Junie Wood, NCHA Horse of the Year, was laid to rest
The news about Junie Wood, 2014 NCHA Horse of the Year and one of NCHA’s Top 20 all-time leading money earners, with $525,774, was shared Friday on Facebook by her owner, Slate River Ranch. “It was with heavy hearts yesterday that we had to lay our mare Junie Wood to rest. She was diagnosed with kidney disease a few weeks back and unfortunately we had to make this tough decision.”
The 2020 Abilene Spectacular concluded on Saturday, January 11 with the 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro Finals, won by Paula Wood, Stephenville, Tex., with 222.5 points, on Cool N Hot. Kylie Rice, Weatherford, Tex., scored 221 points as reserve champion on Miss Kitty Russel, while Nadine Payne, Overbrook, Okla., placed third with 218.5 riding Blu Velvet.
Langston Pattillo, St. Elmo, Ill., scored 222 points on Catsa U Later LTE $19,784, by Boon Too Suen, to win the Abilene Spectacular Amateur Derby. Hunter Williams, Nolan, Tex., took second with 219 points on Rumor On The Street, by Dual Rey, as well as first in the Amateur Gelding division. Williams also placed sixth in the seven-horse finals aboard Mightee Merle, by WR This Cats Smart.
Ireydescent, shown by Adan Banuelos, and Stole A Kiss, with James Payne, were the stars on Wednesday, January 8, at the Taylor County Expo Center, as 221.5-point co-champions of the 2020 Abilene Spectacular Derby. Miss Blu Boon, ridden by Lloyd Cox, was next with 219 points, while Jae Zee, with Tatum Rice, scored 218 points to place fourth, with the third-highest score in the 28-horse Finals field.
The stakes were high on Tuesday at the Abilene Spectacular, where the second go-round of Open 4-year-old competition saw 28 horses with cumulative scores of 434.5 points or more advance to Wednesday’s Derby Finals, and 19 Open 5- & 6-year-olds with scores of 220.5 points or more advance to the Classic Finals.
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