NCHA News

On September 20 the legendary cutting stallion Metallic Cat sold in what is surely one – if not the – biggest sale transactions in the cutting horse industry. That afternoon, the star horse unloaded at his new home at Rocking P Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas. Alvin and Becky Fults, who owned and promoted Metallic Cat since he was a 3-year-old, officially sealed the deal with new owner Bobby Patton in negotiations brokered by Jeremy Barwick, owner of Western Bloodstock.
“This is a very emotional day for us,” said Becky Fults. “This horse was our whole life for nine years, and he has impacted our family in more ways than I can begin to express. This was the biggest and hardest decision of our lives.”
With business interests in gas, oil, insurance and ranching, Patton is a partner of Guggenheim Baseball Management, which in April 2012 purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2015, Patton slid into a the sport of cutting when he bought leading cutting sire Boon San in Walton’s Rocking W Ranch Absolute Dispersal Sale. Then in 2016 he purchased Spots Hot, the 2004 NCHA Open Futurity Champion, earner of $529,435 and sire 2016 NCHA Open Futurity winner Second Spot. 
Now, Patton is ecstatic about his latest cutting horse player, “I’m excited! That’s what I’m feeling, more than anything else,” Patton said. “I was really excited when Clayton Kershaw signed his contracts and he was going to be a Dodger for a very long time, and I think this is a similar feeling,” Patton said, referring to when the team signed the superstar player in a 7-year, $215 million deal. “I really do think Metallic Cat might be the Clayton Kershaw of the cutting horse business.”
Indeed, Metallic Cat has set the big leagues on fire. With just four foal crops of show age, the 12-year-old stallion has already amassed $15,455,922 in offspring earnings, according to Robin Glen Pedigrees. No other cutting stallion has earned that much that fast. He was 2016 National Cutting Horse Association Sire of the Year, and at the end of that season stood at No. 13 on the list of all-time leading cutting sires.
“He is an once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Alvin Fults confirmed. “He has impacted the industry, and we are so humbled by his tremendous success. In every way, he has surpassed our expectations.”
Patton explained that Jesse Lennox, resident trainer at Rocking P Ranch, played a part in the acquisition. “We’ve got two Metallic Cat 2-year-olds in the barn that are unbelievable, and Jesse thinks they’re as good a pair of 2-year-olds that he’s ever seen. That went a long way in my decision to buy this horse.”
As for how the Fults came to own Metallic Cat, in 2008 they struck a deal to purchase the stallion, who was a 3-year-old at the time. This happened one year after Galyean used his truck as collateral to obtain a bank loan to buy the good-looking, red roan cutting prospect, which he found in a classified listing on the Internet. By High Brow Cat and out of Peptoboonsmal daughter Chers Shadow, Metallic Cat hit a home run at the 2008 NCHA Futurity when he and Galyean won the Open division and $250,000. Many victories followed and the stallion retired the same year with $637,711 in cutting earnings. 
Right away, Alvin and Becky started promoting their young stallion. “The very first year we stood him there were people who took a risk on him,” Becky said. “We are forever grateful to all those mare owners.” (That faith was rewarded. Today, according to Equistat, 35 of Metallic Cat’s first-crop foals have earned a combined $2.9 million.) 
Yes, Metallic Cat was a star player in the cutting sport. Yes, he’s a stellar sire and a record-setter. But according to Becky, he’s so much more “Metallic Cat was truly family, and he impacted every single one of us – he changed our lives,” she explained. “And so many people are a part of our family – including Beau and Ashley Galyean, Dr. Gregg Veneklasen, Debbie Roberts of Spurs in taking his marketing to a whole new level, along with all of the people who have helped at our ranch. Also, we thank all of the mare owners who bred to Denver [Metallic Cat’s barn name], along with the trainers and owners who purchased, trained and believed in Metallic Cat’s foals. We appreciate all the fans who followed Metallic Cat and sent letters. We are just very thankful to everyone who made our dream come true.”
Patton is looking forward to the arrival of his horse.
“I’m definitely going to hug him!” Patton said happily, adding that he plans to get his picture taken with Metallic Cat the moment he unloads at the ranch – just like he did with Spots Hot and Boon San. “I look forward to adding this one to the collection.”
Metallic Cat will live at Rocking P Ranch until the 2018 breeding season. That’s when he and Spots Hot go to Brazos Valley Stallion Station in Stephenville, Texas, an operation owned by Jeremy and Candace Barwick. Patton enjoys having his horses at home as much as possible, and he looks forward to what happens next.
“I love the cutting industry and I like to ride the horses,” Patton said. “But I really enjoy the business aspect of cutting. I am intrigued by the economics of the stud business, and that’s what opened my eye to the possibility of owning a great stallion such as Metallic Cat. I’m confident that Metallic Cat is ultimately going to be the best sire in the cutting horse business, and I’m just so very grateful to have the opportunity to own him.
Patton was thanked by the Fults, and added that he understood the gravity of their decision to sell the special stallion.
“I think it was an emotional decision for them, and I know they’re sad their baby is headed south to Fort Worth,” Patton said. “I was worried they were going to change their minds. All I can say, I hope they know he has a good home.”
“It gives us peace that he will have a wonderful home,” Becky said tearfully. “Congratulations to Rocking P Ranch. They now own a once-in-a-lifetime stallion.”
For more information about Metallic Cat, please visit www. metalliccat.com