April 2018 46 By Kimmie Dillon For 45 years, the Arizona Sun Circuit has hosted riders and horses throughout the country. The week- long show held in March features a full slate of AQHA classes at West World. Exhibitors enjoyed the kind of March weather the City of Scottsdale brags about in glossy magazine ads with picture perfect blue skies and brilliant sunsets. The Smart Boons Fence Work Challenge is always a crowd-pleasing spectacle during the Sun Circuit. The display of equine athleticism combined with a total of $26,000 in prize money makes this a cow horse competition to attend. This year, the energy of the event was contagious as the crowd cheered and hollered with each turn of the cow. Loud rock and roll music accompanied 20 horse and rider teams while they showed off their talents inside the Equidome. Rider Phillip Ralls and Call Me Mitch won the Smart Boons Fence Work Challenge by dominating their cow, diving into the stops, and turning with ease. They marked a 154 winning them a check for $6,375 and a beautiful custom Preston Williams Hardware trophy buckle sponsored by AZQHA BJ Avila was fearless on Dera Cat and the crowd cheered wildly with each heart thumping stop. They marked a 153 winning 2nd place and a check for $5,100 along with a Kerry Kelley Bit sponsored by Scottsdale Western World, LLC. 3rd place: Corey Cushing and Sonita Lena Rey earned a check for $3,825 and a beautiful The Show Pad sponsored by Scottsdale Western World 4th place: Shadd Parkinson and Cattin Downtown marked a 150.5 giving them a check for $3,060 and a $125 Gift Certificate to Leson Saddles sponsored by Leson Classic 5th place: Jason Grimshaw and Mister OMG scored a 150 for a check of $2,550 and a pair of Classic Equine Classic Splint Protective Boot & Classic Equine Rope Halter sponsored by Leson Classic 6th place: Phillip Ralls and Short N Catt scored a 149 earning them a check for $2,040 and a pair of Classic Equine Classic Splint Protective Boot sponsored by Leson Classic 7th place: Hope Miller and her horse Dare To Sioux marked a 147 to give them a check of $1,530 and Classic Equine Rope Halter sponsored by Leson Classic 8th place: Trent Pedersen and Stylish Rasta Man scored a 145 for a check of $1,020 and Classic Equine Rope Halter sponsored by Leson Classic 9th place: Jake Cruzan and PG Reylena marked a 144.5 giving them a check for $500 for the highest place NRCHA Open Limited Rider & a Classic Equine Rope Halter sponsored by Leson Classic 10th place: Shadd Parkinson and Diamond J Starlite marked a 142.5 received a Classic Equine Rope Halter sponsored by Leson Classic - tie broke by the designated judge 11th place: Les Oswald and Tessa Smart Cat marked a 142.5 to receive a Classic Equine Rope Halter sponsored by Leson Classic 12th place: Kelby Phillips and DT Whiskey Shine scored a 141.5 and won a Tucalota Creek Ranch bottle of Wine sponsored by Tucalota Creek & Corey Cushing Performance Horses 13th place: Ken Wold and Real Smooth Cat marked a 140.5 for a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 14th place: Tucker Clark and Our Three M Stock scored a 138.5 for a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 15th place: Kevin Stallings and his horse Shes A Voodoo Dr marked a 137.5 for a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 16th place: Shadd Parkinson and Oaks Merada earned 137 for a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 17th place: Casey Branquinho and Dressed In Oak scored a 136.5 for a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 18th place: Wyatt Fisher and Travelinonmoonshine marked a 136 for a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 19th place: Tracer Gilson and Me World Wide won a Leson Classic Baseball Cap sponsored by Leson Classic 20th place: Jason Hershberger and Pepto Hot Sox earned the Tough Luck Award of a Smart Boons Sitka Jacket donated by The Dunn Family & Smart Boons The Sun Circuit also featured a full slate of AQHA classes. With the continued expansion of the West World Equestrian complex, new venues were created for exhibitors. And with the addition of the 2 climate-controlled arenas in the North Hall of the Equidome, more riders were able to perform in a top-notch location. There are tons of results to list but since this is the Ranch and Rodeo Report, I’ll stick with the related classes: SUN CIRCUIT CHAMPIONS AQHA Junior Ranch Riding Gunna Wreckya and Robert D Johnson AQHA L1 Amt Ranch Riding Smoking Red Pepper and Sue Schmitz AQHA Ranch Riding-Amateur Not My Day Job and Dana M Avila AQHA 143200 Senior Ranch Riding Cowtown Spook and Gary L Roberts AQHA Youth Ranch Riding Lucky Cee Blair and Kate Buchanan AQHA Senior Cutting Call Me Mitch and Phillip Ralls AQHA Junior Cutting One Smooth Mate and Grant Lindaman II AQHA Amateur Cutting Teninolena Chex and Deah M Hessian-Ruple AQHA Youth Breakaway Roping Jackies Buck Fever and Gavin W Hershberger AQHA Amt Breakaway Roping Spookin Miss Tiveo and Audra Powell AQHA Youth Dally Team Roping - Heading Lucky Cee Blair and Kate Buchanan AQHA Youth Dally Team Roping - Heeling Jackies Buck Fever and Gavin W Hershberger AQHA Amt Dally Team Roping - Heading DMAC Indian Nation and Seth Jordan AQHA Amt Dally Team Roping - Heeling Weavers Playgem and Lincoln Figueiredo AQHA Dally Team Roping - Heading Wright Style and Les D Oswald AQHA Dally Team Roping - Heeling Edgar Allen Poo and Jay Lyn Wadhams AQHA L1 Amt Working Cow Horse Boxing Boom Tang and Kimmie Dillon AQHA Amt Working Cow Horse Boxing Nics Two Shiners and Caroline Whyler AQHA Youth Working Cow Horse Boxing Smoken Fine and Anthony D Luna AQHA Junior Working Cow Horse Cattin Downtown and Shadd Parkinson AQHA Senior Working Cow Horse Sonita Lena Rey and Corey D Cushing AQHA Amt Working Cow Horse Thecrowdlovesme and Lindsay Wadhams AQHA Youth Working Cow Horse Ill Be Tuckered and Skylar Smith More ranch and rodeo news next month!