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Things are all coming together for Rebellicious.

The sorrel daughter of Metallic Rebel scored her second straight limited-age victory this week by taking the 4-Year-Old Open at The Cattlemen’s Derby & Classic. Ridden once again by EquiStat Elite $4 Million Rider James Payne, the win comes on the heels of their championship last month in the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity.

Payne said Kathleen Moore’s mare runs a little hot and has her quirks, but in his experience that isn’t a bad thing. In his experience, the better cutting mares tend to be that way, “because they’re very, very opinionated about what they do and how they do it.”

However, he said it can make it take longer for those types of mares to round into top form because they have to find a balance between acting on their own initiative and also being willing to accept direction when needed.

“Your better cutting mares, in my experience, are the hotter, opinionated, quirky, eccentric mares. And, it takes a while for them to get that blend between accepting you and doing their job, and just being comfortable with accepting [direction from me],” said Payne, who marked a winning 222.5 with Rebellicious at The Cattlemen’s. “And, I felt like all last Fall I spent more time trying to get her to listen to me and not make a mistake. And, after I won [the Southern Cutting Futurity in] Jackson on her, I’ve pretty much just been, like ‘go hook up’.”

Combined with her previous wins, the $14,000 first-place paycheck at The Cattlemen’s pushed the mare’s lifetime earnings to more than $98,721.

While initially there were plans for the mare’s owner, Kathleen Moore, to ride her in some non-pro derbies this year, there’s a pretty good chance Payne will keep riding her for now.

“You don’t want to mess with a hot roll if it’s going,” he quipped.

Fortunately, Moore has some top non-pro aged-event mares in her stable right now. At The Cattlemen’s, she won the 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro with Purdys Rebel. Last month, she and Telez Shes Spicey won the 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro at the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity.

Bred by Tim Drummond, of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Rebellicious is by EquiStat Elite $3 Million Sire Metallic Rebel and out of Style My Lizzy (by Lizzys Gotta Player). She is her mother’s lone money-earning performer in EquiStat.

The Cattlemen’s 4-Year-Old Open Reserve Champions were Just Rebelling and Russ Westfall. The duo marked a 222 to earn $12,000 for owner Jerry Rava, of Paso Robles, California. Just Rebelling is a 2019 stallion by Metallic Rebel and out of Justasassycat (by High Brow Cat). He was bred by the Beechfork Ranch, of Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Quarter Horse News
by Molly Montag
View article on QHN