We are all headed our separate ways from the 2019 El Rancho Futurity and Foothill Fiesta, and man, was it one to remember!  It is one to attend at least once, but if you go once you will no doubt go again.  Carol Ward continues to go above and beyond for cutters, from accommodations, to the activities planned during the show, and of course the event itself!  A finals night in El Rancho has a special feel unlike any other, it is a combination of the packed house, cutting under the stars, and Dru Stewart taking the time to make each trip to the herd special for each rider.  It is all and all the fact that everyone is just as excited about the sport and want to watch a great cutting!

Americana 2019 proves The ‘Cow Horse’ is a Huge Success!

The final stretch of the 2019 season is in full swing. With only 13 days left, cowboys are racing to the finish line in hopes of finishing in the Top 15 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The total prize money of what was already the richest reining competition in the world among the qualifiers for the prestigious NRHA world titles, has risen by $100,000 dollars. The Open, with $101,000 in prize money, remains the highestpaying competition of its kind anywhere in the world, but there are now big incentives for reining’s base and for its more ‘showy’ competition: the purse for Open Intermediate and Limited classes along with all Non Pro levels has increased – as well as that of the Freestyle, which alone will be worth $50,000.

With a review following the last horse in the second section of the BO Ranch Non Pro Maturity, it was uncertain who would take home the coveted title of the inaugural event.
Once the judges gave their final verdict, it was determined that the two riders would make it it the top of the rankings: Edoardo Bernardelli and Dries Verschueren.

The duo made up of NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Bernard Fonck and Shiners Voodoo took the lead in the qualifying go round of the $26,000-added BO Ranch Level (L)4 Open Maturity. Draw #1 in the second section of the Finals, the pair performed to a 224.5 and their score held until the end which secured them the title. The 6-year-old stallion by Shiners Voodoo DR out of BR China Rose, owned by Kimberly Wegner, added the Open Maturity Championship to his accolades and $55,500 NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). “I started riding this horse at the beginning of this year as my wife, Ann, had three open horses to show so she passed the reins to me,” said the Belgian professional. “He’s a really powerful horse with a lot of talent and I like him a lot. He did good for me here from day one and I must say that the facility and organization here made it great for us to show.”

Big Chex To Cash has unofficially joined the National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) Million Dollar Sire list. NRHA congratulates the 2002 stallion and his owners, Silver Spurs Equine, LLC.

 An exceptional end to this sixth edition of the Longines Athina Onassis Horse Show, the 17th  leg of the prestigious Longines Global Champions Tour and the Global Champions League! A stone's throw from the mythical Pampelonne Beach, in front of a thrilled crowd, America’s Jessica Springsteen won her first LGCT 5* Grand Prix in an exceptional jump-off. Earlier in the day, the provisional ranking of the Global Champions League, the team circuit, underwent some major changes.

It is truly a special year for Ann Fonck: she crossed the NRHA Million Dollar Mark at the NRHA European Affiliate Championship held in Denmark becoming the second lady professional to join the elite group.