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2008 Sagebrush Slide and Cowhorse Classic
Colorado Reined Cowhorse Assoc. NRHA Affiliate Qualifying Show
NRCHA Limited Aged Event, AQHA Special Event
June 4-8, 2008 at the Colorado State Fairgrounds, Pueblo, CO
Rhoda Rein rhodareiner@aol.com or 303/618-0749
The Colorado Reined Cowhorse Association hosted it’s 5-day National Reined Cowhorse Assoc. and National Reining Horse Assoc. event June 4-8 at the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, CO. The show drew tremendous attendance and tough competition, paying out $29,445 in the NRHA and $60,350 in the NRCHA. Those totals include a few non-approved classes, recording 806 total entries plus 179 AQHA entries. Show numbers remained steady from the 2007 figures, despite all the bad economic news.
The overall high money winner of both shows was Robbie Boyce, earning $9,909 aboard five cowhorse derby mounts.
The show is unique because it offers both reining and cowhorse competition. To encourage reiners to try the cowhorse event, a 21-entry non-approved limited class was held on Friday night.
Spectators stayed awake to cheer for their friends. Cowhorse exhibitors loaned their reining friends the proper bridle equipment.
NRCHA Cowhorse Classic
 Tom Neel of Millsap, Texas, enjoyed the sweet feeling of a repeat victory aboard his 5-year-old paint stallion, Zezes Pepto Cat. He won the 34-entry Open Derby decisively, topping a tough field of entries by 6 ½ points. His 440-point score earned him $6,212 in all.
Neel and wife, Lorna, own the stallion in partnership with Jack and Vicki Hoggett of Bluff Dale, Texas. He is by Zeze Gunsmoke and out of Boons Cat. Boons Cat is by Peptoboonsmal out of a daughter of Docs Catalena. Neel showed the sire and dam, so the young stallion is a family favorite.
“It means a lot to do well on him again at this show and it is always fun to have your kid with you,” said Neel, whose daughter, Jennifer, made the trip to Colorado with him. “It is nice that the standings and the prize money amounts are posted right by the arena. I appreciate that, it is great to know how you have done and it shows off how much money the show pays out.Tom Neel of Millsap, Texas, enjoyed the sweet feeling of a repeat victory aboard his 5-year-old paint stallion, Zezes Pepto Cat. He won the 34-entry Open Derby decisively, topping a tough field of entries by 6 ½ points. His 440-point score earned him $6,212 in all.
Neel and wife, Lorna, own the stallion in partnership with Jack and Vicki Hoggett of Bluff Dale, Texas. He is by Zeze Gunsmoke and out of Boons Cat. Boons Cat is by Peptoboonsmal out of a daughter of Docs Catalena. Neel showed the sire and dam, so the young stallion is a family favorite.
Robbie Boyce piloted a paint mare to the reserve open derby championship and won the 25-entry Novice Horse derby title riding Smartlittlevalentine for owners Peggy and Wendell Cummings of Sedalia, Colo. The 4-year-old bay tobiano is by JR Red Diablo out of A Docs Sweetheart.
“We really credit Robbie, he has a great program and seems to bring a horse along just right,” said Peggy Cummings.
Well, as they say, actions speak louder than words. Boyce was a busy and successful man at the show. He placed fourth in the open derby riding Nics Peach for Trend Horses LLC of Timnath, Colo. He also tied fifth aboard Jrs Highbrow Jerry for owner Carl Lambert of Hempstead, Fla. He earned fourth place money in the novice horse derby riding Shining Sannie for owner Lyle Lovett of Spring, Texas.
The tough competition in the Limited Open derby division and the Youth Bridle showcase our depth of talent in the CRCA. The 6-entry youth bridle class contained exhibitors who have earned 11 world and national cowhorse championships since 2005.
 We all learn from our neighbors, riding and competing with one another. Aaron Ralston and Jeff Veitch are good examples of that. They live in western Colorado and sometimes travel together. The pair tied to win the Limited Open derby division, with Ralston winning the fence work and the title.
“Yeah, I finally beat Jeff,” said Ralston, showing Shineadoodledoo for owner Bradley Zanin of Snowmass, Colo. The 4- year-old buckskin mare is by Gallo Del Cielo out of a Shining Spark mare. “She was really all over her cow in the fence work.”
 Zanin purchased the mare last year and Jake Telford had trained her. “She is the second horse that I have shown behind Jake. He puts a great foundation on them and he has helped me learn,” said Ralston.
Veitch earned the reserve title aboard ARC Cash Only Please, owned by Cheryl Smith. The 4-year-old gelding is by Chic Please and out of a Nu Cash mare.
Zane Davis scored 431.5 points to earn the reserve title in the Novice Horse Derby riding Shining Smarty for Floyd Miller’s Cottonwood Springs Ranch of Bayfield, Colo. The pair scored 148 points in the fence work to tie for fifth place in the open derby, earning $3,003 in all.
The 4-year-old palomino mare is by Shining Spark out of Lil Miss Smarty Chex. Her dam is owned by Ron and Ann Newark of Santa Maria, Calif. They lease her to Carol Rose and her foals have earned over $285,000 to date.
 Karen Stallings also enjoyed a repeat victory in the Non Pro Derby. She piloted her 5-year-old gelding, Cashin Nu Chex to the win this year, scoring 425.5 points to earn $1,221 in all.
“I snuck in there, it was a tough group of horses and riders,” said Stallings. She and her good hearted mount were CRCA futurity champions in 2006, winning the non pro, amateur and stallion stakes divisions. Raised by Stallings and husband, Kevin, he is by NMSU Truckin Chex out of Leolitas Tivio.
Veteran cowhorse contestant, Laurie Boaz of Prescott, Ariz., is the person that Stallings ‘snuck past.’ Boaz scored 425 points to earn reserve honors in the non pro and win the Amateur derby buckle riding her 5-year-old mare, Masters Nu Fox. She is by Master Merada and out of a daughter of Nu Cash.
A longtime AQHA competitor, Boaz has been raising two daughters, Allie, 16, and Abby, 13, with her husband, Bo. “This is one of my first NRCHA shows. The fun and challenge of the herd work has drawn me to the NRCHA shows in favor of the AQHA shows,” said Boaz, whose daughter, Allie, won two buckles at the Sagebrush show.
Dan Weiss of Calhan, Colo., captured reserve honors and tied for fourth place in the non pro aboard his mare, Lil Caliente Pepper. “This is one of the toughest shows around and I was glad to put up good scores in the reining and fence work,” said Weiss, who is in his third year of showing.
 Debbie Frampton of Hasty, Colo., won the Novice Horse Non Pro and the $1,000 Limited derby divisions riding her 4-year-old gelding Highbrow Hotrod, a son of Star Trek Nic.
Jennifer Unzicker and Nado Nic, also sired by Star Trek Nic, earned reserve honors in the novice horse division. “That was the best that I have marked on him in the reining,” said Unzicker, who was the official NRHA show secretary. “I was so busy in the show office that I really did not have any spare time to sit and worry prior to showing my horse.”
Kim Shaffer rode Christine Holmes Bukowski’s 5-year-old gelding, Turbo Pep, to the reserve championship in the $1,000 Limited division. Shaffer grew up riding hunter jumpers and has worked for Aaron Ralston for two years. “This has been a great horse for me, he is my buddy and we are learning together,” said Shaffer.
NRHA Sagebrush Slide
A full day of rain showers kicked off the 2008 show. Reiners appreciated their covered arena but were left to warm up in the mud. Mental preparation and riding late on Wednesday night were key factors for competition in Thursday’s classes.
Friday brought sunshine and a long day of reining. The non pro, intermediate and AQHA amateur classes ran concurrently. Then the Green Rider, Open and Intermediate Open classes were held. Judge Jane Bagley of Dimmit, Texas, was hired ‘on the spot’ to officiate the all-night AQHA open reining class.
The Rookie class and then the $11,500 added Derby were held on Saturday.
Colorado trainers Steve Schwartzenberger and Darren Miller tied with 147 points to earn co-championships in the 17-entry open derby. Schwartzenberger piloted Linda Wise’ stallion, BBR Game Time, to earn $2,143 for his efforts. Raised by breeder Sharon Babcock, the 4-year-old is by A Chic In Time and out of Hustlin Tips.
Wise purchased the stallion during a visit to Rhodes River Ranch in Arlington, Wash., last summer. “I did not intend to add to my collection, but I really liked him. It has been exciting to watch him mature and get better,” said Wise.
“I had collected him the week prior to the show, and was happy to see that he remained focused and rode well at the show,” said Schwartzenberger, a veterinarian who owns and operates a breeding and training facility in Longmont, Colo.
Darren Miller piloted Jean Moore’s black stallion, Shiny Black Shiner, to tie for the open division and win the intermediate division, earning $2,996 in the reining derby. The 5-year-old is by Smart Shiner and out of Dig This Bay Babe.
Because of the rain on Thursday, Miller made two important reining runs on Saturday. That morning, he marked 150 points to win the high score and $1,300 for the reined work portion of the cowhorse derby. He drew late that evening in the NRHA show.
“I did not change anything style-wise for the two shows,” said Miller, who showed his horse in both events in a smooth snaffle. “We know each other really well, so that made me comfortable to show him hard two times in one day.”
Moore purchased the stallion from Miller in February. “It has been a fairytale to be involved so recently and be enjoying success like this,” said Moore. “Darren knows how to make each horse the best that they can be in the show pen and at home. He is fair and his horses like him.”
Aaron Ralston was also a busy man at the horse show. He picked up a nice paycheck for $2,227 in the NRHA derby riding Blues Electric Spark for owners Mike and Rita Deer, Glenwood Springs, Colo. He won the Limited Open derby, tied for reserve honors in the Intermediate Open and tied for third in the Open with Missouri trainer Jay McLaughlin riding Carol Rose’ Shiners Menace.
The Deers bred and raised the 4-year-old dun mare by Jacs Electric Spark out of Dun It N Continental. “It is emotional for us, we really believe in her because Mike and I both showed her mother,” said Ralston.
Christy Brasier, Montrose, Colo., scored 145 points to win the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro derby divisions and $1,982 riding her 4-year-old dun stallion, KMZ Irish Cowboy. He is by Paddys Irish Whiskey and out of Rawhides Ruby, by Dunnit Rawhide.
“He is exactly what I want in a horse, great minded and will make a multi-event horse,” said Brasier, who has qualified him for the AQHA World show in amateur performance stallions and reining. Spence and Kristen Bell, Guthrie, Okla., bred and raised the colt and also sold his full brother to Brasier.
Angie Piccone, Milliken, Colo., was reserve champion in both divisions riding her 5-year-old mare, Easy Dez It. “She has just be an awesome mare, she loves her job and is very special to me,” said Piccone, who raised the mare sired by Chic A Dez out of Spin Me Easy.
Matt Wilson, Las Animas, Colo., won the Limited Non Pro derby riding SLJ Smartly Dun. The pair placed third in the non pro and intermediate divisions and tied for third place in the limited open division to earn $2,009 for their efforts.
Lisa Clark-Hoffman, Larkspur, Colo., was reserve champion in the limited non pro division riding Nics Gotta Gun. She also placed fifth in the non pro and intermediate non pro divisions, earning $947 in all.
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