“It’s going to look ugly for a little bit, but trust me it will be all right,” Boyd Rice assured Nate Lansford, as they surveyed the last set of cattle on Tuesday, where Lansford had drawn first to work on Travelin Smooth in the first round of the Open at the NCHA Futurity.
“I gottcha,” said Lansford, with a nod to Rice’s expertise. “That’s why we picked you (to settle the herd).
Cattle selection had proven tricky for many riders on Tuesday, with seemingly good cows gone bad. But Lansford and Travelin Smooth came out on top with 217.5 points, tying Lil Catbaloo, shown by Lloyd Cox, and High Savannah Acres, with Cookie Banuelos for high score of the day.
Travelin Smooth, by Smooth As A Cat and owned by Karen and Brian Murray, Mission Hills, Kan., was trained by Michael Cooper.
“We’ve had the horse for two years and he has been really consistent and smart all along,” said Lansford, Cooper’s assistant, who also scored 214 points on Sunday riding Hes Thumpin Special for Paul and Cynthia Dean.
Lansford was a 2010 NCHA Futurity Open Ltd. finalist (6th) riding Purr N Cat for Darol Rodrock.
Lloyd Cox, winner of the 2010 NCHA Futurity aboard One Time Royalty, earned two tickets yesterday to the second go-round: with 217.5 points on Lil Catbaloo, owned by Gene and Michelle Morris, Florence, Mont., and 215 points on No Way In Hal for Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla.
“Mitch Davis had him and sent him to me,” said Cox of Lil Catbaloo, a stud colt by Peptoboonsmal out of Sweet Lil Boo, a half-sister to the dam of NCHA Horse of the Year and 2007 NCHA Futurity champion High Brow CD.
“I had worked him at Paso Robles last year and he asked if I wanted to take him and see if he might be one I would show here,” Cox added.
“He turned out to be really nice. He’s smart and easy to get along with and it doesn’t seem like many bad things run through his mind. So far he’s been pretty pure, and he usually tries every time.”
No Way In Hal, by first crop sire Halreycious, was bred by Linda Holmes, Longmont, CO, and purchased by Moore one week ago.
“Linda sent her to me about five months ago and she really started coming on,” said Cox, who trained and showed Halreycious’ sire Dual Rey for Holmes, as well as many of the leading stallion’s prominent offspring. “She is real cowy, and she has a pretty way of doing things.”
Cookie Banuelos was catch riding High Savannah Acres for Grant Setnika, who trained the Abrakadabracre daughter for Clerc and Boudreaux, Baton Rouge, La.
“I rode her daddy in 2001 and he’s been my favorite horse of all times,” said Banuelos, who won the 2002 Augusta Futurity Open Ltd on Abrakadabracre. “She’s a lot like him. They do little things different and you have to be patient with them. She’s a beautiful mare and I love the way she moves.”
Two of Tuesday’s top-scoring horses seem to prove the adage that fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Our Grey Goose, with 216.5 points under her breeder, Clint Allen, is one of three full siblings entered in the Open Futurity out of Aristo Katz, the earner of $260,144 and dam of 5 NCHA money earners, including Pretty Katz, LTE $262,053.
Allen trained and showed Aristo Katz for her breeders, Jack and Susan Waggoner, and when the mare produced three embryos due by Peptoboonsmal in 2009, Jack gave one to Allen.
“He’s been fun all along,” said Allen of Our Grey Goose. “He’s the first one that I’ve ever bred and kept and shown. I wasn’t going to show him, if I owned him, but Gary and Shannon Barker bought him late this past summer.
“He’s been tough to train, but after I gelded him I was a lot happier. He is real cowy and smart about a cow and he has always stopped hard. I was pretty excited to be able to get to show him.”
One Time Kitty, sired by One Time Pepto and shown by R.L. Chartier for Wrigley Ranches, is the first performer out of Special Nu Kitty, LTE $298,700.
“She’s really, really smart and she wants to stop and draw like her mother,” said Chartier of One Time Kitty, who scored 216 points yesterday.
Chartier also showed Special Nu Kitty for Wrigley Ranches.