Kimberly Irons, San Jose, Calif., scored 220 points on Caviar Cat to top the $50,000 Amateur go-round, where riders with scores of 212 points and above advanced to the finals at the NCHA Scottsdale Nationals. Mia Webster, Bend, Oregon, marked 219.5 points on Lean This Rey, the second-highest score, and Brian Butlin, Scottsdale, Ariz., was third-highest with 217.5 points riding El Gato Bonito.
Kimberly Irons and Caviar Cat won the 2016 Pacific Coast Futurity 5/6 $25,000 Amateur and also placed sixth in the Amateur Finals. They also placed in the 2016 Breeders Invitational 5/6 Amateur and Unlimited Amateur divisions.
Caviar Cat LTE $81,037, by High Brow Cat, also placed eighth in the $5,000 Novice division of the NCHA Scottsdale Nationals under Eric Wisehart. The 7-year-old mare is a full sister to Overdrive LTE $150,182, reserve champion of the 2013 NCHA Open Derby.
Mia Webster and Lean This Rey also placed sixth on Saturday in the Junior Youth Finals of the Scottsdale Nationals. In 2016, Mia showed Cats Smart as a finalist in the $2,000 Limit Rider division of the NCHA Western Nationsals.
Nine-year-old gelding Lean This Rey LTE $120,305, by Dual Rey, won the 2011 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro with Kade Smith and is a three-quarter brother to Dual Rey Me LTE $812,942, three-times NCHA Open World Champion.
Brian Butlin won the NCHA Western Nationals $5,000 Non-Pro Novice in 2015 on This Whisps A Cat and has NCHA lifetime earnings of $99,161. Nine-year-old gelding El Gato Bonito LTE $151,198, is by WR This Cats Smart.