PASO ROBLES — He’s only six years old, but Smooth N Cash has won over $100,000 in reined cow horse competition. On Saturday night, April 30, at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hackamore Classic, the young cow horse owned by the Roloff Ranch in Temecula added another entry to his resume – an NRCHA Open Bridle Spectacular Championship. The win came with a check for $5,040.

The event was one of the signature competitions of the NRCHA event held at the Mid State Fairgounds in Paso Robles.

At the reins of Smooth N Cash was his longtime trainer, Jake Gorrell. The pair began the show with a 147 in the herd work – the part of competition where the stallion, by Smooth As A Cat out of Dox Gavacash, excels.

“He’s the best in the herd work.” said Gorrell. “He just did his typical go. He’s really expressive, and everyone loves him in the herd work.”

In the rein work, the pair marked a 143.5, and followed that with a 149 in the fence work.

“I knew there were people close to us, and he’s still a little green, so I just wanted to keep him soft and clean in the rein work,” Gorrell explained. “We drew a hard cow in the fence work. It’s not often you ride a horse this young that you can expose so much. I boxed the cow for a minute and was about to go down the fence, and it came at us. I never had a horse that I could be so confident on – I pushed him up and knocked it in the neck and pushed it back. He showed true grit tonight – he’s the best horse I’ve ever swung a leg over.”

Smooth N Cash was a finalist at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, the NRCHA Stakes, the NRCHA Derby, and most recently, the NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman competition.

Gorrell, new father to 6-week-old Chet Daniel, added that he plans to show Smooth N Cash at the major bridle events. “I have the best owners in the world,” he said of Bonnie and Don Roloff.

“We expect this horse to do well every time he enters the ring,” admits Don. “He’s good. Jake’s good. It’s a good team.”

With NRCHA Hall of Famer Smoky Pritchett in the saddle, Jasons Peptolena won the Open Bridle Spectacular Reserve Championship and $4,200. The Peptoboonsmal stallion, out of Amys Little Date, had a 436.5 composite. Jasons Peptolena is owned by Terry Ratto.

Jake Telford surpasses $1 Million in earnings
Jake Telford was less than $2,000 away from going over $1 million in lifetime earnings prior to the NRCHA Hackamore Classic. Money earned at the event – including an Open Hackamore Championship and Reserve Championship – catapulted him past the milestone to become the Association’s newest million dollar rider.

Telford won the Open Hackamore horse show class on Hes Shinettes CD, by CD Olena out of Sheza Shinette, owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses. Telford and Hes Shinettes CD marked a 149 in the rein work and a 147 in the cow work for a 296 total – good for $4,390. The pair also placed fourth in the Hackamore Classic, worth an additional $7,730.

The Caldwell, Idaho, trainer took the Open Hackamore Reserve title on Abbey Roan, winning $3,512 for owner Newt White. Abbey Roan, by One Time Pepto out of Stylin Jewel, marked 147 in the rein work and 148.5 in the cow work for a 295.5 total. Telford and Abbey Roan were part of a four-way tie for sixth place in the Hackamore Classic, which garnered an additional $4,058 in earnings.

Anne Reynolds wins Non-Pro Hackamore
Topping the leader board for the Non Pro was Anne Reynolds, who rode Very Shiney to a 434 composite, winning $6,135.

Reynolds had originally planned to show the week before the Hackamore Classic at the National Reining Breeders Classic in Texas – but when her horse was sidelined with an injury, she made an 11th-hour decision to enter the Hackamore Classic.

“I just had a couple weeks to work this horse in the hackamore,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how it would work out, but he’s a fairly light and sensitive horse, so I thought he’d be ok,” she explained. “I think he can use some more time to really reach his potential, but I was pleased with him.”

The pair began the competition with a 143.5 in the herd work, followed that with a 146.5 in the rein work, and finished with a 144 in the cow work. “Because we were a post-entry, we had to go last in the first set. It was a tough draw, but we got three cows cut well. He was also really good in the reining,” Reynolds said. “Everything worked out in the fence work. My horse was trying.”

Reynolds, of King Hill, Idaho, holds the distinction of being the only Non Pro and only woman to have earned over a million dollars in NRCHA competition alone. Not only is she a force to be reckoned with in the show pen, her breeding program has produced some of the hottest reined cow horses around – and according to EquiStat, she was the second leading breeder of reined cow horses in 2010.