NCHA News

3-Year-Old Open Futurity Champions
Armani Blue, shown by Adan Banuelos, nailed the El Rancho 3-Year-Old Futurity Open Finals in Murietta, Calif., with 225 points, worth $12,000 for owners Jeffrey and Griselda Neidhart, Weatherford, Tex. Lethal Rey Boon and Andrew Coates scored 219.5 points to earn the reserve championship and $10,500 for Dee and Ed Elkins, Bend, Ore.

A blue roan son of Smooth As A Cat and winner of the 2019 Idaho Futurity, Armani Blue LTE $27,848 is out of Autumn Boon, ranked #4 among cutting’s all-time leading producers. Autumn Boon’s dam, Royal Blue Boon, is cutting’s #1 all-time leading producer of earners of over $2.6 million. Coincidentally, reserve champion Lethal Rey Boon, by Dual Rey, is out of Royal Blue Boon Two, a clone of Royal Blue Boon. 

4-Year-Old El Rancho Derby Open Champions
Dual Cat Pepto, owned by Mike and Debra Flashman, Rancho Murieta, Calif., and shown by Monty Buntin, earned $9,000 for his 221-point win in the El Rancho Derby. Metallic Curveball, shown by Jesse Lennox for Rocking P Ranch LLC, Fort Worth, Tex., scored 218 points for the reserve championship and $7,500.

Dual Cat Pepto LTE $115,953, reserve champion of the 2019 PCCHA Derby under Buntin, also counts the Pacific Coast Winter Roundup Open and Non-Pro, as well as the Cascades Futurity 4-Year-Old  Open Derby, among his 2019 championship wins. Owner Mike Flashman has earned money with the Dual Rey-sired gelding, out of Swiss Cat Pepto LTE $165,977, in 17 working and non-working major event divisions, including as sixth-placed finalist in the 2018 NCHA Futurity Amateur and fifth in the 2019 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur. 

In addition to Dual Cat Pepto, Monty Buntin also qualified for the El Rancho Derby Finals and placed sixth with Metallic Cat-sired Mada Drallup LTE $30,992, owned by Julie Sandford, Orange, Calif. In the 5 & 6-Year-Old Finals, Buntin showed Steel Betty LTE $27,045, sired by Metallic Cat and owned by Ravi Tumber, Winters, Calif., to place fourth.

Metallic Cat-sired Metallic Curveball LTE $133,079, was a major money earner at the 2019 NCHA Super Stakes, where he placed third in the Open Finals and topped the Novice and the Open Gelding divisions. Metallic Curveball and Lennox also placed seventh in the Breeders Invitational and the Cattlemen’s Derby, as well as eighth in the NCHA Derby.

Jessie Lennox also showed Rocking P Ranch’s One Suspicious Mind LTE $23,616, by One Time Pepto, to tie for ninth place in the Derby Finals.  In the 5 & 6-Year-Old Finals Lennox was reserve champion on CR WRS Royal Tee LTE $134,636, by WR This Cats Smart, and placed fifth and eleventh on Summer Shandy LTE $68, 023, by Metallic Cat, and Spots Hot-sired Cinca Im Hot LTE $251,651, respectively, all owned by Rocking P Ranch

5 & 6-Year-Old El Rancho Classic Open Champions
Catty Bluz, shown by Morgan Cromer for Barry and Michelle Barnes, Clarkston, Wash., scored 223 points to win the El Rancho Classic and $8,500, while CR WRS Royal Tee, with Jesse Lennox for Rocking P Ranch, Fort Worth, Tex., claimed reserve and $7,000 with 222 points.

Sired by Catty Hawk and bred by Cowan Ranch, 6-year-old Catty Bluz LTE $125,361 won the 2018 Idaho Futurity Non-Pro and 2018 El Rancho Classic Non-Pro with Bill Cowan. She has also won four 5 & 6-year-old Non-Pro and Amateur divisions and four reserves in 2019 with owner Michelle Barnes.

In addition to Catty Bluz, Morgan Cromer also showed Travalen Miles LTE $44,758, by Cats Full Moon, to place third in the Classic and earn $5,500 for Troy Boutonnet, Salinas, Calif. And in the 3-Year-Old Futurity, Cromer showed CD Can Dance LTE $17,495, by High Brow CD, to tie for third and earn $8,866 for owner Karen Brody, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Go to El Rancho Futurity for complete results of the 2019 event, which concluded on September 15.