TIE-DOWN ROPING HORSE OF THE YEAR
PINCHER
Owned by Chad Johnson
By Dianne Finstad
When it comes to the top rope horses in Canada, there’s a new star on the trail. After claiming the award for the last four years straight, Dean Edge’s Sid had to take a back seat in this year’s voting for tie-down horse of the year in Canada. He finished runner up, to a talented guy named Pincher.
Pincher is a nine-year-old sorrel, owned by Chad Johnson of Del Bonita, Alta. who was thrilled to get the news.
Chad and his father Arnie make a business of training and trading horses at their ranch on the U.S. side of the border, just across from Del Bonita. Pincher’s been in their program for a few years now.
“I bought him when he was coming four,” said the younger Johnson. “Blaine Pickard, a vet in Pincher Creek raised the colt, and we got him from Fred deWalt as a green broke gelding.
“Fred had a bunch of geldings we went and looked at in Pincher Creek. I picked out this one and rode him around. He stood out for some reason. I loped him down the fence, sat down and said ‘whoa’ and he came to a stop. It was kind of amazing,” Johnson continued.
“After about a week of work on him, he was actually following a calf, and I threw a rope off him. He was like he’d been doing it his whole life,” the cowboy recalled. “I could tell he would be pretty good. He’s extremely natural.”
While Pocos Pepnic is the horse’s registered name, it only seemed fitting to put the handle “Pincher” on him, considering where Johnson found him.
“And his ears kind of pinched together at the top,” he chuckled.
Pincher is just coming into his prime, and Johnson has been pleased to see his development this season.
“I’ve been hauling him for two-and-a-half years now. But in this last six months, I don’t know if he’s just matured, or come into his own, but he’s really learned to relax and do his job.
“He’s been good on short scores, and the long score at Ponoka. He just does his job well.”
Other ropers have had a chance to experience that.
Brad Goodrich used him at the Grande Prairie Stompede, while Jerrad Hofstetter jumped on board at the Ponoka Stampede. Steve Lloyd used him at the Nicola Valley Memoria Pro Rodeo in Merritt, B.C., and Blair Burk rode the horse at Medicine Hat and Ponoka.
Plus he’s the big reason Johnson himself is coming back to the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) for the fifth time in the tie-down roping.
“It was like a light switch came on this year. He always did good before, but he was like a new kid at a rodeo. His eyes would get wide, and he’d be looking around at all the things to see, and be nervous,” Johnson said.
“Now he knows his job at a rodeo, and just does it. It just takes time,” he added. “I’ve been pretty lucky. They tell you you’ll only get one good horse and one good woman in life,” grinned Johnson. “But I’ve had three good horses. And he’s the best of all three.
“He scores extremely well, and has a large stop. He just drags his butt and finishes good on the front end, so he has lots of pull.”
As far as cow sense goes, Pincher’s got that covered in spades. Johnsons like to give all their trainees plenty of time on the wide-open prairie, working cattle in a natural setting.
“I ride him out on the ranch lots. I really think the ranch experience is irreplaceable. It’s good for a horse’s brain, and teaches them to think,” he noted. “When I turn Pincher loose in the arena after we’ve been roping, he rolls, and then heads back and is hunting the calves. He enjoys his job!”
For Johnson, winning the Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year award is a first, and he sees it as a vote of confidence in his training program as well.
“I’m extremely honoured the rest of the calf ropers in the field voted for him. It means they think he works as well as I do, and recognize his talent,” he smiled.
“It’s prestigious to win because it’s voted on by your peers, the top fifteen ropers. Dean Edge’s horse is an outstanding one too, and I’m just honoured they chose mine this year.” |
