Winning the same title two years in a row is no easy task, but last year’s Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Non-Pro Champion, Carmen Buckingham, felt like 3-year-old Alwaystalkinsmack was up for the task. Her faith in the gelding paid off when he carried her to a 641.5 composite score, winning the same championship that Kitty Wilkins carried her to at the 2023 edition of the event.
“It’s really special to win it,” said Buckingham, of Bruneau, Idaho. “It’s fun on a 3-year-old that you’ve trained. It’s really gratifying to be able to do that. You do all your homework at home and wonder how it’s going to turn out when you go to town, and it worked out good.”
Buckingham and Alwaystalkinsmack (Smooth Talkin Style x Takennbystorm x The Boon) first scored a 216 to win the herd work. Buckingham said the gelding has been a good cow horse from the beginning, as he was bred by EquiStat Elite $7 Million Rider Adan Banuelos and had a great foundation in the cutting when she bought him.
In the rein work, the pair missed a lead and received a 1-point penalty, but their 210 still kept them in the running for the title. The reining was one of the areas Buckingham focused most while training the gelding since he didn’t have any background in it when she bought him, but he’s been a fast learner and picked things up quickly.
“He was really good. I maybe didn’t ask him quite hard enough to change leads on the second lead, so he missed for a point penalty, but he stopped really hard and turned around good, so I was really happy with that,” Buckingham said.
Down the fence, Alwaystalkinsmack sustained a hit from the tough cow they drew but held his ground and finished strong. The duo’s 215.5 tied for the second-highest score in the class and launched them to the top of the leaderboard. For the win, they banked $20,000.
The win was a little bittersweet for Buckingham, as after the show, she and her husband, Tom, accepted an offer on the gelding and sold him. While she was sad to see him go, she was excited about the 2-year-olds they have coming up and was looking forward to spending more time with them and their other horses.
“Thank you to my husband,” Buckingham said. “He’s always there for me, encouraging me and giving me ideas or advice. I just really appreciate that.”
Jayson Fisher and My Scooter Is Stylin (Scooter Kat x Freckles R Stylin x Docs Stylish Oak) took Reserve with a composite 640.5 (209 herd/216 rein/215.5 cow), banking $10,000. Fisher was also third on High Priced Chyna (High Brow Cat x Chyna x Peptoboonsmal) and collected an additional $6,000.
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