Dell Hendricks and Starbucks Sidekick Earn Slot on US Reining Team for World Equestrian Games
Article courtesy of Cheryl Magoteaux

Dell Hendricks + Starbucks Sidekick

At the Kentucky Horse Park during the 2006 Adequan^®/United States Equestrian Federation^® Open Reining Championship, it all came down to which of the 27 entries would become part of the U.S Reining Team for this year’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, September 1-3.  Dell Hendricks will once again represent the United States as a part of elite United States Equestrian Team.

Dell and Starbucks Sidekick were in top form at the USEF Championships, marking 226.5 to earn a slot on the prestigious Team USA, along with Champion Matt Mills and Easy Otie Whiz, Tim McQuay and Mister Nicadual and Aaron Ralston and  Smart Paul Olena. 1st alternate is Tom McCutcheon of Aubrey, Texas, riding Ruf Hearted Jac, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion owned by Sarah Willeman, and the second alternate is Crystal McNutt of Scottsdale, Arizona, riding Dun With Caution, an eight-year-old Quarter Horse gelding owned by RVR Performance Horses, LLC

Starbucks Sidekick is a Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Adair Reiners LLC that stands at Hendricks’ Tioga, Texas ranch, and Dell felt the six-year-old was at the top of his game in Lexington. “He was good,” notes Dell. “The ground was challenging so I didn’t maybe push him to the stops as hard as I could have but he circled and turned really well.”

Reining Team USA Members-
Tim McQuay, Dell Hendricks, Aaron Ralston, Matt Mills

“I’m really happy to be on the team with Tim and Matt and Aaron,” he said. “Tim has been a mentor for me and Matt was my assistant trainer so we all have a history together and it’s kind of fun to be on team like that.”

For Hendricks, making the World Equestrian Games team has been a goal. “I was disappointed in 2002 in that I couldn’t have the horses I wanted to show there but it worked out well this time.”

Hendricks was quick to thank Craig Schmersal, with whom he tied for fourth place to make the team. Every tie-breaker left the riders tied. “It was an emotional and exhausting process and they put it to me and Craig as to whether to flip a coin or run it off. Neither of us thought it was fair to lose a coin toss on such an important issue and neither of us felt we wanted another really hard run on our horses. Craig finally said he’d step aside, since he’d gone last time. It was very honorable of him. I don’t know how to thank him.” 

“I told my wife before the reining tonight that I wanted to be on this team more than I wanted to win the Futurity. It means an awful lot to be riding for your country.”

Hendricks will actually have another big trip before the September trek to Germany, as he’s part of a contingent of top reiners and officials who are traveling to Russia in July.

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Dell & Terri Hendricks
14974 E. FM 922 Tioga, TX 76271
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