Center Ranch and head stallion Woody Be Tuff have a comfortable edge on 4-year-old open competition so far in 2015 with two out of four major championships. This year’s richest winner’s check came from the Bonanza Futurity, on February 15 in Glen Rose, Tex., where CR Too Tuff, shown for Center Ranch by Ronnie Rice, earned $33,044 for his 225.5-point win.
Kitty Kat Rey, by Dual Rey, was the Bonanza Futurity reserve champion with 222.5 points under Matt Miller, for Nachos Quarter Horses, while Phil and Mary Ann Rapp’s colt Dont Stopp Believin, by Dual Rey, was third with Phil Rapp.
CR Tuff Lucy, by Woody Be Tuff, champion of the Abilene Spectacular with Tarin Rice, was also a Bonanza Futurity finalist, and one of four 2014 NCHA Futurity Open finalists owned by Center Ranch.
“We took five to the Futurity and he’s the only one that didn’t make the finals,” said Center Ranch owner Finis Welch of CR Too Tuff, who was a Futurity go-round leader and an Ike Hamilton Futurity finalist. “If he’s not my best horse, I don’t know anything. He’s really a super horse.”
CR Too Tuff, a stallion by Woody Be Tuff, was bred by Center Ranch out of Brogans Fancy Cat, by High Brow Cat.
“What I like about this horse is that every day it’s the same,” said Ronnie Rice. “It’s just been a pleasure to ride him. These (Woody Be Tuff) colts are big and strong and can move across the cow so pretty and so clean. And stop. They really can stop.
“They’re just cow-cutting sons-of-guns.”
Rice was co-champion of the 2012 NCHA Futurity on CR Tuff Hearted Cat, bred and owned by Center Ranch. It was his third NCHA Futurity championship win. Tarin, Ronnie’s great-nephew, showed He Bea Cat, bred and owned by Jim Crawford, to tie Ronnie and CR Tuff Hearted Cat for the 2012 Futurity win.
NCHA Horse of the Year Junie Wood, a full sister to Woody Be Tuff owned by Glade Knight and shown by John Mitchell, won the Bonanza 5/6 Classic with 225.5 points. Boon San Baby, by Boon San, was reserve champion with 224 points under Jesse Lennox for breeder Walton’s Rocking W Ranch. Lennox also rode Walton’s Boon San Reyette, by Boon San, as reserve champion of the 2015 Abilene Spectacular Futurity.
For detailed results from the Bonanza Cutting, as well as other major limited age events click here.