Three Paint Horses takes top NRCHA honors

FORT WORTH, Texas—Three World Champion Paint Horses recently earned top honors with the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) during the NRCHA Fort Dodge Animal Health Celebration of Champions in San Angelo, Texas.

Cookin Merada started the event off on a high note after winning the Circle Y Ranch Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association Open Derby on February 2. Following up his win was another top Paint cow horse, Zezes Pepto Cat, who took the World Championship in the NRCHA Open Hackamore division. Not to be outdone by the stallions, One Smokin Chic proved Paint mares are just as competitive, earning the championship title in the NRCHA Open Bridle division.

Cookin Merada
No stranger to the winner’s circle, the 5-year-old sorrel overo stallion, Cookin Merada, was piloted by NRCHA million dollar rider Todd Crawford of Blanchard, Okla. Together the duo—who won an APHA World Championship in Junior Working Cow Horse and finished reserve in the APHA 4 & 5-year-old Working Cow Horse Challenge last July—earned a composite score of 442nd $12,319 while finishing on top of the 70 horse field at the NRCHA event.

Cookin Merada and Todd Crawford recently won the SWRCHA Circle Y Derby at the NRCHA Celebration of Champions. The APHA World Champions bested a field of 70 horses. Photo Credit: APHA/Abigail Wilder

“This is a really good horse,” said Crawford. “And it’s great to win here against this tough competition.”

Cooking Merada, owned by Matacorp, Ltd., of Midland, Texas, made headlines in May 2008 when he sold at public auction for a whopping $100,000. Earlier in his show career, Cookin Merada—who was sired by Meradas Money Talks AQHA and is out of Cookies Cooking AQHA—proved he would be a top competitor when he finished third at the NRCHA’s prestigious Snaffle Bit Futurity with Crawford aboard in 2007. According to NRCHA, Cookin Merada’s lifetime earnings now exceed $72,000.

Zezes Pepto Cat
Also well-known in the cow horse industry, the 6-year-old sorrel overo stallion Zezes Pepto Cat grabbed headlines during the NRCHA World Championships on February 7. Owned by the JR Partnership of Millsap, Texas, Zezes Pepto Cat partnered with Tom Neel, also from Millsap, for a composite score of 442.5 to win $8,568 in the NRCHA Open Hackamore World Championships.

“I just wanted a good solid run,” said Neel. “Our first cow took a lot of air out of him, but luckily it took a while to get that cow out of the pen. The second cow was really good.”

Zezes Pepto Cat was one of three Paint Horses to earn an NRCHA World Championship, winning the NRCHA Open Hackamore division. Photo Credit: APHA/Megan Larson

His most recent NRCHA win lengthens the stallion’s list of NRCHA championships won in the sport. Among his many NRCHA accolades, Zezes Pepto Cat, sired by Zeze Gunsmoke and out of Boons Cat, has proved himself in the world of Paint cow horses. With Neel aboard, Zezes Pepto Cat earned an APHA World Championship in Junior Working Cow Horse in 2007. This last year, the duo came to claim victories in the 4 & 5-Year-Old Working Cow Horse Challenge during the World Show and the Working Cow Horse Sweepstakes during the Fall Show.

One Smokin Chic
After her male counterparts dazzled the judges, 8-year-old One Smokin Chic, sired by Freckle Face Smoke and out of Ms Peppy Olena, proved she was just as hot. The sorrel tobiano mare and rider Bozo Rogers of Lipan, Texas—who already have two APHA Junior Working Cow Horse World Championships and an APHA Senior Working Cow Horse Reserve Championship under their belts—delighted the crowd with a composite score of 440.5 to earn $7,785 for their championship win in the NRCHA Open Bridle division.

Along with being honored with the NRCHA Supreme Cow Horse Award, One Smokin Chic won the NRCHA Open Bridle division. Photo Credit: APHA/Abigail Wilder

Along with her championship, One Smokin Chic, owned by the Anderson Cattle Company of Victoria, Texas, was honored with the NRCHA Supreme Cow Horse Award at the association’s year-end banquet.          

More about NRCHA
The NRCHA, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2009, is the governing body of cow horse competition. It 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.

More about the American Paint Horse Association
Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at APHA’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of more than 30,000 horses each year. APHA has registered more than 953,000 horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded 47 years ago, and now serves more than 80,000 active members around the world. Among its many activities, APHA works to preserve bloodlines and maintain the outstanding characteristics of the American Paint Horse breed. For more information about APHA, contact the Association at (817) 834-2742, or visit apha.com.