Taking three horses back in the National Reined Cow Horse Association World Championship finals proved to be difficult, but Caldwell, Idaho trainer Jake Telford managed to pilot Shady Lil Starlight to the title.

“It was all a blur. It was definitely fast and furious,” admitted Telford. “This is a really good horse, and is the most reliable of the three I had. Luckily, they are all good, but he is very consistent.”

The newly crowned champion earned $9,062 for the score of 442.5 (217.5/225) in the class. In fact, Telford said he believed it is the toughest class at the World Show. “There are so many horses that could have won this, if things had been a little different,” he said. “Maybe someone didn’t have a great cow, or maybe their horses weren’t working well. I just put a lot of faith in him.”

At the 2007 Snaffle Bit Futurity, Telford and the stallion, by Grays Starlight and out of Shady Lil Cat, earned the Reserve Championship in the Open Hackamore class.

Kevin Stallings rode Shining Lil Nic to the Open Hackamore Reserve World Championship with a score of 435.5 (216/219.5) Shining Lil Nic, by Smart Shiner and out of Dig A Lil Nic, is owned by Bill and Janiejill Tointon.

Owned by Melanie Lockard and ridden by Joe Harper and David Phillips, Cowboy Kentata captured the NRCHA Open Hackamore National Championship.

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 Wayne Hodges 4-Star Trailers and Outlaw Conversions, Bob's Custom Saddles, Cinch, Inc., Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Nutrena, Quarter Horse News & Performance Horse magazine, the Peppermill Hotel/Resort, 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 the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.