October 4, 2002 – Reno, Nevada – Laurie Ward rode Justa Hot Chic to a score
of 658 to win the National Reined Cow Horse Association World Championship
Snaffle Bit Futurity.
For Ward, it was a win that many thought was long
overdue. A consistent finalist at the "big dance", the Kingsburg, California
Non Pro had never won the NRCHA Snaffle Bit title, although she had earned
championships at the NRCHA States, the Hackamore Classic and the Maturity.
Justa Hot Chic (Just Plain Colonel X Reminics Bar Girl)
is a mare that Laurie and her husband, John raised, and a full sister to one
of their most consistent champions, Colonels Hot Chic.
As usual in Snaffle Bit Futurity competition, the Non
Pro title all came down to the cow work and when Laurie rode into the arena,
she knew she had to have a great run. "I knew I had to be a 220.5 to win,"
she commented, but her first impression of her cow did not give her
confidence. "In the end work, I dIdn't think the cow was going to be any
good but then after the first turn on the fence, I thought we could do it!"
Do it they did, and their score of 223.5 was enough to
propel them to the lead and earn a gold buckle, a year's use of a Sundowner
Horse Trailer and a check for $40,000.
The Reserve title went to former champion Dema Paul on
Primos Bob Acre, an American Paint Horse gelding that was also the recipient
of the APHA $5000 Gelding Incentive Award. Primos Bob Acre is by Teninas
First and out of Bob Acre Angelena.
The $50K Limited Non Pro Championship went to Bubba
Petty and Shiners Buenonic (Shining Spark X Bueno Q Nic). Petty of Madera,
California, is a three-time Junior Stock Horse Champion at the Snaffle Bit
Futurity who has also earned multiple year-end tittles in NRCHA competition.
Shiners Buenonic is by Shining Spark out of Bueno Q Nic
The $50K Limited Non Pro Reserve Championship went to
Michelle Strickland of Taft, California on Tejons Nu Cash (Nu Cash X Docs
Tenina). A former NRCHA Stakes Amateur Champion, this was her first NRCHA
Futurity Non Pro Finals.
The action continues at the World Championship Snaffle
Bit Futurity on Saturday with the Limited Open Finals to start at 8 am.
