Ichis My Choice reinforced her 2016 NCHA Horse of the Year accolades with a 229-point win in the NCHA Classic Challenge Saturday night, July 22, at the NCHA Summer Spectacular in Fort Worth.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Grant Setnicka for the Jaeggi family’s J Five Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, Ichis My Choice went next-to-last in the 26-horse finals and prevailed by a six-point margin over Metallic Rebel. Seven horses in the action-packed finals marked 220 or better.
Last year, Ichis My Choice won the Breeders Invitational and Mercuria NCHA World Series at El Rancho Futurity, and placed second in the NCHA Super Stakes, Mercuria NCHA World Finals, West Texas Futurity and Cattlemen’s Derby. She also won the Pacific Coast Non-Pro Derby with Constance Jaeggi.
Her latest win will take her career earnings over the $300,000 mark.
Ichis My Choice was bred by EE Ranches, and purchased for $300,000 at the 2014 Western Bloodstock, Ltd. NCHA Futurity Sales. She is by NCHA Derby champion Cat Ichi out of My Little Abra.
My Little Abra is a full sister to Sweet Abra, the dam of Classic Challenge reserve champion Metallic Rebel.
Reserve champion Metallic Rebel, by Metallic Cat, is ridden by Hall of Famer Beau Galyean for Thomas Guinn of Philadelphia, Mississippi. This year, he’s won the NCHA Super Stakes Classic, Arbuckle Mountain Classic, Abilene Spectacular, and Pacific Coast Classic. He’s the leading money earner of the 2017 calendar year.