RENO, Nev. — Reymagedon and Zane Davis were crowned the Open Futurity champions, and George Booney and Cori Shields made a clean sweep of the three Non Pro Futurity division championship titles at the inaugural Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity, presented by Lucas Oil and Protect The Harvest. The West Coast tradition of the reined cow horse sport continued Sept. 11-17 at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center.

“The support for the inaugural Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity was unbelievable, and the feedback we’ve received has been resoundingly positive, with owners and competitors already excited for 2018,” said John Ward of Tulare, Calif., one of the founders of the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity. “Thank you to all of the sponsors, vendors, competitors, owners, horse sale consigners and buyers, and reined cow horse fans who supported the futurity and made this year a success

As the Open Futurity Champions, Davis, of Shelley, Idaho, and Reymagedon (Dual Rey X Savannah Hickory) won a $30,000 purse with a composite score of 658 (214 herd, 218 rein work, 226 fence), plus a saddle and breast collar made by Scottsdale Western, a buckle made by Skyline-Vaquero, a Custom Don Dodge Snaffle Bit donated by Greg Darnall Bits & Spurs, and Platinum Performance supplements and Lucas Oil Fast & Easy Detailing Kit.

Going into the fence work in the finals, Davis knew he’d have to mark a high score to win.

“This was Reymagedon’s first show,” he said. “He’s always been good down the fence at home, so I knew we had a shot at a big score, and when that cow came out, he handled it very well, with a lot of poise and try.”

Reymagedon, owned by John Semanik of Jacksonville, Fla., is a full brother to Reymanator, who Davis also rode in the same Reno arena to win the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity World Champion title in 2009.

“Both horses are very similar and were difficult to train, and it was very exciting to win in the same arena on the full brother to the 2009 champion, with the same owner,” Davis said.

Daddys Checks (Im Countin Checks X Playguns Courage) and Lance Johnston of Lindsay took home a $20,000 purse for their Open Futurity Reserve Championship title, and another $12,000 for winning the Intermediate Open Futurity division with a composite score of 656.50 (219.5 herd, 212 rein work, 225 fence). Daddys Checks is owned by Todd and Chrissy Rogers of Bakersfield.

In the Limited Open Futurity Division, Holly Marsh rode Master Pici (Smart Little Pepinic X Masters Miss Pici) into the winner’s circle, earning $7,500. Master Pici is owned by Dann Russell of San Simeon. Marsh, from Gaviota, and Master Pici won with a composite score of 637 (208 herd, 217.5 rein work, 211.5 fence).

Johnston also dominated two of the Open Futurity divisions in the preliminaries, with the high composite score in the Open and Intermediate Open, riding Can You See Me Pops (Cee Mr Hickory X Doin It Too) with a composite score of 654. The gelding’s owners, Monty and Carlee Miller of Springville, were presented with custom Chaz Mitchell hats at the Hall of Achievement Banquet on Thursday night.

Scott Seeklander of Milton Freewater, Ore., and his horse, VSR Rewind, were the preliminary leaders in the Limited Open Futurity division with a composite score of 638, and was also awarded a custom Chaz Mitchell hat at the Hall of Achievement Banquet. VSR Rewind is a gelding by Very Smart Remedy and out of Jewels Stormy Star.

Non Pro Futurity Champions
George Booney (Pretty Boy Boon X Drivin Ms Ruby) and Shields took home three saddles, three buckles, and a combined total of $14,700 for winning the championships of all three Non Pro Futurity divisions: a $10,000 purse in the Non Pro, $2,100 in the Intermediate Non Pro, and $2,600 in the Amateur. George Booney and Shields won with a composite score of 636 (213.5 herd, 207.5 rein work, and 215 fence).

Shields also won the Ladies High-Point buckle, sponsored by Meinhold Property Services, for having the highest preliminary score out of both the Open and Non Pro Futurity female competitors.
A Total Rock Star and Laura Osborne Campbell from Clovis, won the Non Pro Limited Futurity Championship title and a check for $2,500. Owned by Campbell, A Total Rock Star is a mare by That CD Rocks and out of Spats Lil Spitfire. The pair had a composite score of 616.5 (203 herd, 203.5 rein work, 210 boxing).

Youth Scholarships
Over $10,000 in scholarship monies were paid out to the top Youth Bridle and Youth Limited competitors at the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity. Pierce Wold, riding Real Smooth Cat (Smooth As A Cat X Real Plain Jane) received $3,000 in scholarship monies for his Youth Bridle Championship win.

In the Youth Limited on Sunday, Emery Pura and Smart Teena Cash (Very Smart Remedy X Teena Cash Flo) won $1,500 in scholarship monies for their winning run.

Other youth scholarship recipients included: Lauren Hopkins, riding Circles Nu Galaxy in the Youth Bridle ($2,000); Maycn McCullough, riding Haida Whiz in the Youth Limited ($1,250); Mead Gerfen, riding Little Flo Lena in the Youth Limited ($1,000); Lilly Lizama, riding Gotta Plan in the Youth Limited ($750); and Mason Beal, riding Unos Smokin Chic in the Youth Limited ($500).
Open Hackamore & Open Bridle Champions

Ted Robinson and CD Sparkin won the Open Hackamore Champion with a composite score of 440, and took home a check for $5,040. CD Sparkin, owned by Nikki Jump of Ventura, is a 2013 gelding by CD Lights and out of Gyspy Starshine. In honor of the late Benny Guitron, a talented horseman known as the master with a hackamore and the first Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion on Kit’s Smoke when the event moved to Reno in 1976, Robinson was presented with the perpetual Benny Guitron Open Hackamore Memorial Trophy at the Hall of Achievement Banquet. The bust of a hackamore horse was donated by Friends of Benny Guitron.

Davis and Rubys Radar won the Open Bridle Championship title in the final round on Friday. Rubys Radar (One Time Pepto X Ruby Bagonia) is owned by C Ranches. With a composite score of 451, the duo added $4,500 to the stallion’s lifetime earnings.

In conjunction with the inaugural Renos Snaffle Bit Futurity, the legendary Bobby Ingersoll was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the futurity’s Hall of Achievement Banquet, held Sept. 14 at the Silver Legacy. Ingersoll, a legendary horseman, is the founder of the reined cow horse futurity, and was honored and humbled to be recognized for his lifelong dedication to the reined cow horse sport and ensuring the continued tradition of the West Coast’s Spanish Vaquero. Ingersoll and fellow trainer, Les Vogt, split the first Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship in 1970, and since then, he has shown at the Snaffle Bit Futurity a total of 43 years and won the Open Futurity Championship title three times.

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