NRCHA Supreme Cow Horse Bettin Yer Smart now standing to outside mares

For the first time, national champion Bettin Yer Smart will stand to outside mares in 2020. This son of Smart Little Lena and Bet Yer Boons has proven his worth in both the showpen and on the range. From March to May 2020, he will stand at Colorado State University Equine Reproductive Lab in Ft. Collins, with an introductory rate of $1,250. At this time, a limit of 20 outside mares has been set. To book a mare, contact CSU at 970-491-8626 or erl@colostate.edu.

Bettin Yer Smart (Jayhawk) is a 2007 AQHA red roan stallion owned by Long Pines Land and Livestock near Buffalo, S.D. A product of the Lindy Burch breeding program for the Oxbow Ranch, he is one of the few direct descendants of Lindy’s great mare, Bet Yer Blue Boons, winner of the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) World Show, thanks to the Equine Reproductive Lab at Colorado State University. Lindy bred her world champion to Peptoboonsmal, and the result was Bet Yer Boons, who Lindy bred to Smart Little Lena, and Bettin Yer Smart’s destiny was set.

During his limited show career, Bettin Yer Smart won the hackamore division at the 2012 Snaffle Bit Futurity. The same year, he won Reserve Open Hackamore Champion at the NRCHA World Show. In fact, he has winnings in all NRCHA divisions (snaffle, hackamore, two-rein and bridle) and qualified for the World Show in all but snaffle.

In the AQHA, he was High Point Open Junior Working Cow Horse for 2011, earned 22 AQHA points plus a Register of Merit in Open Performance. Bettin Yer Smart won more than $37,144 in reined cow horse and cutting competitions, has been among an honored few to be named an NRCHA Supreme Working Cow Horse, and, locally, he excelled at the Black Hills Stock Show and S.D. Reined Cow Horse Association.

His training and showing was under Justin Lawrence, Alzada, MT. “This horse has more trainability and try than any other day in and day out,” says Lawrence. He chose to compete on Bettin Yer Smart in three of his invitations to the World’s Best Horseman. Lawrence and his wife, Kelcie, purchased the eye-catching roan stallion as a yearling. He was bought soon afterwards by Long Pines Land and Livestock, one of the first in a four-state area to seriously enter reined cow horse competitively.

“Bettin” on His Offspring

Long Pine’s horse program is the result of the vision of Deb Brown and Larry Licking, a husband and wife team. Deb is addicted to working cow horses and Larry loves the speed and fast footwork of barrel horses. Bettin Yer Smart fits both.

During his show career, this versatile stallion was a handy ranch horse, used to dragging calves at brandings and long days of wet saddle blankets. He was promised a home on the range of northwestern South Dakota/southern Montana and he became a range stallion in 2015.

The Long Pines broodmares are cow, cutting and speed bred, and Bettin Yer Smart’s 2016 foal crop is proving he crosses well on them all. Instead of standing him to outside mares immediately, Long Pines asked Bettin Yer Smart to prove himself as a sire.

“He stamps his offspring with strong, correct conformations, good looks, great minds and athleticism,” says Deb.

Long Pines has put horses from the 2016 (three) and 2017 (two) foal crops into training with Justin Lawrence. Smart Vaca Reina and Smokin the Jay became NRCHA open money winners in their first and second shows, respectively.

Tina and Terri Nistler, successful reining competitors in Montana, has one of Bettin Yer Smart’s first foals, BetMyBrakes R Smokin, a 2016 red roan stallion that looks almost like a twin to his sire. Terri calls him “insanely athletic, kind, good natured, and really wants to work.” She adds, “He’s very trainable with a good work ethic and already has a strong stop. We’d sure bring another mare to Bettin Yer Smart.”

The work ethic and good disposition of Jayhawk tends to come up frequently. “He hadn’t been ridden for probably 16 months, and in June Sterling (Deb’s son) threw a saddle on him and worked bulls with him,” Deb says.

“Jayhawk has so many qualities that we want in all our Long Pines horses. We hope he helps us increase the popularity of reined cow horse, and that his offspring give many others the chance to have a part of him,” concludes Deb.

Bettin Yer Smart offspring are eligible for AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenges and SD Reined Cow Horse Association Stallion Stakes. More details can be found at http://BettinYerSmart, and on Long Pines’ Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram pages.

– Long Pines Land and Livestock