Copaspepto, ridden by Tag Rice (pictured) for Marvine Ranch, LLC, scored 225 points to win the Abilene Cutting Spectacular Open 4-Year-Old division on Sunday, in Abilene, TX. The win was worth $50,000. Stylin Cat claimed reserve and $30,000 with 222.5 points under Mark Michels, while National Cutting Horse Association Futurity reserve champion Hydrive Cat, ridden by Clint Allen, placed third with 220.

NCHA Futurity champion Oh Cay Felix, a go-round leader at Abilene with 436 points under Craig Thompson, was slam-dunked by a cow late in the second bunch of the finals and left the working area before his time had expired.

Copaspepto’s Abilene Spectacular performance, as the sixth entry in the second bunch, displayed polished control under persistent pressure from the cattle.

“The first time I worked him, I thought he was probably going to be my best horse,” said NCHA Triple Crown champion Rice of Copaspepto, who he rode to place ninth in the NCHA Futurity, after winning the first go-round with 221 points. “He’s real cowy and stops hard. He’s as fun a horse and as good a horse as I’ve brought (to the NCHA Futurity) in a long time.”

“He’s scared of the cows a little bit,” Rice added. “If a cow runs right at him, he wants to get away. But that’s the only problem I’ve had with him.”

Marvine Ranch, owned by Jon Winkelreid of Short Hills, NJ, co-president of Goldman Sachs investment bank, purchased the Peptoboonsmal-sired colt in January of 2006 from the horse’s breeder, 2-L Contractors, Abbeville, LA. Leland Ledey had started Copaspepto, but upon purchase, Winkelreid sent the colt to Gerald Alexander, and subsequently to Rice, who depends on Alexander to start his young horses.

“Gerald thought he had a lot of talent,” said Rice. “He worked him for a month or two and brought him to me.”

While Copaspetto was at Alexander’s, the decision was made to castrate him.

“He was a little green and pretty ‘studdy,’ and that’s not a good combination,” Rice noted. “Jon also owns the mare (Copaspepto’s dam, Miss Martini Play). Since they’re trying to prove her, they decided to go ahead and cut him. I think they did the right thing. He’s pretty quirky as a gelding. I’d hate to imagine him as a stud.”

Winkelreid, who is in the process of building a cutting horse facility in Aledo, TX, purchased the historic Marvine Ranch in Meeker, Co in 2000, where he and his wife Abby run approximately 650 mother cows, as well as raise ranch and cutting horses, according to ranch manager Cody Edinger.

Ed Buchanan of Baggs, WY introduced the Winkelreids to cutting and they attended the NCHA Futurity for the first time in 2004, where they were introduced to cutting trainer, clinician and consultant Barbra Schulte, who has helped them develop their program.

“Barbra Schulte has been huge for us,” said Edinger, whose father and grandfather were top Arabian show horse trainers.

The Marvine Ranch broodmare band includes I Sho Spensive, Miss Martini Play, Sassy Shorty, Sues Bar Cat and Quintan Blue – five mares with combined NCHA earnings of more than $850,000.