Winners of the 2011 Western Heritage Classic
ABILENE, TEXAS – W.H. Green Land & Cattle of Albany, was awarded the 2011 Champion of the 27th annual Western Heritage Classic’s (WHC) Ranch Rodeo Saturday night (May 14, 2011). Muleshoe Ranch of Gail, Texas placed second, Swenson Land & Cattle of Stamford, Texas came in third, and Haythorn Land & Cattle Co. of Arthur, Nebraska was awarded fourth place. Ten participating ranches competed in the WHC Ranch Rodeo.
The annual WHC Remuda Award was awarded to Tongue River Ranch of Dumont. The WHC Top Hand was Ryan Wakefield. “#11 Roan” ridden by Tate Bennett, was named the 2011 All-Around Horse.
Event winners for the Ranch Rodeo were W.H. Green Land & Cattle, for Team Penning; Pitchfork Land & Cattle of Guthrie for Team Doctoring; Team Branding was won by Tongue River Ranch; Albany’s Matthews/Nail Ranches won Wild Cow Milking; and W.H. Green Land & Cattle won the Bronc Riding for Friday, with Muleshoe Ranch and Pitchfork Land & Cattle tying for Saturday’s Bronc Riding.
Other events throughout the three-day weekend included the National Finals for the Ranch Horse Association of America (RHAA) Working Ranch Horse Competition. Kelsey Mosby, rode the Top Cowboy Class Horse, “CD Royal Chica;” Top Ranch Hand Class Horse winner was Mosby riding “Boons Hot Tamale;” the Top Junior Horse, “SLJ Smart Like Hen” was ridden by Mozaun McKibben, and the Top Senior Class Horse, “TOS Nine Four,” was ridden by Bill Smith
The WHC hosted the Invitational Ranch Horse Sale. Seventy registered Quarter Horses consigned by 19 ranches brought an average price of $3,926. “Go Smoke N Badger Go,” a 1999 sorrel gelding consigned by the Muleshoe Ranch, topped the sale with a $17,000 bid.
Highlights of the Children’s Events included the “Best Dressed:” Kennedy Powe in the ages 3 & 4, Sadie Lynn Butler ages 5 & 6 and Wyatt Lawrence for ages 7-9.
The “Rocking K” wagon took home Chuckwagon Cookoff honors for best overall.
Thursday’s evening parade also sent home winners. Don Vickery took first in the Antique Tractors division. In the Wagon divisions, the rubber tire wagon winner was David Beard, Juanita Brooks won the buggy division, the West Texas Rehab Center took first for the chuckwagon division, and Jan Story won first for the other wagon division. The Coleman County Cowgirls were honored with first for the over-30-miles-riding club division and the Taylor County Sheriff Posse won first for the local-riding club division. Youth float winner was Maximum Velocity and for open floats the World’s Largest Chili Pot benefitting Ben Richey Boys’ Ranch was named first.
Co-sponsored by Budweiser and the Expo Center of Taylor County, the 28th annual Western Heritage Classic will be May 10 - 12, 2012. For more information when tickets will go on sale visit www.westernheritageclassic.com.
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