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High Brow CD Retires
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Quelle: Quarter Horse Today - vom 02.02.2010
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High Brow CD, a 6-year-old stallion who launched his career by carrying Summerdale, Ala., trainer Austin Shepard to consecutive Open titles at NCHA Futurity, Augusta Futurity, Tunica Futurity and NCHA Super Stakes events in late 2007 and early 2008, ended his competitive cutting career with an exciting but penalty-plagued 211.
The last cutting run of High Brow CD's career still drew the night's loudest cheers during the Open Champions Challenge at the 2010 Augusta Futurity on Jan. 28 in Augusta, Ga.
The 2008 National Cutting Horse Association Horse of the Year (High Brow Cat x Sweet Little CD x CD Olena) accumulated more than $520,000 in career cutting earnings and three more limited-age titles at the 2008 Music City Futurity, the 2008 Brazos Bash and the 2008 Sam's Town Derby, plus a Reserve Champion finish at the 2008 Southern Futurity. He also qualified for several more limited-age event finals.
Dont Look Twice (High Brow Cat x Tapt Twice x Dual Pep), a 5-year-old mare and 2008 Augusta Futurity Open Champion ridden by Phil Rapp, Weatherford, Texas, and 4-year-old mare That Catomine (High Brow Cat x That Smarts x Smart Little Lena) ridden by Matt Gaines, Weatherford, Texas, finished as Co-Champions with identical 223 scores from the first and last draws during the seven-horse event. They earned $3,400 each for Waco Bend Ranch, Graham, Texas, and Jack and Susan Waggoner, Bridgeport, Texas.
High Brow CD, owned by Grace Ranch and its husband and wife proprietors Chris and Staci Thibodeaux, Jennings, La., clearly earned the largest cheers after posting one of the night's most exciting runs from a No. 2 draw. That run, following an announcement that it was the last of High Brow CD's career, initially drew a 221 score that many fans thought should have been a bit higher. But three of the five judges detected a major flaw.
A lengthy judges' review left everyone wondering if Dont Look Twice and That Catomine would remain as Co-Champions or if High Brow CD might overtake both. A majority of judges eventually determined Sheppard and High Brow CD did commit an illegal switch cutting a cow, so the horse failed to earn any money during his last run.
Shepard and Chris Thibodeauax still said High Brow CD exhibited great talent and fire, but they also agreed the time had arrived for him to become a full-time breeding stallion.
"He bred about 150 mares last year before I got him back [to resume training as a cutter in June]," Shepard said. "It [breeding] changes their mind-set. Physically, he wasn't in shape for it [competing] last year. It's such a daily thing. He was good at the Derby [July's NCHA Summer Spectacular in Fort Worth, Texas], but he wasn't really himself."
Thibodeuax purchased "Wendel" in early 2008. The horse's nickname pays homage to his breeder, Bob Wendel, Bastrop, Texas. He received it from his original owner Arthur Noble, Madison, Miss.
From the start of his ownership, Thibodeaux decided he'd let Shepard continue to train and ride the horse and let Shepard tell him when to stop. The horse owner and Shepard agreed the time and place were right at the Augusta show.
"It's just time to give him a break and let him go to the breeding barn," Chris Thibodeaux said. "We always said that when Austin felt like it was time, it was time. He just said, 'Today's the day.' It's been coming. It [Augusta] was an appropriate venue to do it in."
High Brow CD bred about 30 mares as a 4-year-old and then bred 150 mares last year. His book is nearly full but still has a few openings for the 2010 season, Thibodeaux said.
High Brow CD was a late addition to the Open Champions Challenge roster. Shepard and Thibodeaux had hoped to retire him in tonight's [Jan. 29] 5/6-Year-Old Open Classic finals at the Augusta Futurity, but the horse did not fare well enough in the preliminaries.
"When I talked to Chris about it [showing the horse one last time in the Championship Challenge] he said, 'Just have fun and enjoy yourself,' Shepard said. He added the horse truly enjoyed the great response he received from the Augusta crowd. "That horse, people think I'm crazy but he loves a crowd. He's the biggest ham I've ever seen in my life."
Champion's Challenge Open Co-Champions Dont Look Twice and Rapp are competing again in tonight's 5/6 Open Classic finals. Dont Look Twice, the runner-up in the 2009 NCHA Open Horse of the Year race, and Rapp won last years' August Futurity Open 4-Year-Old title with a 228 score. They posted the top two-go score in this year's 5/6 Open preliminaries with a composite 444. Rapp's Champion's Challenge Co-Championship extended his Augusta Futurity record to 10 career titles earned at the event.
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AMERICANA – New Fax-Number: ++49 721 151 47 32 40.
The next events to go:
Americana 2010
05.09.2010 - 12.09.2010
NRHA Breeders Futurity
08.10.2010 - 16.10.2010
Americana 2011
28.08.2011 - 04.09.2011
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