HARDLY A DRAG
Draggin My Ash, a 2003 gelding who had previously earned less than $1,000, cleaned up during the APHA World Show by winning the 4-Year-Old Cutting Challenge and the Junior Cutting World Championship with Texas trainer Ascencion Banuelos.
Draggin My Ash is by HB Instant Choice and out of Gemagain by Playinagain and is owned by Alvin Fults, Amarillo, Texas. The horse swept four judges’ cards in the 4-Year-Old Challenge to earn $3,375. He took top honors on three of five judges’ cards in the Junior Cutting finals and placed second on another card to easily win that division. Lenas Little Smarty, a mare by Smart Little Lena out of Doxs Painted Lady by Doc’s Solano, finished as the Reserve Champion in both events with Oklahoma trainer Tommy Marvin.
Lenas Little Smarty is owned by Georgetown, S.C., farmer Lloyd Baxley Jr. Fults is a 39-year-old commodities broker who switched from roping horses to cutting horses three years ago. He credited turning Draggin My Ash out for a while and “just letting him be a horse” to playing a prominent role in the horse’s breakthrough performances. Prior to his twin World Show wins, Draggin My Ash’s top showing was a No. 7 finish with Fults during an Amateur finals at the Abilene Cutting Spectacular in March.
The horse competed, but did not place, with Banuelos during Open competition at the NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth last fall. “We turned him out for a while after Abilene,” Fults said. “He kind of came back with new life. He’d shown us so much in the practice pen. We couldn’t wait to see if he’d live up to what he was doing. He hasn’t done yet in the show pen what he’s done in the practice pen. We have high hopes for that horse.”
Banuelos, a six-time APHA World Show cutting champion after earning two titles with Draggin My Ash, said the horse’s performances in the show ring finally showed his great potential. “The horse has always been great,” Banuelos said. “When I showed him at the [NCHA] Futurity, we had a little problem with him. We gave him some time off and he felt good. He hasn’t even shown what he can do yet. He was just coasting. He was honest and he was strong.” |
Draggin My Ash and Ascencion Banuelos took top honors in the 4-Year-Old Cutting Challenge and won the World Championship in Junior Cutting.
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Ascencion Banuelos (left), Alvin Fults and Fults’ 7-year-old son, Cade, celebrate their success at the APHA World Show. Banuelos earned two World Championships and a Reserve Championship on horses owned by Fults. Fults also guided one of his own horses to a World Championship in the Amateur division.
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