The National Reined Cow Horse Association is happy to welcome DT Horses, LLC, as the title sponsor for the Western Derby, held in DT Horse’s hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona. It is already a banner year for the reined cow horse industry having held a successful Celebration of Champions world show in Fort Worth, Texas, and an entry record-breaking Stallion Stakes in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The momentum from those events is expected to carry over to the newly-christened DT Horses Western Derby, held June 2 through 12 at WestWorld of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is the second year for NRCHA to host the Derby at WestWorld, and the first year for DT Horses, owned by Dean Tuftin, to be the event’s title sponsor.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for Dean’s support of the NRCHA through his sponsorship of the DT Horses Western Derby,” said Anna Morrison, NRCHA executive director. “Dean’s impact on our association has been felt not only through his generous support of events like the Derby and World’s Greatest Horseman, but also through the outstanding horses he sends to our arenas and the innovative ideas he brings to the table. Partners like Dean are vital to the continued success and growth of cow horse sport.”
Hickory Holly Time carried Kelby Phillips to the 2018 World’s Greatest Horseman win.
DT Horses made a three-year commitment to the event. Based in north Scottsdale, DT Horses is home to elite rope horse facilities while also having close ties to the reined cow horse industry. Tuftin owns 2010 stallion Hickory Holly Time (One Time Pepto x Hickorys Holly Cee x Doc’s Hickory), NRCHA 2018 World’s Greatest Horseman champion, 2015 NRCHA Open Hackamore World Champion, 2014 NRCHA Open Derby Champion and 2014 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Intermediate Open Champion. Nineteen Ten (Hickory Holly Time x Lil Miss Shiney Chex x Shining Spark), a 2016 stallion with lifetime earnings of $117,877, is also one of DT Horses reined cow horse stars.
With a full slate of horse show classes, the DT Horses Western Derby is set to be another huge event, especially with the $100,000 added to the Open 4- and 5-year-old Derby. The CD Survivor Open Bridle Spectacular, sponsored by Holy Cow Performance Horses, includes $25,000 in added-money to the top bridle horse at the event. In addition, $25,000 is added to the Non Pro Derby, $3,000 to the Non Pro Limited Derby, and $10,000 is added to the Non Pro Limited horse show class at the Derby, as voted on by the NRCHA Board of Directors last year.
The show year continues in July with the Dom Conicelli Memorial Eastern Derby, sponsored by MARS Equestrian™, in Cordova, Tennessee, then wraps with the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity held in Fort Worth, Texas, in October. For more information on these events and reined cow horse, visit www.nrcha.com
