by Roxanne Sapergia and Cindy Mark
As a year’s work of preparation by a dedicated committee of horsemen comes to its annual conclusion, the 2006 Goodyear Canadian Snaffle Bit Futurity and Championship was, once again, a huge success.
With the top three-year-olds, hackamore, and bridle horses from across the country converging on Claresholm, AB, for the weekend of September 1 to 3, the competition was as strong as ever.
Co-founder and committee member Jim Dobler praised the long connection between the support of stallion owners and their annual stallion service donations, with a growing purse that now exceeds $42,000.
“Our growing list of sponsors has also made a significant contribution beyond that of a growing purse,” said Dobler.
“Through their support, we have also awarded over $10,000 in prizes to competitors who now come from across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.”
Well-known trainer, multiple futurity winner, and co-founder of the event, Brad Pederson, claimed another Three-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Futurity title aboard Ron Mathison’s gelding Listos Smoking Gun. After dominating the herd work with a 145, Brad showed the gelding’s depth of talent by posting a 146 in the reined work.
As the final round of competition began, Pederson and Cayley Wilson of Abbotsford, BC, on Starlit Holly (owned by Blair Visser of Agassiz, BC) went in tied, while Montana’s Billy Campbell trailed by only 1.5 points on his own Elans Holibar.
A solid fence score of 144 secured Pederson’s victory and earned him a cheque for $5,376 and a limited edition bronze to commemorate the accomplishment.
Cayley Wilson took home his share of the $19,200 Open Snaffle purse aboard the Gray’s Starlight Mare, receiving a cheque for $4,224.
Two young, up-and-coming trainers fought their way through the Limited Open Three-Year-Old Snaffle Bit. Taylor Douglas of Lumsden, SK, rode his parents’ homebred horse, Majors Pica Nic, to the Limited Open championship, while Travis Rempel of Aldergrove, BC, took the reserve spot on a Quarter Horse mare named MTR Isle of Rubies, owned by Lyn Borden of Langley, BC.
Good friends Heather Pedersen and Heather Baumgardner shared the spotlight in the champion and reserve champion spots in both the Non-Pro Three- and Four-year-old Snaffle Bit and the Limited Non-Pro Snaffle Bit Futurity. With 17 Non-Pros riding in the latter competition, it took solid scores in all three events to win.
Pedersen and her horse Lil Fantaschic, a four-year-old gelding owned by the Pedersen family of Lacombe, AB, posted high scores in the herd and fence work and finished up in the top spot with a score of 421. Baumgardner and Spot Chex Olena finished in reserve with a total score of 418.5.
Both horses, sired by Fantashic from the Pedersen training centre, demonstrated how the stallion auction is working to enhance the cow horse discipline.
According to committee member Jim Dobler, “The annual donation of services from Fantashic was well-rewarded this year as both champion and reserve horses earned a portion of the purse donated by all stallion owners who participate in our annual auction – including Fantaschic.”
Securing the annual award for Top Three-year-old in the Non-Pro division was Colleen Wallace aboard PJ Boon, a three-year-old sister to her own Otoes Gunsmoke who passed away last fall.
“It was a fitting tribute to one of the great horses that graced our show pen over the years,” stated chairman Darren Baumgardner.
This year’s TankSafe Open Hackamore class provided great entertainment with many former snaffle bit horses racking up fence scores as high as 150.
Clint Christianson of Bracken, SK, and Ime A Genuine Dual (owned by Josh Entz of Lethbridge, AB) posted what would prove to be one of the two high fence scores of the weekend: a commanding 150. Cayley Wilson of Abbotsford, BC, and his own horse, Absolutely High, posted a solid score of 288.5 to secure reserve.
Another favorite of the weekend was the Mountainside Trailers All Around Stock Horse competition with Open and Non-Pro riders showing their horses in four events.
Clint Christianson took the lead in the Open division aboard his family’s six-year-old stallion MTR Anuthagenuinenic with a score of 147, with solid rein work and, again, a commanding 150 down the fence, he secured the spot as the All Around.
The reserve championship went to They Call Me Fritz ridden by John Swales and owned by Doug and Roxanne Sapergia of Okotoks, AB.
In the Non-Pro All Around competition, the champion buckle was, once again, presented to Veronica Swales aboard Will James Smokey and the reserve went to Bart Holowath of Cayley, AB, aboard Precision Dee.
Dan Stanley of Onoway, AB, captured the champion buckle in the Trainers Consortium Non-Pro Bridle aboard Peponic, with an awesome trip down the fence posting a score of 146. Veronica Swales and Will James Smokey were a close second challenging Dan and Peponic and were rewarded with reserve honours.
The Copps Pile Driving Open Bridle champion was They Call Me Fritz, ridden by John Swales and owned by Doug and Roxanne Sapergia. Once again, the pair took to the challenge with a 146 in fence work that solidified Fritz’s position as the top bridle horse in this year’s championship.
The committee now gears up for the annual stallion auction to secure the purse for next year’s Goodyear Canadian Snaffle Bit Futurity and Championship.
