PG . 15
AQHA OPEN DERBY INCENTIVE
A Ducktacular win for
Q-92256
HEATH SINCLAIR
ARTICLE BY : STEPHEN MOWBRAY D PHOTOS BY : LIZ SPEED PHOTOPGRAPHY
HEATH SINCLAIR RECKONS SOME THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON . HE JUST MIGHT BE RIGHT . AND IT ’ S EVEN BETTER WHEN IT TURNS OUT THE WAY THAT THIS ‘ THING ’ DID .
MARK Buttsworth ( our beloved ‘ Buttsy ) copped a bit of a work out with a horse recently and it meant he couldn ’ t ride his or his Clients horses at the NCHA 4CYTE Futurity Legends show which was finally returning to AELEC . Knowing that one of his best mates wasn ’ t showing any horses he picked up the phone and asked the ‘ can you help me ’ question .
On the other end of the phone was his best mate Heath Sinclair .
Heath told us “ When one of your best mates calls and they need help , that ’ s what you do ”.
‘ Helping his mate ’ meant that Heath would get back on a cutter after two and a half years out of the pen and with only a few days notice ! He told us “ I was way far from ‘ horse fit ’, for a sport that is demanding in so many ways , I knew I ’ d be waking up pretty sore and tight very morning but was hoping it might get better each day !
And ‘ He ’ s my mate ’’ Heath told us . ‘ I ’ m just doing it to help him out and Kristy and the kids are coming down too , it ’ ll be great to catch up with our cutting family , we haven ’ t seen everyone for a while .’
It ’ s fair to say the expectations in terms of results of Heath showing a couple of catch-rides were pretty measured . But there ’ s no doubting the pedigree of the Rider at the NCHA ’ s biggest event of the year : 2005 Limited Open Futurity win on ‘ Spin N Denius Q-48917 ’ 2009 Open Futurity win on ‘ Dulces Glory Q-59600 ’ 2011 Open Futurity Gelding Incentive on ‘ Winderadeen Happy Hours ’ 2013 Co-Champion in the Open Gold Cup with Rob Hodgman showing ‘ Stylish CD Q-59606 ’ and Heath on ‘ One Roan Peptos Q-55501 ’
2017 Open Gold Cup on ‘ Desires Blue Trinity Q-81553 ’ and then perhap one of the most emotional victories we ’ ve seen in the cutting pen in Australia when in 2018 Heath showed Teresa Russo ’ s ‘ One Roan Peptos ’ for his second Open Open Gold Cup which was the last time this magniicent stallion crossed the timeline .
AQHA JULY / AUGUST ISSUE 2022