Tate Bennett and Reyn Maker broke new ground Tuesday in the John Deere Division of the XTO Energy NCHA Super Stakes Classic in Fort Worth. They marked career high scores of 227 in the finals of the Limited Open event, and they notched up a record three Limited Open wins in a row in NCHA Triple Crown events.
Bred by Jack Silver Jr., Reyn Maker is a 5-year-old by Dual Rey out of Mists Annie Oak.
Bennett and Reyn Maker burst into the spotlight at last year’s Super Stakes when they won the John Deere Division. They repeated that effort at the 2011 NCHA Summer Spectacular. The hat trick they completed today has not been matched in the more than 20 years since NCHA began offering the Limited Open class at Triple Crown shows.
Australian Aaron Wheatley is the only other rider to win three Limited Open titles in Fort Worth, and he needed two different horses to do it.
Reyn Maker, an earner of more than $70,000, was a $5,400 purchase at the 2008 Western Bloodstock NCHA Summer Spectacular Sale.
“He was just a scrawny gelding, that no one paid much attention to,” Bennett said. “He caught my eye. He’s got a lot of personality, and of course his big, bald face caught my eye.”
Bennett, 28, had started and sold some good horses before, but Reyn Maker gave him his introduction to showing in Fort Worth. A killer second cow helped run the points up to 227 for their record third win in Will Rogers Coliseum.
“My help, Kory (Pounds), Clint (Allen), Boyd (Rice) and Lloyd (Cox) worked very hard for me,” Bennett said. “I’m pretty new to this, so it’s been a good deal. It was Kory’s idea to cut that (tough second cow) and if we hadn’t cut it, we wouldn’t have had that score, so I guess I’m glad he picked it.
“This horse is so smart and he can stop so quick and get out of messes like that. He’s taught me a lot more than I’ve taught him.”
Dual Rey offspring swept the top two places of the John Deere Division. KTZ Rey Of Cash, a 6-year-old by Dual Rey out of Clays Little Cash, bred by Judy Garrett, took the reserve championship. Dean Domann marked 223 on Rodney Wrinkle’s KTZ Rey Of Cash. They were champions of the $3,000 Novice at the 6666 Ranch NCHA Eastern National Championships earlier in the month.