2009 Drought Buster Derby
April 17-19, 2009
Kiplinger Arena in McCook, Neb.
Rhoda Rein 303/618-0749 or reinincow@aol.com
Photos provided courtesy of White Digital Photo: Bill & Rita White of Ashby, NE.
It was raining dollars! It was raining dollars! More dollars than ever!
Oh, and it also rained.
More accurate than a Doppler radar, the Drought Buster Derby brings rain every year to Nebraska. Locals welcomed the moisture. Contestants laughed about the show name and enjoyed riding in the heated indoor arena.
Held at the Kiplinger Arena in McCook, Neb., the April 17-19 show attracted 210 total entries and paid out $28,460 in prize money. This is a 37% increase over the 2008 show.
“We are lucky that our event is popular in a difficult economic time,” said Jerry Peters, CRCA treasurer. “It is because of our contestants and sponsors that we continue to grow and thrive.”
“We received tremendous local support to finance this show and operate it,” said McCook resident, Todd Thieszen. “Our people love horses, and donated $5,000 to benefit the show.”
“The community appreciates the equine activity and also realizes the monetary benefit brought to the town businesses,” said Thieszen, a 17-year citizen and senior vice president of the McCook National Bank. “The event also exposes our area to the cowhorse training and showing. Several local cowboys entered our non-approved jackpot. It is great to let people to show for their first time without paying all the memberships.”
The jackpot classes, including herd work, were up 130%, from 27 entries last year to 62 entries in 2009. The jackpot payout was $2,075, nearly a 95% increase over the 2008 show.
Brad Lund won the 19-entry open derby and $3,287 riding Diamonds With Style. The 5-year-old mare was bred and raised by owners Garth and Amanda Gardiner. She is by Playin Stylish out of Shiners Diamond Jill. “She is a lot like her mom,” said Lund, who won the 2007 AQHA Superhorse award on Shiners Diamond Jill. He and Diamonds With Style scored 73 points to win the herd work and placed second in the fence work to earn 217 points for the win.
“She is new to the herd work, but is really good at that event,” said Lund, who also ropes on the mare and made the finals in heading and heeling at the 2008 AQHA World Show. “The good thing about the cowhorse event is that every rider brings a different talent to it and doing three events evens the playing field. I think that doing the cowhorse training makes my rope horses better.”
Lund earned prize money on three open derby mounts to win $5,104 of the $11,080 purse. He placed fourth on Mike O’Donnells Stylish Peanut, and eighth on Little Doc Lady, owned by Richard and Lori Wyman of Osceloa, Neb.
Levi Grimes was reserve champion in the open derby and scored 74 points to win the fence work riding Miss N Chablis, a 4-year-old bay mare bred and raised by owners Fred and Clara Wilson of Newcastle, Wyo. She is by their stallion, Dox Bueno Dinero. “She is a big mare and her speed and toughness helps her down the fence,” said Grimes, winning $2,489 in all.
“I want to thank the Wilsons for being so good to me. They are ranchers and longtime cowhorse supporters,” said Grimes, who won the South Dakota stallion stakes and futurity last fall on the mare. “They like that I do ranch work on their horses as part of the training. Their horses fit me well and I feel fortunate to ride for them.”
Grimes trains at his family ranch ninety miles east of Rapid City, S. Dak., calling his business Dakota Performance Horses. He and his wife, Elissa, have two children, Jackson, 6, Jordan, 4, and are expecting a third child in June.
EJ Laubscher won the 10-entry limited open derby division riding Haidas San Sonita for owners Theron and Jane Johnson of Colby, Kans. She is by Haidas Little Pep out of a daughter of Genuine Doc, Genuine Tango. The Johnsons purchased her last March from Matt Parks, Oakley, Kans. as an unstarted three year old.
“We came to this show last year and showed her in the reining jackpot,” said Laubscher. “Theron and Jane wanted to see what the cowhorse was all about. It was their motivation that got me involved.”
Laubscher grew up in South Africa on his family’s ranch riding english style, and has only ridden western for a few years. His family moved to Kansas, and he met the Johnsons while attending Colby Community College. He was riding colts while earning his degree, but it was the Johnsons who convinced him to ride full time and become a trainer.
“It is neat to come back to this show and win the derby one year later,” said Laubscher, who gets some guidance from Darren Miller. “I am very excited to learn about the hackamore.”
Kyle Noyce was reserve champion in the limited and novice horse divisions riding Colonels Miss Chic for owner Pat Morrison of Belle Plaine, Minn. The 4-year-old mare is by Chic Please out of daughter of Gallo Del Cielo. “She is my first real cowhorse that I have trained,” said Noyce, 25, who rodeoed and played hockey prior to training horses. “I am fortunate to have good customers. Monty Bruce and Cathy Coleman got me involved in the cowhorse and it has taken off like wildfire in Minnesota. We are having seven shows this year.”
Noyce and his wife, Amanda, have a daughter, Shelby, 1. He serves as vice president of the North Central Reined Cowhorse Association.
Todd Thieszen won the non pro and $5,000 novice horse derby divisions riding his ranch raised buckskin gelding, Shiner Bock Nic. The 4-year-old is by Smart Shiner out of Diggers Diamond Nic.
“I have gotten more confident in him as I show him more. I made a little bobble in all three events, but I can make riding mistakes and he will take care of me,” said Thieszen.
Betty Lou Valdez won the amateur derby and was reserve champion in the non pro derby division riding her bay gelding, Indian Pep Hickory. Jay McLaughlin trained the son of Hickorys Indian Pep. She purchased the 5-year-old in December from Julie Gibbons. Valdez works in La Junta, Colo., teaching elementary special education children.
_____________________________________________________________________
top
