PASO ROBLES – If anyone expected to see Dulces Belle Starr on top of the National Stock Horse Association Open Futurity once the dust had settled at the Midstate Fairgrounds Aug. 20, it wasn’t Jake Gorrell.

The defending Open champion rider didn’t think he had a chance at this event, which each year provides a rich look at contestants for the NRCHA World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity one month later in Reno.

“I really didn’t think I had a shot,” said Gorrell, who took the Open composite lead with 653.5 points after the seventh go of the first set of cow work, then held on despite a charge of talented rivals through nine more sets. “The first set is usually the worst because the scores are usually lower. And I’ve got all these guys running at me all day long. So, all I did was go in there and make a smooth run.”

The Open Futurity title earned a $20,000 purse for Gorrell and owner Bill Dickinson of Temecula, who purchased the mare (Dulces Smart Lena x Seven S Belle Starr x Shining Spark), at last year’s National Reining Horse Association Sale for $5,000.

“She kind of slipped through the cracks,” said Dickinson, who along with his son, Travis, purchased the mare at the sale. “We asked ourselves, `What is she doing here…she should have been in Reno?’ We saw a lot of upside to her.”

Like Gorrell, Dickinson’s hopes of an Open Futurity title were tempered by their early go in the first set. Gorrell was after a solid run, no more.

“I just wanted to be clean — I wanted to make the best run I could, going in the first set” added Gorrell, who’ll compete in Reno on the mare. “I just cruised her. She’s a show horse. She’s cool and calm in the arena — I like that.”

The Open Champions outscored by a mere half-point hard-charging Paso Robles native Phillip Ralls on the stallion Howz My Rey (Dual Rey x Dox Madalena x Doc O’Lena), and Les Vogt of Pismo Beach aboard his gelding, Nic It Smartly (Nic It In The Bud x Shining Smartly x Shining Spark), who tied for Reserve Championship and claimed $14,535 each. Ralls and Vogt also finished one-two, respectively, in the Intermediate Open.

In the Futurity Limited Open, Tulare trainer Monica DeBie rode the mare Shes The Business (Sophisticated Catt x Little Plain Pep x Mister Dual Pep) to the Futurity Limited Open Championship.

This year, the NSHA introduced a Derby to its Futurity week line-up, and it proved popular with 50 entries in its first year.

A familiar rider-horse tandem at the Paso Robles venue, 2009 NSHA Open Futurity Champion Zane Davis of Montana and John Semanik’s 5-year-old gelding, Reymanator (Dual Rey x Savannah Hickory x Doc’s Hickory), returned to win the inaugural Derby event. The pair won $10,000 with a composite score of 657.5, pushing Reymanator’s career earnings to $144,465, according to Equi-Stat.

Annie Reynolds enjoyed a successful showing in Paso Robles, taking Shiney And Very Smart (Very Smart Remedy x Shirley Shine x Shining Spark) to both the Reserve title in the Derby Open and the Derby Non-pro. She also took the Futurity Non-Pro title with the 3-year-old mare, Smart Magic Trick (Very Smart Remedy x Magical Lena x Little Lenas Legend).

Tish Wilhite and 5-year-old gelding The Fresno Fox (Heart Of A Fox x Oaks Jewel Doll x Doc Jewel Bars) took the Derby Non-Pro Reserve Championship.

Results online: See website: http://www.nationalstockhorse.com/