Call Me Stevie and LBR Hangem Claim Abilene Spectacular Open Aged Event Championships
Emily CareyJan 9, 2026
The Abilene Spectacular opened the 2026 cutting season in impressive fashion, offering $216,000 in added money along with an additional $170,000 in incentives. Two standout performers, Call Me Stevie and LBR Hangem, rose above deep fields to secure the first aged event championships of the season. Each delivered finals runs that set the bar high and resulted in paychecks topping $40,000.
Call Me Stevie and Tarin RiceLeadthe 4-Year-Old Open
Call Me Stevie ridden by Tarin Rice. Photo by EM Photography.
Call Me Stevie (Stevie Rey Von x Call Me Catniss) captured the 2026 Abilene Spectacular 4-Year-Old Open Championship under the guidance of NCHA $3 Million Rider Tarin Rice of Poolville, Texas. The 2020 sorrel stallion, known around the barn as ‘Pudge,’ turned in a 223 in the finals to clinch the title and collect $63,000 in combined class payouts and incentives for owners Julie and Mike Magness of Brookshire, Texas.
Rice also made his mark elsewhere in the finals, guiding Ray Lipsey’s Reuben (High Brow Cat x SDP Ruby Tuesday) to a third-place finish with a 221, adding $29,000 to his record. Michael Cooper secured the reserve championship aboard Red N Milds (Metallic Rey Mink x One Red Mist), posting a strong run that brought in $35,000 for owner Graff Ranch.
Earlier in the day, Rice piloted Bethesarebel (Metallic Rebel x Stylish Bet) to the Open 5/6-Year-Old Reserve Championship. A 225 in that class resulted in more than $30,000 for owners Crockett Sand & Gravel, rounding out a banner showing for Rice in Abilene.
Call Me Stevie continued the forward progress he established just weeks earlier at the 2025 NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth. With Garrett Hampton in the saddle, the then 3-year-old placed fourth in the Open Futurity, finishing the event with more than $150,000 on his tab. His Abilene victory further confirmed his place among the season’s top young horses.
Also making an appearance in Abilene was NCHA Open Futurity Champion Minkish, who tied for seventh in the 4-Year-Old Open with a 217.5. Shown by Beau Galyean for owners Jackpot Farm and Ellen Carter, the performance added $10,000 to the colt’s growing résumé.
Kenny Platt pilots LBR Hangem. Photo by EM Photography
In the Open 5/6-Year-Old division, LBR Hangem (Dual Reyish x Hangem High Pep) delivered one of the week’s most commanding performances. The 2020 sorrel stallion, known as ‘Shotty,’ posted a 227 in the finals to secure the championship and pocket more than $43,000 in class payouts and incentives.
Owned by Solo Select of Gainesville, Texas, and ridden by NCHA $4 Million Rider Kenny Platt of Fort Lupton, Colorado, Shotty continues to cement his reputation as a consistent force at the highest level of competition. The Abilene victory pushed his lifetime total beyond $350,000, adding to an already impressive list of results that includes top finishes at the NCHA Summer Spectacular, NCHA Super Stakes, and the Breeders Invitational.
Abilene has proven to be a familiar and successful stop for LBR Hangem. In 2024, he captured the Abilene Spectacular $10,000 Novice Derby Championship, then returned in 2025 to place fifth in the Open Classic. His 2026 Open aged event win marked another milestone in a career defined by steady progression and elite-level consistency. Invitational.
