Roo Star AQHA Senior World Champion
SENIOR WORKING COW HORSE
TODD CRAWFORD AND ROO STAR
SHINE IN WORLD SHOW FINALS.
BY LARRI JO STARKEY,
AQHA COPY EDITOR
Todd Crawford and Roo Star circle up their
cow in the senior working cow horse finals.
Todd Crawford drew first in the working
order in the senior working cow horse finals
November 15 at the AQHA World
Championship Show.
But the veteran competitor took it in stride.
Riding Roo Star, a 1999 bay stallion, Todd
rode hard and fast into the arena, skidding
through his stops and circles.
“(‘Roo’) circled good, he ran and stopped
good, he turned good,” Todd said. “I thought
he was real good all the way through, so I
was real happy with him.”
As Todd and Roo turned to face the gate, the
black Angus heifer that trotted in looked
TODD CRAWFORD AND ROO STAR
SHINE IN WORLD SHOW FINALS.
BY LARRI JO STARKEY,
AQHA COPY EDITOR
Todd Crawford and Roo Star circle up their
cow in the senior working cow horse finals.
Todd Crawford drew first in the working
order in the senior working cow horse finals
November 15 at the AQHA World
Championship Show.
But the veteran competitor took it in stride.
Riding Roo Star, a 1999 bay stallion, Todd
rode hard and fast into the arena, skidding
through his stops and circles.
“(‘Roo’) circled good, he ran and stopped
good, he turned good,” Todd said. “I thought
he was real good all the way through, so I
was real happy with him.”
As Todd and Roo turned to face the gate, the
black Angus heifer that trotted in looked
feisty, but she stumbled as Todd and “Roo” were finishing their last circle.
“It was a good cow,” Todd said. “It boxed well. It honored me good. It was maybe a
tad weak and fell down after the second turn and that concerned me that I would
get reviewed and knocked down three points a judge or (maybe) just the run
content go down, but it was a good cow. As tough as they’ve been all week, it
shocked me that it weakened a little bit like that, but we made it through.”
The judges agreed with Todd, giving him a 222.5 in the dry work and a 223 in the
cow work for a total of 445.5.
Todd’s work was done. All he could do was wait for the other 14 finalists to ride.
“It was a long wait, and whatever happens, happens,” Todd said. “You can’t control
it, so I was happy. My horse was good.”
Roo, owned by Melissa Ann Miller of Belton, Texas, was bred by AQHA President
Frank Merrill and his wife, Robin, who were among those watching as rider after
rider failed to match Todd’s score. In the end, no one could, and Todd claimed the
world championship title.
Accepting the golden trophy from Frank, Todd told the crowd the horse “had a poor
start in life, but he overcame it, and he’s doing very good now.”
So good, in fact, that Todd is thinking of taking the horse to the World’s Greatest
Horseman competition in Stephenville, Texas, in February.
“He seems like a real show horse,” Todd said. “If Melissa lets me, I would enjoy
showing him.”
WINNER STATS
Horse: Roo Star
Pedigree: Gallo Del Cielo x Anna Paulena by Doc O'Lena
Exhibitor: Todd Crawford
Owner: Melissa Ann Miller, Belton, Texas
Breeder: Frank and Robin Merrill
*Reproduced courtesy of AQHA
“It was a good cow,” Todd said. “It boxed well. It honored me good. It was maybe a
tad weak and fell down after the second turn and that concerned me that I would
get reviewed and knocked down three points a judge or (maybe) just the run
content go down, but it was a good cow. As tough as they’ve been all week, it
shocked me that it weakened a little bit like that, but we made it through.”
The judges agreed with Todd, giving him a 222.5 in the dry work and a 223 in the
cow work for a total of 445.5.
Todd’s work was done. All he could do was wait for the other 14 finalists to ride.
“It was a long wait, and whatever happens, happens,” Todd said. “You can’t control
it, so I was happy. My horse was good.”
Roo, owned by Melissa Ann Miller of Belton, Texas, was bred by AQHA President
Frank Merrill and his wife, Robin, who were among those watching as rider after
rider failed to match Todd’s score. In the end, no one could, and Todd claimed the
world championship title.
Accepting the golden trophy from Frank, Todd told the crowd the horse “had a poor
start in life, but he overcame it, and he’s doing very good now.”
So good, in fact, that Todd is thinking of taking the horse to the World’s Greatest
Horseman competition in Stephenville, Texas, in February.
“He seems like a real show horse,” Todd said. “If Melissa lets me, I would enjoy
showing him.”
WINNER STATS
Horse: Roo Star
Pedigree: Gallo Del Cielo x Anna Paulena by Doc O'Lena
Exhibitor: Todd Crawford
Owner: Melissa Ann Miller, Belton, Texas
Breeder: Frank and Robin Merrill
*Reproduced courtesy of AQHA