| AQHA Interview |
| Chris Littlefield 8314 FM 11197 Henrietta, Texas 76365 Cell: 940-232-1804 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Real Guns Sweetie and Chris Littlefield of Henrietta, Texas, won the 2009 world
championship in junior heading.
Riding Real Guns Sweetie on nearly her first trip to the big town, cowboy, trainer and exhibitor Chris
Littlefield scored a gold trophy in the junior team roping-heading November 21 at the 2009 AQHA World
Championship Show. It was a trip of firsts for Chris and the gray mare. It was his first world title, and he
was riding the daughter of Real Gun, the horse he rode and helped to win the 2004 AQHA Superhorse title.
The Journal caught up with Chris in the Super Barn after the junior heeling finals.
championship in junior heading.
Riding Real Guns Sweetie on nearly her first trip to the big town, cowboy, trainer and exhibitor Chris
Littlefield scored a gold trophy in the junior team roping-heading November 21 at the 2009 AQHA World
Championship Show. It was a trip of firsts for Chris and the gray mare. It was his first world title, and he
was riding the daughter of Real Gun, the horse he rode and helped to win the 2004 AQHA Superhorse title.
The Journal caught up with Chris in the Super Barn after the junior heeling finals.
Fun Fact: Sanna and Chris nicknamed Real Guns Sweetie “Pigpen” "because she’
s a mess!" Chris said. "You can clean her up and doll her up and get her pretty
and fancy, and the first thing she wants to do is roll in the nastiest mud hole she
can find."
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Real Guns Sweetie
Pedigree: 2005 gray mare by Real Gun x Seven S Sweet Thing by Zans Misty Gold
Trainer/Exhibitor: Chris Littlefield, Henrietta, Texas
Owner: Sanna Buckbee, Adair, Oklahoma
Breeder: R.T. Stuart Ranch LLC, Waurika, Oklahoma
Total class entries: 55
Purse: $45,222.10
Class Sponsor: Carol Rose Quarter Horses
World Champion Prizes: Custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths
buckle, neck wreath, gold medallion, Cripple Creek-logo jacket with a world
champion patch, Professional's Choice product, Justin Boots, Nutrena feed
s a mess!" Chris said. "You can clean her up and doll her up and get her pretty
and fancy, and the first thing she wants to do is roll in the nastiest mud hole she
can find."
WINNER STATS
Horse name: Real Guns Sweetie
Pedigree: 2005 gray mare by Real Gun x Seven S Sweet Thing by Zans Misty Gold
Trainer/Exhibitor: Chris Littlefield, Henrietta, Texas
Owner: Sanna Buckbee, Adair, Oklahoma
Breeder: R.T. Stuart Ranch LLC, Waurika, Oklahoma
Total class entries: 55
Purse: $45,222.10
Class Sponsor: Carol Rose Quarter Horses
World Champion Prizes: Custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths
buckle, neck wreath, gold medallion, Cripple Creek-logo jacket with a world
champion patch, Professional's Choice product, Justin Boots, Nutrena feed
Interview, photos and video courtesy of AQHA
http://www.aqha.com/showing/shows/worldshow/09winningrun
then click on Junior Heading
CHRIS LITTLEFIELD AND REAL GUNS SWEETIE SCORE A
GOLD IN THE JUNIOR HEADING.
BY BECKY NEWELL, AQHA MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS EDITORIAL
DIRECTOR
http://www.aqha.com/showing/shows/worldshow/09winningrun
then click on Junior Heading
CHRIS LITTLEFIELD AND REAL GUNS SWEETIE SCORE A
GOLD IN THE JUNIOR HEADING.
BY BECKY NEWELL, AQHA MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS EDITORIAL
DIRECTOR
CHRIS: She’s just a really good mare. She has always been real honest, tough and solid. It has been a real
honor to get to train her for her owner, Sanna Buckbee. She’s been a long-time customer, and I’m glad she
stuck it out, and we finally got one for her.
Q: What is it that made this mare special for you? You mentioned something earlier about her sire?
CHRIS: I won the AQHA Superhorse award (in 2004) on her sire, Real Gun. He always holds a special place
in my heart. This is also my first world championship, so it’s been good, and it’s sure been nice to do it on
her.
Q: How old is she?
CHRIS: She’s 4.
Q: Wow. That’s young. No wonder you were worried about the trophy and ribbons scaring her.
CHRIS: Yeah, I wasn’t sure how that would go! She has really grown up a lot this summer – mentally. I rode
her during her whole 3-year-old year, and then I only showed her six or eight times this spring and got her
qualified (for the World Show). Then Sanna (Buckbee, the mare's owner) took her home, let her rest and then
took her up in the mountains. When she came back, she was a lot more mentally mature. I think it helped her
a lot. She just came in here and did her job, and here we are.
Q: So tell me about your run in the heading finals. How did she do there?
CHRIS: I thought the mare did all she could do. I was worried about how they’d score that, because right
when I roped that steer, he slowed down a little bit and didn’t give me the opportunity. Actually, that mare is
just a little better if that steer is stronger and really tried to get away from her. I ran up there and roped that
steer, and he slowed down just a little bit and so I couldn’t stay there and really get my rope as tight as I
wanted. So I just had to get tied and be quick and get out of there – she’s real strong, that mare, she doesn’t
know what she can’t pull, she’s so strong – then we turned and faced. I was concerned, you know, being first
out in the finals, I thought there was just no way (we could win). It’s hard for a judge, any judge, to just really
mark that first horse because you’re thinking, “Well, something may happen later, and I don’t want to step out
on a ledge and hang myself … ” I was really shocked that they marked her as much as they did (224).
Q: Evidently, she impressed them.
CHRIS: Yeah, that mare scored really good. She backs in the box and stands dead flat … there’s just no
wiggle or move to her. She waits in your hand, and when you tell her to go, she’s all out.
Q: You also went back in the heeling finals with her. How’d she do there?
CHRIS: I thought she had a real good run in the heeling. We just didn’t have quite enough steer to beat those
top two guys (J.D. Yates and Kory Koontz). The steer was good – it was just a good, average, medium steer. I’
d sure take that steer in the prelims any day, but here in the finals, boy, you need one that’s really going to try
you, and that steer just wasn’t quite enough for us.
Q: But you still got another trophy out of it.
CHRIS: We still got a trophy and we got to come back and play today, so it’s all gravy after that.
Q: If I remember correctly, you competed for a number of years in ranch horse competitions. Are you still
doing some of that?
CHRIS: Yes, ma’am. I still go back “home.” That’s actually where I started showing – the Ranch Horse
Association of America – because I wanted to evolve into the working cow horse and the roping. I actually
went to Abilene (Texas) this year with a horse I own to the (RHAA) world finals there and got lucky and won
the world in that. It’s not so much about the competition for me there. I just like to go and see all the ranch
people and visit. They’re just good people, that’s the way I grew up and that’s what I like.
***********************************************************
honor to get to train her for her owner, Sanna Buckbee. She’s been a long-time customer, and I’m glad she
stuck it out, and we finally got one for her.
Q: What is it that made this mare special for you? You mentioned something earlier about her sire?
CHRIS: I won the AQHA Superhorse award (in 2004) on her sire, Real Gun. He always holds a special place
in my heart. This is also my first world championship, so it’s been good, and it’s sure been nice to do it on
her.
Q: How old is she?
CHRIS: She’s 4.
Q: Wow. That’s young. No wonder you were worried about the trophy and ribbons scaring her.
CHRIS: Yeah, I wasn’t sure how that would go! She has really grown up a lot this summer – mentally. I rode
her during her whole 3-year-old year, and then I only showed her six or eight times this spring and got her
qualified (for the World Show). Then Sanna (Buckbee, the mare's owner) took her home, let her rest and then
took her up in the mountains. When she came back, she was a lot more mentally mature. I think it helped her
a lot. She just came in here and did her job, and here we are.
Q: So tell me about your run in the heading finals. How did she do there?
CHRIS: I thought the mare did all she could do. I was worried about how they’d score that, because right
when I roped that steer, he slowed down a little bit and didn’t give me the opportunity. Actually, that mare is
just a little better if that steer is stronger and really tried to get away from her. I ran up there and roped that
steer, and he slowed down just a little bit and so I couldn’t stay there and really get my rope as tight as I
wanted. So I just had to get tied and be quick and get out of there – she’s real strong, that mare, she doesn’t
know what she can’t pull, she’s so strong – then we turned and faced. I was concerned, you know, being first
out in the finals, I thought there was just no way (we could win). It’s hard for a judge, any judge, to just really
mark that first horse because you’re thinking, “Well, something may happen later, and I don’t want to step out
on a ledge and hang myself … ” I was really shocked that they marked her as much as they did (224).
Q: Evidently, she impressed them.
CHRIS: Yeah, that mare scored really good. She backs in the box and stands dead flat … there’s just no
wiggle or move to her. She waits in your hand, and when you tell her to go, she’s all out.
Q: You also went back in the heeling finals with her. How’d she do there?
CHRIS: I thought she had a real good run in the heeling. We just didn’t have quite enough steer to beat those
top two guys (J.D. Yates and Kory Koontz). The steer was good – it was just a good, average, medium steer. I’
d sure take that steer in the prelims any day, but here in the finals, boy, you need one that’s really going to try
you, and that steer just wasn’t quite enough for us.
Q: But you still got another trophy out of it.
CHRIS: We still got a trophy and we got to come back and play today, so it’s all gravy after that.
Q: If I remember correctly, you competed for a number of years in ranch horse competitions. Are you still
doing some of that?
CHRIS: Yes, ma’am. I still go back “home.” That’s actually where I started showing – the Ranch Horse
Association of America – because I wanted to evolve into the working cow horse and the roping. I actually
went to Abilene (Texas) this year with a horse I own to the (RHAA) world finals there and got lucky and won
the world in that. It’s not so much about the competition for me there. I just like to go and see all the ranch
people and visit. They’re just good people, that’s the way I grew up and that’s what I like.
***********************************************************