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The horse is owned by the triple member partnership of Banuelos, Hanes Chatham, Aubrey, Texas and Marvin Marmande, Houma, La. This was a lucky deal that so far, has found gold waiting around every corner. It began at the 2000 NCHA Select Sale. Bred and raised by Suzan Cardwell, Houston, Texas, the 2-year-old Abrakadabracre sold to the winning $5,000 bidder. From their vantage point in the stands, Chatham and Marmande watched the green colt muddle his way though the cow work. Even though the horse was steered with two reins and he obviously had not seen too many cattle, Chatham and Marmande recognized raw, pure potential. First of all, the dun stud colt had an impeccable performance pedigree. He was by Bob Acre Doc, the 10th leading sire of cutting horses, that earned $381,703 during his own career, which situates him 21st on the list of the all-time highest earning cutters. The dam, Willys Tivio Babe was a Doc N Willy daughter with $104,021 in her own NCHA winnings account. "The talent was there and the style was there," Chatham recalled about the young Abrakadabracre. "He had his ears thrown forward, watching the cow all the time." Intrigued by what they'd just witnessed, the two men got up from their seats and stepped inside the arena where they proceeded to ask the trainer, Raymond Shumate, about the horse. It turned out that Abrakadabracre had less than 60 days on cattle and therefore, was many months behind his 2-year-old contemporaries. Armed with information, Chatham and Marmande returned to the stands where they tracked down David Hughes, Abrakadabracre's winning bidder. "I asked him if he would take a $500 profit for his ticket," Chatham recalled. "He said, 'No. But I will take a thousand.' " Chatham and Marmande claimed the horse and just one week later, brought Banuelos in on the deal in exchange for a year's worth of training. Fast forward 11 months and Abrakadabracre earned the Limited Open championship and made the Open semi finals at the 2001 NCHA Futurity with Banuelos' brother, Cookie, riding. The pair took on the spring show season and made the finals at several aged events until Ascencion began riding the horse following the Super Stakes. Abrakadabracre stayed strong and most recently finished third at the PCCHA Open Cutting Stakes and eighth at the Sun Coast. As for the World Show qualification, Ascencion admitted that it was purely unintentional. It happened when Cookie took Abrakadabracre to a Quarter Horse show for a practice session on show cattle. Then and there, the stallion earned a one-way ticket to Oklahoma City. For the Junior Cutting finals, Cookie warmed Abrakadabracre while Ascencion watched cattle. The cutter made the most of an early draw and brought out a first heifer that gave the stallion a good mix of snappy turns and anxious dashes to both sides. "He's a tough booger now," Ascencion said about the horse. Loaded with tons of cow, Abrakadabracre let up not one second while working his three subjects in the finals. His powerful stops and precise rating were dressed to the nines by an extremely low-headed style that held steady through every move. The judges liked what they saw, with three awarding 76 marks and other two posting 75's. "He's just so athletic," Marmande said. "He's a real big stopper and just has a special way of moving - a special eye appeal that most horses don't have." With a gold AQHA World Championship and nearly $70,000 tucked into his past, Abrakadabracre has a busy schedule for this year's aged events. "We're excited now!" Chatham said. "It's like, bring on the cuttings! We're really ready." Ascencion planned on showing the stallion this year but added that Cookie would probably show the horse as well. Referring to Abrakadabracre as a "team project," Ascencion looked forward to adding more black type to the horse's résumé. "He was still a little bit green when we took him to the Futurity," the trainer added. "He did a great job here and he's gotten trained now. He's ready to go." Along with showing, the horse spends quite a bit of time in the breeding barn. Last year, Abrakadabracre bred about 20 mares and the count is certain to be higher this season. Chatham, who bred, raised and still owns a big share of Smart Little Lena, was quick to respond when asked if he ever thought about how he could possibly replace his legendary sire. "I've been thinking about that close to every day for close to 10 years," he said. Then he added that he hoped his dun prospect would make a suitable candidate. "Abrakadabracre has all the style and the breeding," Chatham said. "The ingredients are falling into place." With $1.4 million on his record, Ascencion is among the top 40 highest-earning cutters of all time. Originally from Mexico, he worked his way up from cleaning stalls to training some of the best horses in the business. He, along with four brothers and wife, Tiffani, operate a training and breeding facility in Jacksboro, Texas. Ascension and Tiffani have two daughters and a son, Jessica, Erica and Adan. A native North Carolinian, Chatham took his first horse training job with reining showman, Paul Horn. Once he moved into the cutting, Chatham worked for Tom Lyons and Shorty Freeman before deciding to buy and sell horses for a living. He has three children, Hanes Jr., Ashley and Courtney. Chatham and fiancˇ Ruthie Bolling plan to marry sometime this year. On a former sugar plantation his family purchased in the 1800s, Marmande operates a horse and cattle ranch. He also owns M&L Engine, a company that wholesale distributes engines and pump packages in addition to building generators. Senior Cutting Her name said it all. Aptly named Stylish And Foxie, the 9-year-old sorrel mare made quick work of the Senior Cutting for a 226 score and the World Championship. Ridden by Bill Riddle, the horse was recently brought out of retirement for a series of weekend shows and a jaunt to the top in Oklahoma City. Drawing up in the middle of the bunch, Stylish And Foxie took only 30 seconds to push out her first red, ring-eyed cow that struck in the middle for a series of tricky turns. After a half minute on that heifer, Riddle pulled up and brought out a red critter that rammed the performance into overdrive. Side to side, the cow pulled the mare long and fast to the ends for another 20 seconds worth of serious point accumulation. "I, of course, thought that cow would be better than that," Riddle said afterward. "If I'd known she was going to run like that, I wouldn't have cut her." After all that commotion, the mare needed a cow that combined cooperativeness and gusto. Riddle found a suitable red heifer and by the time his hand went down, there were 20 seconds left on the clock. The small cow proved cooperative enough for Stylish And Foxie to wrap up her good lookin' performance. Riddle was delighted by the mare's effort. "She read those cows really well," he said. "She's just so blasted smart and that mare is just so smart about what is going on." During the Senior Cutting finals that night, the air was cool and the cattle had been unloaded only a short time before they were run into the glaring lights and boisterous noise of the show arena. Settling did little to calm bovine nerves, which showed up when several of the early cutters lost cows or hit the back fence. Appreciative of his seventh draw, Riddle left the working area knowing the mare had worked up to her customary high standards. Owners Glenn and Debbie Drake, Napa, Calif., were not on hand to see Stylish And Foxie capture the lead, but they were soon informed by phone. "I just had a feeling he was going to do well with her," Drake said a couple of days later. This was the latest triumph in a venture that began seven years ago, when Stylish And Foxie was a 2-year-old. By Docs Stylish Oak and out of Freckles Merada daughter Foxie Merada, the filly was bred and raised by Charles (Chuck) Drummond, Pawhuska, Okla. Chet Burrows started Stylish And Foxie in preparation for the Select 2-Year-Old sale at the 1995 NCHA Futurity.
Reprinted with permission of Quarter Horse News
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