Boyd Rice (pictured with wife Halee) can shift gears as smoothly as a Formula One driver, even though his horsepower comes with four legs and a tail, instead of eight cylinders.
In April, Rice won the NCHA Super Stakes in Fort Worth with 230 points on Third Cutting. Yesterday, in Paso Robles, CA, he tied himself for the lead in the NRCHA Derby preliminaries with 219-point scores on Oh Cay N Short and Mr Playinstylish.
Although the NRCHA Derby is a three-phase event, Rice’s high herd work scores put him in an advantageous position to advance to the clean-slate finals on Sunday, June 21.
Oh Cay N Short, by Oh Cay Quixote, won the 2007 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity under Rice for owners Kevin and Sydney Knight of Peoria, AZ. He was also 4-year-old champion of the 2008 West Texas Cutting Horse Futurity and has earned $25,300 in cutting competition.
Four-year-old Mr Playinstylish, by Playin Stylish, was a top ten finalist at the 2008 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, as well as in the 2008 West Texas Futurity for 3-year-olds. He is owned by Kit and Charlie Moncrief of Fort Worth, TX.
Rice, who was 2005 NCHA World Champion aboard Bobs Hickory Rio for James Kenney, is the only rider to have won an NCHA world championship, the NCHA Super Stakes, and the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity.
On the cutting scene yesterday, Miss Ella Rey and Ed Dufurrena scored 223 points to win the 4-year-old open division of theNon-Pro in Oklahoma City. Fletch The Cat and Curtis Bass placed second with 221. Bass also rode Ginnin Woody to tie Here To Reymember and Casey Green with 222 points to share the 5 & 6-year-old open championship.
Miss Ella Rey, by Dual Rey, was reserve non-pro champion of the 2008 Southern Futurity and placed fourth in the 2009 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro with Brandon Dufurrena.
Ginnin Woody, by Nitas Wood, placed third with owner Mike Jones in the 2009 Bonanza 5 & 6-year-old amateur division and has been a multiple open and limited finalist under Bass. Here To Reymember was non-pro champion of the 2008 Texas Futurity, as well as reserve non-pro champion of the 2008 Music City Futurity and the 2009 Abilene Spectacular with Codie Green.
Jason McClure, reserve champion of the 2009 Augusta Non-Pro Futurity, won the Non-Pro 4-year-old championship with 219 points on Panolas Memory, by TR Dual Rey. 2008 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro champion Craig Crumpler was reserve champion on Woodys Bad Boy, by Nitas Wood.
Brad Wilson and Redneck Style, by Peptos Stylish Oak, scored 225 points to claim the 5 & 6-year-old Non-Pro win with 225 points. Brett Johnson and A Spoonful Of Style, by Hes A Peptospoonful, earned reserve with 218.