When Ron Ralls and Ima Smoking Mister didn’t make the finals of the 2010 National Reined Cow Horse Association Derby, he elected to enter the 5-year-old stallion in the Open Hackamore. That decision paid off to the tune of $3,084, a CR Morrison trophy, and a CR Morrison commemorative medallion.

“I didn’t have a good Derby this year. I missed the finals on this horse by a half-point,” he explained. “If we’d had the two really good runs we had today in the prelims, we’d have been in. It’s nice to still win something.”

The two runs he was referring to were a 220 rein work and a 219 fence work. “He was really good in the rein work. He was just real smooth,” he said. “He had a tough cow in the fence work. He boxed good on the end and had a big first turn. The cow came off the wall and when we started to shape him the cow ducked away. What was so nice is that can trick a horse, but this horse just went real hard and stayed with him.”

Ima Smoking Mister was originally trained by John Ward, who showed him at the Snaffle Bit Futurity, placing sixth in the Open Futurity. Immediately following the Futurity, Ima Smoking Mister was purchased by Shannon and Hershel Reid, who sent him to reining trainer Stefano Calcagnini. “I got this horse at the beginning of this year – he hadn’t done any cow horse since the Snaffle Bit Futurity,” Ralls, of Gainesville, Texas, noted. “But within thirty days he was back in cow horse mode.

Ron Emmons of Ione, California, rode his horse Anuther Mister 505 to the Open Hackamore Reserve Championship. Emmons and Anuther Mister 505, by Mister Dual Pep out of Anuther Olena, had a 223.5 rein work and a 212 fence work, and took home $2,570.

The Limited Open Hackamore class was run concurrently with the Open Hackamore, and Monica DeBie won the title and $1,440 with a 428. She was riding her horse, Shes A Daisy, by Smart Little Pepinic out of Poppas Girl.

“She felt really good. She was listening really well in the rein work, and she was good on the cow,” noted DeBie, who’s owned the mare for approximately two years. “What I like about her is that I don’t have to constantly push her, that she likes to stop, and that she likes the cow.”

DeBie, who has worked for John Ward for over two years, plans to keep “Daisy” for a long time, showing her in the Two Rein in 2011 and the Bridle starting after that.

“I thank John and everyone else from our crew. I couldn’t do it without them. They are a huge confidence builder,” she said.

Darrel Norcutt won the Limited Open Hackamore Reserve Championship and $1,080 on Hobbys Shiney Hotrod with a 424. Owned by Barbara Hodges, Hobbys Shiney Hotrod is by Shine Like Hail out of Hobbys Hotrod.

The NRCHA Derby is held annually at the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles, California. The 2010 Derby began Tuesday, June 15, and will end Sunday, June 20 with the clean-slate Derby finals.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, now in its 61st year, is 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 Markel Insurance Company, Wide World of Horses, John Deere, AdequanR, Bob’s Custom Saddles, Cinch, Inc., Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Nutrena, Quarter Horse News, Pfizer Animal Health, Rios of Mercedes, Merial products ULCERGARD and EQUIOXX, Running W Designs, 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.