The April issue of the Paint Horse Journal will hit mailboxes soon, but a few ranch sorters and their Paints have sailed to the top of their respective Honor Roll lists.
One horse-and-rider pair topped three different Honor Roll lists. Fanci Painted Dually, owned by DeRoy White, tied for first place on the Open Overall, Open Senior and Masters Amateur lists.
“Fanci,” a 2005 bay tobiano mare by Duals Cow Smart (QH) and out of Decaturs Cherokee, was bred by Noble McElreath of Whitesboro, Texas. DeRoy, an equine veterinarian based in Mounds, Oklahoma, started ranch sorting about five years ago. He grew up riding but spent 29 years focusing on taking car of others’ horses. When he decided he wanted to get back in the saddle, several friends and clients encouraged him to try ranch sorting. Soon, DeRoy was hooked.
“I got to meet some really neat people,” he said. “I looked at trail riding and looked at some other disciplines, and I stumbled into ranch sorting. A friend of mine had a little ranch sorting down at his house one day. I got a horse, and I went down there and played.”
Along the way, DeRoy’s wife, Lisa, also started in the sport.
“We started going to some of the local stuff and started expanding out,” DeRoy said. “Just like anything I try to do, I wanted to be the best I could be, so I sought out some of the professionals.”
Shelley Fitzgerald, a trainer based in Yukon, Oklahoma, now helps DeRoy improve his riding. She was also the one to find Fanci, and they were a team for a few years before DeRoy purchased the mare in 2013.
At the 2013 APHA World Championship Show, Shelley, pictured above on the right, won the Ranch Sorting Sweepstakes, and DeRoy, pictured at left, won the Amateur Ranch Sorting Sweepstakes with Fanci. Although Fanci is the only Paint Horse DeRoy owns, he is looking forward to the prospect of returning to the APHA World Show with his mare again in 2014.
“Fanci just loves the sport, and she’s just as honest as she can be every time you take her in the pen,” DeRoy said. “Whatever you ask her, that’s what she does. She probably thinks for me more than I think for myself.”
Congratulations to all the ranch sorting Honor Roll winners:
Open Overall
- Carols Sonofadoc/Francis West (30 points)
- Fanci Painted Dually/DeRoy White (30 points)
Open Senior
- Carols Donofadoc/Francis West (30 points)
- Fanci Painted Dually/DeRoy White (30 points)
Open Junior
- AV Fizz/Dave Wolfe (29 points)
Classic Amateur Honor Roll
- Rock Star Miss/Jacob Parker (21 points)
Masters Amateur
- Fanci Painted Dually/DeRoy White (20 points)
- PJC Color Me Catty/Matt Gibbens (20 points)
Youth 13 & Under
- Hot Sonny Skip/Fallon Owen (6 points)
- Paint Me Pine Bar/Kylie Gamster (6 points)
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