Working Cowhorse
Laurie Ward Tops Non Pro Herd Work Prelims
By Savannah Magoteaux-Howell
Mar 26, 2008, 17:19

2008 NRCHA Stakes Action Begins With Non Pro Herd Work

The action at the 2008 National Reined Cow Horse Association Stakes got underway bright and early Wednesday, March 26, as top Non Pro and Amateur competitors began competition with the herd work. The NRCHA Stakes is one of the Association’s premier events, and is held at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, Idaho, March 26-30.

Competition was especially tough, as the reigning NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Champion, and NRCHA Derby Champion were only two of the entries in the field of forty-one.

But it was the 2006 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Reserve Champions, Laurie Ward and Kiss Me A Little, who topped the division with a score of 219. Kiss Me A Little is by Smart Little Pepinic and out of Kiss Me Mister. Kiss Me A Little has a special place in Laurie’s heart, partly because she owns Smart Little Pepinic, along with her husband, John.

Just last year, Ward and Kiss Me A Little earned the NRCHA Stakes Non Pro Reserve Championship, and finished third in the 2007 NRCHA Non Pro Derby.

Carol Roberts, of Ojai, California, rode Ill Be A Super Star to top the field of Intermediate Non Pro riders with a 217. Ill Be A Super Star is by Ill Be Smart and out of Gay Starlight.

While the preliminary competition narrows the field of top competitors from the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro divisions who will compete in the clean-slate finals Sunday, March 30, it also decides the Amateur Championship.

Currently, Sophia Buttars, of Snowville, Utah, leads the Amateur division with a score of 207. Her partner for the event is Cluck Rooster Cluck, a stallion by Gallo Del Cielo and out of Gainesville Girl.

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 Wayne Hodges 4-Star Trailers and Outlaw Conversions, Bob's Custom Saddles, Cinch, Inc., Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Nutrena, Quarter Horse News & Performance Horse magazine, the Peppermill Hotel/Resort, Fort Dodge West Nile Innovator, Rios of Mercedes, Merial products ULCERGARD and GASTROGARD, Great American 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.

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