From The Archives: Lindy Burch Takes Top Spot in NCHA Futurity

With a “standing room only” crowd cheering and hollaring, Lindy Burch, Clements, California, aboard Mis Royal Mahogany won the 1980 edition of the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity with a record-breaking score of 225.5.

Held December 8 through 14, at the Will Rogers Coliseum, Ft. Worth, Texas, the futurity was the highest-paying cutting event in the history of the NCHA, as well as breaking records in number of entries, size of purse and spectator attendance. It also marked the first time a female rider had taken top honors in the prestigious event.

The 3-year-old daughter of Doc’s Mahogany out of double-bred Royal King mare, was owned by Robert Mendenhall, Alpine, Utah and trained by Larry Reeder, Stephenville, Texas, who had won the 1978 Futurity and split 3rd and 4th in this year’s event.

The mare had made a highly respectable showing in the Semi-Finals held the previous evening, scoring a 222.5, splitting third and fourth place with veteran cutting horse trainer and rider, Shorty Freeman, aboard Gins Lena, owned by Anne and B. F. Phillips, Jr., Frisco, Texas. Gins Lena was a full sister to Phillips’ good Doc O’Lena sire, Tanquery Gin.

Mis Royal Mahogany had been bred and raised on the Delwin Burch Ranch, Graham, Texas. Burch owned her sire, Doc’s Mahogany, and was partners with the Mendenhall Bros. of Utah. When dividing the colts, Bob Mendenhall became owner of the mare.

The ownership of Doc’s Mahogany is one of the most unusual on record, with Burch retaining ownership of the horse and Mendenhall owning the breeding rights.

With a very limited number of Mahogany colts on the ground, a couple of weeks before the NCHA Futurity, the 7-year-old son of Doc Bar, out of a Thoroughbred by mare (Jandon), was syndicated by Gary Wexler of G. W. Futurity Farms, Rancho California, CA, for $2.5 Million.

According to Burch, Royal Rosu Glo, Mis Royal Mahogany’s dam, has been bred to Doc’s Mahogany each year and had several full sisters and brothers. Burch rode a full brother in last year’s futurity, but according to Burch, “the colt just hadn’t had the proper amount of training.”

“Bob Mendenhall has him now,” said Burch, “and is doing real good.”

Lindy Burch, who was Co-Reserve Champion with Leon Harrel in last year’s NCHA Futurity, has an impressive list of accomplishments. In 1979, she won the Arizona Cutting Horse Futurity and the Northwest Cutting Horse Futurity and was Reserve Champion of the California Cutting Horse Association Futurity.

This year, Lindy was named California Open Champion and Reserve Pacific Coast Champion on her own mare, Jessie Sue. The winner of the Pacific Coast Championship, Gene Suiter, beat out Lindy by mere $80.

Lindy had the Champion Mare (Tamarack Lass), owned by Modine Smith, and placed third in the Pacific Coast Maturity. She also was fifth in the Northwest Cutting Horse Futurity on a horse owned by Pete Matioli and Jim Myrtle; Reserve Champ of the Northwest Maturity on Dee Bar Indy and placed fifth in the big Amarillo Slim Cutting Classic on Miss Safari, owned by Modine Smith.

She also trained a Doc Tari stud that Jim Hight of Scio, Oregon, won the Non-Pro Championship of the Northwest Cutting Futurity.

In June, Lindy and her Non-Pro Competing husband, moved into a new 40-acre horse ranch, which includes a covered arena, and is riding several top colts, readying them for next year’s futurity. She will also be showing Freckles Flynt for the Oxbow Ranch.

“I’ve already won $2000 on him so far,” said Lindy, “and plan on taking him to the Sun Circuit and the Vegas Open. Then he’ll go home for the breeding season.”

Lindy feels she has several top outside colts to ride and feels that her Futurity success last year was the cause of the high caliber of colts she has.

“It’s important for me to stay home and ready these colts for next year’s Futurity,” says Lindy.

When asked what she got financially out of this year’s Futurity win, Lindy replied, “The owners were very gracious. They decided to duplicate all the trophies (for owner, trainer, and rider) and that was taken off the top. After that, I will receive half.”

At press time, Lindy knew first place paid $128,000, but there would also be an additional amount paid for her 3/4th place split in the Semi-Finals.

Mis Royal Mahogany had been in training since last January with Larry Reeder, who had taken Lynx Melody to the 1978 Futurity Championship.

“Larry had been asking me all year if I would ride one of his horses,” says Lindy, “and when my best horse got crippled, I decided to do it.”

Lindy flew to Texas in August and rode the mare once, then returned just before Thanksgiving.

“I rode her every day for about three weeks,” said Lindy. “I thought all along, I had the best horse.”

Lindy described the winning mare as being very sensitive. “But we got along fine,” she said. “I changed her a little to fit me,” she continued.

Asked if her cues were different from Reeders, Lindy replied, “A little. I use leg pressure a little more, but basically, we ride the same.”

The future for this year’s Futurity Champion? According to Lindy and the owners, Mis Royal Mahogany will be turned out to rest for 60-90 days and then readied for the 1981 Super Stakes and NCHA Derby — both events for which Lindy has already been contracted to ride her.

For all who came and watched the Futurity, it was truly a thrill — but for all who stayed and watched the awards presentation, it was even more exciting.

The winners accepted their awards, starting with 15th place, progressing to the No. 1 spot. Where there were ties, the contestants would race each other to the awards site, giving the crowd something else to cheer about.

When it was time for the new Champion to receive her award, she started into the arena at a slow lope that almost instantly switched to un-controllable speed. The mare’s chin strap had broken because of stumbling just before entering the arena. Simultaneously, the crown cheered, Lindy’s hat went flying, and the race was on.

Several photographers and individuals presenting awards stood watching — not realizing the horse was out of control — but soon found out as the Champion scattered cameras and cameramen.

“I thought for sure I’d killed someone,” said Lindy, recalling the rather embarrassing incident. “Here I’d just won the Futurity and killed someone accepting the awards.”

But everyone was fine, and Lindy and Mis Royal Mahogany received their awards for a job superbly done.

The pair had just proved the breeding capability of a young stud — Doc’s Mahogany — and better yet, had given all the women in the cutting horse world a chance to say, “I told you so.”

1980 NCHA Futurity Placings

With seventeen of the 47 Semi-Finalists going to the Finals, Miss Daube Ritz by Clark’s Doc Bar, owned by Don Taylor, Kindred, N. D., ridden by Joe Heim, led the Semi-Finals competition with a 224; and Stylish Lynx by Doc’s Lynx, owned by Lynx Ltd., Georgetown, Texas, ridden by Don Parker, was second with a 223.

In the Finals, Lucky Bottom Me, owned and ridden by Edd Bottom, Asher, Oklahoma, took the Runner-up spot and a check for $76,000 — more money than last year’s Champion pocketed.

The daughter of Bottom’s stallion, Lucky Star Mac, thrilled the audience with an eye-to-eye confrontation with her cow, scoring a 222. The score was announced as a 221, but after auditing, the score was revised at the end of the competition to a 222.

Third and fourth spot, with a 221 score each, was split by Paloma Quixote, owned by the Circle 7 Ranch, Jacksboro, Texas, ridden by Larry Reeder and Freckles Hustler by Jewel’s Leo Bar (Freckles), owned by Marion Flynt, Midland, Texas, ridden by Terry Riddle.

Poloma Quixote, a beautiful palomino mare by Doc Quixote, also received the trophy for the highest score of the first two go rounds, and won the championship of the Texas Bred Futurity.

Fifth, sixth and seventh place with a 220.5 was split by Miss Daube Ritz, Gin’s Lena and Trips Doc Dundee, by Tripolay Bar, owned by M. A. Harris, Lockeford, California, ridden by J. T. Fisher.

Eighth through 11th spot saw four horses scoring a 220: Doc Jensen by Doc Bar, owned by the Doc Bar Ranch, Inc., Paicines, CA, ridden by Charlie Ward; Caltinky, by Cal Bar, owned by Wayne Maples, Nixa, MO., ridden by Bill Freeman, the winning rider of last year’s Futurity; Leoncito, by Vandal, owned by Lowell Rickard, Sanford, N.C., ridden by Charles T. “Billy” King; and Mr. Oak Straw, by Doc’s Oak, owned by Tom and Mary Lyons, Phoenix, AZ., ridden by Tom.

Jodys April, by Jody Fairfax, owned by Howard Tillman, Conran, MO., ridden by Pat Earnheart, took 12th spot with a 219.5 score, and Stylish Lynx, with a 219, finished 13th.

Fourteenth and fifteenth, with a 218.5, were Sassy Pancho, by Sassy Doc, owned by Mowery Quarter Horses, Cave Creek, AZ., ridden by Mike Mowery and Doc’s Gold by Doc’s Solano, owned by John Via, Union Lake, MI., ridden by Glen Wooldridge.

With seventeen horses qualifying for the Finals, Parkman Bar, by Johnie Gay Bar, owned by Barry & Linda Holsey, Crockett, Texas, ridden by John Carter and Havealena, by Doc O’Lena, owned by Marion Flynt, ridden by John Paxton, didn’t place.

This article was originally published in Quarter Horse News in December 1980