Winter 2008

Darren & Rhoda herded cattle
for the NWSS Parade.
Stock Show Season

We have enjoyed a great start in the new year, earning 91 AQHA points on five horses at the Pre Denver circuit and the National Western Stock Show. Darren and Shiny Black Shiner earned the Jr. Reining Circuit championship and the NWSS Reserve Jr. Reining title. Although the pair had earned AQHA cowhorse points, qualifying for the 2007 World Show, they came to the 2008 Pre Denver Circuit with no reining points. They earned 38 points at the 7 judge circuit.

Tom Sokolowski's stallion, Roosters Okie, was also a Stock Show star. He placed third overall at the National Western and was a consistent player in the large Sr. Reining classes to earn 27 points during the week.

Hickorys Dr. Pepper, owned by Brian Moore, also placed consistently in the Sr. Reining division to earn 12 points. Rhoda and Smart Smooth Sailor earned 12 points in the Amateur Reining to secure their AQHA Register of Merit award. Award For Luke, owned by David Barr of Rosemount Angus, Franklin, GA, earned 2 points in the Jr. Reining class with Darren aboard.

It was an honor to be invited to drive the longhorn cattle in the NWSS Parade. The parade began at Coors Field and went east down 17th street. We rode between the spectators and the cows. They were a beautiful sight trotting loose thru the streets lined with people.




Darren & Shiny Black Shiner		 ............. Darren & Roosters Okie


Fall 2007

We were grateful to have enjoyed a great fall show season, posting earnings and titles on several different horses.

Todd Thieszen won nearly $4,000 riding his futurity mare, Nics Smart Lena. He was reserve in the amateur and limited divisions and placed third in the non pro at the South Dakota RCHA Stallion Stakes event. He was reserve in the amateur and limited divisions at the High Desert RCHA Futurity in Utah. He and his wife, Shariel, raised this mare who is sired by Nics Little Peppy.


Darren & Award For Luke
 Darren and Nics Little Peppy won the NRCHA North Central Region and CRCA Open Bridle championships. The pair won the open bridle at the Wyoming RCHA show and finished in the Top 15 in the national standings.

Dez She Wiggle and Darren won the RMQHA Open Cowhorse year end title and qualified for the NRCHA World Show. They also won the Open Two Rein class at the Wyoming RCHA futurity. David Barr's ranch raised gelding, Award For Luke, was reserve champion in the Open Hackamore class at this same show.

Cheryl Zesbaugh's mare, Dig N The High Mark and Rhoda's mare, Uncommonly Savvy, also qualified for the NRCHA World show.

Rhoda and Sheza Peppies Poppy won the Co State Fair NRCHA Non Pro futurity and placed 4th in the reining futurity. Darren had a consistent showing aboard Hickory Dickory Dig. The pair were 3rd at the CRCA and Wyoming futurities for nearly $4,000 in earnings.

Darren and Shiny Black Shiner were co-champions at the CRCA show in the Open Derby division. They tied scores in all 3 portions of the contest, herd, reining and cow work with Kevin Stallings and Shining Lil Nic. Coincidentally, the stallions are 3/4 brothers, both sired by Smart Shiner and out of daughters of Diggers Rest.

Glennis Porter's mare, Sugar Deliah, was reserve champion in the NRHA Intermediate Open at the State Fair show.


Summer 2007


May NRCHA Show BBQ
 Showin' and Goin'

Darren has been busy judging NRCHA shows around the country. He has enjoyed the travel and meeting new people. In January, he judged a two day show in Ocala, Florida. In May, he judged another show in Perry, Georgia. In June, he was honored to judge the NRCHA Derby event in Paso Robles, Calif.

We have hosted two NRCHA shows at our place this summer. The first one was May 19-20, and the second on July 14-15. A Herd work practice pen was available both days and a BBQ was held on Saturday night. 

Spring 2007




The stork arrived!

We feel fortunate to have gotten such nice colts this year. Darren's good gray daughter of Digger, Kaimana Wana Wiggle, had a sorrel colt sired by Very Smart Remedy. His other Digger mare, a buckskin named Can U Dig An Eighty, had a nice bay filly sired by Short Oak.

Rhoda was blessed with lots of fillies. Her good show mare, Pep In My Step, gave birth to her first foal, a chestnut filly by Diggers Rest. Her other great show mare from years ago, Cutters Goldylocks, had her 14th foal, a beautiful sorrel overo filly by Diggers Rest. She also has a fine looking filly sired by Diggers Rest and out of Clyde Smith's good daughter of Smart Chic Olena, Chics Betty Crocker.


Sires X Dams, clockwise from top left:

1. Diggers Rest X Chics Betty Crocker
2. Diggers Rest X Cutters Goldylocks
3. Diggers Rest X Pep In My Step
4. Very Smart Remedy X Kaimana Wanna Wiggle
5. Short Oak X Can U Dig An Eighty




Fall 2006


Darren & Dez She Wiggle
 Showin' and Goin'

NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity World Championship Show
Darren had an exciting show at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nevada. Both of his mounts were money earners at the prestigious event. Dez She Wiggle placed 4th in the Open Hackamore finals, earning over $4k. Shiny Black Shiner tied to win the Intermediate Open reined work division and placed in the Open division among 400 or so entries.

Sagebrush Slide and Cowhorse Classic
Adam Hendrickson won NRHA derby money at the Western Slope Slide riding Jerrold Evans mare, Ruf Hollywood Night. He tied to win the Limited Open derby division and tied for reserve honors in the Intermediate Open derby division. He also was reserve champion in the 28 entry Limited Open class.

Gianna Hansen claimed reserve honors in the Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association Green Rookie division and finished in fifth place for the year in the competitive Rookie division riding her pretty dun mare, Oakies Smokin Dun It.

Once again Diggers Rest made the Reined Cowhorse Leading Sires list which is compiled annually by Equi-Stat. He is emerging as a broodmare sire and you can catch up on his news on the Stallions page. We are also proud that he sired the top 2 selling horses at the Fall Classic Catalog Sale. You can read about that on our Sale page.

Shai Kaneti and his wife, Ellie, had a good show season in Israel. Shai rode Diggers Midnite Jazz (Jaz Poco Goldun Blue X Midnight Digger) to win the 2006 Year End championship titles in the Novice Horse Reining, NRHA Circuit Snaffle Bit/Hackamore and the Open Cowhorse. He and Darren own the stallion in partnership.

Ellie won the 2006 NRHA Non Pro championship riding her mom's stallion, Joes Golden Mission. Their champion daughter of Diggers Rest, Common Phenomenon, placed 3rd in the cutting. Darren won reserve honors in the Stallion Stakes Open Derby riding Dez She Wiggle. Adam was reserve champion in the Limited Open Bridle Spectacular riding Heza Lil Peppa Nic. Melinda Horn had a great horse show. She won the Novice Non Pro Bridle, the All Age Stallion Stakes and was reserve champion in the Novice Non Pro Bridle Spectacular riding her gelding, Heza Nuther Digger. Cheryl Zesbaugh's mare, Dig N The High Mark, placed third in the Open Two Rein with Darren aboard.

Being a 20 year old stallion, Diggers Rest has lots of offspring to be proud of. They did not disappoint him in the All Age Non Pro Stallion Stakes, winning the top five places: 1. Melinda Horn/Heza Nuther Digger, 2. Bill Tointon/Dapper San Badger, 3. Rhoda Rein/Uncommonly Savvy, 4. Greg Magee/ Diggers Starfire Chex, 5. John Pniak/Dig N Dust Em Out.

Eastern Slope Slide
Darren & Pep In My Step
We were in Colorado Springs in mid-July for the NRHA reining show. Darren won the Three Year Old reining riding his black stallion, Shiny Black Shiner. Adam won the Limited Open riding Pep In My Step, aka "Squeek". He placed third in the Intermediate Open riding Ruf Hollywood Night for owner, Jerrold Evans. We all took turns riding Squeek at the 3-day show. Darren was third in the Open, Rhoda was reserve champion in the Non Pro and the Novice Horse Non Pro. She earned almost $1,100 for the weekend and is in foal to Diggers Rest.

RMRHA Summer Slide
Gigi Hansen had a great show aboard Oakies Smokin Dun It, winning her first buckle. She won the Green Rookie class and placed third in the Rookie, both classes boasted 100 or so entries. Rhoda tied for reserve honors riding Pep In My Step in the 118-entry Limited Non Pro class.

International Buckskin World Show
Adam showed Ruf Hollywood Night to a third place finish in the open reining class and placed fourth in the Freestyle Reining class. Gigi placed third in the amateur reining class.


Babies...

It’s always good to hear from Avidan Fink, who worked for us for 5 years. He and his wife, Kelly, gave birth to identical twin boys in May. They live in Ellersby, Auckland New Zealand. It is winter now and here is a pic of the boys ready to go outside.

Speaking of babies... a big thank you to all of the mare owners who trusted us with their breeding and foaling needs this spring. We look forward to helping you again in 2007! for more information, check out our breeding services page.



Spring 2006


Adam Hendrickson showed Heza Lil Peppa Nic at the AQHA Gold Rush Circuit show in Denver. They both had fun, earning 8 cowhorse points to qualify for the World Show, and earning an AQHA Superior Event award in Reining (50 lifetime points).

The May Platte Valley Classic show in Broken Bow, Nebraska,  offered classes for everyone and our gang got in there and took advantage of the money and prizes. Everyone added some show record to their mounts during the 3-day show.  Darren guided Pep In My Step to win the NRHA Open/Intermediate Open and place third the second day, earning over $1100 in all. He placed in the Novice Horse and Intermediate Open riding Diggers Flashy Chic for Table Rock Enterprises. Darren won the cowhorse aboard Jack and Kelly Gully's gelding, Tangys Hickory.

Adam won the NRCHA Open and Limited Open Bridle classes riding Dig This Bay Babe for owners Greg and Heather Magee. He placed in the NRCHA Open Derby riding RCC Aspen Chic for owner Steve Grove. Todd Thieszen won the Non Pro Derby riding his mare, Hulahan. Gigi Hansen won the NRHA Rookie plaque riding her dun mare, Oakies Smokin Dun It. Mike Sigman was right in there to place second and third in the Rookie aboard Si Hollywood Star. His wife, Michelle, won the Novice Horse Non Pro and was reserve champion in the Non Pro class. Rhoda was reserve champion in the Novice Horse Non Pro riding Uncommonly Savvy.

Darren was reserve champion at the May 19-21 Twisted Wire Open Derby in Great Falls, Montana, riding Dez She Wiggle.


NRCHA World Show Success!
Darren & Dez She Wiggle

The 2005 NRCHA World Championship Show, held Feb. 18-26, 2006 in Stephenville, Texas, was a super show for our barn as we all 4 made the finals in our world show classes. Darren finished third in the Open Two Rein finals and Rhoda made the Non Pro Bridle finals riding Pep In My Step. Natalie Stallsworth placed third in the Youth Limited class and won scholarship money in addition to her other prizes riding her mare, Jae Bar Chili Pepper. Sherrie Mundhenke finished ninth in the Non Pro Limited class riding her black gelding, Hesas Cowboy Boot.

Darren and his little gray mare, Dez She Wiggle, caused quite a stir when they marked the highest score in the preliminary round of the Open Hackamore class. Unfortunately, the finals were held as a clean slate contest this year, and the pair placed ninth in the finals round.


Fall 2005

Todd Thieszen &
Diggers Diamond Nic
2005 NRCHA North Central Region Champions &
2005 CRCA Year-End Champions from Darren Miller Stables

We are proud to announce that we have several 2005 NRCHA North Central Region champions and 2005 CRCA year end champions in our barn! Rhoda Rein and Pep In My Step won the Non Pro Bridle division in both association standings and is currently ranked 8th in the national standings. Sherri Mundhenke and her black gelding, Hesas Cowboy Boot, also won both year end titles in the Non Pro Limited division. Natalie Stallsworth and Jae Bar Chili Pepper are reserve champs in the region Youth Limited standings and are the CRCA Year End Youth Limited Champions. Todd Thieszen and Nics Lil Peppy finished third in the region in the Limited Open Bridle and fourth in the Non Pro Bridle classes. Gray Samenfink and Senorita Boomer finished second in the Non Pro Hackamore and Melinda Horn and Smart Smoke N Cinder finished in fourth place. Darren Miller finished in third place in the Open Bridle standings aboard Becky Young's gelding, Heza Little Peppa Nic. In the Open Hackamore class, he was fifth riding his gray mare, Dez She Wiggle and 7th riding Cheryl Zesbaugh's mare, Dig N The High Mark.

Darren Miller and Melinda Horn's good gelding, Heza Nuther Digger, made the 2005 AQHA World Show Jr. Working Cowhorse Finals in Oklahoma City, finishing 11th in a very competitive field of cowhorses.

Shai Kaneti had a good year showing in Israel. He won the year end Cowhorse championship and the NRHA Novice Horse Open title riding a stallion that he and Darren own together, Diggers Midnite Jazz. He was a member of the Israeli team at the fall FEI World Equestrian Games. The 2006 World Reining Masters competition will be held in Denver and Shai will be trying to win the right to represent Israel. He won in 2004 and competed at the contest in Oklahoma City.


News Archives: check out all the news prior to Winter 2005 here!