September 30, 2002 – Reno, Nevada – Riding Reminic Moon Shine, 2001 NRCHA
Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion Todd Bergen was the last to go in the last set
of horses in Monday's rein work. It might be said that they saved the best
for last because Bergen steered the sorrel gelding to a 227.5 score, to
blast ahead in the rein work. That score, combined with his 216.5 in the
herd work, propelled him to the lead in the composite race, as well.
Reminic Moon Shine, by Reminic and out of Lenas Lacy
Moon, is owned by Vaughn Zimmerman of Springfield, Missouri. Interestingly,
Zimmerman was the owner of Bergen's winning mount from last year, Boonlight
Dancer.
Bob Avila rode Light N Fine, owned by John Vaughn of
Arlington, Washington, to a score of 222.5 to claim the reserve slot in the
rein work. That combined with his 219 in the herd work, gave the two-time
Futurity champion a reserve placing in the composite.
Avila, of Temecula, California, is a two-time champion
of the NRCHA World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity and was the co-reserve
champion at the 2001 event. Light N Fine is an AQHA stallion by Grays
Starlight out of Lenas Fine Freckle.
Earlier in the day, last year's other co-reserve
champion - Sandy Collier marked a 219.5 in the rein work, which added to her
221.5 in the herd work, gave her the third place in the composite with a 441
total. She did that on Instant Paloma, an AQHA mare by SR Instant Choice out
of Paloma O Lena owned by Nancy Crawford-Hall of Santa Ynez, California.
In the Limited Open category, the composite is being led
by Corey Cushing of LaQuinta, California, on Perch Us CD, owned by Kevin and
Sydney Knight of Peoria, Arizona. Cushing scored 222 in the rein work – to
achieve a 437 composite on the son of CD Olena out of Perch. Just behind
with a composite of 436.5 was Benny Guitron on Shining Dancer, a mare by
Shining Spark out of Gun Dancer, owned by Susie Drnec, Chino, California.
The action continues at the World Championship Snaffle
Bit Futurity on Tuesday with the second section of Open Rein Work
Preliminaries slated to begin at 8 am.
The herd work, rein work and cow work scores combined
will advance the top riders to the Open Finals, to be held Sunday, October
6. The winner will earn $100,000.
