2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Finalists Announced

The results are in and the 2009 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open finalists have been decided. Those lucky enough to earn a ticket to the big dance will compete on Sunday, October 4, in a clean-slate competition for the Open Championship and a piece of the $655,000 Open finals payout.

Leading the field of 25 Open finalists is Zane Davis and Reymanator, a Dual Rey stallion owned by John Semanik of Jacksonville, Florida.

Davis and Reymanator dominated the preliminary competition. After marking 220 in the herd work, and following that with another impressive 217.5 in the rein work, Davis could have taken it easy to make the Open finals. Instead, the Whitehall, Montana, trainer piloted his horse to the cow work high score – a 223.5 – and distanced himself from the rest of the field by seven points!

Casey Branquinho, who is competing in his first Snaffle Bit Futurity and only his second Futurity, ever, led both the Intermediate Open and Limited Open divisions on Wranglin Reminicky, a Starlights Wrangler stallion out of Nic N Chic, with a 646.5. That score also qualified the pair for the Open finals. Branquinho and Wranglin Reminicky marked scores of 214.5 in the herd work and 217 in the rein work prior to their 215 in the cow work. Wranglin Reminicky is owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses LLC.

Casey, along with the other Intermediate and Limited Open finalists, will begin the finals for those divisions on Thursday, October 1, with the herd work, and will compete in the rein and cow work finals on Friday, October 2.

The cut-off score to earn an Open Final’s berth was a 640.5; in the Intermediate Open, a 628.5 was needed; and a 627.5 slipped in for the Limited Open. The finalist draw order will be decided Wednesday, September 30, at the Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals Draw Reception, hosted by Merial products ULCERGARD, EQUIOXX.

Along with the draw, there will be a special presentation to the Open finalist owners. For the second year in a row, Quarter Horse News will be presenting Gist commemorative lapel pins to all the owners of Open finalist horses.

Complete results can be found on www.nrcha.com.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through the support of a Corporate Partner family that includes Adequan^®, Bob’s Custom Saddles, Cinch, Inc., Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Nutrena, Quarter Horse News, Fort Dodge West Nile Innovator, Rios of Mercedes, Merial products ULCERGARD and EQUIOXX, Wide World of Horses, Markel Insurance Company, and the Silver Legacy Hotel, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 580-759-4949 or visit the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.