Brandon Staebler Wins NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity on Starlight Captain

It was a day of firsts – the first time for Brandon Staebler of Santa Maria, California to make the Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals. The other first was where he ended up at the end of Sunday’s Open Finals! Brandon rode Starlight Captain to the Open Futurity Championship and a $100,000 first place check! Their score of 655.5 (216.5, 220.5, 218.5) came at the end of the second set of cow work and no one was able to move them out of the top position.

It was a fairy tale chapter in a year of highs and lows for the Santa Maria, California trainer. He and his wife, Kris, welcomed the birth of their son, Zane, in July. Zane was born with congestive heart disease and had surgery when he was one week old, and is now on the heart transplant list. The National Reined Cow Horse community has rallied around the couple, with fund-raising drives, and other support. His fellow trainer and mentor, Barney Skelton, schooled his horses for him in the tough first month when the couple spent all their time at the hospital.

Since then, Brandon’s schedule has been focused on riding his horses during the week, then spending the weekend with his wife and son at the UCLA Medical Center.

Kris made the trip to Reno for the finals, and both Staeblers will hurry back to California to see their son. “This is like a dream,” said Staebler, shortly after the win. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. This has been such a tough year, and we’re grateful to so many people. Barney, and the rest of the NRCHA bunch. These are the greatest people in the world.”

Starlight Captain is by Captain Nice and out of Starlight Sally. Interestingly, Staebler never got the big-hearted little horse until September of his 2-year-old year – and he was barely halter broken!

From the first, Staebler remembers, that “Goose” was a willing student, if a little spooky in the beginning. “From day one, he was athletic, and had such a great mind. I never had a bad day with him!” Maria Benko of Nipomo, California, had brought him to Staebler to break and ended up leasing the horse to Brandon.

Next on the agenda for the big-stopping 3-year-old is a trip to Oklahoma for the National Reining Horse Association Futurity.

Finishing as Reserve Champion was Todd Bergen on Love Em N Lena, owned by Jim and Cam Essick. Bergen scored 651.5 (215, 219, 217.5) to earn $70,000.

Other Sunday highlights included the Sundowner Drawdown, and the last entry left in the hopper when celebrity Lyle Lovett drew down to the final name, was Tom Neel of Milsap, Texas. The NRCHA Raffle Colt, Mister Master Card, donated by the Ward Ranch, was won by Kyle Kelley of Deer Lodge, Montana. The Sundowner Trailer was won by Rob Wilson of Stephenville, Texas.

Non Pro Futurity
Dema Paul stole the show at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Finals. She won the $40,000 Championship on Shiners Dulena (Shining Spark X Docs Sulena) with a composite of 650.5 (212, 219, 219.5). She won the Reserve Championship with a 650 (217, 214, 219) on Maggie Hickory (Doc’s Hickory X Doc O Sugs), earning another $19,500. And to top it off, she marked 636.5 (214.5, 206, 216) for eighth on Asmartday (Smart Zanolena X Departure Day) to earn another $6,094.

Shiners Dulena is a flashy, stout palomino gelding that Paul purchased from Carol Rose as a two-year-old. “He’s so strong and such a stopper,” noted Dema. “He tries to do everything right!”

Even so, according to Dema, she didn’t know which of her horses would do the best in the futurity. Riding three horses in the finals was a challenge. “They were all three so good I couldn’t choose between them,” she said. “That’s how I ended up entering that many!”

Paul, who won the Non Pro Futurity in 2000, also qualified for the Open Finals – slated for Sunday – on Maggie Hickory. The bay mare earned her owner another lucrative payday, by her advancement in the open preliminaries. Her score of 649 (213.5,218,217.5) in the Open competition made her the highest advancing preliminary horse that sold in the Snaffle Bit Select Sale in 2003.That accomplishment earned Dema the Futurity Sale Incentive in the form of a check for $19,782.50.

Finishing third in the Non Pro and earning the $50K Non Pro Championship was Nelle Murphy of Valley View, Texas. Nelle rode Stylish Rey Gay (Playin Stylish X Tari Rey Gay) to a score of 649.5 (215, 220, 214.5) to collect $15,844 for the Non Pro placing and $3,300 for the $50K title.

Murphy is a former Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Reserve Champion, $50K Non Pro Futurity Champion and Amateur Champion who has also won the prestigious National Reining Horse Association Non Pro Futurity and owns multiple AQHA world titles.

The Reserve $50K Championship went to Tish Wilhite on Classy Luna, a daughter of Tangys Classy Peppy X Baroak Again. Wilhite scored 645 (214, 213, 218) to win the Reserve and $2,640.

Intermediate & Limited Open Finals
Lyn Anderson rode Paid By Visa to a 645 composite in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Intermediate Open Finals on Friday, October 1. The son of Paid By Chic out of Sucha Misty Rose is owned by Lew and Debby Kuykendall, of Winton, California.

The day started well for Anderson and Paid By Visa. Their first cow in the herd was a good one, Lyn remembered shortly after the event. “The second one was soft, and that third one was the one cow I didn’t want! I didn’t recognize it until I got it. But it did add to the degree of difficulty and I didn’t lose it!”

That resulted in a 215.5 in the herd – and then Lyn rode the stout little horse to the highest rein work score of the day – a 218.5. “He’s a powerful stopper and his spins feel spectacular. He’s attractive to watch.”

Finishing with a solid 211 in the cow work netted the duo a $13,007 payday, a Bob’s Custom Saddle and Skyline Buckle from Kenneth Banks Quarter Horses of Schlenburg, Texas, Sensorflex pad and Legacy boots from Classic Equine of Granbury, Texas, monogrammed vest from Cinch, Inc. and Sundowner Trailers and a bucket of Platinum Performance.

Although Anderson has long been one of the NRCHA’s top riders, an injury that sidelined her during most of 2001 caused her 3-year-average to lapse to the point of allowing her back into the Intermediate Open division.

She was happy with her horse and how well he worked, but rather than resting on her laurels, the veteran champion is looking ahead to preparing for Sunday as she is also qualified for the Open Finals.

he Intermediate Open Reserve Championship went to Kate Neubert on Dun Pleasin Chics, owned by Dr. Jeff and Nicki Marmelzat, of Santa Ynez, California. Katie earned $10,005 for the Reserve title, then garnered the Limited Open Championship as well, good for another $6,240.

It was Kate’s first entry in the Snaffle Bit Futurity and she rode the gelding by Chic Please and out of Dun Spun Pine to a score of 643.5 (216, 210.5, 217). “He was good, real gentle. He was a stallion and that made him a little harder to train. He was gelded last fall and he just came on stronger as time went on. We gave him a job to do."

Kate, who works for Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion Sandy Collier, learned her colt starting method from her dad, Bryan. With the strong foundation from her dad, Kate moved on, working with Jack Brainard and traveling to Italy to train for Lucio Ferrarrini. It was in Italy that Kate met Sandy Collier at one of her clinics. When Kate returned to the states, she contacted Sandy and asked for a job. She credits Sandy with "giving her a chance to ride good horses, and for helping her so much with her training and showing."

Kate was quick to thank Sandy and the Malmelzats for the opportunity to show a great horse, and also thanked her parents (Bryan and Patty Neubert) and brothers (Jim and Luke) “for all the help and support they give."

Along with the cash earnings, Kate and Dun Pleasin Chics also won a Bob's Custom Saddle sponsored by Mark and Sheila Borjon, a Championship Skyline buckle from Jim and JoAnne Carollo, a Sensorflex Pad and Legacy Front Splint Boots from Classic Equine, a monogrammed down vest from Cinch, Inc. and Sundowner Trailers and a tub of Platinum Performance.

The Reserve Champion in the Limited Open was Glen Aspinal on Laura Ward's Little Smart Babe by Smart Little Pepinic out of Babes Nic with a score of 641 (211.5, 213.5, 216). The win paid $ 4,680, a Skyline Gold and Silversmith Reserve Championship buckle, presented by Stuart Ranch, Legacy Front Splint Boots sponsored by Classic Equine, a monogrammed down vest from Cinch, Inc. and Sundowners Trailers and a tub of Platinum Performance.

For more info and further results, please visit The National Reined Cowhorse Association website at www.NRCHA.com.