NCHA News

Chad Bushaw on Bittersweet. Hart Photography.

Chad Bushaw, Weatherford, Tex., topped Thursday’s NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Semi-Finals with 219 points aboard Bittersweet, by Metallic Cat. Cody Hedlund, Lipan, Tex., was second with 218 points on Iggy Reyzalea, by Dual Smart Rey, and three riders tied with 217.5 points for third: Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla., on Princess Betty Rey, by One Time Royalty; Ty Moore, Madill, Okla., on Sheza Smokin Hot Gal, by Hottish; and Jessica Pounds, Lipan, Tex., on Etch N Sketch, by Kit Kat Sugar.

Altogether, 21 riders with 215 points or more qualified for Friday’s Non-Pro Finals. Metallic Cat and Smooth As A Cat are each represented by three offspring in the Non-Pro Finals, while High Brow Cat, Hottish and Dual Smart Rey each sired two.

Chad Bushaw, an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member and earner of $3,259,465, won the 2001 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro championship riding Jerryoes LTE $252,780 and has been an NCHA Futurity finalist six more times since then. His 2017 mount Bittersweet, out of Miss Sea Rey, by Dual Rey, is a full sister to three other NCHA money earners.

NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Famer Cody Hedlund, the NCHA earner of $763,122, was an NCHA Futurity Non-Pro finalist in 2010 and 2014, where he placed fifth on Teles Bout This Cat and Strey Cat, respectively. His 2017 Futurity mount Iggy Reyzalea is out of Teles Bout This Cat LTE $230,047, who also carried Hedlund as 2011 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro champion.

Jessica Pounds, earner of $289,551, was a 2009 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro finalist on Reys Dreamgirl LTE $49,853. This year Pounds placed eighth on Farmer Brown in the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro and also won the Super Stakes Non-Pro Gelding class. Her Futurity mount is out of Reychell Rey, a full sister to Halreycious LTE $227,459, and half-sister to Pepto Boom LTE $296,183 and 2014 NCHA Futurity Open reserve champion Smooth Talkin Style LTE $293,232.

Kathleen Moore, NCHA earner of $455,412, was an NCHA Futurity Limited Non-Pro finalist in 2011. She was a 2016 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro semi-finalist, and a 2017 NCHA Derby Non-Pro finalist on Reyvinmetallicat LTE $43,277, as well as on The Golden Shot LTE $22,471. Princess Betty Rey is out of Betty Greyble LTE $50,156, by Stylish Rey.

Ty Moore, NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member and earner of $898,729, was an NCHA Futurity Non-Pro finalist in 2016 with two horses – One Good Lookin Babe LTE $38,520 and Smooth XTC LTE $50,436. He also showed Shesmisscongeniality LTE $44,434 as a finalist in 2015, and Small Promises LTE $36,473 in 2014. Sheza Smokin Hot Gal is out of Smooth N Smokin LTE $42,917, shown by Moore in 9 limited age event finals.