Austin Shepard was a man with a purpose when he came out last in the final to lay down the most exciting run of the Open Derby at the 2017 Summer Spectacular.
Austin had the crowd on the edge of their seats as he and Sir Long Legs shut down one cow after another to mark a 229! Reserve Champion, Matt Miller had been holding the lead at 224 on Metallic Smart Cat until Austin crossed the timeline.
He told CHTO’s Simone Cobb his first Derby Championship in the Will Rogers felt very special.
Matt Gaines Dominates 2016 Open Futurity Final!
December 11th, 2016 by Simone CobbSecond Spot defied her name and rode into the history books with one of the greatest trainers in the sport on her back, Matt Gaines.
Matt, who has won almost every major title on offer, finally grasped the Holy Grail of cutting when he took out the Open Futurity Final in Fort Worth.
The pair put on a spectacular display of precision and speed to notch up an amazing 229, some 7 points ahead of the field while the crowd roared its approval!
An emotional Matt told CHTO’s Simone Cobb he felt elated, relieved and blessed to experience this moment.
Second Spot was bred and raised by Gary and Shannon Barker of Madill, Ok by the sire Spots Hot out of Reycy Moon.
Matt, from Weatherford, Tx, wins more than $225,000 for the title, taking the second highest ever money earner’s total winnings to almost $7.9-million.
Austin Shepard, from Mobile, Al, won the Reserve Championship aboard Sir Long Legs with a 222, taking home $195,000. Sir Long Legs is a High Brow Cat owned by Lew Hall.
Third place went to RL Chartier on Crafty With Cows and a score of 219.5.
Total prize money for the open amounted to $1.975 million, with a $65,000 bonus total awarded to first and second place thanks to Jerry’s Chevrolet and Great American Insurance Group.