Gunnin For Chicks Comes Out of Retirement to Win 100X Brazos Slide Open Maturity

It’s not every day an event comes along that boasts a big payout for the ancillary divisions, but the 100X Brazos Slide, held July 24-28 at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, is changing the game. On July 25, during the $80,000-added Osteo-Max Open 8 and Up Maturity, Gunnin For Chicks and Billy Williams slid to a 224, winning the Levels 4, 3 and 2 and amassing a check worth $21,200.

“It means a lot to have this event, and it gives us a place to go,” Williams said. “Honestly, that horse would still be sitting at home with no shoes on, so it’s really awesome that Doug, Carter Smith and Andrea Stillo are putting the money and attention on older horses and giving them a place to go.”

Gunnin For Chicks (Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] x Dun It By Chick x Hollywood Dun It), who is 15, has been retired several times over the years. Williams showed him in The Run For A Million’s Million Dollar Competition in 2022, but since then, he’s mostly had the last two years off.

“I saw there was money added here in Waco, and Tim McQuay suggested I get him legged up and bring him,” Williams said. “The owner, Mark Bradford, was super nice and let me bring him, so it kind of just all fell into place and wasn’t forced, so that kind of makes it special.”

Making the moment even better is “Baby Blue’s” enthusiasm for the show pen. It only took Williams a few weeks to leg him up prior to the 100X Brazos Slide, thanks to the stallion’s friendship with Williams Ranch’s barn and ranch manager, Umberto Guerrero, who rides him regularly.

“That horse loves showing so much. He goes in there and gives you 100% every time,” Williams said. “His mind makes him special. I showed him, and my 7-year-old son got on him and went and cooled him out in the warm-up pen. There’s not a lot of 15-year-old studs that breed that you would stick your 7-year-old kid on and let them go walk around the horse show.”

Williams thanked Bradford for letting him show the stallion, McQuay for putting the idea in his head, and the 100X crew for hosting the show. Two horses landed in a tie for Reserve after each marked a 222.5. Both Spat Toy Boy Gun (Spat Split And White x Snowy River Gunner x Gunners Indian), ridden by Trevor Dare, and Hot Chics Love Me (Yellow Jersey x Hot Chic With A Gun x Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner]), who was piloted by Mirjam Stillo, collected $8,200 for their respective owners, Dana Wetherell and Mindy Gray.