Dell
Hendricks and Hollywood Vintage win NRHA Futurity
"Tim
McQuay started him and rode him as a two-year-old, then he let me get
him back." That was done in a sale to Alan and Kay Needles of Orange,
California.
Dell and Hollywood Vintage had the highest composite score going into
the finals, but in the NRHA Futurity format, all scores are dropped, and
the $100,000 first prize is based on the single finals run.
Hendricks had drawn up 15th of the 31 finalist and his signature "no holds
barred" pattern drew cheers from the crowd and a 223.5 score from the
judges that took the lead.
As he left the arena, his elation at the score was tempered by that sense
of dread that competitors face when they must wait to see if anyone can
move them. The waiting seemed interminable, right down to the last few
horses.
Todd Bergen and Roosters Wrangler, who had also scored a 226 in the second
go, and posted a composite just a point shy of Hendricks, were 26th to
go.
"When Todd Bergen came out and nailed that first stop, I thought it was
all over," he said. He had a flashback to 1994 when the last two horses
had moved him from the lead with his colt's mother. But the score, 223,
left this lead unchanged with only five more horses to go.
It was a long wait for owners Kay and Alan Needles as well, Kay couldn't
watch. "I had to leave during the last few horses. I left the stands and
went down there and paced with Dell."
She continued. "I had told them I had this feeling early in the week that
we were going to win, then while we were waiting, I had to wonder if my
feeling was a winning feeling or reserve feeling."
The
Needles, active owners in the reining and cow horse worlds, are familiar
with the pressures of high-stakes competition, but they'd not had a horse
win the NRHA Futurity.
Most recently, they'd received the Reserve Championship
for Todd Crawford and Shine Like Hail's performance at the NRCHA Snaffle
Bit Futurity, and they'd had four entries in the futurity, including Double
Decked Chex, which Bob Alvila rode to a tie twelfth place finish.
Finally, the last horse went and reality began to sink in. Dell Hendricks
and Hollywood Vintage had won the Last NRHA Futurity of the 20th Century
and earned $107,510.72!
For Hendricks, the win was amplified because of who Hollywood Vintage
was and what he represented. "I wanted to win it for the mom. She was
the horse that made me a horse trainer. It just means so much. That's
the sweetest part. I just can't wait to get home and hug her. I wanted
to win it for her and for Tim and for Dun it ."
He continued, "And then, I'm so grateful to Tim and Collen (McQuay). They
have helped so much. And Alan and Kay for the horse and (wife) Terri for
putting up with me. And Jim and Pat (Waren)."
So what are the future plans for Hollywood Vintage ?
Predictably, Hendricks plans to show him at the coming four - and five-year-old
events. "Alan said he was mine until I gave up on him. I don't plan on
giving up any time soon."
When it was all over on finals night and the traditional black-house spotlight
"Run for the Roses" ceremony began, Dell burst into the arena on Hollywood
Vintage, tears streaming down over his trademark grin. With arms out stretched
to the crowd, he zoomed around the arena, threw his hat in the air, then
stopped to bend over and hug his horse before finally dismounting and
kissing him on the nose.
His
joy was contagious, and the crowd shared in the moment. Not surprisingly,
the win picture sessions that followed were filled to overflowing as scores
of people rushed to congratulate and share the win with one of the reining
world's most popular figures.
Later, when the new champion was asked how he would celebrate, he didn't
hesitate.
"There's no question, there. I'll celebrate by going home and trying to
do this again. I can't wait to get home and get to work on my colts. This
is heaven; this is so much fun. I've had a taste of this and all I want
to do is go home and get to work and try to do it again."
There was actually a reserve from the win order of the first two places
from last year's futurity. Last year's champion, Todd Bergen, won the
Reserve Futurity Championship on Roosters Wrangler, a son of Gallo Del
Cielo out of Hustlers Suger, owned by Vaughn Zimmerman of Springfield,
Missouri.
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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