Emmons Doubly Magnificent at Expo

By Paula Parisi August 1, 2010

Ron Emmons took first and second place in the Magnificent Seven stock horse competition at the 12th Annual Western States Horse Expo, which took place June 11–13 in Sacramento. The rider, of Ione, CA, was named All Around Stock Horse Champion amassing $10,528 in winnings aboard Olena Oak, owned by Mel Smith and Nichole Scott.

Emmons also came in second on 3 Peaks Ranch’s Matt Dillon Done It, for a total of $8,282, followed by Russell Dilday on Soula Moula, with a $6,392 payout for Piras Cows and Horses. Last year’s Magnificent Seven Champion, Bob Avila, placed fourth with Brother White, owned by Dana Avila.

Olena Oak is the eight-year-old son of Quarter Horse superstar Smart Chicolena. “Ron has been very successful, riding him since the beginning of his four year old year,” said Smith. “They have an excellent relationship, and we’re very happy.” The duo took advantage of a slim opportunity to improve on its 2009 second-place performance at the same event.

The Magnificent Seven is unusual in that it tests horses for a combined score in four different events in which they would normally compete in separate classes: Reining, Steer Stopping , Cutting and Cow Work on the Fence. Combined, “it’s like a triathlon, and then some!” said Smith. “It’s really grueling for the horse to just move from one event to the other and just keep going—boom, boom, boom! All four events in one day—first with a preliminary round, and then they bring the best seven back for finals after a day of rest.”

After two such rides, Emmons said simply, “You’re kinda wore out after you’re done!” But the fast pace suits him just fine. “With me, the busier I stay the better I am. I just let instinct take over.”

Another highlight of this year’s event was the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Extravaganza—a display of each sport competing at WEG, Sept. 25–Oct. 10 in Lexington, KY. “Alltech was one of our big sponsors this year,” WSHE organizer Miki Cohen said, explaining that the company “provides raw ingredients to all the feed companies. What DuPont is to plastics, Alltech is to pet food. They also do beer.”

Breyer was back for its sixth WSHE. Marketing manager Jennifer Tutko characterized the “BreyerWest” fest as “an amazing event” that drew volunteers from as far as Pennsylvania and Texas. Highlights included a sneak peek at new fall product: the Elvis Presley Collection, McLain Ward’s Olympic champion Sapphire and USEF Pony Hunter Champion Enchanted Forest, as well as Escondido, a limited edition model created for WSHE.

In lieu of a Mustang Challenge, a “Rescue Me Trainers Challenge” sought homes for roughly 60 head of abused or abandoned horses. “They were close to having all the horses placed by the end of it,” Cohen said. She also added a Dog Expo this year. The event, which required a separate ticket purchase, was moderately successful. She is not sure if she will be bringing it back again next year. But overall, she characterized the economics of the show as stable.

“The exhibitors section was good. There was a little falloff, companies that have just disappeared. What we’re seeing is survival of the fittest in this economy,” Cohen noted.  Another important economic indicator at the show, the horse auction, was a success, with roughly 115 horses—from Andalusians to Paints, but mostly Quarter Horses—sold, according to auctioneer Dave Hammond, who said broke, well-trained horses in many disciplines were in strong demand, commanding anywhere from $2,500 to $8,000.

The top seller was Dual Reys Angel, a 2005 broodmare sired by Dual Rey out of full sister to Peptoboonsmal that sold for $24,500 in foal to One Time Pepto. Sweet One Time, a 2009 red roan yearling filly sired by One Time Pepto, brought $16,500. Both were part of a dispersal sale of high-end cutting horses.

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