The National Reined Cow Horse Association’s largest event – the Snaffle Bit Futurity – completed the second leg of Open preliminary competition Saturday, September 25. The Snaffle Bit Futurity has been held annually at the Reno Livestock Events Center in Reno, Nevada, since 1999, and intermittently since its inception in 1970.

Riding Better Be Smooth for Day Creek Ranch LLC, Corey Cushing executed a flawless rein work and was awarded a 223 from the judges. Cushing and the Smooth As A Cat stallion, out of Frosty Lil Lena, competed as draw 26 of the rein work preliminaries, and had to wait through 214 more runs to see if it would hold. It did – and Cushing will be presented with a check for $1,500, a Gist Silversmiths buckle sponsored by Ken Wold Training Stables, and the Mehl Lawson bronze from the National Reining Horse Association at the Annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Thursday, September 30.

Cushing also rode Dont Miss My Chic, owned by Kevin and Sydney Knight, to the second highest rein work score – a 221.5. Dont Miss My Chic, by Smart Chic Olena and out of Lenas Lacy Moon, earned $1,250 in go-round money.

Phillip Ralls and Dom Dualuise, who topped the preliminary herd work, secured the high Open preliminary composite after 218 in the rein work catapulted them to a 438.5 total. Dom Dualuise, owned by Chris Larson, is by Dual Rey out of Smart Little XX.

When NRCHA Corporate Partner Cinch came on as the sponsor of the Cinch Intermediate Open Futurity, the Intermediate Open Champion was guaranteed a check for $30,000 – but only the top 19 from the preliminary competition, plus ties, can advance to the Cinch Intermediate Open finals on Saturday, October 2.

With only one more leg of preliminary competition left, there is a three-way tie for the lead of the Intermediate Open. Justin Wright and WSR Imasmartbodee (Bodee Boonsmal x Imasmartlittlesugar), Clayton Edsall and Skeets Oak Peppy (Skeets Peppy x Oak Ill Be), and Les Oswald and Dulces Little Light (Dulces Smart Lena x Light The Stars) all currently have a 432.5 composite. Wright and WSR Imasmartbodee, owned by Wright, also had the high rein work score of the Cinch Intermediate Open preliminaries, and collected $1,000.

Dulces Little Light, owned by Richard and Rena Whyler, and Oswald have the lead of preliminary composite for the Limited Open. They tied for the high Limited Open rein work score of 217.5 with Brad Barkemeyer and Smart Shine N Peppy (Smart Shiner x Little Jalapeppy), owned by Steven and Trish Greenberg.

The Open Futurity preliminaries continue on Monday, September 27, with the advent of the cow work, and that competition, added with the herd and rein work scores, will decide the finalists.

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, Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, John Deere, Markel Insurance, MD Barns, Merial products ULCERGARD and EQUIOXX, Nutrena, Pfizer Animal Health, Platinum Performance, Quarter Horse News, Rios of Mercedes, Running W Designs, the Silver Legacy, and Wide World of Horses, 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 website at www.nrcha.com.