Northwest Trainers Shine in Reno at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity

The level of competition in the Northwest has developed significantly in the past couple of years. I am so pleased to see all of the hard work by our trainers paying off. Aged horses in the Northwest have always been some of the top horses in the world. But many people gauge the abilities and success of trainers by their performance at the futurities. This year, with the awesome support of their fans, the Northwest trainers came, they saw, and they conquered! Congratulations!

Cayley Wilson, Abbotsford, BC

Cayley brought three horses and his game to Reno this year. With herd work scores that made cutters jealous, Cayley navigated all three horses into the finals. Smart O Man, a Smart Little Lena stallion, owned by Blair Visser made the Limited Open Finals and Chicks Sassy Nick, a stunning bay mare owned by James Creek Ranch, finished third in the Limited Open Finals. But the horse that put Cayley on the map was Starlit Holly, a mare also owned by Blair Visser.

A high herd score of 221, dry of 213.5 and a fence score of 219.5 earned Cayley and Starlit Holly the title of 2006 Intermediate Open and Limited Open Futurity Champion! Cayley also made the prestigious Open Finals on the sorrel mare, but after great herd and dry works, the team stumbled in the fence work and Cayley kissed the fence with his forehead pushing him out of the top positions. I have known the Wilsons since I moved to the Northwest, and I am nothing short of impressed with the level of competition Cayley has achieved in such a short time. If this year’s performance is any indication, we will be seeing Cayley and his lovely family in the winning circle for many years to come.

Jim Spence, Yamhill, OR

If you were to see Tangy’s Classy Boots in a field you would think, “what a cute little thing she is!” There is nothing about her exterior or demeanor that would indicate the fact that she is one of the most wicked fence horses in history. Boots is owned by Jim’s mother-in-law Dolores Lizer. Spectators watching Jim Spence and Boots, left the crowd asking “who in the world is Jim Spence?” after Jim made a preliminary fence run score of 222 and two final fence run scores of 223 and 222. With more than solid herd and rein works, Spence and Boots qualified for the Open, Intermediate Open and Limited Open Finals.

After securing the titles of Intermediate Open and Limited Open Futurity Reserve Champions on Friday, Spence suited back up to compete in all three events again on Sunday and finished an impressive 8th in the Open Futurity Finals. In total the little mare won about $50,000. Spence proved his performance was no fluke by making the Open Hackamore Finals, finishing 6th, on Short and Snakey, owned by Caroline Prebble and the Open Bridle Finals, finishing 4th, on Durackular owned by Shelly Crosson. The horse show classes at Reno are the largest and most prestigious of the year and feature the best aged horses in the nation. Spence’s success this year was well supported by his fans giving the coliseum a rock concert feel every time he walked in the pen.

Dave Duquette, Hermiston, OR

Pecas Playboy and Dave Duquette marked a 218 on the fence work to secure the win in the Limited Open Hackamore Class. Dave’s wife Stephanie has shown this son of Pecas Olena all year and was at Reno for her to compete on. After some deliberation, because the entry fees at Reno are quite high, the Duquettes decided to enter the gelding for Dave to show in the Limited Open Hackamore.

Because Pecas Playboy was transformed this year from a ranch horse to a show pony, Dave was conservative in the reining portion of the class. Stephanie had proved the horse’s fence work abilities in previous shows, marking 74s and 75s, so Dave let it all hang out down the fence. The trust he had in his horse paid off earning him the title and a check for $2,352.

Other Northwest Trainers

Jake Teleford of Idaho and Roosters Hickory owned by David Hart marked a 213, 220.5 and a 217 to earn $41,000 and 5th place in the Open Futurity. Jake has become a force to be reckoned with at the Futurity in the past couple of years and is not far from earning the prestigious title. NRCHA President Dan Roeser of Marsing Idaho and One Smart Response, owned by Vicki Cantlon, placed 7th in the Intermediate Open Futurity. Dan has been a magnificent President of the NRCHA and will continue to be one of the greatest cow horse competitors in the world. Also making a great performance was our good friend Mike Helsen and Hail Olena owned by Cheryl McLean who finished Top Ten in the Limited Open.

For more information and detailed show results go to www.nrcha.com

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Jim Roeser Inducted into the NRCHA Hall of Fame

Jim Roeser was born in Caldwell Idaho on May 29th of 1933 to a ranching family. His parents and grandparents had trained and supplied horses to the US Army before their move to Idaho. Jim married Lola Layher and the couple had four sons, Dan (NRCHA President), Tim, Jon, and Mark.

As a young man, Jim joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association. Jim qualified for the very first National Finals Rodeo in Dallas in 1959, and between then and 1964 he qualified for the finals 5 times in Saddle Bronc and Bareback events. He took the Bareback Championship at the Snake River Stampede in 1957, won the Fort Worth Stock Show in 1960 in Saddle Bronc, and was the Bareback Champion at the 1962 Calgary Stampede.

While riding at the Salinas Rodeo, Jim took notice of the stock horse classes and became friends with Johnny Brazil who got a kick out of this bronc rider being interested in the finely tuned horses. Jim retired from Rodeo in 1965, the same year he and Lola bought a little ranch near Caldwell. Five years later, the family suffered a huge setback when Lola passed away at the age of 36.

Jim became deeply involved with the cow horse world, but not just in showing and training. He could be found at many of the Cow Horse events around the country, making friends and being an ambassador for the reined cow horse industry by helping many individuals and associations get started. He was one of the founders of the Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association which held its first Futurity in 1975. Jim placed second in that first futurity and two years later won it on Nik Nack, the same year he married Carlene Solomon.

Together the two of them built Roeser Training Stables into one of the finest training and breeding facilities in the Northwest. In 1980 they purchased the mare Royal D Lou who had a son of Dry Doc at her side named Dry Double, the colt that would go on to become the cornerstone for the Roeser's breeding program. Between 1982 and 1989 Jim had much success at the SBF. He also won the bridle class at his beloved Idaho Futurity many times on such horses as Lahekin Tu, Whirlaway Derby, Chase Me Dry, Real Dry and Miss Dry April.

In 1986 Jim and Carlene were able to buy the ranch of their dreams on Squaw Creek in Southwest Idaho, and Roeser Ranch has since been recognized by many as an outstanding traditional family ranch that produces world class cow horses, while Jim was honored by the NRCHA in 1991 with the Vaquero Award, and in 1994 as Stock Horse Man Of The Year. Jim and Carlene had 17 wonderful years together raising cattle, Dry Double foals, and border collies before Carlene passed away in 1996 and Jim just one year later in April of 1997.

Jim's legacy goes far beyond great horses, and it continues on through his sons. Dan and Jon are top reined cow horse trainers, and they both continue in their father’s footsteps by serving on boards and committees. Tim runs the cattle and horse breeding operation at the ranch, and Mark has several good brood mares, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jim is looking down and smiling on the Roeser family tradition his sons are carrying on.

Jim remains the only man in history to have qualified for both the NRCHA Futurity finals, and the National Finals Rodeo.

Used with permission from the NRCHA Website.