
daughter of High Brow Cat had earned $48,013 and sold with
an embryo by Smart Little Lena.
ST
NICKS PINES DISPERSAL – DEC. 10
9 head, $141,000 gross, $17,625 average
The high-selling horse was Bowmans Fancy Lena, a 2003 daughter
of Smart Little Lena, a 2003 daughter of Smart Little Lena
out of Bowmans Fancy by Lenas Jewel Bars. She brought a final
bid of $37,000. The earner of $11,124 sold with two embryos
– one by Nitas Wood and one by Sweet Lil Pepto. Second
was Smart Lena Merada, selling for $35,000. The 1994 daughter
of Smart Little Lena out of Lena Merada by Freckles Merada,
had earned $53,948 and sold for $35,000 with three embryos
– two by Cat Ichi and one by Dual Pep.
GASPARILLA
INN DISPERSAL OF DREAMCROSS HORSES PART 2 – DEC 10
44 head, $476,500 gross, $10,830 average
The Dreamcross horses all changed hands, with the high-seller
being Dual Lena Belle, a 1994 daughter of Dual Pep out of
Reylena, with earnings of $61,271. She brought a final bid
of $50,000. The second high seller was Mia Olena Belle, a
yearling daughter of CD Olena out of Dual Lena Belle, bringing
$46,000. A price of $35,000 was paid for Miss Pepto Bar, a
yearling daughter of Peptoboonsmal out of Miss Dual Bar by
Colonel Jay Bar.
NCHA
FUTURITY LIMITED OPEN FINALS WON BY R.L. CHARTIER
R. L. Chartier, son of Randy Chartier rode Hay Maker, Scott
Cusick’s son of Mr Jay Bar Cat to a 223, winning the
Limited Open Division of the NCHA Futurity, held Tuesday,
Dec. 9. The pair won $24,062. Hay Maker is out of Calie Del
Rey by Dual Rey. Cusick is from Orem, Utah, while Chartier,
is from Marine City, Mich., but is working in Weatherford,
Texas.
The Reserve title was split
between Wayne Robinson riding Dual Rock Sugar, owned by Joe
Katin of the Czech Republic and Pat Earnheart riding Reynshine,
owned by Robert C and Aly Brown, Tallulah, La. Both horses
scored a 218.5 and took home $19,911. Dual Rock Sugar is a
son of Dual Pep out of Xclusively Sugar by Poco San Lena and
Reynshine is a son of Dual Rey out of Haidas Shiny by Haidas
Little Pep.
For full results go to: www.nchacutting.com/futurity/i328501.shtml
BILL
COWAN CAPTURES LIMITED N ON-PRO FINALS
Bill Cowan, Ardmore, Okla., rode Catty Hawk (Hight Brow Cat
x Scarlet Dance x Peppy San Badger) to the Limited Non-Pro
Finals, scoring a 224 and taking home the $17,739 paycheck.
Bill also finished 18th riding Play Smart Chance, earning
an additional $4,836. His wife, Michelle, who gave birth to
their third child only five weeks ago, also placed in a tie
for 13th riding Boonin San Tule to a paycheck of $7,492.
The Reserve title went to
Adan Banuelos, Jacksboro, Texas, riding Mr Ed Hardy, a gelding
by Abrakadabracre out of Reeds Instant Choice by SR Instant
Choice to a 218 and a $16,980 paycheck. Adan, 20, is the son
of trainer Ascension Banuelos.
For full results of the Limited Non-Pro finals go to www.nchacutting.com/futurity/i328611.shtml.
RUSSELL
JENKINS LEADS IN AMATEUR SEMI-FINALS
Russell Jenkins, Amite, La., rode Little LOL Colonel to a
215, which was the top score in last night’s Amateur
semifinals. It took a 202 to advance and 27 entrants will
go to the Amateur Finals today at 4 p.m. Little LOL Colonel
is sired by Little Lol Lena out of Miss genuine Colonel by
Genuine Doc. Two horses finished up second and included Barry
McCullar, Albany, Texas, riding Shesa Duals Play Kit (Kit
Dual x Playgiarism by Freckles Playboy) and Tommy Neal, San
Angelo, Texas, riding Peptos Fancy. Both horses scored a 213.
For full results of the Amateur
semifinals, go to: www.nchacutting.com/futurity/i028663.shtml.
MIKE
RUTHERFORD JR RIDES QUITE THE FAT CAT TO THE LEADING SCORE
IN NON-PRO SEMIFINALS
Mike Rutherford Jr., Buda, Texas, rode Quite The Fat Cat to
the top score of 221 in yesterday’s Non-Pro semifinals.
It took a 209.5 to qualify for the finals, which will be held
today following the Amateur Finals. A total of 25 horses qualified.
Quite The Fat Cat is a gelding sired by Mr Peppys Freckles
out of Quite The Cat by High Brow Cat.
Three riders split second
and included Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, Texas, riding My
Other Toys A Car, Tatum Rice, Alvarado, Texas, on Yer Cat
Daddy and Brad Wilson, Lone Grove, Okla., riding Rose Colored
Cat. All three scored a 216.
For full results of the Non-Pro
semifinals, go to: www.nchacutting.com/futurity/i028613.shtml.
DOUG
LILLY AND RAY WINBORN LAID TO REST
While the NCHA Futurity has been going on, two well-known
horsemen passed away. Doug Lilly, 58, Mobile, Ala., formerly
of Pilot Point, Texas, passed away on Dec. 3. Lilly was involved
in pleasure horses and was a member of the AQHA, NSBA, NRHA
and APHA. A memorial service was held Dec. 10 at the Slay
Memorial Funeral Center, Aubrey, Texas, with Tim O’Neal
officiating. Honorary pallbearers were Clark Bradley, Charlie
Cole, Troy Compton, Joe Edge, Rick Gervasio, Benny7 Guitron,
Clint Haverty, Casey Hinton, Tommy Manion, Tom McCutcheon,
Tim McQuay, Dave Page, Mark Sheridan and Barry Wyatt.
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Robin and Scott
Schroeder, Dallas, Ga., and two grandchildren; a sister and
brother-in-law, Sharon and her husband Ray Boley, Brighton,
Mich. Memorial donations can be made in the name of Douglas
Lilly to the AQHA Guy Stoops Professional Horsemen’s
Scholarship Fund, PO Box 200, Amarillo, Texas 79162.
Ray Winborn, 77, Gainesville,
Texas, died Dec. 4 at his residence, with funeral services
being held Sunday, Dec. 7 at the Clement-Keel Chapel. Larry
Sullivant officiated. Winborn was a member of the Cowboy church
in Gainesville, a rancher and showed and raised cutting horses.
Survivors include his wife, Mary, of Gainesville, and 12 nieces
and nephews. Palbearers were Jeff Schuckers, Rick Pittner,
David Kerr, Lynn Templin, Jack Newton, Adam Crum, Wesley Tamplin
and George Saxby.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Nov. 28, 2008
Flynn Stewart is on the mend, Jerry
Ellis killed in horse accident, Tommy Manion resigns as co-manager
of Smart Little Lena Syndicate, Pat Jacobs book and CD book
available at Futurity and on-line, latest from NCHA Futurity
and Trevor Brazile posed to break career earnings record at
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
ON
THE MEND:
Flynn Stewart, Bowie, Texas, who only days ago had quadruple
by-pass surgery is now home and doing fine. “I’m
walking every day and overseeing the operation of the ranch,”
said Flynn. “I want everyone to know how much we appreciate
the cards, calls, e-mail and letters.” Flynn is planning
on being in Fort Worth during the NCHA Futurity – evidently
for the upcoming sales.
CONDOLENCES:
Jerry Ellis, 51, a reining horse trainer from Burleson, Texas,
was killed Tuesday, Nov. 25 in a horse-related accident when
a horse he was training kicked him in the chest. According
to relatives, he was helping to break a horse for a friend.
SMART
LITTLE LENA SYNDICATE RESIGNTION:
Now that the lawsuits are over, I’ve been told that
Tommy Manion, a co-manager of the Smart Little Lena Syndicate,
has resigned, citing the fact that his goals had been met.
Smart Little Lena is no longer being bred to mares; however,
there is still a lot of frozen semen for the upcoming years.
Remaining co-managers include Hanes Chatham and Mike Kelly.
PAT
JACOBS BOOK AVAILABLE AT THE FUTURITY:
With
an introduction by famed author Tom McGuane, Pat Jacob’s
book titled “Outcasts, Outlaws and Second-Chance Horses,”
is available in print or audio form at his booth (612) during
the NCHA Futurity. Don’t miss this interesting book
about the time in the cutting horse industry when one could
take ill-bred and/or bad horses and win major titles across
the country with them. You’ll read interesting and many
times, very funny stories about some of the greats, including
Buster Welch, Stanley Bush, Jim Lee and many others as Jacobs
competed against them.
Jacobs, who is 71 and legally
blind, still rides cutting horses. He also plays the bass
guitar by ear and this year received the Cowtown Society of
Western Lifetime Achievement Award. He also recently engineered
the “Oklahoma Swing Project,” a CD including 18
songs. You can order his book or CD from his web site www.patjacobs.com.
It would make an ideal Christmas gift.
NCHA
FUTURITY:
Today is the final day of the first go-round of the Open division
of the 2008 NCHA Futurity. Boyd Rice, riding Reylinquish,
a daughter of Dual Rey out of Look Never Mind by Squeak Toy,
bred and owned by Don Ballard, Sugar Land, Texas. It’s
interesting to note that Squeak Toy is out of a Thoroughbred
mare. The second go-round will take place Saturday and Sunday,
Nov. 29-30.
Also, during the Futurity,
don’t miss the Amateur Open meeting scheduled for 11
a.m. in the South Texas Room of the Amon Carter Exhibit Hall,
on Saturday, Dec. 13. The Open meeting will be followed by
a closed meeting for committee members.
TREVOR
BRAZILE POISED TO BREAK CAREER EARNINGS RECORD HOLDER AT WRANGLER
NATIONAL FINALS RODEO IN LAS VEGAS
Trevor Brazile seems to have a knack for coming up with something
special for his closing act at the PRCA Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas,
Nev., each year. This year’s event will begin on Thursday,
Dec. 4 and continue until Saturday, Dec. 13. A year ago it
was the first Triple Crown in 24 years, winning gold buckles
in the steer roping, tie-down roping and all-around.
As the only competitor qualified in more than one event for
this year's 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Brazile is
almost certain to become the fourth man to win six or more
all-around gold buckles, but he is also in position to make
another sort of history. He needs $50,045 to surpass Joe Beaver
as the ProRodeo career earnings leader and $121,560 to become
the sport's first $3 million cowboy. A year ago he took home
$139,704, competing in the tie-down roping and team roping.
And Brazile is not the only Wrangler NFR competitor on the
verge of reaching a monetary milestone in December. Team roper
Speed Williams is $30,053 away from becoming the 15th PRCA
contestant to reach $2 million in career earnings and his
fellow header Jake Barnes is within $80,798.
TODAY’S NEWS
Article and
photo b y Glory Ann Kurtz
Nov. 23, 2008 – Oklahoma City, Okla.

Gary Gonsalves rode
Mecom bay Roan to the lead after the first day of cutting
at the NCHA Futurity. The colt is a full brother to the great
mare Quintan Blue.
News from the AQHA
World Show, the NCHA Futurity, update on the sick ward, including
Sandy Sokol and Flynn Stewart.
The AQHA World Show is in
full swing with Ron Emmons, Ione, Calif., riding Olena Oak,
a 2002 stallion sired by Smart Chic Olena out of Fritzs Oak
E Doakie by Doc’s Oak, winning the Senior Working Cow
Horse event, with a 444 total score. The stallion is owned
by Mel Smith and Nichole Scott, Dunnigan, Calif., and was
bred by Dave Nogle, Palatine, Ill. The 444 score consisted
of a 219 in the reined work and a 225 in the fence work.
This was the second consecutive
year for a World title for the horse/owner/rider combination,
as Emmons and the 6-year-old stallion also won the 2007 Junior
working Cow Horse class. It was Emmons’ first World
title. The Reserve title, scoring a 441 was Ima Little Tangy,
a 9-year-old chestnut gelding sired by Tangys Classy Peppy
out of Im Street Smart by Smart Little Lena, owned by Susan
Fiely, Edmond, Okla., ridden by Todd Crawford, Blanchard,
Okla. The stallion was bred by Art Haskins, Clements, Calif.
Crawford also finished third with a 437 riding Smart Shinetta,
an 8-year-old Shining Spark daughter out of Smart Hickory
by Doc’s Hickory, owned by the popular singing star
Lyle Lovett, Spring, Texas, and was bred by Jeff Cornelius,
Blountsville, Ala.
The Junior Working Cow Horse
World title went to Jay McLaughlin, 34, Ozark, Mo., riding
Fuel N Shine, a 4-year-old buckskin stallion sired by Shining
Spark out of Boomerita by Boomernic, owned by Lapke quarter
Horses, Logan, Iowa. The stallion, who scored a 444.5, was
bred by William and Michelle Cowan, Ardmore, Okla. This was
the first AQHA World title for McLaughlin.
Reserve went to Docs Soula, a 5-year-old sorrel stallion by
Soula Jule Star out of Docs Hickory Nut by Doc’s Hickory,
ridden by Bob Avila, Temecula, Calif. The stallion, who scored
a 434.5, was owned by D&S Quarter Horses, Terrebonne,
Ore., and was bred by Loyd Forrest, Wilton, Calif.
Both class finals, held Nov.
20, were judged by Robert Ingersoll, Rod Kelley, Billy Cochrane,
Ken Wold and Ian Chisholm.
REINING:
In the AQHA World Show Senior and Junior Reining finals, held
Nov. 21, Casey Hinton, Whitesboro, Texas, rode Slip Slydun
Away, a 12-year-old stallion sired by Mister Slydun Pine out
of Cowgirls Cody by Scooper C Poco, to the Senior Reining
title, scoring a 217.5 under the five judges. Owned by Cecilia
May Hylton, Gainesville, Va., the stallion was bred by Terry
A Glassford, Galena, Ohio.
The stallion, which ran his
pattern to Simon & Garfunkel’s Slip Slidin’
Away,” hadn’t qualified for the AQHA World Show
since 2003 and worked first among the 15 qualifiers. Asked
about riding the 1996 stallion, Hinton told Holly Clanahan
of America’s Horse, “Horses are like tires in
the reining. The more mileage you put on them, the more they
wear out, the more they don’t drive as well. And so
it’s a difficult chess game sometimes when they get
to be an aged horse like him – keeping them mentally
right, physically right and not have old habits override what
you want them to perform like.”
The Reserve was split between
two horses – with each scoring a 216.5. Whizin Off Sparks,
a 6-year-old buckskin daughter of Topsail Whiz out of Setting
Off Sparks by Shining Spark, ridden by Jason Vanlandingham,
Whitesboro, Texas, was bred and is owned by Rosanne Sternberg
of the United Kingdom. Memorable Affair, a 7-year-old daughter
of Major Vaquero out of Coronas Affair by Corona Cody, ridden
by Craig Schmersal, Overbrook, Okla., is owned by Victoria
Lambert, Hempstead, Texas, and was bred by Robert Stinner,
Aubrey, Texas.
The 17-horse AQHA World Championship
finals in the Junior Reining was won by Starbucks Finest,
a 5-year-old buckskin gelding sired by Smart Starbuck out
of Dun It Sweetly by Hollywood Dun It, ridden by Randy J Paul,
Scottsdale, Ariz. The gelding, who scored a 220, is owned
by Rancho Oso Rio LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz., and was bred by
Furniss Quarter Horses, Inc., Newnan, Ga. The win put Randy
in the prestigious “Over $1 million Club,” as
he has now won over $1 million in reining earnings.
The Reserve title, scoring
a 218, was Ruf Whiz, a 5-year-old sorrel gelding by Lil Ruf
Peppy out of Chexy Sugar Whiz by Topsail Whiz, ridden by Carol
Metcalf, Pilot Point, Texas. The gelding is owned by Mark
Shannon Miers, Abilene, Texas, and was bred by Brent Loseke,
Aubrey, Texas.
The judges for the Reining
finals were Terry Thompson, Ed Cridge, Chris Kozlowski, Betsy
Tuckey and Carla Wennberg.
NCHA
FUTURITY:
The NCHA Futurity began on Saturday, Nov. 22 in Will Rogers
Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas, with the beginning of the Open
class. By the time the day was over, Gary Gonsalves was in
the lead with a 220 riding Mecom Bay Roan, a colt by Mecom
Blue, owned by Lannie Mecom of the Wichita Ranch, Brenham,
Texas. Mecom is the owner and breed of Mecom Blue and Mecom
Bay Roan, who is a full brother to the great Quintan Blue,
Reserve Champion of the 2004 NCHA Futurity with Roger Wagner
in the saddle. The mare, currently owned by James Vangilder,
has over $609,000 in NCHA lifetime earnings. Mecom Blue is
sired by Haidas Little Pep and is out of Royal Blue Boon,
the all-time leading producer of cutting horses.
Second, with a 218.5, was
Eddie Flynn riding Little Bow Peepto, a Peptoboonsmal daughter
out of Bowmans Little Jewel by Smart Little Lena owned by
Peter and Nora Stent. Scoring 218s were Boyd Rice riding Third
Cutting, a Boonlight Dancer stallion that Carl Smith had purchased
for $46,000 at the Oct. 16 Polo Ranch Dispersal; Tim Smith
and Ragtime CD, a High Brow Cat daughter owned by Sally Nakasawa,
Yuma, Ariz., and Crown Him Pistol, a Dual Rey son out of NCHA
Triple Crown and Horse Of The Year Chiquita Pistol, the winner
of the 2002 NCHA Futurity, owned by Tooter Dorman and ridden
by Tag Rice.
On Sunday, Nov. 23, Rice
also rode Lean On Rey, owned by William and Lisa Hefley, Little
Rock, Ark., to a 219.5 – good enough for second place.
The first go-round of the Open ends on Friday, Nov. 28 and
is followed by the second go-round Nov. 29-30. The first go-round
of the Non-Pro starts Monday, Dec. 1 and goes through Thursday,
Dec. 4. The event ends with the Amateur finals at 4 p.m.,
followed by the Non-Pro finals on Friday, Dec. 12, the Open
semifinals at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13 and the Open finals
on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. Including all the classes, the
event features a record 1,885 entries and a $4,245,015 total
purse, with $1 million in added money.
HIGH
BROW CD NAMED HORSE OF THE YEAR:
High Brow CD will be honored as the NCHA Horse of the Year
on Sunday, Dec. 14, the final evening of the NCHA Futurity.
The stallion, with Austin Shepard in the saddle, won the 2007
NCHA Futurity when he was owned by Arthur Noble. Noble sold
the stallion to Chris and Staci Thibodeaux just before the
Augusta Futurity, where he also won the championship. Before
the year was over, he had won five more limited aged events,
including a tie of the NCHA Super Stakes. According to the
NCHA Daily Chatter, the great stallion has two siblings in
this year’s Futurity – a full sister, Sadie The
Cat, owned by Stan Thomas, rider unnamed, and SDP Sweetest
Thing by Dual Rey, owned by the Buffalo Ranch, rider unnamed.
SICK BAY:
The NCHA Futurity is going on without Sandy Sokol, Saginaw,
Texas, who worked in the NCHA Show Department before becoming
very ill with cancer. Sokol had also been secretary of the
American Cutting Horse Association before going to work for
the NCHA after the retirement of Carolyn Crist. Crist is filling
in for Sandy at the Futurity. Sandy is not doing well and
needs your cards and encouragement. Send them to Sandy at:
312 Bluebonnet St, Saginaw, TX 76179.
Also, Flynn Stewart is doing “as well as can be expected”
after quadruple by-pass surgery performed a week ago. Hopefully,
Flynn will be home before long. Send your cards to Flynn and
Norma at PO Box 1793, Bowie, TXS 76230-1793.
TODAY’S NEWS
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Oct. 30, 2008
Mary
Ann Rapp and her and Phil's daughter Emma Grace Rapp.
Photo courtesy PCCHA
Today's news includes
information on the upcoming NCHA Futurity Sales which will
feature close to 280 more horses than were consigned in 2007;
the latest from the PCCHA Futurity which is going on right
now, the newest NRHA Millioinaire and a new National Finals
Rodeo broadcast online.
NCHA
FUTURITY SALES FEATURE OVER 1,530 HORSES
Although the Polo Ranch Sale, held Oct. 17 at the Polo Ranch
in Marietta, Okla., was a shining light in a sick economy,
the results of the upcoming NCHA Futurity Sales are a big
question in everyone’s mind.
With over 1,530 horses consigned,
the numbers are close to 280 more than the over 1,250 consigned
in 2007. The eight days of sales, from Dec. 6-13 (with no
sale held on Monday, Dec. 8) will include 57 horses formerly
owned by Dream Cross LLC, consigned by Gasparilla Inn, Inc.;
59 horses in a production sale from the Buffalo Ranch; 17
in a production sale from the Oxbow Ranch and 8 head in a
dispersal sale of St. Nicks Pines.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Select
Seasoned Cutting Horse sale, with 104 entries, will be held
and at 4 p.m., there will be a free party with cocktails,
hors d’oeuvres and music. At 5 p.m., the NCHA Distinguished
Service Award will be presented to well-known auctioneer Col.
Don Green, and that will be followed by the 69-entry Invitational
Yearling Sale.
The longest day will be Wednesday,
Dec. 10 when 272 horses will be sold, including 144 in Session
2 of the Preferred Breeders Sale and 60 in session 3. The
Preferred Breeders session 4, with 231 horses will be Thursday,
Dec. 11. On Friday, Dec. 12, the Auction of 2009 stallion
seasons, lifetime breedings and syndicate shares will be held,
followed by 230 horses in the Preferred Breeders Sale session
5.
Saturday and Sunday will
be Super Stallion days with breeding stallions being paraded
prior to the sales and most will be available for viewing
afterward. Prior to the parade of stallions on Sunday, a free
cutters breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. The parade will
be followed each day by the two sections of 2-Year-Olds by
Select Sires sale – 110 on Saturday and 109 on Sunday.
THE
LATEST FROM THE PCCHA FUTURITY:
NON-PRO FUTURITY:
Phil and Mary Ann Rapp brought 21 horses to the PCCHA Futurity
and six of them are being shown by Mary Ann in three Non-Pro
divisions. She started with three in the Non-Pro Futurity
and put all three in the finals – two in the Non-Pro
and one in the Non-Pro Gelding division. Twice Is Right, a
son of Smart Little Lena out of Tapt Twice by Dual Pep, is
leading in the Non-Pro following two go-rounds, with a composite
score of 430. He carried her to a three-way tie for the second
go-round lead (with one of the three being her riding Neat
Little Rey), the lead in the Non-Pro Gelding Stakes plus the
aggregate top score of 430 in both divisions going into the
finals.
Kim Vaughn and Plastic Spoon,
a gelding by Hes A Peptospoonful (the horse her husband Brad
rode to the top scores in the first three rounds of the 2001
NCHA Open Futurity) tied for the second go-round of the Non-Pro
Futurity with Mary Ann and her two horses. The war horse is
also second going into the finals of the Non-Pro Gelding division
and is the only horse to advance in the Open, Open Gelding,
Non-Pro and Non-Pro Gelding divisions of this year’s
PCCHA Futurity. Kim, who has won over $78,000, prefers to
show in weekend events and doesn’t show a lot at aged
events.
NON-PRO
CLASSIC:
Julie Wrigley, Weatherford, Texas, with three horses entered
in the Non-Pro Classic, rode Wood I Never to an impressive
220 for the lead of the day yesterday. Clint Allen was also
a finalist in the 5/6-Year-Old Open held on Monday night.
Julie also rode Faith In
My Cat to a tie for the second highest score, tying with Kyle
Manion and Im Countin Checks (the horse that won the 5/6-Year-Old
Open Classic with Matt Gaines riding), and Mary Ann Rapp and
Miss Reycine – with all three marking a 219. On her
third horse, CD Graceful Dual, she earned a respectable 215.
Wood I Never (Zack T Wood out of Curly Gray Hair by Grays
Starlight) is a full sister to Julie’s awesome gelding
Wood Ya Wanna.
$200K
NON-PRO FUTURITY:
Brian Postill, Coldstream, B.C., won the $200K Non-Pro Futurity
Championship after taking a 20-year sabbatical from the cutting
pen. Postill, 57, rode Quixote Lights (CD Lights x Quixote
From Heaven x Heavens Little Lena) to the winning score of
216. The pair also tied for the lead in the Non-Pro Futurity
Gelding Stakes and has the sole lead in the first run of the
Senior Division. Postill, a brother-in-law to trainer Dave
Batty, is a road building contractor and he and his wife spent
20 years hauling their two daughters to success in hunter-jumper
competition. Monday was the first time he showed the gelding.
Click
here to find all results>>
Click
here for PCCHA Daily Cutter issues>>
CRAIG
JOHNSON NEWEST NRHA MILLIONAIRE
With only 12 competitors reaching the “millionaire”
status in the National Reining Horse Association, Craig Johnson,
Middletown, NY is the most recent member to the exclusive
club. Johnson won the NRHA Open Futurity in 1983 and 1985,
the NRHA Open Superstakes in 1984 and the Open Derby in 1989.
Other reiners who have surpassed $1 million in earnings include
Bill Horn, Tim McQuay, Shawn Flarida, Duane Latimer, Todd
Bergen, Dell Hendricks, Craig Schmersal, Andrea Fappani, Tom
and Mandy McCutcheon and Brent Wright. McQuay and Flarida
have each surpassed the $2 million mark and Flarida is only
dollars away from becoming the NRHA’s richest rider,
with $3 million in lifetime earnings.
There are over 100 millionaires
in the ranks of the National Cutting Horse Association trainers.
NATIONAL
FINALS RODEO TO BE BROADCAST ON PRORODEOLIVE NETWORK
ProRodeoLive will broadcast all 10 rounds of this year’s
50th anniversary Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dec. 4-13
on a nationwide network of radio stations and on its newly
launched web site ProRodeoLive.com. A link to the site will
be available on the PRCA’s homepage www.prorodeo.com.
Veteran PRCA rodeo announcer
Steve Kenyon, Pendleton, Ore., will anchor the broadcast team
with commentary from ProRodeo Hall of Fame Bareback Rider
Clint Corey and two-time World Champion Barrel Racer Kelly
Kaminski. Derek Barton, a PRCA announcer and radio personality
from Wheatland, Wyo., will interview each nights WNFR go-round
winners.
NCHA FILES RESPONSE TO
WHITMIRE APPEAL
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
Sept. 25, 2008 – Fort Worth, Texas
The National Cutting Horse Association
(NCHA), on Sept. 19, responded to the Appeal filed by Lainie
Whitmire in her lawsuit against the NCHA, following the loss
of her amateur and non-pro status, as well as her membership
within the association.
Basically the response of
the defendant, or Appellee, is that:
1) the summary judgment given to them by Judge Thomas Lowe
was required because Texas law prohibits judicial intervention
in the affairs of a private association.
2) the “procedural defects” alleged by Whitmire
(the Appellant) predate the 2005 Settlement Agreement and
are not supported by record,
3) the alleged Oral Agreement for Automatic Reinstatement
claim fails as a matter of law and
4) the trial court is required to grant summary judgment on
Appellant’s fraud and misrepresentation claims.
The NCHA, represented by
Eldridge Goins and James W. Morris, Jr., of Goins, Underkofler,
Crawford and Langdon, LLP, the NCHA lawyers and Henry Wehrmann
of Stradley & Wright, the insurance company’s lawyers,
concluded that the trial court correctly granted the NCHA’s
Motion for Summary Judgment and its judgment should be affirmed.
Also, they concluded that the NCHA should be awarded its attorneys
fees and costs of the court for this appeal.
Whitmire is represented
by James Walker of Walker Sewell LLP, Dallas, Texas. Oral
arguments for both sides are set for Dec. 2 in Fort Worth.
Click
here for copy of brief>>
HURRICANE IKE MAKES A
SURPRISE VISIT TO HORSE FACILITIES AS IT HEADS NORTHEAST
Sept. 16,
2008
Hurricane Ike downed trees, took off
roofs and toppled sheds at horse facilities as it gained strength
in Ohio. Charlie and Tammy Hutton's Hilldale Farms (shown)
in Princeton, Ky., also lost a lot of trees.
It was the last place
you’d expect to feel the ravages of a hurricane, but
on Sunday afternoon, that is exactly what many cutters, reiners
and other horse enthusiasts in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and
Illinois experienced. The remnants of Hurricane Ike unexpectedly
gained strength as it headed toward the Northeast, dumping
rain and sending wind reminiscent of the storm at its peak
in Texas.
“They said that
when Ike crossed the Ohio River, which is very warm, wide
and deep, it re-energized and strengthened,” explained
Michele Flarida, wife of Shawn Flarida, the industry's top
reining horse trainer. “All of a sudden, we had a hurricane.”
Flarida, Springfield, Ohio,
reported winds up to 78 mph – the strength of a Category
1 Hurricane. The family had minor had damage to yard fences
and their kids’ playground equipment, but all the primary
structures were okay. The wind blew a trailer off blocks,
but it managed to stay upright and sustained no major damage.
The family counted themselves lucky, as a few others in their
neighborhood lost roofs and had other structural damage. The
biggest problem they faced was the lack of power, with a reported
1.3 million in the area without power.
“Since we’re
on a well system, that means we can’t get water,”
she said. “They had to haul water out of the pool for
the horses this morning.” Later, the Flarida family
was able to get a generator in order to get at least the water
back on line.
Horse facilitiees in Ohio
received severe wind damage, but little or no rain. In Atwater,
Ohio, located northwest of Columbus, a surprised Dave and
Mary Dawson, who operate a boarding stable as well as a Western
store, lost their power without warning, and as of today -
almost 36 hours later, they are still without power and no
idea when they will get it back. The Dawson family was also
without water for all their board horses because without electricity,
they had no well water, so they purchased a couple of generators,
so they could at least water the horses - as well as hook
up a deep freeze that they had just filled with pork from
two pigs they purchased at the local youth fair.
"We lost hundreds of
trees, said Jim Pickett, Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.
Bob and Sue Southworth, also of Dublin, said they had tree
damage and lost electricity for awhile, but it didn't stop
them from taking vacation time today to play golf in Virginia.
However, Ohio wasn’t
the only area hit hard by the storm – or taken by surprise.
In Princeton, Ky., Tammy Hutton, wife of Charlie Hutton, reported
extensive damage at Hilldale Farm, home of the stallion Nu
Chex To Cash.
“It took the roof off
new hay barn, took shingles off the house, and there were
a bunch of trees down in driveway,” said Hutton, whose
new hay barn was just completed on Saturday. “We had
a bunch of sections of fence down, but luckily we were able
to fix it before anything got out. But it’s a real mess
here!”
The storm took nearly everyone by complete surprise. “There
was no warming. It just blew up and all of a sudden we had
70-mph winds,” she explained. “We did not get
a drop of rain, unfortunately, and we really needed the rain.
We’re sure not hit like they were in South Texas, but
it was still devastating. The rest of my family was at a show
in Alabama, and I called them up and said, ‘you’re
never going to believe what’s happening here!’
I was catching lawn furniture off the patio as it was blowing
away. It was just crazy.”
At Roseland Farms back in
Ohio, trainer Brandon Brant was also taken by surprise, but
probably not as surprised as his dog was. “I was out
in what was probably the worst of the wind, when it was more
than 70 mph,” he explained. “My dog was helping
me bring in my donkey and a broodmare from a pasture when
the wind picked him up. He was airborne and then rolled about
15 to 20 feet. He got right back in there, but I just couldn’t
believe it.”
Both the dog and all the
horses came out fine, but the storm flipped turnout sheds
in the pastures, destroyed the round pen and left the barn
doors hanging by threads. “It’s a mess, that’s
for sure,” Brant said. “I have a lot of friends
and family that live in Houston, and some of them didn’t
even get anything like this. My friends in Galveston were
pretty well wiped out, but it’s hard to believe the
same storm did damage like this here.”
While area residents
have a lot of cleaning up to do, all the horse owners we spoke
to were very happy to report that all their horses were fine,
although the experience is not likely to soon be forgotten!
HORSE OWNERS MAY BE TARGETED
BY CONGRESS WITH UPCOMING VOTE
Sept. 12 2008
Reprint from Oklahoma Farm Report
The Judiciary Committee of
the U.S. House of Representatives debated H.R. 6598 on Wednesday
of this week, a bill that in some cases would criminalize
selling horses. According to the Animal Ag Alliance, this
measure is "inappropriately named Prevention of Equine
Cruelty Act (H.R. 6598), a bill which would criminalize the
sale and transportation of horses for the purposes of slaughter.
The bill was introduced by Judiciary Chairman John Conyers
(D-MI) and Representative Dan Burton (R-IN)." The bill
now has an astounding 80 co-sponsors.
The Alliance fully expects
the measure to be brought up for a Committee vote this coming
week (the week of Sept.15) and that it could pass that body
based on the Chairman's support. Philip Lobo with the Animal
Ag Alliance says that this is the type of measure that could
pass at the end of a Congressional session as a "feel
good" measure- with many lawmakers taking money from
the HSUS and their assurance that it can't hurt anything for
them to support it.
The American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA), the leading veterinary association in
the nation, warns, "This new bill will do nothing to
improve the welfare of horses or prevent equine cruelty"
and opposes H.R. 6598. The Animal Ag Alliance adds that "This
bill would severely limit the rights of owners to manage their
private property and subject horse owners to criminal prosecution
should they sell or transport their horses for processing
for human consumption."
Groups that oppose this measure
include the American Quarter Horse Association, American Association
of Equine Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association,
American Farm Bureau Federation and National Cattlemen's Beef
Association.
Steve Dittmer of the Agribusiness
Freedom Foundation is one of those speaking out against this
measure - and we have his email sent out to his supporters
on Tuesday linked below. Dittmer writes "Last month,
we noted the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) was supporting
this bill to outlaw the knowing possession, sale, delivery
or transport of horses for slaughter for human consumption
across state lines or international borders, punishable with
fines and prison terms from one-three years." Suddenly
he adds, that this measure has appeared as a item to vote
on by the Judiaciary Committee less than 60days before the
November general elections. While, it's unlikely that supporters
of this measure could sneak all the way through the legislative
process in just three weeks, the amount of money that the
HSUS brings to the table is enormous - and clearly, the Democratic
leadership is trying to curry favor with them by promoting
one of their "pet" issues. (pardon the pun) If it
fails to move in the next three weeks- unless there is a lame
duck session where it advances, the measure would have to
start over in the new Congress in 2009.
We talked on Friday afternoon
with Philip Lobo of the Animal Ag Alliance (click for their
website) and he urges those in animal agriculture to call
members of the Judiciary Committee and urge a NO vote- because
the consequences of even fewer options for owners of horses
at the end of their useful lives are severe if this measure
should slip through and become law. The list of the Judiciary
Committee is at the bottom of that news release we have linked
to. Click on the listen bar below to listen to that conversation.
Click
here to Vote "NO">>
HORSEMEN SHOULD BE HEARD
Sept.
9, 2008
If you are involved in the horse industry and care about the
welfare of horses, this is important to you!This alert is
provided by United Horsemen’s Front, a horse industry-based
group. More information about us can be found at www.UnitedHorsemensFront.com.
H.R. 6598, ironically named
the “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act,” is scheduled
for a vote by the House Judiciary Committee this Wednesday,
September 10. Please contact the legislators on the committee
and urge them to vote “NO!” Contact information
and a suggested message are below. Here is why:
If enacted into law, this
bill would make it a federal crime to buy, sell, own or transport
a horse, alive or dead, with the intent to use it for human
consumption. The crime would be punishable with a fine and
up to three years in prison.
This bill would further complicate
the plight of horses and horse-related businesses following
the closure of U.S. processing plants.
H.R. 6598 stems from animal
rights activists’ misguided and damaging efforts to
permanently ban horse slaughter. The anti-slaughter movement
campaigns on emotion, ignores the facts, and denies the unintended
consequences of the ban. Since the last U.S. processing plant
was closed almost a year ago, horses have been abandoned in
greater numbers; many more horses now suffer inhumane journeys
and painful deaths at slaughter facilities outside our borders;
and honest, hard-working people involved in the horse industry
find their livelihood in danger.
The animal rights movement
has a well established and well-funded political machine already
in place. Its voice is drowning out the voice of the horse
industry. We, the people who care the most and know the most
about horses and their management, should have the greatest
influence on the laws that affect our industry and the animals
we are devoted to.
Please! Take a moment right
now to contact lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Here is a suggested
message to cut-and-paste into an email. For the committee
members who do not have an email address, this message can
be pasted into a new Word document and faxed to the numbers
below:
Subject: Please vote NO on
HR 6598
Dear House Judiciary Committee Member:
I am a voter and horseman
who strongly opposes H.R. 6598. I believe in humane treatment
for all horses, and this bill would add greater suffering
to the already dire situation facing horses and horse owners
following the closure of the last U.S. horse processing plant.
Without this option, unwanted horses are condemned to neglect,
abandonment or agonizing death in unregulated slaughterhouses
outside our borders. Those of us who make a living in the
horse industry have seen the market value of horses plummet.
There are approximately 100,000
unwanted horses in this country every year. Who will care
for them? Where will they go? Slaughter provides a humane,
federally regulated and cost-effective option for owners of
sick, old, or dangerous horses. Furthermore, because horses
are classified not as livestock, but as personal property,
this bill violates horse owners’ basic property rights
by taking away the option to sell a horse for a minimum price.
Please consider the cruel
and unrealistic effects of this legislation, and vote NO on
H.R. 6598 and any similar legislation.
Sincerely,
(your name)
(your address)
(your phone number)
The following committee members
have email addresses:
John Conyers (MI) John.conyers@mail.house.gov
John Sensenbrenner (WI) sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov
Howard Berman (CA) howard.berman@mail.house.gov
Rick Boucher (VA) ninthnet@mail.house.gov
Marty Meehan (MA) martin.meehan@mail.house.gov
Bill Delahunt (MA) william.delahunt@mail.house.gov
Anthony Weiner (NY) weiner@mail.house.gov
Howard Coble (NC) howard.coble@mail.house.gov
Chris Cannon (UT) cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov
These committee members list phone/fax contact information.:
Lamar Smith (TX) Ranking Member Tel: 202-225-4236 Fax: 202-225-8628
John Sensenbrenner (WI) Tel: 202-225-5101 Fax: 202-225-3190
Jerry Nadler (NY) Tel: 202-225-5635 Fax: 202-225-6923
Bobby Scott (VA) Tel: 202-225-8351 Fax: 202-225-8354
Elton Gallegly (CA) Tel: 202-225-5811 Fax: 202-225-1100
Melvin Watt (NC) Tel: 202-225-1510 Fax: 202-225-1512
Bob Goodlatte (VA) Tel: 202-225-5431 Fax: 202-225-9681
Zoe Lofgren (CA) Tel: 202-225-3072 Fax: 202-225-3336
Steve Chabot (OH) Tel: 202-225-2216 Fax: 202-225-3012
Sheila Jackson Lee (TX) Tel: 202-225-3816 Fax: 202-225-3317
Dan Lungren (CA) Tel: 202-225-5716 Fax: 202-226-1298
Maxine Waters (CA) Tel: 202-225-2201 Fax: 202-225-7854
Ric Keller (FL) Tel: 202-225-2176 Fax: 202-225-0999
Robert Wexler (FL) Tel: 202-225-3001 Fax: 202-225-5974
Darrell Issa (CA) Tel: 202-225-3906 Fax: 202-225-3303
Linda Sanchez (CA) Tel: 202-225-6676 Fax: 202-226-1012
Mike Pence (IN) Tel: 202-225-3021 Fax: 202-225-3382
Steve Cohen (TN) Tel: 202-225-3265 Fax: 202-225-5663
Randy Forbes (VA) Tel: 202-225-6365 Fax: 202-226-1170
Hank Johnson (GA) Tel: 202-225-1605 Fax: 202-226-0691
Steve King (IA) Tel: 202-225-4426 Fax: 202-225-3193
Betty Sutton (OH) Tel: 202-225-3401 Fax: 202-225-2266
Tom Feeney (FL) Tel: 202-225-2706 Fax: 202-226-6299
Luis Gutierrez (IL) Tel: 202-225-8203 Fax: 202-225-7810
Trent Franks (AZ) Tel: 202-225-4576 Fax: 202-225-6328
Brad Sherman (CA) Tel: 202-225-5911 Fax: 202-225-5879
Louie Gohmert (TX) Tel: 202-225-3035 Fax: 202-225-5866
Tammy Baldwin (WI) Tel: 202-225-2906 Fax: 202-225-6942
Jim Jordan (OH) Tel: 202-225-2676 Fax: 202-226-0577
Adam Schiff (CA) Tel: 202-225-4176 Fax: 202-225-5828
Artur Davis (AL) Tel: 202-225-2665 Fax: 202-226-9567
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) Tel: 202-225-7931 Fax: 202-226-2052
Keith Ellison (MN) Tel: 202-225-4755 Fax: 202-225-4886
YOU DECIDE WHAT’S
REAL
By Glory Ann
Kurtz
July 18, 2008
On July 14, I posted an article about
the Amateur Committee meeting after the NCHA Convention on
June 21 and unanimously voting to remove the “Amateur”
definition from the Rulebook. (The article is below)
Shortly thereafter, Terry
Adams, the chairman of the Amateur Committee, called my house
and read the riot act to the girl taking care of our horses,
who, of course, knew nothing bout this. He also talked to
another friend of mine telling him that my post was untrue
– I had made it all up. I was accused of spreading “gossip”
on my site. He demanded that I retract the article.
Another reader of my site
told me that they called some other members on the Amateur
Committee and both denied any agreement for the removal of
“Amateur” from the Rule Book; they said what they
did agree on was that it would be taken to the “committee”
for discussion - and that no one was at the meeting taking
notes or the meeting.
Therefore, I am attaching
a copy of the e-mail that was sent out by Julie Davis from
the NCHA office. As you can see, this e-mail was sent out
to a large number of people PLUS it was on the sign-in table
at one of the cuttings in Brenham, Texas, so every one could
see it. With all of these people having access to this e-mail,
I do not understand why the Amateur Committee is denying what
happened. Also, ordinarily minutes are sent out by Julie to
be reviewed and the recipients are asked if any changes need
to be made.
Therefore, I will not retract
my article – instead I’m attaching a copy of the
e-mail and let you decide what’s real.
Click
for Minutes of Amateur Meeting>>
|