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Les Vogt Makes Salinas Rodeo History

Stock horse classes lie at roots of cowboy heritage

SALINAS, CALIF.—To western riders, there is nothing quite like the California Rodeo in Salinas. The event, held July 17–20, has offered top competition and entertainment for nearly a century while serving as a tie to the region's rich ranching history for the 800 or so cowboys and cowgirls who enter each year.

What keeps them coming back? According to Les Vogt, this year's open hackamore champion, the Salinas Rodeo is the pinnacle of rodeo and stock horse challenge. "It's so dang hard to win, it makes it worth it!" he explains.

Les should know. He has won more horse show competitions in Salinas than anyone else in the event's 92-year history. The 15-time National Reined Cow Horse Association world champion has faithfully returned to the rodeo almost every year since 1964, and he can testify to its fidelity to tradition. "In all these years, nothing has changed at all," he says of the event's format.

The competition and atmosphere, however, are anything but predictable. "I analogize Salinas to a street fighter's stage," Vogt describes. "You can't plan anything because everything is changing as you are doing your run. There are team ropers swinging their ropes next to your fence, there are rodeo clowns on your fence, and halfway down your arena track, there is a moat full of photographers–– a hole in the ground with flashing lights and little heads bobbing up and down. There's nothing familiar about that place to a horse."

The horses—in contrast to the rodeo events that spotlight the skills of the cowboy or cowgirl—are the stars of the stock horse classes. But their skill is earned at the hands of their trainers, who spend years guiding them through a rigorous, multi-phase training program based on the traditional methods that the Vaqueros brought to California hundreds of years ago. At Salinas, the horses have the opportunity to demonstrate the fruits of their intense preparation in three classes: the non-pro bridle, the open hackamore and the finished open stock horse.

Vogt's champion mount, Smartie Plans (Smart Plan x Tessa Tucker), currently competes in the hackamore. Although Kay Williams, Vogt's fiancé, started the 4-year-old mare as a cutting horse, he recognized in her the makings of a fine reined cow horse.

After only a few short months on the reined cow horse circuit, the world-renowned performance horse clinician and bit and spur designer decided she was ready for the big time: the Salinas Rodeo.

"This is such a wonderful mare to show because what you see is what you get," Vogt says about Smartie Plans. "Many horses change personalities when they get in the arena: They amp up, and they'll cheat a little sometimes. She doesn't. She's very honest and very true. She gives her heart and soul."

That honesty paid off during the open hackamore runs. The duo faced down a 12-horse field with a score of 148 during the first day of competition, but they were able to top that with a 149 during the four-horse finals, earning the class' highest title and a $2,871 purse.

Bubba Petty rode Shiners Buenonic to a 146.5 for the reserve slot and $2,107. Coming in half a point behind Petty was Ken Wold, who rode I'll Be A Lil Smarter to third place for $1,407, and Lance Johnston rode SR Quanah Bevy to fourth for a $702 payoff.

Non-pro riders showed off their horses' abilities as well during the bridle class. Mia Gunna Smokum, carrying Justin Wright, came out on top with 146.5 points for a $2,920 prize. The champs were followed by reserve champions Karen Arlin and Just Plain Freckles, who scored a 145 to take home $2,190. And Robin Flournay riding Arriver Lena and Debby Sanguinetti aboard Plain Frosty Doc came in third and fourth, respectively.

Reined cow horse veteran Lyn Anderson rode her finished stock horse, Smart Time Tuck, to another open stock horse championship with a 148-point final run. The pair has been nearly invincible this year and is currently leading in the National Reined Cow Horse year-end standings.

Billy Martin and Bueno Cash Chex took home the reserve stock horse title with a 145, good for a $2,130 payoff. Kathy Gould scored 144 on Just Quick Colonel for third, and Jake Gorrell came in fourth on Sugernics Star.

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