Courtesy NRHA (Tim McQuay and Dun Gotta Gun at the 2004 Tulsa Classic (shown here). The pair recently won the USEF Qualifier at the Gordyville Breeders Cup.)
“It is never easy to win one of these,” McQuay said. “I knew I had enough horse, I just needed to do everything right.”
McQuay did have an easier time competing this year as compared to last year’s qualifier. In 2004, McQuay became ill prior to the class and made a trip to the hospital, but he was able to return in time to ride. There were no problems this year.
“Everything was great this time around,” McQuay added. “I was much more relaxed. My horse was great, he was more than great. Now I just need to win the big one.”
The “big one” McQuay is referring to is the USEF Open Reining Championship. McQuay is the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) leading all-time money earning rider and has won almost every major reining event in the United States. One exception is the USEF Championship.
The USEF Gordyville qualifier read like a “who’s who” of reiners with two of the four Gold medal winning riders of the U.S. Reining Team that competed at the World Equestrian Games in 2002 taking part along with many NRHA and AQHA Champion riders. The Gold medal winner of the 2004 FEI World Reining Masters, Todd Crawford of Blanchard, OK, came in second with a score of 225.5 on Cowboy Smarts, owned by Jim Babcock. Casey Hinton of Whitesboro, TX was third, riding Sunrise Enterprise, owned by Bob and Curtice McCloy.
The USEF qualifying season culminates with the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in Katy, TX, April 21-24. The USEF Open Reining Championship Final will take place in Lexington, KY, August 23-28, as part of Fiesta in the Park, a new mega-show that will feature an entire slate of reining and hunter-jumper classes.
For more information on the USEF Open Reining Championship and qualifying classes, please visit www.usef.org.
USEF Open Reining Qualifier Results
Gordyville Breeders Cup, Gifford, IL
Rider, Horse, Score
1. Tim McQuay, Dun Gotta Gun, 228.5
2. Todd Crawford, Cowboy Smarts, 225.5
3. Casey Hinton, Sunrise Enterprise, 224.5
4. Bryant Pace, He's One Smart Chick, 219.5
5T. Bryant Pace, A Grand Prize, 218.5
5T. Craig Johnson, Special Kinda Jazz, 218.5
7. Scott McCutcheon, Mega Sailor, 217.5
8. Todd Crawford, Tinsel Nic, 216.5
9. Craig Johnson, Smart Anna Lena, 214.5
10. Bryant Pace, The Equalizer Bunny, 213
11. Tom McCutcheon, Sparkling Major, 212.5
12T. Dell Hendricks, Talk About This, 211.5
12T. Brian Bell, Whizinici, 211.5
14. Rosanne Sternberg (GBR), Setting Off Sparks, 204
~~~For more information, contact the Public Relations Department of the United States Equestrian Federation by phone at (859) 225-6974, or via e-mail at [email protected]. USEF press releases can be found on our website, www.usef.org.