BAKERSFIELD — With a total purse of more than $47,000, the California Horse Trials cow horse event put on by the Valley Cow Horse Association May 3-5 at the Sundance Arena brought out the region’s best.

Derby classes were particularly well received — and well-rewarded. In the $10,000-added Open Derby, Lance Johnston took Mary Stroud’s Silky Smooth Hickory to a win that paid $6,210. With their second- and first-place finishes, respectivey, in the Open and Intermediate Open Derbies, John Ward and Got To Go Get It earned a combined $6,060.

“It was a really good show,” says Cynthia Bias of the VCHA, who fared well herself in the $2,500-added Non Pro Derby aboard her 5-year-old gelding, Nu Sand Dollar. Bias, wife of Edison-based trainer Roger Bias, rode Nu Sand Dollar (Nu Circle N Cash X Shiners Little Rita) to reserves in the Non Pro Derby, the Intermediate Non Pro Derby and won the Novice Non Pro Derby.

She has been riding “Ted” since acquiring him from Ted Robinson at the end of his three-year-old campaign.

“I am very, very thrilled about him,” Cynthia said. “I’ve never had a bridle horse, and we’re right around the corner from being in the bridle. I am so excited about that!”

Another Non Pro who was thrilled with his new horse at the California Horse Trials was J.J. Fisher. Actually, Fisher can’t claim ownership of Little Brown Indian, a Hickorys Indian Pep gelding out of No Pleasing This Chic, because he bought him two months ago for his 14-year-old son, Wyatt.

“We bought him for my son to show high school cutting next year, and he’s been so busy with school the last few months that I’ve been out there riding for him,” Fisher says. “I was just kind of legging him up for Wyatt, tuning him on the cow, messing with the turn-around.”

“He hadn’t done any rein work at all or gone down the fence,” Fisher adds. “He picked it up really fast, so we decided to enter him at this show.”

After scoring a 74 in the herd work — second highest among even the Open entries — Fisher went on to convincingly take the Non Pro Derby with a 431.5 combined score. He went home with $2,720 — $600 coming by virtue of their winning the Intermediate Non Pro.

Next stop for Little Brown Indian? The NRCHA Derby June 10-15 in Paso Robles.

“It’s my son’s horse,” smiles Fisher. “I made a deal with him, though. Since he is working in school, I am going to train his horse until the Derby and show him there. After that, he’ll get him back and show him the rest of the summer.”

Wyatt showed Little Brown Indian in Bakersfield in Sunday’s AQHA classes. The Nipomo High freshman rode him to a 72 in his first ride down the fence ever in a show.

“It was pretty crazy — everybody went crazy and was cheering him on,” says J.J. “It was a lot of fun.”

Phillip Ralls captured the Open Bridle Spectacular on Chris Lawson’s Dom Dualuise, scoring 435 combined to earn $975. Doug Williamson finished reserve on Rocking J Ranch’s Moon Me Pepto, scoring 433.5 for $812.50.

Debbie Wise rode her Smartlookinboots to the Non Pro Bridle Spectacular crown, using a super 73 cow work score to propel her to a 429.5 combined score that paid $820. Stacy Duesterhaus on Little Cielo went reserve, scoring 425.5 to earn $615.

Other major winners at the California Horse Trials included Roger Bias taking the Open Hackamore on Joel and Sandy Jewett’s Im Smooth And Smart, and Sondra Keele Eade, who recorded a combined score of 423 that earned the Amateur Derby Championship.

VCHA California Horse Trials Cow Horse Event
May 3-5, 2013 * Sundance Arena, Bakersfield
Open Derby Top Five
Horse/ Owner/ Rider/ Total Score/ Payout
1. Silky Smooth Hickory/ M. Stroud/ L.Johnston/ 438/ $6,210
2. Got To Go Get It/ 4D / Ward/ J.Ward/ 435/ $4,860
3. Pepto Smart Remedy/ Sprig Haven/ J.Roeser/ 434.5/ $4,050
4. Real Smooth Cat/ D.Perez/ K.Wold/ 434/ $2,970
5. Short And Smart/ Rocking J/ D.Williamson/ 433/ $2,430

Non Pro / Amateur Derby Top Five
1. Little Brown Indian/ W.Fisher/ JJ Fisher/ 431.5/ $2,120
2. Simon Says Whoa/ S.K.Eade/ S.K.Eade/ 423/ $540*
3. Nu Sand Dollar/ C.Bias/ C.Bias/ 421.5/ $1.590
4. Get It Master/ D.Wise/ D.Wise/ 420.5/ $1,060
5. Im Bratman/ M.Tamme/ M.Tamme/ 413.5/ $530
* – Amateur Derby Payout

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