Total Earnings: $452,273
An apprenticeship to an equine chiropractor brought Hayden Upton to the United States from Australia 22 years ago. He grew up around horses but it was through working on cutting horses that drew him into the sport as a trainer. Upton had worked for Gerald O’Brien in Australia where he learnt how to break horses of all disciplines from thoroughbreds to kid’s ponies but he never worked for a cutting horse trainer. Keep On Reading!
It all came together for Hayden Upton who claimed his first victory in the Will Rogers when he won the Ltd Open Classic Final at Fort Worth.
Hayden rode Superfly and marked a 222, some 6 points ahead of the field to win.
Hayden took home more than $4,100 for the win, taking his total winnings to $165,000.
Superfly, a 5-year-old gelding by Smooth As A Cat out of Lenas Horn, is owned by Brett and Shaye Johnson. The horse has been trained by Hayden throughout it’s career, with $26,000 in lifetime earnings.
Hayden Spoke with Simone Cobb about how he successfully changed his cow strategy for the final.
Jose Cruz came second on Wild Starz with a 216, while Wes Ashlock claimed third aboard Creyzy Eights just one point behind.
