October 29, 2006

Craig Johnson Takes Billingsley Ford Open & Intermediate Open Futurity Titles

Mandy McCutcheon Wins Winstar Casino Non Pro

Craig Johnson came into the arena as draw 22 of 23 to capture the Billingsley Ford Open and Intermediate Open Futurity Championships Saturday, October 28, during the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity and Show. The $45,000 added Billingsley Ford Open Futurity was the main event, however the show runs through October 29 at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Craig, from Gainesville, Texas, qualified three horses for the Billingsley Ford Open Futurity Finals but it was Too Busy Cashin Chex, a bay stallion by Nu Chex To Cash and out of Bay N Busy, that captured the Futurity Championship with a 226.

“I was real pleased with the run. There were some very nice horses that went earlier and the scores were high,” Craig said after his win. “My decision was not to try to beat them but to have the kind of run I had planned on having anyway and just let that end up wherever it did. Luckily that horse was on tonight.”

Too Busy Cashin Chex picked up $10,044 for the Billingsley Ford Open Championship and an additional $5,470 for the Intermediate Open title, but this wasn’t his first Futurity win. Craig and the talented horse, owned by Rebecca and Chris Brasel of Ava, Illinois, won both the Open and Intermediate Open Championships at the North Central Reining Horse Association Futurity in August.

“I had high expectations coming here – this is a very nice horse,” Craig said. “He has ‘It,’ whatever ‘it’ is. It’s hard to put your finger on it or describe it. He just has a look that’s kind of unique, the way he carries himself and he’s real pretty. He has some maneuvers to back that up too.”

Robert Chown, from Gainesville, Texas, finished reserve in both the Open and Intermediate Open riding Shiners Miss Rey, by Shining Spark and out of Miss Rey O Lena, for owner Kathy Barker of Whitesboro, Texas. Robert and the mare marked a 225 to earn a total of $9,443 for both placings. As the highest-placing mare in the Open Finals, Shiners Miss Rey also earned the inaugural Houston Ranch Mare Incentive worth $2,000.

Riding Dun Dazzled Whiz, by Topsail Whiz and out of Dun It Okie Style, Chris Ferguson, from Tioga, Texas, topped the Limited Open Futurity with a 221. Chris and Dun Dazzled Whiz, owned by Dell and Terri Hendricks also of Tioga, earned $5,017 including the Limited Open win plus third in the Intermediate and ninth in the Open.

Mandy McCutcheon, from Aubrey, Texas, marked a 217 to win the $15,000-added Winstar Casino Non Pro Futurity and earn $3,148. Mandy’s win came aboard Hollywood Mogul, by Hollywood Dun It and out of Smart Little Cream, owned by Mandy’s dad, Tim McQuay, of Tioga, Texas.

“Really he came on strong this week since we’ve been here,” Mandy said of Hollywood Mogul. “I think this ground gave him a lot of confidence and he stepped up a lot.”

Tim McQuay bought Hollywood Mogul at the NRHA Derby Spotlight Sale as a yearling and then he was started at McQuay stables. The stallion was shown only once before coming to Ardmore but this marked Mandy’s first competition with him.

“As the week went on, my expectations got higher because he was riding better and better,” Mandy said. “As Dr. Morgan told me, the goal is always to make the Finals first and then do the best you can after that. In my first set of circles I kind of kicked him a little hard and got him goosed up there but after that he settled in really good it just felt like the more the run went on, the better he got.”

Rick Ford, from Valley View, Texas, earned both the Intermediate and Limited Non Pro Championships riding Snip O Chex, by Nu Chex To Cash and out of Snip O Gun. Rick and the mare, owned by Cinder Lakes Ranch of Texas and Oregon, marked a 214 to win the two titles and finish third in the Non Pro for total earnings of $3,183.

In the Prime Time Non Pro division, for riders 50 years of age and over, Ron Thompson, from Whitesboro, Texas, and Kathy Barker shared the Championship. Ron, riding Chocolate Chicinic, by Chocolate Chic Olena and out of Miss KF Nic, and Kathy, riding Magnums Enterprise, by Magnum Chic Dream and out of A BH By Dun It, each marked a 209 to earn $260.

The 2006 Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity will conclude October 29 with the Rookie and Limited Non Pro horse show classes. For a schedule of events and results from the SWRHA Futurity and show, please visit www.swrha.com <http://www.swrha.com> . For more information on the SWRHA, visit www.swrha.com <http://www.swrha.com> or call 580-759-2572.