By Larri Jo StarkeyThe American Quarter Horse JournalJuly 6, 2012
Foremans Pick and Chance O'Neal win the ranch remuda competition July 6 at Battle in the Saddle in Oklahoma City. (Larri Jo Starkey photo) To see more photos from the competition, scroll to the bottom.
Ten talented American Quarter Horses took to the show pen July 6 for the finals of the ranch remuda competition at Battle in the Saddle in Oklahoma City. Fifth in the draw, Foremans Pick entered the pen with Chance O’Neal aboard. Chance showed the 2008 sorrel gelding at the inaugural AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge in January in Fort Worth, Texas, finishing third for Burnett Ranches of Guthrie, Texas, which bred the horse. The horse had been injured during the fall, and Chance had only been riding him two weeks before the January show. This time, he and “Striker” were a more seasoned team. “We’ve been riding him out there on the ranch,” Chance said. “(We) have been serious in the practice pen, we’ve been showing him more this spring, and he’s matured more in the show pen.” That maturity showed as the two of them scored a 431 to win the ranch remuda competition. Foremans Pick is by Sixes Pick and out of Miss Holly Tip by San Tip. “I rode and showed his daddy a few years ago,” Chance said of Sixes Pick, the first AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse open world champion. “This horse here, since I’ve been riding him, has a lot of the same characteristics of his daddy, and I see his daddy in him on all the things we do. To get to ride a son of his and be able to go out and win on him, I like that. That’s pretty special for me.”
Chance's win was the second. He claimed the 2011 ranch remuda victory on Royalty Return, another Burnett Ranches horse.
Ending up second was Chic Boots, a 2007 sorrel mare by Smart Chic Olena-Smoke My Boots by Doc O Boots. She was bred and is owned by the W.T. Waggoner Estate Ranch of Vernon, Texas. “She stopped big and turned good and circled good each way (in the reining),” said rider Ben Baldus. “We had a late lead change from left to right, which is surprising to me. She’s usually really good in leads, but stopped good the rest of the run and I was happy with that. She was really good with her cow work. She was strong down the fence, and the boxing was good.” Finishing third was Seven S Party Girl, owned by Terry Stuart Forst of Waurika, Oklahoma, and shown by Robert Forst. Robert and “Party Girl” were first in the open division of the Ranching Heritage Challenge in January. Robert was pleased with his horse’s performance. “Warming her up back here, she was as good as she has ever felt,” he said. “She was soft and relaxed. She wasn’t as good on the first stop as I would have liked, but everything else was good. She was awesome down the fence, but she normally is.” Seven S Party Girl is a 2008 palomino mare by Matt Dillon Dun It-Seven S Fiesta by Playgun. The final placings were: 1. Foremans Pick, Burnett Ranches, Chance O’Neal 2. Chic Boots, W.T. Waggoner Estate Ranch, Ben Baldus 3. Seven S Party Girl, Stuart Ranch, Robert Forst 4. Seven S Holy Roller, Stuart Ranch, Robert Forst 5. Medicinal Mecom Blue, Tongue River Ranch, Ron Redford 6. T Tari Freckles, T-Cross Ranches, Lavert Avent 7. Genuine Chic Pleaser, Wagonhound Land and Livestock, Matt Kelly 8. MCC Double Heaven, Matador Cattle Co., Tim Washington 9. Gallo Poco Cross, T-Cross Ranches, Lavert Avent 10. Last Crash, Burnett Ranches, Cotton Leathers
View larger slideshow with photo captions