Ron Emmons
"The finals were tough, but so were the preliminaries," Ron Emmons, who won the Championship on Olena Oak, exclaimed. "The scores in the preliminary round would have scared you they were so high. Just being able to get through it and make the finals was an accomplishment."
Emmons and the 10-year-old cow horse were steady in the first two phases of competition, marking a 216 in the herd work and a 219.5 in the rein work. Then the pair earned the high score of the steer stopping, a 222.
"I told my wife LaDona that I was going to let it hang out a little today, and every time I asked this horse for anything he gave it to me," he explained. "He just kept getting better and better as the day went on."
Emmons and "Ernie" had a two-point lead going into the cow work. The pair was competing as the first draw and slammed the door on the competition with a remarkable fence run that the judges awarded a score of 228!
"Before the fence work, I really wanted to mark a 225. I wanted to get 75s from the judges," Emmons said. After circling to complete the fence work, Emmons leaned over to pat the cow. He explained, "At that point, I knew that I had definitely gotten those75s!"
It seems like Olena Oak has done it all. The Smart Chic Olena stallion, out of Fritzs Oak E Doakie, has won two American Quarter Horse Association World Championships, won the Magnificent 7 competition twice, won the $50,000-Added Holy Cow Performance Horses Open Bridle Spectacular and won numerous other NRCHA premier event titles. All total, his lifetime earnings now exceed $257,000.
Owners Mel Smith and Nichole Scott were on-hand to take home the prizes, which included a check for $25,000, a Bob's Custom Saddle sponsored by Dechra Veterinary Products, a Gist Silversmiths buckle also sponsored by Dechra Veterinary Products, a monogrammed cooler from Classic Equine, custom boots from Rios of Mercedes and a CR Morrison trophy.
Emmons, Ione, California, said that he thanked everyone for their support. When asked for specifics, he said, "I thank my herd help, Corey Cushing, Ron Ralls, Doug Williamson, and Mark Luis; my sponsors, Pro Orthopedics, Harlan Feed, Nutrena, and CowTrac; my wife, LaDona; and Mel Smith and Nichole Scott for letting me ride such a great horse."
He added, "I also thank everyone here at San Angelo. The people here go out of their way to help us feel welcome, and I really appreciate them."
Shawn Hays and Smart Chic Aloha finished the World's Greatest Horseman competition with the Reserve Championship with a score of 875.5. The Reserve title came with a check for $17,000, a Gist Silversmiths buckle sponsored by Garth and Amanda Gardiner and a monogrammed cooler from Classic Equine.
Hays has only been riding Smart Chic Aloha (Smart Chic Olena x Lei Aloha) since early December. The mare had just been weaned from her foal in September, and owners Frances and Aaron Labourdette asked the Nocona, Texas, trainer if he'd be interested in competing on her.
"I had ridden her before and knew I could get along with her. She's a really talented and nice mare. The entries didn't close until the end of December, so I said to bring her out and we'd see if we could get her ready. She felt good so we entered," he explained. "I really appreciate Frances and Aaron Labourdette for letting me ride her.
"I thank my herd help, Robbie Boyce, Ron Ralls, Phillip Ralls, and Boyd Rice. Thank you to my sponsors EquiPride and EquiLix, and to the NRCHA for producing such a great event."
He added, "Hat's off to Ron. He went out there and earned it. He did an amazing job today."
World's Greatest Horseman Finalists Determined
Composite leader, Russell Dilday, riding Topsails Rien Maker
The steer stopping competition was first, and there was a three-way tie for first place. Bobby Lewis and Dual Spark (Dual Pep x Dolittle Lena), Russell Dilday and Topsails Rien Maker (Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay) and Corey Cushing and Smart Boons (Peptoboonsmal x Smart Little Easter) all marked scores of 222, and each took home $667. Each will receive a Gist Silversmiths buckle sponsored by the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association.
Lewis owns Dual Spark, Topsails Rien Maker is owned by Dilday and Kevin Cantrelle, and Smart Boons is owned by Kevin and Sydney Knight.
For many, the cow work preliminaries represented their last chance to make it to the clean-slate finals, where the winner will take home a guaranteed $25,000 check.
On the first evening of competition, Feb. 1, Shawn Hays and Smart Chic Aloha had a near-disastrous herd work, resulting in a 199. But the pair came back strong over the course of the preliminary round, marking the high score of the cow work, a 226. Not only did that score garner a check for $1,000 and a Gist Silversmiths buckle sponsored by Stuart Ranch, it also secured a finals berth.
On Feb. 1, Boyd Rice and Mr Playinstylish (Playin Stylish x Tari Chick Gay), owned by Kit and Charlie Moncrief, achieved the highest score of the World’s Greatest Horseman herd work, a 223. The high score of the Feb. 2 rein work was a 226.5, marked by Jake Telford and Once A Von A Time (Von Reminic x Sheza Shinette), owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses.
With the conclusion of the cow work, it took only a few calculations to figure which other teams would come back Sunday, Feb. 5, finals.
Leading the way are the reigning World's Greatest Horseman Champions Dilday and Topsails Rien Maker with an 883.5 composite. Dilday and "Slider" are actually the only horse and rider team to win three World's Greatest Horseman titles.
It took an 860.5 to make it back to the finals.
Joining Dilday and Topsails Rien Maker in the finals are:
Robbie Boyce and HA Gay Freckles, owned by Mark and Wendy Froman
Shawn Hays and Smart Chic Aloha, owned by Labourdette Ranch LLC
Zane Davis and Bobby Starlight, owned by John Semanik
John Swales and Maximum Echo, owned by Flo Houlton
Doug Williamson and Flo N Blue Boon, owned by Garth and Amanda Gardiner
Phillip Ralls and Nics Black Diamond, owned by Mark and Kelly Gowing
Ron Emmons and Olena Oak, owned by Mel Smith and Nichole Scott
Jake Telford and Once A Von A Time, owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses LLC
Corey Cushing and Smart Boons, owned by Kevin and Sydney Knight
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