The CINCH First 2 Finish Trail Dual saw several different strategies during its first go round Tuesday night at the NSBA World Championship Show. Horses competed on identical courses two at a time in a head-to-head timed format performing the same pattern over Trail obstacles with winners based on a combination of time and penalties.
The first go of the class featured a combination of tight turns around poles, a back up between poles, a slicker that was carried in a pattern of multiple tight circles, two turn arounds in boxes, a complicated rope gate maneuver and carrying a grooming bag around barrels in a figure eight pattern. Exhibitors took a number of different strategies to work for the win, with some taking the pattern quite fast while risking picking up additional penalties, and others took the course in a slightly more traditional manner to make clean runs.
Micah Hanson won the first round of competition and will advance to the second round this evening aboard Lopin On A Good Bar. "I just tried to pick a very handy horse to show in this class," Micah said. "This horse just won the Youth 13 & Under Trail the other day so I thought it would be a good choice."
Lopin On A Goodbar won the NSBA Youth 13 & Under Trail with Addisyn Books.
Chad Evans showed Set To Blaze to a second place finish in the first go. "I guess you would say it was a lack of strategy coming into this," Chad said with a laugh. "This horse is a little bit rushy in the Trail anyway, so I told him 'buddy, this is your day!' He's 19 years old so he loved it. It was so much fun! It is a great spin on the traditional Trail class."
Eight exhibitors will compete in the finals in a head-to-head bracketed format Wednesday evening, A total of $15,000 is being awarded for the class, with a $1,000 bonus to the highest placing Non-Pro exhibitor. The finals will be held at approximately 6:30 in the Ford Truck Arena.
