Ranch Horse Association of America crowns winners during the Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championships
edited press release
The Ranch Horse Association of America was proudly hosted in Amarillo, Texas, on November 8-10, 2019 at the 24th Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championship. Held at the Amarillo Civic Center arena, the 2019 WRCA Ranch Horse Show featured a full slate of RHAA sanctioned classes for riders and horses of varying levels. The top qualifying horse and rider teams earned a position in the Ranch Horse Finals on Sunday immediately following the matinee rodeo performance. The limited entry event awarded a total payout of $7,310, plus awards, and featured 80 entries.
While entries are capped in each division at the Amarillo show due to time constraints, the WRCA Ranch Horse Show is an annual favorite and filled up quickly. Testing their skills on Friday, November 8, were 10 Wrangler entries, 15 Ranch Hand, 15 in the Junior horse division and 10 in the Senior.
Topping the Wrangler was Pampa, Texas, cowgirl London Lowrey riding This Cat Is Back. The 2004 bay gelding is sired by Jazarell Cat and out of ML Baby Im Back, by Nitas Wood. The team scored a 427.5 and earned $465 for their efforts. The Wrangler division is reserved for riders who have no more than $500 in RHAA earnings at the start of the competition season.
Following the Wrangler, 15 Ranch Hand entries took their turn with Cory Rickard riding Voo Doo The Moo to top honors. The 2013 gelding is owned and ridden by Rickard of Plains, Kansas. Scoring 438.5 Rickard topped the tough division that is designated for riders who have less than $4,500 in RHAA earnings. Rickard banked $558.
Next on Friday’s RHAA-sanctioned class roster was the 15-entry Junior division, which is a class for horses aged 5-and-under. In the Junior division, horses may be shown two-handed in a ring snaffle or a traditional hackamore without penalty. The Junior division champion was Earth, Texas, all-around cowboy Tripp Townsend riding TRR Lucky Brazos. Fresh off their NRCHA Limited Open Futurity Championship in October, Townsend teamed with the gray stallion sired by Pepcid and out of TRR Ms Lucky Gun, by Playgun, for a score of 448 worth $558. TRR Lucky Brazos was bred by Tongue River Ranch and is owned by Kyle Brewer and Tripp Townsend.
Capping off the Friday show was the Senior division designated for aged horses shown one-handed in a bridle. Robert Forst rode Seven S Indian Maid to the win with a score of 448.5—the highest marked run of the show—worth $465. Seven S Indian Maid is by Hickorys Indian Pep and out of the mare Seven S Fiesta, by Playgun, and is owned by Terry Stuart Forst, Waurika, Oklahoma.
Besting a field of 20 Cowboy division entries on Saturday, November 9, was youth rider Regan Wheatley, of Calhan, Colorado, riding LM Typical Shadow. Wheatley also earned the prestigious, crowd-favorite WRCA Senior Youth championship on Friday afternoon riding LM Typical Shadow. The 2003 sorrel gelding is sired by Typical Hickory and out of Peps Pumpkin, by Peppys Shadow. Scoring 440.5 points, Wheatley earned $519 and a qualification to the WRCA Ranch Horse Show run-off on Sunday, which he also won with a massive 447.5 to edge reserve champion Tripp Townsend and TRR Lucky Brazos at 446. The WRCA Overall Ranch Horse was presented with a pulling collar made by Double M Ranch of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Also taking place on Saturday, the Box Drive Box Drive class drew 10 contestants. The Box Drive, which was added to RHAA’s slate of classes in 2019, is an entry-level division for members with no prior RHAA earnings, or fewer than three fence runs in any other association. The champion in Amarillo was Hunter Worm riding Booger By TR to a score of 286.5 worth $465. The 2010 gelding is owned by Durrett Cattle Company.
This year, the WRCA also offered a concurrent qualifying AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge division in each class, which helped Ranching Heritage eligible horses gain earnings.
Visit www.rhaa.org for the latest results, rules and information on upcoming shows and membership opportunities. For more information, contact RHAA at ranchhorseassociation@yahoo.com or 806-406-9283.
About the Ranch Horse Association of America
In 1998, the RHAA was formed to promote the qualities and characteristics of the ultimate working ranch horse, while providing a means of competition to show these ranch horses. The RHAA sanctions local working ranch horse competitions, provides a uniform set of rules, qualifies working ranch horse competition judges, and promotes uniformity and consistency in judging.
The RHAA seeks to accomplish these goals while maintaining traditional western influence with historic western sportsmanship and a cowboy ethic.
Competitions include a freestyle dry work pattern made up of circles, spins, stops, lead changes and rollbacks. Once the pattern is completed, riders box a cow on the end of the arena, then drive it down the fence and turn the cow each direction. To complete the run, contestants then rope the cow. The combination of maneuvers required in RHAA competition refines the skill set required of a good ranch horse and showcases the equine athlete’s athleticism and solid mentality. RHAA events are held all across the country.
The RHAA National Finals take place each May in Abilene, Texas, in conjunction with the Western Heritage Classic. The 2020 Western Horseman RHAA National Finals is slated for May 6-10. In 2019, the RHAA National Finals awarded over $34,000, plus Tad Sanders custom saddles to each division champion.