Flying Wrangler
At the Houston Livestock Show in Houston, Texas, Boyd Rice of Spearman, Texas, rode Flying Wrangler as high as he could go in the standings in the show's Ranch Horse Competition. The pair took first place among 22 contestants.

Rice and the Paint sorrel tobiano gelding performed with remarkable precision in the competition, which included reining, cutting and roping.

The horse's talents did not go unnoticed in the Ranch Horse sale following the competition. Howard Tinney of Hanceville, Alabama, purchased the Paint Horse for $21,000-the highest price in the history of the sale.

JR Red Diablo
National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame rider Chubby Turner of Weatherford, Texas, took another Paint to the top of the standings in 2002. This time it was in cutting competition with a talented horse named JR Red Diablo. Together, Turner and JR Red Diablo captured the 2002 Flowmaster/National Cutting Horse Association Superstakes open title in Fort Worth, Texas. Owned by George Jensen of Jacksboro, Texas, the red roan tobiano was the best among 272 world-class 4-year-old cutting horses, earning more than $80,000 for his win.

The victory marked the second time in three years that rider Chubby Turner of Weatherford, Texas, rode an American Paint Horse to victory in the prestigious NCHA Super Stakes open competition. In 2000, he earned a championship with a Paint Horse named JR Colord Prom.

"Paints have always been good for me," said Turner.

Through the years, Turner said he has often taken a good-natured ribbing from some of his fellow trainers who have been reluctant to ride Paints in the performance arena.

"That's OK," said Turner. "I just tell them, 'If you boys don't want to ride 'em, I will, and I'll beat you with 'em.' "

Docs Too Boots
Another Paint Horse, Docs Too Boots, proved that he has what it takes to be a winner when he and rider Scottie Hairston performed at United States Team Roping Championships competition last October in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Hairston, of Henegar, Alabama, and Docs Too Boots took the top spot in the amateur category and also won first place in the No. 9 Shoot-Out at the competition. For their efforts, they earned more than $40,000.

When the going gets tough is when Hairston turns to Docs Too Boots.

"If there's money to be won, I ride my Paint," he said. "He's dependable, so if I'm at a roping competition, he's there with me."

Macho Town Chica
A Paint Horse named Macho Town Chica also knows the meaning of tough competition. The remarkable 5-year-old mare won APHA's Supreme Champion title in October 2002, becoming the first Paint Horse to earn the distinction in the last 10 years. The horse earned nine Registers of Merit (ROM) in classes ranging from racing to halter to working hunter. To earn the award, a horse must claim 80 or more show points-30 in halter and 50 in performance-at least five Grand Championships, and at least one Register of Merit in each of five specific categories. To further prove its versatility and athletic ability, the horse must also earn four racing points, with a speed index of 80 or better.

Despite the variety of disciplines she had to learn, it took "Chica" only three years to become a Supreme Champion, earning nine ROMs, 116 halter points, 153 performance points, 16 Grand Championships, a Superior in halter and an APHA Champion title. On the track, the mare earned a speed index of 83.

Owner Debbie Watkins of Sprague River, Ore., obviously thinks a lot of her Paint.

"I can do anything with this mare," she said. "If I want to go team penning tonight at the local club, I can do that. I can take her trail riding-she's an awesome trail horse. She has a mind that's just super. She's an incredible mare."

Watkins added, "She's about as perfect as a horse can get."

Annvers Easy Blue
Another person who is proud of his Paint Horse is 2002 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Steer Roping Champion Buster Record of Buffalo, Oklahoma. Record's Paint Horse, Annvers Easy Blue, helped him win the title in November 2002 at the National Steer Roping Finals in Amarillo, Texas.

Record won more than $12,000 at the finals, earning $56,575 in total winnings for 2002, along with the distinction of being World Steer Roping Champion.

A man who has more to say about his horse than himself, Record gave full credit to Annvers Easy Blue, his 15-year-old sorrel overo gelding.

"He's real honest and gives you his all every time," said Record. "He was the best horse going this year. He did everything right.

"He ran well and was just strong all around. This Paint did everything I asked him to all year long. I never expected all this to happen, and it was all because of this horse. Š He's special and I know I'll never have another one quite like him."

Smithy Town
While Record was focusing on the World Steer Roping Championship title in Amarillo, Sander Elquist was setting his sights on winning the 2002 Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association's World Championship 3- and 4-Year-Old Futurity. That event, held in November 2002 at Westworld in Scottsdale, Arizona, featured some of the nation's top riders and gun handlers. In the competition, riders shoot black powder blank cartridges from .45 caliber pistols at balloons, and are scored on accuracy and time. The cartridges are topped off with either ground corncob or ground walnut shells so the load will break a balloon at a 15-foot distance.

Elquist, a rancher from Oakley, Idaho, proved to be the best at the event, earning the World Championship title at the futurity on his Paint Horse named Smithy Town. The 4-year-old tobiano gelding has become a versatile companion for Elquist.

"I use him for everything," Elquist said. "He's been used for team roping, ranch rodeos, as a pick-up horse at rodeos, plus we own a ranch and I use him to sort cattle, doctor cattle or gather cattle from the mountains.

"The rest of my horses never get ridden, because I like to ride him."

More about APHA people and programs

Jim Kelley, APHA executive secretary, attributed the popularity of the growing association in large part to dedicated Paint Horse owners and members who continually showcase the breed's talent and versatility.

"We congratulate everyone who enjoyed success with Paint Horses last year," said Kelley. "Paint Horses and the people who ride them are the greatest ambassadors of this association."

For more information about American Paint Horses or APHA's many programs and activities, visit http://www.apha.com or call (817) 834-APHA (2742).