Boyd Rice, 2005 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) world champion on Bobs Hickory Rio, leads the $1.1 million National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity open preliminaries, after the first two rounds of competition, in Reno, NV.

Rice is riding Playgun Sun Dual, a gray stallion by Playgun out of Dually Sunette, owned by Billy and Joan Brown, Spearman, TX. Last year, the 41-year-old trainer, also from Spearman, was the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open reserve champion aboard Playin Attraction, by Playin Stylish, owned by Burnett Ranches, Guthrie, TX.

With $103,722 earned under Rice, Playin Attraction was the leading money earner among NRCHA competitors in 2005.

Ranked third among NCHA’s top open riders in 2005, with earnings of $529,205, Rice has the pedigree of a champion. His father, Sonny Rice, won the 1986 NCHA Open World championship on Jazzote, owned by George Glover; his uncle, Ronnie Rice, is an all-time leading NCHA money earner and a two-time NCHA Open Futurity champion; and his cousin, Tag Rice, claimed the NCHA Triple Crown on Chiquita Pistol in 2003.