Horsesdaily News: Todd Crawford Wins Open Stakes

Posted April 3, 2006

Todd Crawford Wins Open Stakes

Jo Anne Carollo Tops Non Pro

Todd Crawford Wins 2006 NRCHA Stakes. Photo by Primo Morales Courtesy of NRCHA. The National Reined Cow Horse Association 2006 Stakes came to a close Sunday afternoon as Todd Crawford and Jo Anne Carollo were crowned Champions at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa. The Stakes, which ran from March 29 to April 2, paid out $336,125 in prize money in the Stakes divisions alone, including $31,635 to the Open Champion.

Todd Crawford, Blanchard, Oklahoma, and Im Smartly Colored, by Paint stallion Color Me Smart and out of Martina Cee, captured the Open Stakes Championship with a 656-point composite. The pair won the herd work, with a 222.5, and then marked a 217.5 in the rein work and a 216 down the fence to win the title by a half point.

“I got off to a good start in the cutting. That horse is a real big stopping horse and he stopped well and turned well in the reining,” Todd said of Im Smartly Colored. “The fence work, I kind of muffed it a little bit. The cows were tough to read and tough to get set up going down around the corner.”

Billy Rank Cogdell of Tulia, Texas, owns Im Smartly Colored. The Cogdell family is legendary in the cutting horse industry and Im Smarty Colored’s dam, Martina Cee, is a full sister to 2000 National Cutting Horse Association Horse of the Year Shania Cee. Shania Cee has earned more than $400,000 in the cutting arena including championships at both the NCHA Futurity and Stakes. Rank Cogdell sent Im Smartly Colored to Todd in December of his 2-year-old year and Todd showed him at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity last fall.

“We missed the Finals by a point or half point,” Todd recalled. “I drew a tough cow down the fence and didn’t advance so he’s making up for it now.”

Jake Gorrell, who grew up in Glens Ferry, Idaho, but now lives in Hanford, California, earned the Open Stakes Reserve Championship. Jake rode Quick As Einstein, by As Smart As The Fox and out of High Brow Jose, to a 655.5 composite (218/212.5/225) and earned $23,310 for owners Joe and Bobbie Stone of Placerville, California.

Riding Jasons Peptolena, a Peptoboonsmal stallion out of Amys Little Date, Smoky Pritchett, Red Bluff, California, earned the Intermediate Open Championship. Smoky marked a 648.5 composite for the Intermediate Open title and finished seventh in the Open for total Stakes earnings of $13,325 for owner Terry Ratto, of Menlo Park, California. Shawn Hays, Saint Jo, Texas, and Corey Cushing, from Thermal, California, tied for the Intermediate Open Reserve, each with a 643. Shawn rode Irish A Shine, by Paddys Irish Whiskey and out of Shine O Lena, owned by Cowan Ranch in Ardmore, Oklahoma, while Corey teamed up with CC Spin Cycle, by Ray Gay Quixote and out of Lenas Peppy Cutter, owned by Cathy Corrigan Frank, Phoenix, Arizona.

In the Limited Open, Danny Morais, Pleasanton, California, earned the Championship and a check for $3,412 with a 636.5 composite on Brooksinics Sis, a mare by Brooksinics Badger and out of Chantillys Sis. Phoenix, Arizona trainer T.J. Good earned the reserve riding Playin Fletch for owner Clay White, of Red Rock, Arizona. T.J. and Playin Fletch, by Royal Fletch and out of Playboys Promise, earned a 633 composite for the finish.

Jo Anne Carollo, from Atascadero, California, earned the Non Pro Championship riding ARC Hollys Chicadee. The pair led the Non Pro preliminaries and came back to the finals to mark a 654 composite (219/214/221) in the clean-slate finals. Chicadee won the Circle Y Non Pro Derby in Stephenville, Texas, in February, and then added $11,837 to her earnings for the Non Pro Stakes win.

“I think she’s such a special horse and a lot of times the really great horse doesn’t get the breaks and you don’t get those wins under their belt,” Jo Anne said after her emotional win.

The last time Jo Anne won the Stakes was in 1998 and this win was not only special because it’s her first win in the past few years, but also because it came while riding a priceless horse. Jo Anne bought Chicadee from Arcese Quarter Horses of Clements, California, last spring after she sold her 2005 futurity prospect, Hicks Chicaroo. ARC Hollys Chicadee has an impeccable pedigree. Her sire, Chic Please, was the 1998 National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity Champion and NRCHA Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Reserve Champion. Chicadee’s dam, Hickorys Holly Cee, is a two-time American Quarter Horse Association World Champion and was the 2002 United States Equestrian Team Reining Champion.

“She has a permanent home; she’s not going anywhere,” Jo Anne said of her mare. “I’m trying to get her earnings built up so that she can have a good, black type underneath that pedigree and then we’ll breed her to some top stallions.”

One of those top stallions is A Master Plan. Jo Anne and her husband, Jim, breed and raise top performance horses and own A Master Plan, which is a four-time American Paint Horse Association Working Cow Horse World Champion.

Shoshone Pony, by JR Colord Rambo and out of Docs Colorful Lady, carried Anne Reynolds, King Hill, Idaho, to the Non Pro Reserve with a 648 composite (216/217.5/214.5).

From Big Piney, Wyoming, Mike Miller topped the Intermediate Non Pro Stakes riding Play Fire N Cash, a mare by Freckles Playboy and out of Firecat Cash. Mike and his horse earned $4,380 for the Intermediate title, along with an additional $7,102 for a third-place finish in the Non Pro with a 643.5 composite (214/213/216.5). Carmen Buckingham, Bruneau, Idaho, followed Mike in the Intermediate to win the Reserve Championship with a 636 composite (220/207/209). Carmen teamed up with Check Out My Magic, by Chex That Out and out of Magic Monika, which carried her to the Amateur Stakes Championship Friday.

Please visit www.nrcha.com for complete results from the 2006 NRCHA Stakes, along with information about how to be a part of the 2007 event.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through the support of a Corporate Partner family that includes Bailey Hats, Bayer Corporation, Bob's Custom Saddles, Cinch, Inc., Classic Equine, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Nutrena, Skyline Gold and Silversmiths, Bloomer Trailer Mfg., National Ropers Supply, Quarter Horse News & Performance Horse magazine, the Reno Hilton, Farnam products Vetrolin Liniment and Farnam dewormers IverCare, ComboCare, LiquiCare P and Continuex, Fort Dodge West Nile Innovator, Rios of Mercedes, Merial products ULCERGARD and GASTROGARD, Great American Insurance Company and the Silver Legacy Hotel, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 580-759-4949 or visit www.nrcha.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Todd Crawford Wins 2006 NRCHA Stakes. Photo by Primo Morales Courtesy of NRCHA.