Metallic Slide and Kendra Suhling capture NRCHA Non Pro Boxing World Championship

Another champion duo celebrated major accomplishments at the 2024 National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions – Kendra Suhling and Metallic Slide (Metallic Cat x Sliden Wright By x Smart Little Lena). The Non Pro Boxing class paid out over $29,000, and this team took home $5,920 with their world championship win Saturday, February 18, 2024 in the John Justin Arena at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

They marked a 218 in the rein work portion. In the boxing, their score came in at a 224, making their total score a 442, which was just a half point ahead of reserve champion Christa D. Hampton and Whose Tuff’s (Woody Be Tuff x CR Dees Boon Meow x Peptoboonsmal) score of 441.5.

“Reining is maybe our softer event. We have to work pretty hard at it. She’s good on a cow; but in the rein work, I just try to go out there, put my hand down, run hard and show the judges I really want it,” Suhling said. “I was a little nervous about this cow. It started off good, and then, it started getting a little softer. I really wanted to try and get it set up in front of me, and it just didn’t happen. It kind of went corner to corner, so we just tried to stay hooked with it and stay in position to make that work.”

Bred by the Beechfork Ranch and owned by Suhling, the 2016 mare, also known as Mouse, barely made it out to Fort Worth to compete, making this win even more special for Suhling and her support system.

“This week has been rough. We weren’t sure my horse was going to get to come. Actually, she had to have about 10 days off before we got here, and we literally rolled in at midnight to show the next day,” Suhling said. “This mare makes me work hard, but I love her for it, because she makes me a better rider.”

Growing up, Suhling competed and showed in various events and disciplines, so she’s always had a passion for horses. Suhling and Hampton, the reserve world champion, grew up showing in 11-and-under AQHA classes in Arizona; and now, they raise their families together at shows.

“I grew up showing hunter jumpers and all-around horses in the AQHA, so I’ve shown everything from the over fences classes to trail and western riding, and I’ve even roped,” Suhling said. “There are a lot of disciplines, but I love the cow horse, mostly just because everybody’s so supportive. You go out there and really want to win, but you’re also cheering for your friends. If somebody doesn’t have a good ride, you’re genuinely sad for them, because you know how hard it is to get out here to do this and how much work it takes.”

Taking every opportunity to get good practice in, Suhling now works a different animal, in addition to cattle, at home.

“My father in law has some very rogue and renegade sheep, and I have better fence than he does; so he put his herd of sheep at our house. I finally got sick of feeding them for no reward, so I started putting them in the arena and working them like cattle,” Suhling said laughing. “It is so much fun. They run so hard, and all my horses are now sheep broke. We have heifers at the house, but the sheep are really docile. You can shake a feed bag and have them follow you around, so I shake a feed bag, put them in the pens, kick one out and then get on a horse and start working it.”

With a point and a half separating first place through fourth place, the event brought excitement and camaraderie to the arena on a chilly Saturday afternoon where there were 16 finalists. Third place went to Carissa Schaafsma and Jills Last Bet (Bet Hesa Cat x Shiners Diamond Jill x Shining Spark) with a 441-point score, and Cheryl Chown and Xtra Short Trick (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Short And Royal x Short Oak) earned a 440.5 to end up fourth.