Brazos Bash

Contestants can find the same circle of cutters that they would in Fort Worth. The event, held Sept. 20-29, at Silverado on the Brazos, Weatherford, Texas, featured 463 entries vying for a cut of the total payout, worth $460,754.04. Tough competition aboard world-class cutting horses made for an exciting and unpredictable show.

The pair worked fourth in the 13-horse finals, marking a 222 to earn the first-place paycheck worth $15,000. The Reserve Championship went to Smart N Leo, owned by Steven Feiner and ridden by Jody Galyean to a 219.

Riddle and the 3-year-old gelding, by Smart Mate out of Liza Quixote by Doc Quixote, finished strong in the go-rounds, placing in the top 10. Riddle felt good about his run in the finals, even though it was a little unpredictable.

"I really liked my first cow," he said. "She started us off to a good start. But she just kept getting closer and closer, and we just kept holding her and holding her. I thought surely she was either going to turn away or run over me! So finally she turned away, which messed up my time, because I worked her for a long time."

As Riddle quit his first cow, a quick decision was needed to be made. He either needed to kill time in the herd and hold his second cow to the buzzer, or hurry up, cut the second cow, and cut another, so he wouldn't die in the herd.

Things worked out somewhere in-between, and Riddle held onto his second cow until the buzzer.

"I held that cow with a lot of time left and I hoped my horse or the cow didn't run out of air," he said. "They both ran out (of air) right together at the buzzer, and it was about all we could do."

Nutn Buta Houndog was bred by Dale Kressin, the breeding manager at Pat Fitzgerald's facility in Paoli, Okla. Riddle purchased the gelding from Kressin in March when he was looking for a 3-year-old for one of his customers. After taking the gelding for a test ride, Riddle knew the colt had loads of potential. But when his customer's plans suddenly changed, Riddle couldn't pass on the chance to ride the colt, so he bought the horse for his wife, Mendy, to ride.

"He is a real good-minded horse and I thought he would be a good horse for her to learn on in the 4-Year-Old Non-Pro," he said.

Riddle will continue to season the young horse the rest of the year, hauling to the Music Futurity in Nashville, Tenn., and the PCCHA Futurity in Burbank, Calif. Next year, Troy and Mendy will double up in the Open and Non-Pro divisions.

The Non-Pro Futurity drew only 10 entries, which resulted in a non-working finals. The first and second go-rounds were added, determining the winner.

Craig Crumpler, Wichita Falls, Texas, accumulated 431 total points riding Wood U Jazz to win the Championship, worth $5,774.

Crumpler won the first go with a 217 and finished second in the second round behind Scott Ferguson, Hempstead, Texas, and Red Rock One, who earned the Non-Pro Futurity Reserve Championship.

The run for the Derby Non-Pro title was a tight race, but Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, Texas, pulled out all the stops on her stallion, Straight Shot Playgun, marking a 225 in the 13-horse finals.

Rapp bested a field of 49 entries, winning both go-rounds and the first-place $7,858 check. The Reserve Championship went to Chad Bushaw, who scored a 220.5 aboard Jerryoes.

Working seventh out in the bunch, Rapp carefully selected the cattle she needed to get the job done. She worked three cows neatly in the center, loaded with eye appeal and crowd-pleasing effects. Rapp finished her run, switched horses, and waited two slots to show her other finalist, Ruby Duece. Rapp earned a 216.5 for her second run, which finished sixth.

The only other time Rapp has shown Straight Shot Playgun was in Reno at the PCCHA Derby, where she tied for Reserve in the Non-Pro, finishing second only to herself and Ruby Duece.

Mary Ann and husband Phil bred and raised the horse and have shown him through the aged events. Tim Smith "caught rode" the stallion at this year's NCHA Derby. Smith marked a 225 in the second go of the Derby Open, but fell out in the semifinals.

"It's been fun showing him," Rapp said. "He's got such a huge stop and big move."

Rapp will continue to show the stallion, which is by Playgun out of Barb A Doc by Smart Little Lena, until the end of the year. "Next year, we are going to play it by ear," she said.

The Derby Open brought 89 entries to vie for the $15,000 first-place check.

Prevailing as the Derby Champion was Little Pepto Gal, owned by Crystal Creek Ranch, Aledo, Texas, and ridden by Matt Gaines, Weatherford, Texas.

Little Pepto Gal marked a 225, working last in the first bunch of the 22-horse finals. Dulces Smart Lena, owned by the Dulce Smart Lena Syndicate, and ridden by Phil Rapp, earned the Reserve Championship with a 222.

What is Roy Carter going to do next year when his brilliant mount, Smart Little Scoot, turns 7?

"I may stay home, because I won't be very popular," Carter said with a grin after his victory in the Classic/Challenge Open. The Brazos Bash marked championship No. 3, all in a row, at a major aged event for the stallion, Smart Little Scoot, owned by Howard and Hal Sutton's S&S Farms, Shreveport, La. Preceding their win at Weatherford, Smart Little Scoot and Carter won the Classic/Challenge Open Championships at the NCHA Super Stakes and the NCHA Summer Spectacular.

The pair didn't disappoint as they scored an amazing 227.5, earning them $15,000. Nu I Wood, owned by Crystal Creek Ranch and ridden by Matt Gaines, earned the $5,612 Reserve check for their 223. The Classic/Challenge had 86 entries.

Carter worked 21st in the 23-horse finals, which meant he was third-to-last in the second bunch of cattle. He had been watching the finals unfold before him and was ready when he walked in the pen. He cut every cow he wanted to and was only concerned about keeping enough air in the Smart Little Lena stallion, which is out of Sonscoot by Son O Sugar.

"The ground was deep, and he was running out of air on my second cut," Carter said. "On my third cut, I told my guys that we needed to take a little time and let him catch his air."

Carter played things smart and was rewarded for his effort.

After the high score of the show had been posted, there was a "way to go" shout from the crowd coming from co-owner Howard Sutton, who has been in the cutting horse business since 1983.

"I have been in this business for 20 years, and this truly is the first great horse we've had. This past year has been worth that 20-year wait."

Smart Little Scoot will seek retirement next year after he finishes out this year, and will continue to breed. So will Carter and Sutton really stay home next year? Maybe, but Sutton and Carter are looking forward to the progeny that Smart Little Scoot has created.

"The very first colt 'Smarty' bred, named Smartys Shadow, is 2 years old and he is awesome," said Sutton. Carter added that the resemblance is unreal and he can't wait to see what he can do.

The adrenaline was still pumping through Jerry Durant's veins long after he won the Classic/Challenge Non-Pro riding his stallion, Annes Pep.

The pair marked a 222 in the 15-horse finals, earning Durant a $7,912 paycheck. Julie Hansma marked a 221.5 riding To Whit From George to earn the Reserve Championship.

"My horse had been working really good all week," Durant said of his stallion, by Haidas Little Pep out of Annettalee by War Hero. "We picked out three great cows - exactly what we wanted - and he kind of really did his thing. I didn't get in his way and it kind of worked out well."

Durant and Annes Pep stayed consistent through the go-rounds and into the finals. They marked a 218 in the first go and a 219.5 in the second go. Durant credits his success to trainers Jimmy Purselley, who he purchased the horse from in March, and Craig Morris and Chubby Turner, who he has currently been working with.

Durant has shown Annes Pep several times, and is looking forward to end-of-the-year shows in Las Vegas and Burbank, Calif. Durant owns a car dealership in Weatherford, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Vickie.

Switching gears or horses didn't seem to bother Jim Vangilder as he showed his mare, Zacks Lena, for only the second time ever to win the Derby Amateur.

The pair marked a 221, earning them a paycheck worth $3,003. Reserve honors went to Cyndi Goodwin, who marked a 220 on TJ Gin Oak.

As luck would have it, which Vangilder seems to have, he drew up last in the 10-horse finals.

"I was concerned about being able to find a cow," Vangilder said. "The cows had been tough, and there was only three cows per horse, so that was the utmost thing on my mind."

Vangilder found the cattle he wanted, put his hand down and let his mare do her thing.

"She is an excellent horse," Vangilder said, "very strong and physical and she stops hard and quick. She was well prepared and things just kind of worked out."

Vangilder bought the mare, by Zack T Wood out of Ceelena Jo by Doc O'Lena, as a 3-year-old in training last year. She was shown by Matt Gaines at the NCHA Futurity. The pair faced some tough luck, but still ended up in the finals. Gaines has shown the mare at every major aged event, missing the finals only at the Super Stakes and in Augusta.

"She has kind of been stricken by bad luck," said Vangilder. "She is a far better mare than what her earnings say." Vangilder is looking forward to next year when he will show Zacks Lena alongside his great gelding, Merada Clone, in the 5/6-Year-Old Classic.

Another late draw success came when Julie Wells won the Classic/Challenge riding her mare, PS Tell Grandma.

The pair worked last in the 11-horse finals and found 221.5 points in a set of tough cattle to win $2,579. The Reserve Championship was split three ways between Suzanne Thomas, riding Banditos Huga Chic; Michelle Anderson, with Alpha Zeta; and Lu Liles, on Poco Sugars Star. Each marked a 218 and took home $2,110.

Wells won the first go-round of the 57-entry class with a 222. According to Wells, the go-round and finals were carbon-copy runs.

"She was real bright and she just let me handle her," Wells said. "I was last in the bunch, but the three cows I wanted to cut were still there, and my mare was good."

The Doc Olena Twist mare's consistency has shown ever since Wells bought her. "Granny," as Wells calls her, was Wells' first aged event horse when she started cutting two years ago. The Brazos Bash win marks the fourth Non-Pro aged event championship in a row. The mare also contributed to Wells' push over the Amateur line into the Non-Pro Division in a year and 11 months.

This year is bittersweet for Wells, as "Granny" will be 7 next year. She thought about putting her in the Futurity sale, but may decide to keep her as a broodmare.

"It's real hard," Wells said, "because she is a pleasure to be around, and she is not a typical mare. She is so neat and has been so fun to show."

The Bash featured two any-age classes that generated 47 Amateur and Non-Pro entries. Champions were decided in one go, which was held in conjunction with the finals on Saturday, Sept, 19. Both the Amateur and Non-Pro classes resulted in Co-Champions, with Jerry Hursley, Weatherford, Texas, times two.

In the 27-entry Amateur class, Hursley marked a 221 riding Hard Twist Hickory. Sharing the Championship was Dickie Lavine, Dallas, Texas, aboard Lotta CDs. The champions each received a paycheck for $2,007. Lee Gandy, Frisco, Texas, came in as Reserve Champion, scoring a 218.5 on Sanjo Sam, and took home $1,544.

In the 20-entry Non-Pro class, Hursley was back, mounted on Hard Twist Hickory to share yet another win with Donna Gaines, Weatherford, Texas, riding Smart B Back. They marked a 220, which garnered a $1,841 paycheck for each. Capturing the Reserve Championship was Sara Bingham, Decatur, Texas, who marked a 218.5 riding Assets Gay Bar, earning $1,339.

Champions and reserves were awarded bits and spurs for their efforts, and in the case of champions times two in both classes, Hursley graciously handed over the bits to the ladies.