Boyd Rice, a world champion cutting horse rider, won $100,000 and the National Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity on Sunday, October 7, aboard Oh Cay N Short for Kevin and Sydney Knight of Peoria, AZ. Shes Ful Of Diamonds was reserve champion under Lance Johnston for Gary and Kay Watt.

Oh Cay N Short had won the preliminary herd work during the first week of the $1.3 million, 15-day competition with 223 points, but scored a disappointing 206 in cow work. Yesterday, however, the 3-year-old son of Oh Cay Quixote proved his cow work mastery with a 225.5-point performance. Together with 217 points earned in herd work and 213.5 for reining, Oh Cay N Short topped the finals with 653 points. Shes Ful Of Diamonds, who won herd work in the finals with 220 points, claimed the reserve championship and $85,000 with a composite of 648.5.

Although he is even more prominent in the world of cutting, with close to $2 million in earnings, Boyd Rice has been a consistent performer at Reno in recent years.  In 2005, he captured the Snaffle Bit Futurity Intermediate Open championship and the Open Reserve championship on Playin Attraction, by Playin Stylish.

One of Rice’s current cutting mounts is the 4-year-old Chic Please daughter ARC Cat Her Please, a former Snaffle Bit Futurity contestant that Rice trained and has ridden as a finalist in both the National Cutting Horse Association’s Open Super Stakes and Derby, as well as the Cotton Stakes. Although Rice and the Knights had immediate plans to show Oh Cay N Short in cutting events, they have revised the stallion’s schedule to include another major reined cow horse event.

“We’ll still go to some cuttings,” said Rice. “But we’ll plan on going to the (NRCHA) Stakes in Idaho, since we’ve done so well here.” The NRCHA Stakes, with a $75,000-added finals, will be held from March 26 through 30 in Nampa, ID.

Rice’s son Tarin, 18, was the Intermediate Non-Pro reserve champion on Gold D Olena by CD Olena.

Shes Ful Of Diamonds is sired by Hes A Peptospoonful, a Peptoboonsmal son whose first crop of performers made an impressive debut in the 2006 NCHA Futurity by capturing third and fourth place in the Open Finals.

“This is a great horse,” said Lance Johnston, who also earned $18,000 as a finalist on Im So Smart, owned by the Watts. “I had the lead in the herd work and instead of being nervous, I had to stay focused to get through the rest of the finals. Luckily, adrenaline helps.”

Johnston also won the Open Hackamore Championship with 438.5 points riding Shining Sparkle Lena owned by Ron & Denise Butler, of Catheys Valley, CA.
Here’s a look at the finals: