Stock show champion versatility horse won by Long Pines Land and Livestock

The Black Hills Stock Show's Versatility Ranch Horse competition is two days and six events of cow work, cutting, reining, trail and more. When the dust settled January 28, 2019, Long Pines Land and Livestock of Camp Crook, SD, took top open honors with its gelding Rey Cool Cat (Coolio), trained and ridden by Justin Lawrence of Alzada.

But what makes this more incredible is that this is the third year in a row that a Long Pines horse has been the open champion. In 2017 and 2018, Mia Lil Pink won. This mare went on to win the World Versatility Championship in Guthrie, Oklahoma in 2018.

"These ranch versatility competitions are gaining in popularity for good reason," says Deb Brown of Long Pines. Deb and her husband, Larry Licking, have developed a successful horse program, combining cow horse with speed bloodlines.

At the BHSS, Coolio posted the highest score in cutting, second in ranch riding, reining and cow work (tie) and fourth in ranch trail (tie). It doesn't end there for Coolio's success story. He was Champion 2018 AQHA Region II Jr. Working Cow Horse and had quite a showing at the tough 2018 Montana Reined Cow Horse Association Derby: first Intermediate Hackamore, second Intermediate Derby, second Hackamore and High Fence Score of the entire derby.

Coolio was born at Long Pines in 2013. He is a grandson of the immortal Dual Rey (LTE $118,000 with offspring earnings of $26 million) and Smart Little Lena (LTE $577,652 with offspring earnings of $24 million). Coolio is sired by Smooth Talking Cat, an outstanding son of Smooth As A Cat (LTE $500,038; 2005 NCHA Horse of the Year; $19.2 million sire), who is out of the great mare, Remedy for Sweets (LTE $204,281) by Grays Starlight whose offspring have won in excess of $6.7 million. Smooth Talking Cat was a Top 10 intermediate Open finalist at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in 2009 and has NRCHA earnings of $23,959.

Long Pines Land & Livestock, based in northwestern South Dakota and southeastern Montana, is a family ranch where horses earn their way every day on the rangeland and in the arena. The ranch is also home to a prominent herd of registered Irish Black and Irish Red cattle. For more information, visit the ranch's website at http://www.longpineslivestock.com.