Futurity Semifinals

Just had to share this great shot of Buster Welch on Bet Hesa Cat from the other night! 83 years old and still out-cutting most!

It took a combined 431 to advance from the goarounds to the Futurity Senifinals next Friday. 76 horses made it and you feel for the ones missin out by half a point or so...
The semis are shaping up to be most competitive, as allways. From what I can tell, atleast 3 of the remaining horses were started on cattle by Gerald Alexander among them the overall leader Jea Bar One Time. Another impressive threesome is Tommy Marvins former Futurity Champ, and the horse who got him in the Hall of Fame, Highbrow Supercat. She's got 3 babies in the semis! Cinca De Maya (Dual Rey), Principessa (Peptoboonsmal) and Peptos Supercat(Peptoboonsmal). A 4th, Highbrow Superpep (Peptoboonsmal) ridden by Tommy almost made it with a 425.

Another one missing out was Doug Jordan, riding Shewearsaredfeather (Cats Red Feather). It's allways fun to watch Doug riding in his snafflebits. Starting and finishing his horses in a Ray Hunt inspired fashion, Doug is no stranger to Futurity success. In 1988 just about everyone was rooting for Cols Lil Pepper and an up-and-comer cowboy named Doug Jordan, who had won the first three rounds in dramatic fashion. In the finals, Cols Lil Pepper and Smart Little Senor, ridden by Bill Freeman, tied. The two horses went head-to-head in the first work-off to determine the champion. Cols Lil Pepper lost a cow and Smart Lil Senor made a clean run, which gave Freeman his third Futurity victory, second behind Buster Welch's five.

Shewearsaredfeather sure had her own style, walking with her nose in the dirt and when she stops her butt hits the deck also leaving Doug sitting on a mountain top. She had a ton of wait also, a refreshing change from most horses today exploding with 5 moves when only one is needed.

Futurity & Buster

As expected it took a 211 to advance to the Futurity's 2nd go. 128 horses today and 129 tomorrow. One of my favorites, Hottish, in the first bunch. There are hords of nice horses and just a pleasure to watch them all. In the semis is when you really get a feel for `em and you can start a more accurate prediction.

The Futurity Champions Cup, with 32 former Champions divided in three age groups, were held last night. There was no webcast unfortunately but by all accounts it was a very special night.
Winning the younger category was Austin Shepard on his Futurity Champ High Brow CD scoring a 230. The mid age group was won by Jody Galyean on Auspicious Cat borroughed from Ed Dufurrena, also posting a 230. The Legacy division was won by Dennis Funderberg. A standing ovation and crazed crowd met legend Buster Welsh who rode Austin Shepards Bet Hesa Cat to reserv behind Funderberg. Many believed Buster would just ride through the herd but Buster, 83 years young, cut and threw down his hand and the crowd went wild! A 221 got him a 2nd place. Buster & Bet Hesa Cat

Might've found the winner

Last horse in the last set Thursday is my pick for the futurity title this year! Lloyd Cox might actually repeat, rode Hottish to a 220.5 score with room to spare. Started of great with a decisive cut scraping everything of the wall and finding his mark up on top. Worked it for abit and got of to a good start. His second cow was also a pretty strong cut and this one really challanged his horse! Worked her for a long time and he really got to show his horse and they looked great! The buzzer sounded as he was about to enter the herd for a third cow, so there's room for more. Hottish is by Spots Hot and out of Stylish Play Lena (Docs Stylish Oak) who Lloyd rode to $290.000 and a bunch of Championships. Hottish is thus a brother to Helreycious $113.000, Reydiculous $72.000 and Stylish Rey $30.000, all by Linda Holmes stud Dual Rey and mostly ridden by Lloyd Cox. Lindas sister Gail owns Stylish Play Lena by the way, I bet there's some friendly competition in that clan! Speaking of wich, Lindas own Betty Greyble (Stylish Rey-High Brows Nurse) is currently 16th with Morgan Cromer aboard scoring a 218.

Feel for Luke Neubert. He scored a 204 on his WR This Cats Smart colt This Cats Crackin (Stressin). They had it tough and won´t make the 2nd go. Lukes first Ft Worth apearence I think and a great little horse. I was actually looking at him before the Snaffle Bit Sale last year but Luke scratched him from the sale. He's a horseman though and he'll be back I'm sure and with Lukes pedigree he'll succeed.

The only Peeka Pep in the open is also hangin loose. Peeka Peps Blue Cat scored a 210 and mostly because of the cows rider Dirk Blakesley picked. Dull suckers who wouldn´t really play. The horse did his part but he didn´t really get shown. Clint Allen had a nice little horse, The Mighty Minnow (Chula Dual-Catsa Dreamin) who scored a 217 with a + and Matt Sargood got another King of The Cats horse to the second go in Bratz Cat with a 216.

Wednesday's action

Way to many horses and runs to keep track of in the cutting futurity! After a couple of 100 entries you gotta feel for the judges having to watch about 600 runs just in the open division. 221 still leads the pack. Close to 180 participants have scored between 210 - 221. 250 horses or there abouts heads to the 2nd round so a 70 run might not get you in, with over 200 horses to go in the 1st round. Lindy Burch's World Champion mare Bet Yer Blue Boons looks to have another star in the making in Bets Cat by High Brow Cat,( thus making her a full sister to Bet Hesa Cat $200.000, Bet Shesa Cat $34.000 and 1/2 sister to Bets CD (CD Olena) $130.000, Bet On Me 498 (Smart Little Lena) $ 105.000 and Bet Yer Boons (Peptoboonsmal)$73.000). She scored a 217.5 in the 1st go with Kenny Miller in the saddle and will be interesting to follow.

Played around with Cat yesterday. I have taken a step back to let her mind catch up with the rest of her. I think we left the walk for about 20 strides in all. Just covering the basics in slow motion and with as subtle cues as possible. She responded well and simmered down some after her initial pawing and fretting about. Let's just say patience is not her stong suit. She travelled decent enough, stopped great, drew and turned just listening to shift of weight and slight move of hand. Will give her more of the same over the next couple of day's before we hit the cowpen again.

Futurity day one observations

After the first day of competition, 120 entries minus a handful of scratches, a score of 221 leads the pack. Smart And Sweet & Mackie Hursh shares the lead with Jae Bar One Time & Mike Cooper. Jae Bar One Time, a gelding by One Time Pepto-Jae Bars Fancy Cat, sold at the Futurity 2yo sale last year for $19.000. That bid was the 40th highest in the 2yo sale.
We all know the One Time Peptos dominated last years Futurity and his dam Jae Bar Fancy Cat, besides earning a respectable $80.000 beeing Res.Champ in Abileene etc. also is a full sister to King of The Cats $108.000 who has his first crop in the showpen this year, infact Matt Sargood is in 10th place on Kitty Cat Cutie (King of The Cats-Miss Hickory Pep).

All in all, looks like a decent buy so far...

Loooong way to go still. another 5 days of the first go, then the 2nd and surviving that, next comes the semi-finals before a lucky (and good) handful meet in the finals on Dec 10th.

A few entries that caught my eye yesterday, Lach Down (Chula Dual-Oh Cay Shorty), this brother to Oh Cay Felix looked really good to me. Correct & stylish and with the right attitude. A 215.5 with room for more in the 2nd go. Another one was Pepto Royal 008, a Peptoboonsmal out of Clarks Royal. Bred by James Eakin of the Bar E Ranch. Great mover with just enough style to him. Sidenote; A great looking brother by High Brow CD sells at the Fut sales: High Brow Clark 10.

Gotta run, got a couple of tons of hay coming....

Futurity time!

"THE" Futurity kicks of today! NCHA Futurity that is. Close to 700 entries over some 20 day's of competition! All unshown 3 yearolds, really, really fun and exciting to watch. No favorites yet as they're like blank canvas before the goarounds. We'll head out there for the final week, watching the semis and the finals + a bunch of interesting stops along the way. Gonna be really fun that's for sure, but I'll miss Annelie, the kids and horses bad. Getting harder this travelling business and spending time away from home. Don't know if it's an age thing or what? Thank's to all for the congrats yesterday by the way!

Some more pics from yesterday.
Kick The Cat
Really pleased with her progress, (I might have mentioned that in a previous post or two...)
Ritzy's Dream
Annelies Ritzy is a really, really nice trotter. Fun to work with and a pleasure to drive.
La Flor del Viento
She's been saddled and I plan to start messing with her more during the winter. I'm in no real hurry to get on her though.
Fiffilina
Ida has started driving Fiffan now that she's to big to ride her. She's a great little Shetland that really enjoy's being driven.
Elton & Ida
Caught `em in mid stride during a leadchange! I love watching Ida work Elton! She's riding with minimal aids and really nice, soft hands....

Sunday

Worked Kick The Cat on the cows again this morning. She was as good as she has been. We're still taking it slow and easy, but she's really starting to take hold of the cow. I just have her make a turn or two at this stage before aborting.













Ida gave Elton a spin in the arena too. The pair is really jelling and work really well together. twotracking, sidepassing, lead changes you name it!

AQHA Cutting finals

Phil Rapp and Dont Look Twice can now title themselves AQHA World Champions to go along with all their other accomplishments. After the final goaround, the duo split 1st with Boyd Rice & Sophisticated Catt both scoring 225. After a spectacular workoff, where Dont Look Twice scored 229, the Championship was theirs with room to spare as Boyd & Sophisticated Catt "only" marked a 224. 3rd place went to Aspicious Cat and Ed Dufurrena 219.

Dont Look Twice

Sr Cutting top 5

In the Jr Cutting finals, goaround leader George C Merada again proved his worth scoring a 222.5 with Furst Ranch trainer John Wold in the saddle. Lindy Burch & Louellas Cat hung tough and scored a 220 for the reserve championship. Josh Townsend placed 3rd and 5th on his two finalists Catarose (219.5) and Pettys Little Lizzy (218).

George C Merada

Jr Cutting top 5

Lots of work on the homefront again but we keep at it whenever time permits, me and Kick The Cat. Hopefully get her on the cows again this weekend before the ground freezes. She pretty much got the basics down on both the cows & the pro cutter. Just need the reps now for a year or so.

AQHA world show

Smart Tic Tack(Smart Mate-Tic Tacka Too) finished 8th in the Am Cowhorse Finals scoring a combined 421. After a decent reinwork (215) the cowwork proved alittle rougher and the score 206 placed her 14.5 points behind the winner, Nuchex N Diamonds(Nu Chex to Cash-Zans Lady Diamond) with Karey Franz in the saddle scoring 435.5.

Jr & Sr Cuting prelims yesterday in Oklahoma City.

JR Cutting:
George C Merada
John Wold & George C Merada (Cats Merada x Lenas Stylish Bunny) took the lead in the Jr prelims with a 221.5. Top 15+ties moved along to the finals. Wold qualified two horses for the finals as did Ed Dufurrena, James Payne and Josh Townsend. Josh is an up and coming trainer who worked for Bill Freeman for a bunch of years before stiking out on his own. Among the sires High Brow Cat has 6 of the finalists, so what else is new? His son Cats Merada has 3 with Nievas & CM Dottie Gray being the other two. Boon A Little (Smart Little Lena-Autumn Boon) has 2 in the finals as does Peptoboonsmal. Cat Ichi, Dual Rey, Lizzys Gotta Player and TR Dual Rey rounding out the sires with 1 each.

Sr Cutting:
Justa Swinging Kodo
A three way tie for the lead in the Sr Cutting with Justa Swinging Kodo(Kodo-Janes Justa Swinging)-Dell Bell, Playin At The Mall(Playdox x Poosmal)-Austin Shepard & Dont Look Twice(High Brow Cat x Tapt Twice)-Phil Rapp all scoring a 219. Phil Rapp also advanced Dont Look Twice's 1/2 sister SDP Tapt Dancing(TR Dual Rey) to the finals. Josh Towsend again managed to squeeze 2 by the judges qualifying both Stylish Lizzorro(Lizzys Gotta Player) and Cheyenne Duck(Blue Duck Oakie) tied 4th with Sophisticated Catt & Boyd Rice posting a 218.
Playin At The Mall

Saturdays clinic went great and a big thank you to Lars and Marita for having me over! The Mills were eager and wanting to learn, their horses were a pleasure to work with, good minded and well broke.

Shower's overrated anyway.....

The hydrophor broke down yesterday and no water kan thus be pumped up and distributed to the house, barns or cowshelters. Lots of running with buckets from the various stocktanks & troughs on the place still holding water. I'm glad this internet thing doesn't transmit smell as no shower's is in sight for a while ;)

Will head out for a private clinic tomorrow. Will be really fun as this ones stricktly about the hackamore to bridle deal. Will do a one day only though because of the water situation at home.

AQHA World Show is in full swing with too many classes and entry's to mention. A fun note though is the Amateur Cowhorse Finals today, where Betty Lou Valdez will compete on Smart Tic Tack. This mare is the one Annelie used on the Wagonhound ranch for the gather and branding we did back in 2007. Smart Tic Tack has won the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Youth Limited Championship two years in a row with Betty Lous daughter Kelly in the saddle.
Smart Tic Tack

Annelie & Smart Tic Tack moving critters

Pretty decent horses in the cutting prelims also this Sunday. Smoothe Bye Design, Rascals Cat, Stylish Scotti, Bet Hesa Cat, Nievas and George C Merada in the Jr Cutting.
Boyd Rice and Sophisticaded Catt looking to repeat yet again in the Sr Cutting but runs in to Dont Look Twice and Phil Rapp amongst others.

Our 2yo Kick The Cat keeps improving. She's mostly all business when infront of a cow or Norsten the cutting machine. She can be a mess at times in the dry work though as she's got no patience what so ever for working on the fundamentals. You feel her whole body just itching and wanting to go, but put a cow infront of her and it's like flipping a switch. Cool and frustrating at the same time....

Me and Ida at the racetrack Saturday handing out prizes in our (ALN:s) race.

Red Eye!

We've had a rough couple of day's here with Polly colicing and all that comes with that. She's never had anything wrong with her in her life save for the influensa spell here this summer. We came home Satuday from the racetrack to find her down in the pasture. Walking, massage, more walking and finally the vet showed. Relaxants for the intestants, hoseing a mix of oils and fluids down her stomache. She relaxed some after a bit but we had to keep watching her and walking her all through the night. She did nr 2 around 4am and we thought we were clear. Sunday started out ok. She seemed fine, her stomache working and gurgling as it should. Still we kept her close and continued with fluids and oil just to be safe. At 3pm she went down again and the vet had to be summoned again. Same procedure again, sans the hose. Relaxants and getting her hydrated and having her move. Kept at it with hourly intervals all through the night again. Monday more of the same, longeing, fluids, wet molasses & soaked hay. She´s seems out of it now finally and everything seems to be working as it should, we just gotta catch up in the sleep department.

NCHA Futurity Sale consignments are out. 923 head over 6 day's up for grabs! Some great, great looking horses as allway's. Amongst the yearlings offered, full siblings to High Brow CD, brothers and sisters to WR This Cats Smart, Third Cutting, Wild Haired Cat, I'm Counting Checks, Wild Thing and Boon Alittle to name a few. Watching the 2y olds on cattle is allway's fun and there are some really promising colts in that sale.

Reinforcements

Some reinforcements arrived the other day! 20 heiffers from a neighbouring dairy farm, to be kept at our place over winter. Pretty similar to ours in size and looks. They'll keep Cat busy for awhile ;)

Had her on Norsten the cutting machine again last night. She did really well. Was abit stiff and bracy to the right so we'll back off alittle bit and see if we can get that worked out. She's settling down alittle bit too. Still "antz in her pants" at times though but that's just the way she's made.

Cat'n a Cow

Some pics from Sunday's work.

It was really dark and the quality is what it is as the sun set quicker than enticipated. Kick The Cat shows real progress. We're taking it really slow and easy and trying to be as correct as possible. The razzle dazzle will come in time and I'm in no hurry.