Darren Miller and Heza Little Peppa Nic won the Open Bridle classes at the SDRCHA show and the World Show Warmup cowhorse shows. The South Dakota futurity was a good trip for all the horses, with Darren winning the Open Hackamore class riding Dez She Wiggle. Adam Hendrickson marked the second high score in the reined work and placed third overall in the SDRCHA Breeders Derby class riding Taylor Chex for owner Barbara Wilson of Hill City, SD.

Digger Offspring Win in Reining and Cowhorse

Diggers Rest has been well represented again this year with his offspring picking up several regional titles.

Dig N Dust Em Out & Darren Miller Diggers Starfire Chex & Greg Magee

Darren showed Dig N Dust Em Out, a five year old black gelding out of Lady Hob Nob, to win the NRHA Intermediate Open and Limited Open derby divisions at the June Sagebrush Slide reining in Pueblo, CO. The win paid over $3,000 and jackets, buckles and prestigious Lawson and Morrison bronze trophies. Owners John and Gayle Pniak raised the talented colt and plan to make him into a

cowhorse. Greg Magee and his paint mare, Diggers Starfire Chex won the all age non pro stallion stakes, receiving a hand made Gary Wiggins buckle to remember their win at the Sagebrush show.

Rhoda won the Non Pro Stallion Stakes reining at the Sandhills Slide futurity in August riding her mare, Uncommonly Savvy, a breeding stock paint mare out of Cutters Goldylocks. Darren was reserve champ in the Open Stallion Stakes futurity division at the Sandhills riding Sheza Lil Peppy Doc. The mare is out of Docs Bobbi Lou and was bred and raised by Catherine Irvin.

Diggers Royal Chic & Jennifer Unzicker

Capable non pro riders Travis Heare and Jennifer Unzicker put some earnings on their Digger offspring at the cowhorse futurity events. Heare won the CRCA Stallion Stakes futurity riding a mare that he raised, LS Diggers Blues. Unzicker was reserve champ behind Heare. She won her next two futurities, the Sandhills RCHA stallion stakes and the World Show Warm Up, riding Diggers Royal Chic. Horse Tradin' Congrats to Clinton Schiell and mom, Donna, of Nerstrand, Minn. on their purchase of Aint Got Funny Dots, a 2003 palomino filly sired by Diggers Rest and out of Cutters Goldylocks. They are very involved in the cowhorse association in Minnesota and excited that Digger is a nominated sire in their stallion stakes program. Clinton is a very talented youth rider with trainer Monty Bruce, so we have high hopes for he and his 2006 futurity horse.

Congrats also to Greg and Heather Magee on their purchase of All Kinda Freckles, a 2004 filly sired by Diggers Rest and out of Hotroddin Suzy. She is the little sister to champions, Heza Nuther Digger and Colonels Sunday Best.

Gianna Hansen purchased Oakies Smokin Dun It from Tom & Bonnie DeLong of Gretna, Neb., and enjoyed showing her this summer. She was reserve champion in the Ladies and Green Rider classes at the July NRHA Eastern Slope Slide reining event.

Summer 2005

We traveled to Stephenville, Texas, the end of February to the NRCHA World Championship show.  It was a good time cheering on our North Central region friends and contestants and the Worlds Greatest Horseman contest was exciting to see.   Rhoda and Pep In My Step placed 6th in the finals of the Non Pro Hackamore.  Those additional points put her to finish 7th for the year in the national standings.

The DoubleTree Classic show was Mar. 11-13 in Delta, Colo.   John Karabatsos and Diggers Paleface won the Rancher class and a beautiful Clint Mortensen buckle for their efforts.  Darren won the Open Hackamore class riding Cheryl Zesbaugh's mare, Dig N The High Mark.  Rhoda Rein won the Non Pro Bridle and Darren was reserve in the Open Bridle riding Pep In My Step.  Darren was reserve champ in the Open Derby riding his gray mare, Dez She Wiggle.  Sherri Mundhenke won the Non Pro Limited riding her black gelding, Hesas Cowboy Boot.

Horse Tradin'

It has been an exciting year so far in the sales department.   Cheryl Zesbaugh’s pretty palomino gelding, LDL Mustafa, was the high selling gelding at the 2005 RMQHA Select Sale at the National Western Stock Show.   He was purchased by Pat Close of Elizabeth, Colo.  She plans to use him in the Ranch Versatility events.

Natalie Stallsworth purchased Whoa Mega, a 2001 Marthas Mega Jac gelding at the sale from Carla Clay.  They are already a winning team, winning the Youth reining at the April 8-10 show in Rifle, Colo. Dom Conicelli of Collegeville, PA, purchased Bodacious May from Judy Box. Larry Goodman of Bloomington, IN, purchased It’s a Lucky Chance from Darren Miller.  Dixie Pring purchased Dig N Midnite Magic from Darren.

Melinda Horn purchased Heza Nuther Digger from Darren and is hitting the spring cowhorse shows in the Non Pro events.

Congrats to Kathy Huseman of Littleton, Colo., on her purchase of Diggers Bobbi Lou from Darren.  Congrats to these people for purchasing horses from us at the 2005 NWSS sales:  Malcolm Waters purchased Dude Wheres My Boots.  Angela Eveleth purchased Playin Slik.  Carolyn Heydt purchased Sheza Rawhide Lena.


News from 2004

We are proud of our Diggers Rest offspring and the great 2004 show season they enjoyed. 

Diggers Diamond Nic and Todd Thieszen – 2004 SRCHA Stallion Stakes Non Pro Derby Champion
Diggers Lena and Angelina Christiano – 2004 NRCHA NW Region Non Pro and Novice Non Pro Bridle Champions, 9th in nation Non Pro Bridle.
Nics Little Peppy and Jake Thieszen – 2004 SRCHA Rancher Saddle Series Champion
Diggers Smokin Gun and Jim Cook – 2004 NRCHA NC Region Open Two Rein Champion
Heza Nuther Digger and Darren Miller – 2004 NRCHA NC Region Open Hackamore Champion
Diggers Cowchick and Phil White – 2004 CRCA Stallion Stakes Non Pro Futurity Champion
Lil Colonel Pep and Brian Thieszen – 2004 CRCA All Age Stallion Stakes Non Pro Champion
Heza Lil Peppa Nic and Darren Miller – 2004 SDRCHA Open Bridle Champion

We made a good showing at the October NRCHA shows.  The Sandhills RCHA Futurity was Oct. 8-10 and our team earned nearly $8,000 at the show.  Todd Thieszen won the Stallion Stakes Non Pro futurity riding a mare he raised, Senorita Dulce.  He also won the Stallion Stakes Non Pro derby riding Diggers Diamond Nic.  Rhoda was reserve in the SS Non Pro Derby and placed 4th in the Open Derby riding Pep In My Step.  She was awarded the Lehmann Saddle Series Non Pro saddle for the most points at 4 shows in the derby division.  Darren placed 3rd on his mare, Diggers Bobbi Lou in the Stallion Stakes Open Futurity and 6th on Gin Beam Merada in the Open Futurity (won the reined work), owned by John and Emily Karabatsos.   Darren was reserve champ in the Stallion Stakes Open Derby riding Heza Nuther Digger.

Two weeks later, we drove to Texas for the Southwest RCHA Fall Futurity show.  Rhoda and Pep In My Step, aka “Squeek,” won the Non Pro Derby class, Darren and Heza Nuther Digger won the Open Hackamore class.  Darren and Gin Beam Merada won money in the Open Futurity and marked the second high score down the fence.

We placed in the year-end Rocky Mountain RHA standings as well.  Natalie Stallsworth and Jae Bar Chili Pepper were 4th in the rookie class.  Mande Quick and Cheryl Zesbaugh’s mare, Dig N The High Mark,  placed 7th in the Limited Open class. Darren Miller and Digger Diamond Dunit placed 8th in the Int. Open, owned by Wes and Marsha Knackstedt.  Darren won the Novice Horse Open at the Oct. 3 NRHA Kipplinger Classic aboard Digger Diamond Dunit.  

Shai, Danille, Darren, Rhoda, Ellie

We were very proud of our longtime friend, Shai Kaneti and his success showing at the prestigious FEI Reining Masters event during the 2004 NRHA Reining Futurity in Oklahoma City last December.  He won the championship in Israel to come to the Masters finals and he leased the palomino stallion, Twice As Shiney, for the competition.  His wife, Ellie, and 3 year old daughter, Danielle, made the trip to OKC.  The international competition was quite tough and very well publicized, with a fairly good audience of Israelis cheering Shai in the Novice Horse Open and the Masters classes.

Avidan and Kelly

Our other Israeli friends have been busy getting married!  Avidan Fink, who lived and worked for us for four years, moved to New Zealand and married a girl there named Kelly. Congratulations!  Gilad Shwartz, an Israeli who has stayed with us periodically thru the years, had been in Arizona attending university.   He and longtime girlfriend, Miriam Solvay of Tucson married in Israel in December and will have another ceremony in May in Tucson. We wish you a lifetime of happiness!