Three of yesterday’s leaders – on the first day of the XTO Energy NCHA Super Stakes Open second round – came from last set of cattle, including Stylish Martini, with the top cumulative score of 436.5 (216 and 220.5) under Roger Wagner for Marvine Ranch.
But it was Sly Playgirl, with Jaime Snider, who claimed the day with a 224-point performance, late in the fourth set.
“We had to make up a little ground,” said Snider, who had scored 212 points on the That Sly Cat daughter in the first go-round.
“We knew we had to do something, so we cut a little quicker cattle and it worked.”
Sly Playgirl is owned by Robert Borick, who purchased her last May from her breeding home, Slate River Ranch, where she had been started by John Mitchell.
“She’s been good every time I’ve shown her,” said Snider, who earned $10,000 on Sly Playgirl as an NCHA Futurity semi-finalist; placed third on her in the 2011 Bonanza; and made the finals with her in the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity
“She wasn’t hard to train, but she wasn’t easy, either, because she’s so gritty and tough,” said Snider. “But that’s what makes her as good as she is. The tougher it gets, the tougher she is.
“Her half-brother was the same way.”
Snider’s wife, Ashley, showed Bobs A Player, by Bobs Freckle, out of Taquitas Playgirl, the dam of Sly Playgirl, to win the 2009 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited. This year, Ashley claimed the Bonanza Non-Pro Classic championship with the gelding.
Snider also scored 219 points yesterday on his own horse, Sly Chance, bred by Slate River Ranch and sired by resident stallion That Sly Cat.
“He’s got a nice, pretty way of moving — really low and with a lot of eye appeal,” said Snider of Sly Chance.
“He had colic surgery a year ago and we had to lay him off for over three months. It’s just a matter of catching him back up to where he needed to be.”
Ashley Snider showed Sly Chance to win the 2011 Arbuckle Mountain Non-Pro and place as a finalist in the Bonanza Non-Pro.
Felix The Kat
Casey Morris and Bobby and Francie Butler’s stallion Felix The Kat set the tone for yesterday’s action with a 222-point performance, as the last to show in the first set of cattle.
“I’ve been drawing last for the past year, but I have good help and we found a few decent cows,” said Morris.
“He’s really a good horse. He’s got a lot of cow and he can hold a cow for a long time.
Morris trained the Butler-bred colt and showed him as an NCHA Futurity semi-finalist, as well as a finalist in the 2011 Cattlemen’s Derby.
Stylish Martini
Stylish Martini, bred by Marvine Ranch and a half-sister to Copaspepto, NCHA earner of over $400,000, showed herself as a top contender, with Roger Wagner, in the NCHA Futurity, where she placed fourth.
This year, the Docs Stylish Oak daughter and Wagner were finalists in the Abilene Spectacular.
“I showed her at Graham (Cattlemen’s) this year and flushed a cow and never made it to the second go-round,” said Wagner. “That is the only other show I’ve taken her to this year.
“She likes this pen, I think. It gives her some room to spread out. She can go and stop good and really read a cow.”