A foothills horseman is going to have to expand his trophy case after winning another Calgary Stampede title.

John Swales just had to put in a routine performance aboard his horse, Maximum Echo, and the first place cheque was his. Instead he went into the ring and earned a personal best score of 77 for his cow work en route to winning his fifth Open Bridle division title at the Calgary Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic.

“He’s a very good horse,” said Swales of Maximum Echo.

John Swales of Millarville, Alta., and Maximum Echo posted a two-day aggregate score of 301 to win the Open Bridle division of the Calgary Stampede’s Working Cow Horse Classic on July 18. Victory was worth $1,920 to Swales, who’d already won Open Bridle four times previously.

Swales has finished in the top 10 at the National Reined Cow Horse Association world championship in Texas in the past. Yet Swales said he was excited to take home a $1,920 cheque and championship belt buckle from Calgary.

The team of Swales and Maximum Echo scored a two-day aggregate total of 301, topping two teams who finished at 290.5.

The horse and cowboy team have been together for two lucrative years.

“Last year he won about $15,000,” said Swales. “He’s been very good, he’s been very consistent every time out.”

Tim Unzicker of Roundup, Mont., riding Halin Magic Diamonds, and Jesse Thomson of Longview, on Pickachiclet, shared the runner up honours.

Swales rode Maximum Echo when he won the Open Hackamore title at the 2009 Calgary Stampede as well.

“He’s just a really nice horse and he’s really easy to get along with,” said Swales.

Swales wasn’t the only member of his family to earn cash in the Stampede. Brother Clint of High River won the 2010 Open Hackamore title riding The Mask. He also won the Limited Open Hackamore title, reserved for riders under a pre-set career earnings limit.

“We wanted it (the cow) a little wild…if it’s too soft, you can’t win anything,” said Clint.

Riding Precision Dee, Bart Holowath of Cayley won the Non-Pro Bridle division, taking home $1,140. Again the difference for Holowath was his cow work, where he scored a 75.

Defending champion Suzon Schaal of Millarville and Genuine Brown Gal took home reserve champion honours in the Non-Pro Bridle division. Schaal did win the Novice Non-Pro Bridle crown riding Genuine Brown Gal as well.

In working cow horse competitions, horse and rider teams are judged on their authority, discipline and precision in two distinct areas, reined work or cow work, also known as fence work.

Reined work is based on a number of predetermined manoeuvres, including figure eights, straight runs and 360-degree spins. During cow work, the horse and rider team direct a steer around the arena, including along the fence.

There are two divisions in the Working Cow Horse Classic, bridle and hackamore, with three designations each, open, non-pro and novice, depending on rider experience.

rnorthrop@okotoks.greatwest.ca

http://calgarystampede.com/

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