Chiquita Pistol, a mare that performed at levels unmatched in 20 years, bowed out in style on Jan. 30, 2004, in the finals of the Augusta Classic Open.

The mare, owned by Wallace "Tooter" Dorman, Oakwood, Texas, and ridden by Tag Rice, reeled off a second award-winning run in as many nights, marking a 227. It tied for the highest regular- event score of the week. Chiquita Pistol captured the 5/6-yearold Classic Open by three points over two horses - Smooth As A Cat, owned by Tommy Manion Inc., Aubrey, Texas, and ridden by Matt Gaines, and Sun Valley Shorty, owned by Rock Creek Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, and ridden by Roger Wagner.

Chiquita Pistol, who won the 2003 Augusta Futurity Open with a record score of 230.5, blazed to a 230 to win the inaugural Western Horseman Cup NCHA Championship Series Finals on Jan. 29. The mare, by Smart Little Pistol out of Miss Chiquita Tari by Pay Twenty One, became only the third horse - and the first mare - to win the National Cutting Horse Association's Triple Crown when she won the 2002 NCHA Futurity and the 2003 NCHA Super Stakes and 2003 NCHA Derby. The last time the Triple Crown feat was accomplished was in 1983-84.

With no more worlds left to conquer, Rice knew the Classic finals would be the last competitive run for the great mare. When the announcer stated at approximately 8:30 p.m. that Chiquita Pistol had just made her final run in cutting competition, the crowd roared with appreciation.

"Kinda drained is the way I feel," Rice said. "When he said ‘stop' and they announced it, I don't know how to explain it. I love that mare. She has done so much for me. It's kind of overwhelming. I will never, ever ride another horse as good as her."

Dorman, who had ridden 14 hours to Augusta with his daughter, Deborah Moore, admitted that in a way, he hated to retire the mare.

"But what else can you do?" he asked. "She's proved everything."

Chiquita Pistol's great ability to handle an unruly cow came to the forefront on her second cut as she held a rambunctious white cow for almost 20 seconds, reading its every move and making gigantic stops before Rice turned the cow loose with 53 seconds left.

With so much time remaining, Rice went deep into the herd before cutting another testy cow with 20 seconds left.

"The second cow wasn't very good and running around," Rice said. "That mare was reading her and stopping her, taking care of business. None of it fit as good as last night, but I knew it wouldn't. Last night was just perfect. I wasn't as mentally tough. I don't know if it was because it was the last time I was showing her. Then it hit me; I had showed her for the last time."