Hit The Lights Carries Dell Hendricks to his Fifth NRBC Open Championship
Article
courtesy of Cheryl Magoteaux
The National Reining Breeders Classic celebrated its first event in 1998. Dell Hendricks won that inaugural show and returned this year to take home an unprecedented fifth NRBC Open Championship, this time riding Hit The Lights (Grays Starlight x Playboys Promise) owned by Adair Reiners LLC.
Dell’s title was especially sweet this year for many reasons. Just two days ago, the talented trainer from Tioga, Texas, was honored as the National Reining Horse Association’s sixth rider to pass the million-dollar mark. And, at the NRHA Futurity last year, Dell spoke with Doug Adair and the gentlemen decided Hit The Lights should be retired and not shown this year. The 6-year-old stallion had made the finals at every major event that Dell took him to but just never stepped up to win a championship. Dell thought the stallion should be retired and his foals could take over where he left off.
“I got home after the Futurity and kind of looked around and I didn’t have a lot to show so I just entered him and I didn’t tell Doug,” Dell said. “So he got his bill for the entry fee and calledf me and said, ‘I thought we retired that horse.’ And I said, ‘I changed my mind!’ I said, ‘Doug, if he ever has that trip, he’s going to win a major event and it might be this year.’ ”
Hit The Light’s trip was near perfection with a 227.5 in the pattern. He was the 22nd horse to run out of 25 Open Finalists in the evening performance and needed a 225.5 to at least tie for Reserve. Everything in Dell’s run was right on, from extremely quick circles to perfect lead changes. Big, powerful stops capped off the run and Dell finally witnessed the performance he knew the stallion was capable of.
“He’s awesome and he’s been that way for so long and no one’s believed in him, including myself,” Dell commented. With one last chance to prove himself, Hit The Lights entered the arena with full force and showed that he is worthy of a championship title.
“I was trotting around with Duane Latimer in the warm-up pen and I said, ‘Duane, they’re ready to mark somebody and I’m going to go for it.’ I told everybody this horse can do it; I know he can do it,” he said.
Dell’s title with Hit The Lights added another $60,000 to the trainer’s lifetime earnings. The pair is headed to the NRHA Derby next month in search of another championship.
Dell & Terri Hendricks
14974 E. FM 922 Tioga, TX 76271
940-437-5157 - Barn | 940-437-5167 - Fax | 940-372-0259 - Dell's cell
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