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Winning Time

Nick Dowers breaks into limelight with Time For The Diamond at NRCHA Futurity

From NRCHA and staff reports - October 18th, 2013 - Cover Story, Show & Event News
From herd work to reining and down the fence, Nick Dowers and his stallion, Time For The Diamond, drew large cheers en route to winning a $100,000 paycheck as the 2013 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship.

From herd work to reining and down the fence, Nick Dowers and his stallion, Time For The Diamond, drew large cheers en route to winning a $100,000 paycheck as the 2013 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship.

Primo Morales photo

RENO, Nev. — In his first trip to the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open finals, Nick Dowers claimed the $100,000 Championship aboard Time For The Diamond (One Time Pepto x Diamonds With Style x Playin Stylish), a horse he owns under the name of his family’s Triple D Ranches, LLC.

Dowers, 31, piloted the sorrel stallion to a total 661 score (218.5 herd/218.5 rein/224 cow), earning a deafening ovation every time he entered the arena.

“I wasn’t sure I would be able to hear the horn at the end of my fence work,” he said, smiling. “This is surreal. It hasn’t even sunk in. I’ve been telling my wife for a year -I got the horse to do it. If I can get things done right, I got a shot.”

Time For The Diamond was bred by Gardiner Quarter Horses in Ashland, Kan. Dowers purchased the stallion at the 2011 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale as a yearling – and it was love at first sight.

“I saw his head and neck sticking out of the stall, and I was, like, ‘Wow’, ” said Dowers, who won the prestigious Open title in just his fifth year competing in the Futurity. “He’s got the prettiest head and neck of any horse here, in my opinion. And that’s what drew me to him.”

Dowers, surrounded by family, was all smiles after the breakthrough win that earned him, in addition to the six-figure paycheck, two Bob’s Custom Saddles sponsored by Jeffrey & Sheri Matthews/One Time Pepto and the NRCHA, and much more. Joining him in the win photo was his primary support team of wife Jackie, his daughters Tuli, 5, and Jovi, 1, his son Crue, 3, and his parents, Rod and Maria Dowers. His mentors and fellow competitors were there, too, including Phillip Ralls, Todd Bergen, Corey Cushing and Jake Telford.

Jake telford takes Once A Von A Lifetime, owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses, LLC., to the Open Bridle title.

Jake telford takes Once A Von A Lifetime, owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses, LLC., to the Open Bridle title.

Primo Morales photo

“I could not have done this without them — especially in such a short time,” said Dowers, who’ll use prize money in the next few months to erect an indoor arena at their ranch. “Those guys are remarkable. I can go ask them for help the day before the show or even at the show. They give me everything I would need.”

Dowers was raised on his parents ranch, and although he rode often, horses were “a tool.” A turning point came during his college years at Feather River College in Quincy.

“Growing up, I didn’t train horses — I didn’t even pretend to train them,” he said. “I just rode them and used them.”

But once he got to the horse program at Feather River, headed by Russell Reid, he discovered the training side of things.

“That’s where it really took off,” he said. “He taught me not so much the maneuvers, but how to think about horses — and to keep the open mind to a thought process that gets through a problem.”

Dowers considered selling “Cactapus” – nicknamed by Tuli – when an elite NRCHA professional threw a six-figure offer on the table at a July futurity in Oregon.

“I stewed over it for three or four days,” he said. “I called a good friend and mentor and asked him what he thought. He said, ‘Well, is your dream worth that?’ I was, like, ‘You’re right. It isn’t.’ So that was my decision. My dream of this, tonight, wasn’t worth the price.”

Rod and Maria Dowers

Rod and Maria Dowers

Primo Morales photo

The seed to Dowers dream was planted in 2003, when he and a college buddy drove to Reno and watched their first NRCHA Futurity finals.

“That was all it took, really,” he said. “It was a few years until I found the horse I thought would be a good one, though, before I went back to compete.”

In 2008, his first year to compete in Reno, he just missed the 10-horse Limited Finals when he was 11th after the prelims. His second year was a heartbreak, too.

“I was sitting good going into the fencework, but my horse got really sick between the reining and the fence work,” he recalled. “We had a run, but he didn’t have anything there.”

After reaching the Finals his third year with two horses in the Intermediate and Limited divisions, respectively, his fourth year in Reno proved tough in the Open Division.

“After my really good third year season, I was only in the Open my fourth year, and I didn’t make the Finals,” he said. “That was a tough year. I didn’t have the horses to compete, and I really wasn’t ready yet for that.”

He had a 2-year-old diamond in the rough, though, in his barn for 2013.

The Futurity Open Reserve Champion was Blind Sided (Peptoboonsmal x Lil Miss Shiney Chex x Shining Spark), shown by Jay McLaughlin for Aaron Ranch. McLaughlin maneuvered the roan stallion to a total 656 (215 hed/ 217 rein/224 cow). The placing paid $70,000 and came with a Bob’s Custom Saddle sponsored by NRCHA and other awards.

MORE ONLINE: Http://bit.ly/1310B_SBF

2013 NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY
Sept. 24-Oct. 5, 2013 – Reno Livestock Events Center, Reno, NV
OPEN FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total

$100,000/ Time For The Diamond/ N. Dowers/ Triple D Ranches LLC/ 661
$70,000/ Blind Sided/ J. McLaughlin/ Aaron Ranch/ 656
$50,000/ One Big Time Secret/ C. Cushing/ K. Crolius/ 654.5
$40,000/ Magicality/ A. Reynolds/ J. Pearson/ 654
$30,000/ Rubys Radar/ Z. Davis/ B. Filippini/ 653
$28,000/ Uno What Time It Flo/ T. Crawford/ J. Gibbons/ 652
$23,000/ Camilla The Cat/ J. Telford/ N. White/ 649.5
$18,500/ Playin It Smooth/ J. Gorrell/ Kalpower Quarter Horses/ 648
$18,000/ Woodys Smart Bet/ C. Dawson/ J. Bogart/ 647
$17,000/ Hickory Holly Time/ K. Phillips/ G. & A. Gardiner/ 645

INTERMEDIATE OPEN FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$30,000/ Hickory Holly Time/ K. Phillips/ G. & A. Gardiner/ 648
$15,000/ Smooth A Roany/ T. Robinson/ J. or N. Jump/ 645

LIMITED OPEN FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$5,403/ Bossy Brother/ W. Hansma/ D. Motes & W. Hansma/ 650.5
$3,929/ Hickory Holly Time/ K. Phillips/ G. & A. Gardiner/ 648

NON PRO FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$15,317/ SDP Got Fancy Genes/ T. Hays/ T. Hays & W. Greeman/ 657
$11,488/ Lites Out/ L. Ward/ Ward Ranch/ 650.5

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$7,958/ Keg Of Jules/ J. Fisher/ J. & T. Fisher/ 637
$6,367/ Pepinics Lil Outlaw / B. Petty/ B. or N. Petty/ 637

NOVICE NON PRO FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,853/ A Shooting Spark/ B. Valdez/ R. or B. Valdez/ 640
$1,482/ Pepinics Lil Outlaw/ B. Petty/ B. or N. Petty/ 637

OPEN TWO REIN
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$2,660/ Julgun/ A. Mixon/ Sather Family Partnership/ 297
$2,090/ Sheza Dancingdiamond/ J. Telford/ D. Bell/ 295.5

NON PRO BRIDLE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$3,420/ Spursuasion/ L. Wadhams/ L. Wadhams/ 292
$2,394/ A Dazzlin Prize/ S. Franklin/ S. Franklin/ 291
$2,394/ Chromium Cowboy/ P. Ralls/ P. Ralls/ 291

INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,697/ Spursuasion/ L. Wadhams/ L. Wadhams/ 292
$1,333/ A Dazzlin Prize/ S. Franklin/ S. Franklin/ 291

NOVICE NON PRO BRIDLE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,554/ Ima Chic Please/ M. Reber/ M. Reber/ 287.5
$1,243/ Lenas Alley/ P. Greeson/ P. Greeson/ 287.5

YOUTH BRIDLE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,400/ Smart Tic Tack/ K. Valdez/ R. or B. Valdez/ 289
$1,050/ Peppy Nicolena/ J. Cid/ J. Cid/ 283.5

YOUTH LIMITED
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$780/ Soula Boom Star/ R. Ferini/ R. Ferini/ 289.5
$650/ Pennys From Prize/ R. Ferini/ R. Ferini/ 285

NON PRO LIMITED
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,400/ Lil Land Slide/ B. Masellis/ B. Masellis/ 289
$1,120/ Diamonds Are Smokin/ L. Bayles/ L. Bayles/ 289

$5K NON PRO LIMITED
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$770/ Oh Cay N Short/ T. Rice/ K. & S. Knight/ 291
$558/ Lil Land Slide/ B. Masellis/ B. Masellis/ 289
$558/ Diamonds Are Smokin/ L. Bayles/ L. Bayles/ 289

NON PRO TWO REIN
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$645/ Smokin My Cash/ T. Wilhite/ T. Wilhite/ 292.5
$538/ Painted By Boomerjac/ D. Wood/ D. Wood/ 277.5

NON PRO HACKAMORE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$3,780/ Gennys Prize/ S. Renshaw/ S. & K. Renshaw/ 284.5
$2,970/ Ze Kit Cat/ L. Neel/ T. & L. Neel/ 279

RUN TO RENO
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,000/ Chromium Cowboy/ P. Ralls/ P. Ralls/ 146
$500/ Nu Cash Prize/ N. Scott/ M. Smith/ 144
$500/ Millionheir Boon/ L. Proctor/ D. Proctor/ 144

RUN TO RENO – LIMITED
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,000/ Oh Cay N Short/ T. Rice/ K. & S. Knight/ 148
$600/ Nics Back In Black/ T. Ralls/ M. & H. Simons/ 146

OPEN HACKAMORE FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$9,380/ ARC Sparkin Chics/ D. Williamson/ Rocking J Ranch/ 440
$7,035/ BFR Igniting Sparks/ B. Rice/ Beechfork Ranch/ 436.5

OPEN BRIDLE FINALS
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$7,000/ Once A Von A Time/ J. Telford/ Holy Cow Perf. Horses LLC/ 444.5
$5,600/ Stressolena/ S. Collier/ L. Beach/ 437

LIMITED OPEN HACKAMORE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,890/ Diamond J Starlite/ R. Ericsson/ Big Creek Quarter Horses LLC/ 439
$1,485/ Mamas CD Dulces/ C. Christensen/ T. Daughetee/ 438

LIMITED OPEN BRIDLE
Money/ Horse/ Rider/ Owner/ Total
$1,350/ Sheza Roo/ E. Taormino/ Holy Cow Perf. Horses LLC/ 432
$1,125/ MH Its Only Boon/ M. Robinson/ T. Robinson/ 431

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