Jake Telford Wins Open Two Rein on Nabisco Roan

The Saturday schedule at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Derby in Paso Robles, Calif., features a full slate of horse show classes. The action kicked off this morning with the Open Two Rein, where Jake Telford and Nabisco Roan bested the field of 13 horses, scoring a 292.5 to earn the $1,770 first-place check and a C.R. Morrison trophy. Nabisco Roan is owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses, Santa Ynez, Calif.

Telford piloted the 6-year-old stallion, who is sired by Boonlight Dancer and out of Crackin, a Smart Little Lena mare, to a 143.5 in the reined work and a 149 in the cow work. Telford had some anxious moments when the judges decided to review his reining pattern before finalizing the score.

"He was really good in the reined work, almost too good. I was letting him lope really slow in our small slow circles and he broke gait, actually. So they reviewed my score, and lowered it. I was worried it wasn't going to be enough, but he was good enough in the fence work that it made up for it," Telford said.

Although he drew a tricky cow for the fence work, Telford said the fancy roan stallion handled the challenge perfectly.

"He's gotten to be a great fence horse lately. That cow I had was really tough. I was moving up alongside it, just past the middle marker, getting ready to make my move for the turn, and it shut off. It was a good thing he read it, because I wasn't ready for it at all, but it ended up working really well," Telford said.

He also thanked Nabisco Roan's owners, Nancy Crawford-Hall and her husband, Phil, of Holy Cow Performance Horses.

"They have so much to do with this show, and they are such great supporters of the NRCHA, and of me as well. I feel very fortunate to have them as customers and friends," Telford said.

The Reserve Champion Open Two Rein horse was Reymanator, shown by Zane Davis for John Semanik. Davis and the 2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion earned a 145.5 in the reined work and a 145 in the cow work. The placing paid $1,475. Reymanator is a 6-year-old gelding by Dual Rey and out of the Doc's Hickory daughter, Savannah Hickory.

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, Merial products UlcerGard and EQUIOXX and Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship, 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.