|
Pepto Get
2001 Futurity |
The big one
By Robert Eubanks
Taking aim on the most coveted prize in cutting
comes long before the industry's elite
3-year-olds hit the Will Rogers Coliseum sands
in the National Cutting Horse Association's
World Championship Futurity.
It means mating a prepotent stallion with a
blueblood broodmare, breathing a sigh of relief
when the baby is born healthy and spending tons
of cash for training and care, even before the
first nomination payment is made 14 months in
advance of the big coming-out party.
Dreams are blown to smithereens by injury,
illness, or the raw fact that what looks good on
paper doesn't shake out on four feet in front of
a cow.
But Ronnie Rice had a strong feeling heading
into the 2001 NCHA Futurity and made a big
training decision.
He knew that it took him 20 years to get over
being nervous and carry it through to the BIG
one, finally defining a highly respected career
as a trainer with the 1998 Futurity Championship
aboard Dainty Playgirl, owned by Mickey and Gary
Goodfried, Flint, Texas.
Rice, 49, disciplined himself, bit the bullet so
to speak, and went to only five aged events in
2001 (his mounts still earned over $148,400) so
he could stay home and ride his 3-year-olds.
"I was burned out from going so much," said
Rice, who showed only at the NCHA Derby, Super
Stakes, Abilene Spectacular, Polo Ranch Classic
and Brazos Bash. "I knew what kind of horses I
had and I wanted to stay home and work them.
I've never had four horses like this (ridden by
Ronnie and his son, Tag)."
Jerry Jones, Granbury, Texas, owner of Mr Beamon,
said Rice told him two months prior to the
Futurity that he and Tag, "had four horses that
ought to be in the finals."
That "ought to be" became a done deal on Dec. 16
when horses shown by Ronnie and Tag finished
first, second, fourth and ninth (tie), earning a
total of $517,597, or 31.3 percent of the
$1,653,652 Open Division purse, as the 40th NCHA
Futurity came to a close.
San Tule Freckles, a stallion owned by S.E.
Montgomery's Flying M Ranch, Lake Panasoffkee,
Fla., and Wes Adams' Western States Ranches,
Logandale, Nev., was ridden by Ronnie to a 223.5
that won by a half point and earned the
guaranteed $200,000 check. Although he had a
handshake deal, Adams returned a 50-percent
stake to Montgomery after the victory.
Tag, 27, was second with a 222 on Mr Beamon and
fourth with a 219.5 on Short Candy, a mare owned
by Kelly Schaar, Goliad, Texas, earning $162,524
and $108,903. His total of $271,427 eclipsed
that of his dad's, who tied for ninth and earned
$46,170 with a 216 on Smart Sugar Badger, owned
by Flying M Ranch. Ronnie and Theresa Rice's
other son, Scotty, 25, finished third and earned
$11,044 on Pop The Whip in the Limited Non-Pro.
Ronnie and Tag set a record by becoming the
first father-son combination to finish one-two
at the Futurity.
Since it took him over 25 years to win the
Futurity, Rice said there never will be anything
like the first one. Tears of joy streamed down
Rice's cheeks that night as he thought of his
dad, Dale, who had died in March 1997, when he
used a cell phone to call his mom, Virginia, in
Kansas.
"But it felt better this year because of Tag,"
said Rice, who called his 78-year-old mother
moments after the win on San Tule Freckles. "It
is unbelievable. I wouldn't have cared if it had
gone either way. I get more nervous when he goes
than I do." Five trainers had two horses in the
finals - the Rices; Matt Gaines, who was third;
Paul Hansma, and Ascencion Banuelos. Ronnie also
felt his chances improved as some of the more
notable trainers in the industry were on the
sidelines, relegated to being herd helpers on
finals night.
"It's not that there weren't good hands in the
finals, but since people like Terry Riddle, Bill
Freeman, Bill Riddle, Gary Bellenfant, Kathy
Daughn, and Lindy Burch were not there, it made
it easier," he said. "I'm not saying it was that
easy, because the cattle were tough, but it
improved the odds."
For the first time in six years, the Futurity
failed to set a record for payout, but it still
drew 1,446 entries competing for $2,819,760,
including $355,655, just 1.4 percent less than
the 2000 Futurity's purse of $2,859,954.
The rage of the Futurity were offspring of
Peptoboonsmal, owned by Larry Hall Cutting
Horses, Weatherford, Texas, and ridden by Gary
Bellenfant to victory in 1995.
Of 66 Peptoboonsmal offspring entered in the
Futurity, 11 made it to the 60-horse semifinals
and six made it to the Dec. 16 windup, exactly
25 percent of the finals field.
Hes A Peptospoonful, a stallion ridden by Brad
Vaughn, led the go-rounds and then topped the
semifinals before scoring 217.5 to finish
eighth. Following the semifinals, the stallion
was sold by Dave Miller, Lincoln, Calif., for a
reported price of up to $1.5 million to David
and Stacie McDavid, Fort Worth, Texas.
The highest-finishing offspring of Peptoboonsmal
was Little Pepto Gal, a mare owned by Crystal
Creek Ranch, Aledo, Texas, that was ridden by
Matt Gaines to a 220 for third place |
| |
|
|
