Bergen/Boonlight waltz to Reined Cow Horse Futurity win
 
 
Todd Bergen captured his first ever Snaffle Bit Futurity title on Boonlight Dancer.  Todd Bergen and Boonlight Dancer matched level heads with consistently high final scores to win the 32nd annual National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nevada, September 19-30.

Bergen hoofed it into the record books by winning the NRCHA's Futurity on Boonlight Dancer. Owner Vaughn Zimmerman's handsome, red roan stallion by Peptoboonsmal was flawless throughout the event, giving Bergen his first Snaffle Bit victory.

 
The win puts Bergen next to Bob Avila, his mentor and friend, as the only two horsemen who have won the cow horse and reining futurities.

As it usually does, the Snaffle Bit Futurity came down to the fence work once again.Todd Bergen rode in second in the draw out of the 26 finalists and set the bar, but no one could meet the challenge of 661.5 points and his three-point lead held up.

Boonlight Dancer had some good cows chosen by his trainer in the herd work and was able to show his big sweeping moves as well as his eye-to-eye grittiness with knees bent and body quivering. Bergen's 221 lit up the scoreboard. The Oregon-based trainer said he was always glad to get through the herd work with a good mark, although it put the pressure on him in the next two phases.

"I'm very comfortable showing reiners and have had success," Bergen laughed, "but coming in here today I was about as nervous as I have been in a long time showing a reiner."

Nervousness never tainted his focus as he rode "Pepto" through a smooth reining pattern to score 221.5.The big stallion, whose conformation could be mistaken for a four-year-old, is a fluid mover who always throws in long stops and fast turn-arounds.

Heading into the cow work, Bergen had the lead and was feeling the pressure.He kept telling himself to just get his horses shown.It worked, his score down the fence was a 219.

"He just smothered that first turn and I had that cow right underneath my neck," Todd explained. "I couldn't really get it to clear away from me, so I had to loop him away and back around. It was a good cow other than that and that's what you need, something you can mark on. A little better cow and I think we could have spread the margin a little more, but I knew I was going to score high enough that they were going to have to come after me."

Bergen also qualified for the finals on Smart Late Star, who drew next to last and he waited in the stable area until his turn. "It crossed my mind as I went to circle, I got it, I could be first and second," he laughed. It was not to be, as the score of 217.5 was only enough for a fourth place finish on the second horse.

Sandy Collier riding Diamond J Star for owner Judy Siebel and Bob Avila on Alan & Kay Needle's Gunnalena were Co-Reserve Champions - both finishing with 658.5 points.

Collier also had two horses in the finals. In the herd work Sheza Shinette - who had the highest preliminary composite by seven and a half points - found all the bad luck fate could muster. After losing a cow her score was a dismal 200. Just two horses later Collier showed her own form of "mental discipline" getting by the disappointing run only minutes before to chalk up a 222 on Siebel's Grays Starlight stallion.

Sandy was disappointed in the colt's reining run later in the afternoon. "He is a great reiner," she said, "and will be going to the NRHA Futurity." Collier also pointed out that horses can lose some of their brilliance after campaigning through the preliminaries.

Collier had to mark a 223 down the fence to bump Bergen from his perch. "I thought I had the cow to do that," she smiled. "I thought my first turn was good enough to do it, but I didn't have enough cow running the second direction to get that done."

Avila rode his gray Playgun mare just right and, along with her cutting pedigree, helped her score a 220.5 for a textbook run with no errors.

Gunnalena drew up 16 in the reining and Avila had heard from some of the riders that they were creating mistakes by trying to do too much. "I tried to be precise," Avila explained. "I asked my horse to give me all she could, but no more than she could handle." His strategy earned him a 219.5.

Bob drew a cow down the fence that everyone had tried to avoid during the herd work - a Brahma with lots of ear - and still managed to score a 218.5. He recognized the cow and thought to himself, "Oh, go for it."

"My mare is really good on the fence," he said. "The steer came off the fence some, so the degree of difficulty was good and I was happy with her."

Bergen has seen success in reining and the Snaffle Bit was the "next thing" he really wanted to win. "I've dreamed about it," Todd said, "I'm speechless, I can't even believe it." He then added laughing, "I've been bustin' my butt trying to get good at this!"