By Jana Walsh

The Magnificent Seven rode into Sacramento, CA for the second time Friday night, May 30, 2003. This annual competition which was born during last year’s Western State’s Horse Expo and is now permanently etched into the main menu of this three day fanfare.

The Magnificent 7 is a revival of the first one man, one horse competition based on the historical 1972 event called the World's Championship All-Around Stock Horse Contest, which was held in conjunction with the Long Beach Rodeo. The competition showcased a rancher’s prized horse; one you could rope off, cut on, who reined, and could run a cow down the fence.

With last year’s suspension of the World’s Greatest Horseman, Bobby Ingersoll met with Miki Cohen, the Horse Expo’s CEO two weeks prior to the Expo’s start. Together, along with the help of a few great cowboys, the Magnificent Seven was created, allowing for a new tradition to be born. Because of time constraints, last year’s was by invitation only. However this year’s competition was open to everyone with the stakes increasing to $31,000, along with fantastic prizes.

The resurrection of the Worlds Greatest Horseman this year nearly overlapped The Seven’s competition. Thus, many expected competitors did not compete. But, such was the not the case with Jon Roeser, Benny Guitron, Russell Dilday, Bob Avila, and Ted Robinson. All of them competed in both the WGH and The Seven, while Russell, Jon, and Ted rode the same horse for both. Ken Wold chose to stay closer to home and compete in The Seven only, since his wife, Ramona, just had their first child, a son named Pierce Lee Wold. Bobby Ingersoll also competed while celebrating his 64 birthday. Fresher faces to the all around competition were Jimmy Stickler, Jeff Bailey, Stillman Jones, and Mark Luis.

The actual Horse Expo ran from May 30 - June 1, but the go rounds for The Seven started May 29. There was a little more heat in the air that morning compared to the evening performance of the final Seven competitors. And, with The Expo not officially open, crews were building displays as vendors unloaded their goods. There was such a laid back air of relaxation to the go rounds, it was hard to imagine that what these boys were doing inside The Sundowner Arena might cost them a few thousand dollars, one way or another. This was characterized when Bobby Ingersoll threw the rope during the steer stopping competition catching the steer. But, a little too much slack in the rope cost Bobby some time as he worked to get that darn cow to step back over the rope. Some of them ol’ cowboys that Bobby has shared a lot of history with, sat on the sidelines hollering to Bobby trying to help him out of his predicament. When the finals came around and Ted Robinson had not made it, you saw the seven time Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion and two time WGH Champion turning back cows during the herd work and catching steers on the fence work. With the laughter and smiles that went around, it was clear that this was not just a competition, but a place where these boys could share some laughter and have some fun.

The Magnificent Seven is as much a tribute to the all around ranch horse as it is to the cowboy who spent hours in the saddle making that horse. All of the horses who competed were outstanding multi-talented athletes. For some though, they were legends in their time. Benny Guitron’s Bo Reminic is no stranger to all around competition and always shows what a bridle horse should be, while Jon Roeser’s stallion, Chex Out This Remedy, who won last year’s Seven, exemplifies how a great horse can compete in an all around competition, twice in the same week if needed. And, with Russell Dilday on Miss Plain Plain having won The Seven and taking third in the WGH, people got to look into the heart of a horse and see what a young champion looks like as he starts on a path of what appears to be a long legacy of wins. Adding to the mystique of the reined cow horse were the judges, legendary horsemen, Jim Paul, Sr., and Carl Gould.

Having a year to prepare this time, The Magnificent Seven was greeted by a near crowd capacity of onlookers. Some people came specifically for this event, while others stumbled upon it as part of the Friday night program. Whatever the reason they came, it was clear with all the cheers, yahoos, whoops, whistles, and hollering, that The Magnificent Seven has made its way into the souls of many and will be the main attraction to The Expo in coming years.

Adding sponsors like Horse & Rider magazine also upped the stakes a lot. There was a total payout of $31,000, with $12,000 going to the champion with a belt buckle. Following that was $6,000 to Reserve Champion, $4,000 to third place, $3,000 to fourth, $2,500 to fifth, $2,000 to sixth, and $1,500 to seventh. Along with the cash prizes, each of The Seven received silver stirrups from Montana Silversmiths with “Magnificent 7" engraved on them, skid boots from Conlin Supply, and Ariat boots. Too, after the go rounds on Thursday, each division winner received a belt buckle displaying the name of their division, e.g., “Magnificent 7 Fence Work.” The winners of these categories were: Jon Roeser for herd work; Russell Dilday for Steer Stopping, Bobby Ingersoll for Fence Work, and Benny Guitron broke the tie with a coin toss against Jon Roeser for the Dry Work.

The only thing missing this year from last year’s competition were the sounds of favorite old western film theme songs playing while the cowboys rode. But, for those who were just initiated into this cowboy panorama, you did not need a beat to enjoy the feat. With the thundering hooves of the horses and steers and the echoes of applause from the stands throughout the entire performance, it was hard to focus on anything but the action in front of you. With Ted Robinson and Bob Avila conducting reined cow horse clinics daily, autographs of The Seven on Friday morning, the multitude of concurrent other clinics, and the horse sale, The Western State Horse Expo and The Magnificent Seven showed everyone how the West was won.

Results breakout on points
Horse Rider Owners Herd Rein Stop Steer Fence Total

Miss Plain Plain Russell Dilday Scott & Darnell Trueblood 144 141.5 141 150 576.5

Brother White Bob Avila Dana Mandala 143 144 143 144 574

Call Me Badblood Bobby Ingersoll Bobby Ingersoll 148 143 142 139 572

Chex Out This Remedy Jon Roeser Jon Roeser 145 147 145 134 571

Bo Reminic Benny Guitron Benny Guitron 135 144.5 146 144 569.5

SMF Lenas Award Ken Wold Joe Putman 136 144.5 141 144 565.5

Mia Smokum Tucker Jimmy Stickler Rory & Heather Livingston 135 144.5 135 148 562.5

RFD-TV will air The Magnificent 7 again this year. The schedule has not been hammered out yet. But, you can go to their website at: www.rfdtv.co, click on the side menu, and look in “Program Schedule,” then your area, and find when it will air. For information on the past Horse Expos and next years, go to www.horsexpo.com or call 800-352-2411