Working Cowhorse
He's only been riding Mystic By The Bay a little over two months, but Jeff Veitch managed to pilot the mare to the Limited Open title of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hackamore Classic. They also finished fourth in the Intermediate Open, and tied for twelfth in the Open. All together, the pair took home a check for $4,511, a CR Morrison trophy, and a custom notebook from Classic Equine.
"She was good out of the herd. The cattle were a little soft but she did what she could - she can handle tougher cows but she did well for what we had," Veitch said of the herd work, where the pair marked a 140. The next day, Veitch and the Shine By The Bay Mare, out of Flip Nick, marked a 143 in the rein work. "She was really good. I was really tickled with her. We're just getting to know one another but she felt good to me in the hackamore."
The trend of higher scores continued when Mystic By The Bay marked a 146 in the cow work. "She can be a good horse down the fence. She boxed well, and both turns were good. I made a little mistake on the circling - we had to do a little catch up - but she caught up. I was really tickled with her and I think we're getting to know each other," he said.
"I thank Giacomo Mattioli, the owner of Coal Creek Ranch. I've worked for him for three years and we're building this program together and it's been great. I also thank my family and wife Leta, as well as Jimmie Paul for his help. I also had great herd help here - I couldn't have done it without Brad Barkemeyer, Blue Allen, Chris Dawson, and Matt Koch."
Jason Patrick won the Limited Open Reserve Championship and $999 on his horse, Surelysleapnforsugar, with a 420.5 composite. Surelysleapnforsugar is by Surely A Pepto out of Ooh Sugalena. Patrick and Surelysleapnforsugar also finished as Reserve Champions of the Level 1 Limited Open, worth an additional $1,126.
The National Reined Cow Horse Association, now in its 62nd 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 Bob's Custom Saddles, Cinch, Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, John Deere, Markel Insurance Company, Platinum Performance, Quarter Horse News, Rios of Mercedes, Santa Cruz Biotechnologies, the Silver Legacy Hotel and Casino, and Merial products UlcerGard and EQUIOXX, 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.
Top of Page
|
