NCHA News

Metallic Smart Cat, shown by Matt Miller for Cynthia Villa, Chico, Calif., grabbed the lead with 222 points on Saturday, July 30, the first day of 2017 NCHA Derby Open competition. Cattomatic scored 221 points with Phil Hanson for Kelly and Donna Graham, Weatherford, Tex., while Reyzurbetsonthiscat marked 220.5 points under Craig Thompson for Barnwell Ramsey, Huntersville, NC. Altogether, 60 of the 120 horses shown scored 215 points or higher.

Metallic Smart Cat LTE $42,086, by Metallic Cat, was bred by his owner out of Smart Jerri Lee LTE $52,721, by Smart Little Jerry, and is a three-quarter brother to Smoothlee As A Cat LTE $54,765, by Smooth As A Cat. Matt Miller showed Metallic Smart Cat as a semi-finalist in the NCHA Futurity, and most notably placed third in the Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Open Finals, second in the Arbuckle 4-Year-Old Open Gelding, as well as in the Novice division, and earned more than $29,000, in that one event.

Cattomatic LTE $34,327, by High Brow Cat, shown by Phil Hanson, was also a semi-finalist in the NCHA Futurity, placed fifth in the Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Open Finals, and earned money as a finalist in the Breeders Invitational.  Cattomatic’s dam, Haida Rey LTE $20,138, is by Dual Rey and out of a Haidas Little Pep daughter. Cattomatic, is the youngest of her five performers and also her highest money earner.

Reyzurbetsonthiscat LTE $64,531, by Bet Hesa Cat, won the NCHA Futurity Amateur championship, as well as Amateur Senior championship, with owner Ramsey Barnwell. He also claimed the 2017 Augusta Futurity Open with Craig Thompson, as well as the Ike Hamilton Futurity Open and Open Gelding.

Reyzurbetsonthiscat  is out of Ariel Rey LTE $100,480, sired by Dual Rey and out of a Smart Little Uno daughter, and is a three-quarter brother to Jay Moss Cougar LTE $141,678 and half-brother to Melodys Pepto LTE $135,369.

Three horses scored 220 points on Saturday: HR Cats Starlight, shown by Tarin Rice for E.J. Huntley, Houston, Tex.; Mistresssis, with Grant Setnicka for Texas Holy Cow Performance Horses, Santa Ynez, Calif.; and Reyning Cats, with Russ Westfall for Bobby Kay Davis, Templeton, Calif.

HR Cats Starlight LTE $95,279, by High Brow Cat, has earned money in 15 limited age event finals with Rice, as well as with owner E.J. Huntley and his daughter Christina Huntley, who  showed her own horse on Saturday in the 2017 NYCHA Senior Youth World Finals and is ranked second in the year-end standings.

Tarin Rice also scored 219 points in Saturday’s go-round on CR Tuff Digs Lucinda, for Vick Etheridge, Corinth, Miss., and 217 points with Cowtown Lucy, owned by Crockett Sand & Gravel, Crockett, Tex.

Mistresssis LTE $154,727, by Metallic Cat, placed fourth under Setnicka in the NCHA Futurity, and also earned money as an Open finalist in the Breeders Invitational, the PCCHA Derby, the Arbuckle Mountain Cutting, and as a semi-finalist in the NCHA Super Stakes. Setnicka also scored 216 points on Sunday showing SVR Caught Ya Lookin, for Carmel Cutting Horses, Carmel, Calif.

Reyning Cats LTE $28,902, by Dual Rey, was an NCHA Futurity Sem-Finalist with Westfall and also placed sixth in the PCCHA Derby Open