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So Close

Though they missed a Top Five finish by a single shot, Thomas Porter and Moon Dancers Honey turned in a remarkable performance at the 2015 Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association’s Jeffers National Championship, which took place April 16–19 in Tunica, Mississippi. The duo ended up 21st overall out of nearly 250 competitors with a combined time of 84.276.

“I would have been fifth overall if I had not missed a target,” the Greenbriar, Arkansas, horseman said. “Moon Dancers Honey is a fantastic mounted shooting horse. His speed and agility usually put me in the Top 10 times in any large event, but I am the one who misses the target and keeps us from an overall title.”

“Houdi” is a 1996 red roan solid gelding by Idle Moon and out of Jet Bar Two—bred by Dawn Cline of Huntsville, Arkansas, the gelding was purchased by Thomas at age 3. An experienced shooter, Thomas introduced the young horse to gunfire and started shooting off the gelding at age 6. Now a veteran team, Thomas and Houdi are hard to beat.

“He has never missed a national championship event in his career. He has always put me where I needed to be in this sport,” Thomas said. “He will run a blistering time in the arena with me, and then I can put any small child on him and he will just walk with them.”

Through CMSA, Thomas has been able to earn APHA points in mounted shooting aboard the Paint gelding. Racking up a number of wins and Top 10 finishes in their career, it’s no surprise Houdi was named a Top 20 mounted shooting horse in 2013 by Western Shooting Horse magazine—read it here. 

“He is part of my family,” Thomas said. “I wish I had three more just like him for my kids to compete on! There are a lot of great mounted shooting horses, and I am very proud to own one of top ones.” 

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[Reprinting this article is permitted, so long as credit is given to Flash/APHA and a link provided to myflashyride.com.]

About Flash
Flash is an annual publication produced by the American Paint Horse Association that celebrates Paint Horses excelling in timed events—racing, barrel racing, roping, shooting and sorting/penning—along with the people who love them. Check out our free digital magazine at MyFlashyRide.com or pick up a printed copy of Flash at major events across the country. And check MyFlashyRide.com/news often for the latest news about fast, flashy Paints.

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