Sarah Morine notches first NCHA Non-Pro Futurity win on Smart Look Arising
Aboard 2021 bay mare Smart Look Arising, Sarah Morine of Weatherford, Texas, took the championship title in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity 4CYTE Non-Pro finals. Their score of 221.5 to win Morine’s first NCHA Non-Pro Futurity title also garnered $67,861. Combined with American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Chrome Cash, their earnings totaled $130,113.
The mare was bred by Rayburn Brazzel of Abilene, Texas. Morine has owned “Tammy” (Badboonarising x Smart Lookin Laney x Cat Ichi) since her 2-year-old year, and enjoys her quirky, grumpy personality.
“She really does like people and she’s just a nice mare to be around,” Morine said.
Morine loved getting to show Tammy.
“She’s just such a great mare, I can’t say enough about her,” Morine said. “She’s smart on a cow, easy and fun to show.”
Morine claimed the Intermediate Non-Pro Futurity Championship in 2023 on High Brow Snap (High Brow Cat x Dualsnap x Dual Rey) and was prepared to take on a bigger challenge in 2024.
Leading up to the Futurity at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Morine focused on staying in a routine, from home, to the horse show, pre-work and the show pen.
Sarah Morine poses with her championship buckle. * Photo by Abigail Boatwright
“We did a few pre-works, didn’t overdo it, and she’s been great,” Morine said. “Our strategy was just to make clean cuts, and show my horse to the best of my ability, and advance. When I had the opportunity to make the mare shine a little more and ride her a little more aggressively, I did, and she made my job easy for me.”
For their first go, Morine and Tammy didn’t have the best experience. Luckily they improved as the show progressed.
“I didn’t get her shown as I would have liked, but we marked enough to advance,” Morine said. “We had a pretty good run in the second go, [216.5] and I got her shown better, but not to her fullest.”
In the semifinals, the pair scored a 215.5, which led to the Finals performance on December 5.
“It just all fit tonight,” Morine said. “I cut the cows I wanted to cut, and they went to the right spots, and made it happen.”
Morine was full of thanks for the help from her team, herd help and friends: Kelly Earnhardt, Lloyd Cox, Clint Allen, Shawn Flynn, Matt Gaines, Teghan Still—and her mom, dad, and grandmothers watching from home.
“It just all came together, and it’s just such an incredible experience,” Morine said.
Non-Pro Reserve ChampionIn the reserve spot, Constance Jaeggi O’Connor guided 2021 red roan stallion Salerno (Stevie Rey Von x One Time Choice x One Time Pepto) to score a 219. O’Connor took home $55,867 aboard the stallion, owned by J Five Horse Ranch Management LLC.