An
Extraordinary Bunch of Show-offs
 |
With the biggest names in reining there
to compete, the Professionals Choice/USET Reining Championship Semi-Finals
was no place to play it safe....
When Dell Hendricks galloped boldly into the coliseum on Hangten Peppy
during the Professionals Choice/USET Reining Championship Semi Finals
in Oklahoma City, spectators were wild with anticipation. Word of Hendricks'
chart-top-ping score just weeks earlier in the qualifying class at the
Lazy E arena had spread like chickenpox through a kindergarten class.
Everyone seemed to have caught the fever.
When Hangten Peppy plowed into his first stop leaving long, straight furrows
suitable for farming, the audience roared its approval. Spectators then
remained in full voice as Hendricks and Hangten Peppy ran the kind of
cliff-hanging pattern they had hoped to see. When hendricks stepped down
and loosened his horse's cinch, he acknowledged the audience's enthusiastic
appreciation, and lead Hangten Peepy out the gate as Keith Bradley dropped
his voice in that characteristic inflection and announced, "THE score......
for number ten sixteen is TWO-Twenty-NINE and one-half...."
Accused afterwards of being a "big show-off," Hendricks grinned broadly
and admitted, "Well; that's kind of what I do for a living is show off."
Even though his original plan for the Professionals Choice/USET Semi Finals
held on May 21 was simply to secure a spot for Hangten Peppy in the $100,000
Cosequin/USET Reining Championships presented by Bayer. Hendricks couldn't
resist temptation once his run got underway. Dell couldn't ride the stallion
conservatively when Hangten Peppy was clearly sending signals that he
wasn't operating in cruise control mode.
"I wanted to do some big maneuvers early and hope that that was enough
- if he just wouldn't try too hard," explained Dell. "But when he ran
through the gate and just nailed that first stop, I knew he was on. So
I just kind of went with him."
Hangten Peppy and Hendricks were 28th to work. By that time, it was clear
that some serious reining would be required to earn a berth in the championship
finals of the United States Equestrian Team Festival of Champions slated
for June 24-27 in Gladstone, New Jersey. Out of 39 horses competing, only
the top twenty horses would secure a spot.
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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