WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19, began with the Non-Pro reining and moved into stock horse classes.

WEDNESDAY, 11:30 a.m.
Russell Dilday and Topsails Rien Maker, last year’s World’s Richest Stock Horse champion, enter their first class of the week, the AQHA Senior Working Cow Horse.

“Practice isn’t for him. It’s for me. The practice run is about a problem that you think you have. You go in there and you either fix it or find it.”

WEDNESDAY, 11:45 a.m.
After his practice run, Russell Dilday and Topsails Rien Maker review the video with Mark Matson.

“In the stops, I was holding my calves on him for the runs and before I stopped him, I was taking my legs off. That was causing him to scotch — being all stopped and going again. It comes from him anticipating the stop. I was changing something on his body, and that hesitaton is a penalty. In the fence work, I wanted to make sure that my horse was stopping and turning good. The last few times I haven’t been as happy as I’d like to be. But he was really good today.”

WEDNESDAY, 12:30 p.m.
With no horse showing on Wednesday, Les Vogt schools his colt, Nic It, before Thursday’s Open reining — in front of the cameras of his TV crew. Les keeps his schedule filled when he’s idle at the futurity by design.

“Between go’s, I try to keep a diversion. It’s good for me. I need to break away from concentrating on the little, tiny problems I see so that they don’ t turn into monsters.On Sunday, I went to a roping clinic in San Luis. Yesterday, I went to see Mike Beers in Santa Ynez.”

WEDNESDAY, 1:15 p.m.
Bob Avila works one of his four Futurity entries, Lenas Love Potion.

“I keep the horses legged up. Keep them focused. More than anything, I do a little of everything that they show in. Circles. Change of leads. I remind them what they do. As a creature of habit, we want them to keep the habit going. This event is a pre-Futurity, a chance to look at what to do so we can focus on the next one (September’s NRCHA World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno).”

WEDNESDAY, 3 p.m.
Everybody loves ice cream. An NSHA-sponsored Ice Cream Social was a welcome break.

WEDNESDAY, 3:35 p.m.
Dana and Bob Avila (counterclockwise from front left), Ricky Nicolazzi, Billy Williams and Anna Nicolazzi hang out during a lull Wednesday afternoon. Dana likes the chances to visit provided by the NSHA Futurity.

“The great thing about this show is that you it gives you time to get together. It’s scheduled in a way that friends have time. It’s great.”