Wagonhound Land & Livestock wasthe recipient of the 2018 AQHA Best Remuda Award. Those interested in the award can apply at AQHA.com. • Photo courtesy of Wagonhound Land & Livestock

Wagonhound Named 2018 Zoetis AQHA Best Remuda

To honor the contributions ranch horses have made to the heritage of the American Quarter Horse, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and AQHA Corporate Partner Zoetis are proud to announce Wagonhound Land & Livestock as the recipient of the 2018 Zoetis AQHA Best Remuda Award.

The Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder is based in Douglas, Wyoming, and is named for a creek crossing that in the 1800s was notorious for claiming many drover wagons. The ranch encompasses more than 235,000 acres, where owners Catherine and Art Nicholas raise nearly 5,000 head of Red Angus cattle and feed almost 7,500 head of cattle in their feedlot, and the quality American Quarter Horses needed to operate the ranch.

While the ranch honors tradition, the Nicholases also strive to be leaders in innovation. The ranch produces a ranch-to-table beef product, with divisions that include not only the horses and cattle, but also farming and outfitting.

“The Wagonhound’s remuda is as versatile as its ranch is diversified,” said AQHA Director of Ranching Kim Lindsey. “The ranch’s horses have proved their worth and quality both on the ranch and in the show arena. Wagonhound Land & Livestock is a very progressive outfit that is also well balanced with old and new traditions.”

The ranch’s vision statement is “Steadfast in maintaining the highest standards,” and that is easy to see in its equine breeding program. The program focuses on creating a horse that will perform on the ranch, but also has the ability to succeed at the top levels of performance events such as cutting, reining, reined cow horse and ranch events.

The ranch owns WR This Cats Smart, the 2017 leading sire of the National Reined Cow Horse Association, and has assembled the highest quality of mares for its broodmare band.

Wagonhound has bred the earners of more than $2 million across disciplines. Performers include Some Like It Hott ($183,223, by Spots Hot), Shiners Diamond Cat ($118,444, by WR This Cats Smart), The Cuteness ($91,805, by WR This Cats Smart) and Peptos Opus Cat ($87,456, by Peptoboonsmal). The ranch’s remuda also includes Stressolena ($74,781, by CD Olena), Dual With A Shiner ($74,618, by Reys Dual Badger), Reys Stressin Melody ($52,145, by Reys Dual Badger) and This Cats King ($22,639, by WR This Cats Smart).

The Zoetis AQHA Best Remuda Award began in 1992 and has since recognized outstanding ranches for raising American Quarter Horses, an important tool of the trade. Any ranch that registers five or more American Quarter Horses each year for ranch work and is a Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder is eligible for this award.

The award will be formally presented to Wagonhound Land & Livestock during the 2018 Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championship Ranch Rodeo, November 7-11 in Amarillo, Texas. Wagonhound will also be recognized during the 2019 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention in New Orleans and at the 2019 AQHA Convention in March in Fort Worth, Texas. The ranch will be featured in the September American Quarter Horse Journal and the October America’s Horse.