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| 2011 saw in the arrival of Catty Hawk's first foal crop - we are expecting great things... | ||||||
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| The 2011 American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show Amateur Cutting It was a very exciting night of cutting during the Nov. 10 AQHA Amateur Cutting finals. Fifteen horses faced off against each other and the cattle on Thursday night and about halfway through the draw, Michelle Cowan of Cowan Ranch, Ardmore, Okla., marked a big 222 score on her 2006 mare Loves Etch (High Brow Cat x Smart Love x Smart Little Lena). Coincidentally, that was the same score Michelle’s husband, Bill Cowan, marked on his mare Foxie In Style to win the preliminaries. But this time around, a 222 just wasn’t quite enough for Bill and 2005 mare Foxie In Style (Docs Stylish Sam x Foxie Merada x Freckles Merada). Four horses after his wife’s go, Bill stole the lead with a 223.5. The next horse-and-rider pair, Brandon Dufurrena, Gainesville, Texas, and his Miss Ella Rey (Dual Rey x Huggs Olena x Smart Chic Olena), tried to steal the top spot, but slid into second place with a 223. “I love this mare. She’s all heart and try,” Bill said of his Champion mare, “Foxie.” “I was a really hoping for a one-two [finish], but you know, hey, it’s all good,” Michelle said. She added that the good-natured competition between her and her husband made for a “really fun cutting tonight.” Bill agreed, knowing he was up against some tough competition with his wife and Dufurrena nipping at his heels. “I knew there were some really good horses tonight,” Bill said. “The horse that was second is one that I’ve been showing with all year long and that was one that I really wanted to watch show, and I only got by that one by half a point.” -QHN |
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| 2011 NRCHA World Championship Show NON-PRO BRIDLE Finalist: Reward Me Please and William B Cowan |
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2011 The Cattlemen's Derby/Classic OPEN CLASSIC 5th Place: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn, Owned by Cowan Ranch Inc |
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| 2011 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity 5/6 Y/O OPEN 7th Place: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn, Owned by Cowan Ranch Inc |
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| 2011 Tunica Futurity & Classic 5/6 Y/O OPEN 5th Place: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn, Owned by Cowan Ranch Inc | ||||||
| 2011 NRCHA Circle Y Derby LTD OPEN DERBY Finalist: ARC Peppy LA Please and Bobby Lockhart Owned by Cowan Ranch Inc |
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| 2010 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity NON-PRO FUTURITY 8th Place: Nic Dreamy and William B Cowan, owned by Cowan Ranch Inc Finalist: TR Spooky Cat and Michelle M Cowan, owned by Cowan Ranch Inc. TR Spooky Cat and Michelle were the Herd Work Champions. |
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| 2010 Music City Futurity OPEN CLASSIC Finalist: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn, Owned by Cowan Ranch Inc |
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| 2010 Southern Cutters Association Fall Futurity OPEN $2,000 Champion: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn, Owned by Cowan Ranch Inc |
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| 2010 Southwest RCHA Kalpowar Futurity/Derby & Stallion Stakes NON-PRO FUTURITY 3rd Place: Nic Dreamy and Willam Cowan Bueno Commander and Michelle Cowan also placed, both horses are owned by Cowan Ranch Inc COW WORK NON-PRO DERBY Champions: Ruby Red Pepto (Peptoboonsmal x Boomerita x Boomernic) and Michelle Cowan |
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| 2010 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Stakes NON-PRO Reserve Champion: ARC Peppy LA Please and Michelle M Cowan |
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| 2010 NCHA Summer Spectacular NON-PRO CLASSIC Finalist: Zack And Blue and Michelle M Cowan NON-PRO DERBY Finalist: Boonlight Bay and William Cowan |
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| 2010 NRCHA Celebration of Champions NON-PRO DERBY 3rd Place: ARC Peppy LA Please and Michelle M Cowan 3rd Place: Ruby Red Pepto and Michelle Cowan COW WORK Champion: ARC Peppy LA Please and Michelle M Cowan |
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| Faith Performance Horses Derby Hometown competitor Michelle Cowan, 38, won the Faith Performance Horses Derby Non-Pro title and $1,778 with a 438 aboard Ruby Red Pepto (Peptoboonsmal x Boomerita x Boomernic), a mare she placed third with in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Non-Pro in Reno last fall. The duo has fared well at other shows since then, but this was their first win. They clinched it in style on Sunday with an event-best 149 in the cow work. Cowan’s hoping for a similar effort next month when she takes the mare back to Reno for a Non-Pro hackamore event. “I was always just knocking on the door and finally got there with her,” Cowan said. “She was really good today. Probably that’s the best she’s ever been. I felt like I had control of the cow the whole time. It was a great feeling.” Michelle and her husband, Bill Cowan, bred and raised Ruby Red Pepto. The Cowans compete as cutters and cow horse contestants. Prominent cutting trainer Roger Wagner, Weatherford, Texas, actually rode Ruby Red Pepto last week. Wagner and three other cutters who competed in Saturday’s Celebrity Cow Horse event in Ardmore practiced a little bit first at Cowan Ranch.“It was kind of fun to watch him ride her,” Cowan said. “Roger was all worried he was going to mess her up for me. I don’t think he messed her up any.” -QHN |
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| 2010 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity 4 Y/O NOVICE NON-PRO Reserve Champion: Boonlight Bay (Boonlight Dancer x Miss Bay Gun x Playgun) ridden by William Cowan |
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| 2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity NON-PRO FUTURITY 3rd Place: Ruby Red Pepto and Michelle Cowan Finalist: Little Tappin Lena and William B Cowan Finalist: ARC Peppy LA Please and Michelle M Cowan |
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| 2009 Southwest RCHA Kalpowar Futurity/Faith PH Derby
FUTURITY NON-PRO Champions: Arc Peppy La Please (Chic Please x Tassas Little Peppy x Peppy San Badger) and William Cowan Reserve Champions: Ruby Red Pepto (Peptoboonsmal x Boomerita x Boomernic) and William Cowan DERBY NON-PRO Champions: Bet Yer A Star (Bet On Me 498 x Nurse Gray x Grays Starlight) and William Cowan |
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| 2009 Celebrity Cow Horse Challenge There were a few misadventures Saturday at Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Okla., as six reiners and six cutters competed in a Celebrity Cow Horse Challenge. Cutting trainer Sean Flynn, Weatherford, Texas, proved an exception to the rule as he appeared supremely comfortable in the saddle while guiding 7-year-old mare Reward Me Please to a 145.5 reining run and an even stronger 151-point cow work. Flynn’s 296.5 composite edged reiner Abby Mixon, Marietta, Okla., and Tiger Lilly’s 295 as the two horse and rider duos provided the night’s highlights while competing back-to-back from the No. 8 and No. 9 draws. Bill and Michelle Cowan, Ardmore, Okla., own Reward Me Please (Chic Please x Reward Me Peppy x Remedys Reward) and talked Flynn into riding her at the crowd-pleasing and free event. It took place in conjunction with Kalpowar Futurity and Faith Performance Horse Open and Non-Pro Futurity and Derby Open cow horse events that concluded Sunday, Aug. 22, in Ardmore. The Cowans compete with cow horses and cutters and they have sent horses from both disciplines to train with Flynn the past two years. “He’s a horseman,” Michelle Cowan said. “He can do just about anything. He had my 3-year-old cow horse for about three months, working on the cutting part of it. He played around quit a bit spinning him and changing leads and stuff. He really was getting into it. He [Flynn] always wanted to do it [compete with a cow horse]. He just didn’t have enough time to do it. I told him ‘Okay. We’ve got a horse for you. You’ve got to do this.” Flynn, 42, a native Australian, as were three of six cutters competing in the event, rode cow horses often while growing up in his home country. “I used to show these horses quite a bit, but I haven’t done it for quite a long time,” Flynn said. “It’s actually been 12 or 15 years since I’ve shown one.” Earlier in the week, Flynn practiced with his partner Reward Me Please at the Cowans’ ranch in Ardmore. “I rode her the other night and practiced on her and didn’t do too good,” Flynn said. “I thought about a few things and it worked out good tonight.” -QHN |
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| 2009 NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular OPEN DERBY Finalist: Catty Hawk and William Cowan 2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Stakes/Maturity STALLION STAKES NON PRO 4th place: Wheres My Shine and Michelle M Cowan |
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| 2009 NRCHA Derby NON PRO Reserve Champion: Wheres My Shine and Michelle M Cowan Michelle Cowan and Anne Reynolds Top 2009 NRCHA Derby Non-Pro Herd Work Prelims The action at the 2009 National Reined Cow Horse Association Derby in Paso Robles, Calif., began Wednesday, June 17 with the Non-Pro, Intermediate Non-Pro and Amateur divisions. Later in the day, the nation's top reined cow horses competed in the herd work of the Jack & Phoebe Cooke Open Bridle Spectacular, and the Non-Pro Bridle Spectacular. The final preliminary set of the Non-Pro Herd Work proved to be the toughest, with two riders guiding their entries to identical scores of 216 to take the field of 45. Michelle Cowan and her 2007 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, Wheres My Shine, tied with Anne Reynolds and the very consistent Very Smart Flo Jo for the lead. Wheres My Shine (Shining Spark x Boomerita x Boomernic), is owned by Michelle and her husband, Bill. Reynold's mother, Joyce Pearson, owns Very Smart Flo Jo (Very Smart Remedy x Teena Cash Flo x Nu Cash). |
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| 2009 Abilene Cutting Spectacular 4 Y/O OPEN Reserve Champion: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn 4 Y/O NON-PRO Finalist: Play Smart Chance and William Cowan 2009 Augusta Futurity and Classic FUTURITY OPEN Finalist: Catty Hawk and Sean Flynn 2009 NCHA Futurity NON-PRO FUTURITY Placed: Boonlight Bay and William Cowan |
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| 2009 Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association Summer Classic Cowan won the Futurity Non-Pro with a 416.5 on ARC Peppy LA Please (Chic Please x Tassas Little Peppy), a mare his wife, Michelle, plans to compete with next month at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno. He won the Derby Non-Pro and $1,067 with a 427 on Bet Yer A Star (Bet On Me 498 x Nurse Gray), a now 4-year-old gelding that he won the Summer Classic Futurity with last August at the event’s former site in Waco, Texas. Cowan and ARC Peppy LA Please bounced back from losing a cow and posting a low 131 in the herd work portion of the competition with 140.5 reining and 145 fence scores. “She was good in the reining and then she just tried her heart out in the fence work,” Cowan said. “I was proud of that because that cow was running.” Michelle Cowan will compete with the Futurity Non-Pro Champion in Reno, along with the horse that her husband tied for second and third with in the same event. “He [Bill] did a wonderful job,’’ Michelle said. “I don’t know if I could have been as brave as he was down the fence today. I was happy with the horses, too. They all performed really well.” -QHN |
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| Bill Cowan Takes NCHA Futurity Limited Non-Pro Despite qualifying two horses for the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity Non-Pro semifinals, Bill Cowan, a non-pro cutting and working cow horse rider from Ardmore, Okla., felt like he’d been competing a little too cautiously earlier in the week. Cowan, 36, a prior Limited Non-Pro winner at the 2005 NCHA Super Stakes Classic, tossed caution to the wind Sunday, Dec. 7 in Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum as he and his stallion Catty Hawk (High Brow Cat x Scarlet Dance x Peppy San Badger) marked a best-ever 224 to win the NCHA Limited Non-Pro finals and $17,700. “I’d been marking 210s and 212s all week,’’ Cowan said. “I just felt like I’d been a little bit tentative and a little bit cautious. I just went for it a little bit.” Cowan credited the horse’s trainer, Sean Flynn, who has trained cutting horses for the Cowans since fall 2007, with training the horse well and lining him up with great cows for the winning run, along with fellow herd helper Roger Wagner. “My high score was the last time I won here, with a 218, Cowan said, referring to his 2005 victory in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Limited Non-Pro with Miss Bay Gun (1999 mare, Playgun x The Dry Look x Dry Doc). “I’m still wearing that belt buckle. I really like competing down here.” Michelle gave birth to the couple’s third child, a son, William Caden Cowen, five weeks ago. She competed in Sunday’s Limited Non-Pro finals and earned $7,500 with a tie for 14th aboard Boonin San Tule, a Peptoboonsmal gelding. Bill Cowan also picked up $4,800 by placing 20th in the finals on his mare, Play Smart Chance (Playdox x Bobs Smart Chance x Bob Acre Doc). The Cowans compete with the same three horses in the Non-Pro semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 11. Bill Cowan scored 211-212.5–423.5 on Catty Hawk and 210-212.5–422.5 on Play Smart Chance in the Non-Pro go-rounds. Michelle Cowan marked 213-210–423 on Boonin San Tule in the go-rounds. The Cowans have been married 10 years. Both are accomplished cutters and working cowhorse competitors. Michelle won the 2007 National Reined Cowhorse Association World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity Non-Pro title and Bill tied for third in the Non-Pro finals at the 2008 Snaffle Bit Futurity. -QHN |
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| 2008 NRCHA Hackamore Classic NON-PRO CLASSIC 3rd place: Wheres My Shine and Michelle Cowan 4th place: Reward Me Please and Michelle Cowan 2008 NRCHA Derby NON-PRO DERBY 3rd place: Wheres My Shine and William Cowan INT. NON-PRO DERBY Champions: Wheres My Shine and William Cowan 2008 Cotton Stakes Derby and Classic CLASSIC NON-PRO Finalist: Spooks Bluestem and William Cowan |
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| 2008 Circle Y Ranch Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association Derby Michelle Cowan, Ardmore, Okla., collected all the rewards at the Circle Y Ranch Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association Derby on her horse, Reward Me Please (Chic Please x Reward Me Peppy), when her 146.5 in the cow work broke a tie with Tammy Johnston and clinched the Non-Pro Championship Feb. 18 at Stephenville, Texas. Cowan’s last National Reined Cow Horse Association event, the 2007 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, had the same result, but on a different mare, Wheres My Shine (Shining Spark x Boomerita). At Stephenville, both of Cowan’s mares were entered in the Derby. “Coming in, I thought they both had good chances, each has her own strengths and weaknesses,” Cowan said. “Dolly [Reward Me Please] is a year older and she is so consistent down the fence and always good in the herd. She always stops and turns big. Reining is challenging but she was good here. She just gives you a lot of confidence down the fence and is incredibly fast and very tight on a cow. She’s the best fence horse I’ve ever had.” With her 2007 Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, Wheres My Shine, “I was last in the herd on her and we cut soft, safe cows,” she said. “Then we didn’t get a good cow down the fence. I really wanted her to do well, but she had a foot abscess after the Futurity and was off for three months, so I’ve only been back on her three weeks. When the cow didn’t want to stay on the fence, you could tell she was still green.” She’ll have plenty of time to become more seasoned, as Cowan plans to continue to show both mares in NRCHA limited age events in 2008. -QHN |
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| 2007 The National Reined Cow Horse Snaffle Bit Futurity The National Reined Cow Horse Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Finals concluded Thursday, October 4, as 23 finalists competed for over $200,000. Riding her home grown mare, Wheres My Shine, Michelle Cowan, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, captured her first Snaffle Bit Futurity title. By Shining Spark and out of Boomerita, the talented three-year-old mare and her owner marked scores of 222 in the herd work, 216 in the rein work, and 218 in the cow work for a composite score of 656. The win garnered the Champion a check for $29,925, a Bob’s Custom Saddle sponsored by Skeets Peppy and Vaughn Zimmerman, an original C.R. Morrison Bronze sponsored by Cable Creek Ranch, a Skyline Gold & Silversmith buckle sponsored by Jon & Jody Semper, a Sensorflex pad donated by Classic Equine, a monogrammed down vest from Bloomer Trailers, and Platinum Performance. But it wasn’t the money or the prizes that made the win special. The victory was particularly sweet because of Cowan’s special attachment to the mare. “Maggie’s (Watch Me Shine) dam, Boomerita, was my first cow horse,” she explained. “You think about something like this – it’s wonderful to raise a baby, train it, and go win. I tried not to hope too much that it would happen.” -QHN |
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