NCHA News

Hilary Watson on One Alley Cat. Hart Photography.

2018 Lucas Oil NCHA Super Stakes – April 8, 2018 – Fort Worth, Tex.

Hilary Watson, Overland Park, Kan., launched the first day of NCHA Super Stakes 4-year-old competition with a high score of 220 points on Sunday, in the first go-round of Amateur/Unlimited Amateur competition.

John Rockey, Palmdale, Calif., was second with 217 points, while four riders marked 216.5 points: Ken Hanson, Weatherford, Tex.; Will Bushaw, Weatherford, Tex.; Melissa Drummond, Pawhuska, Okla.; and Eric Vanboekel, Mt. Elgin, Ontario.

Last week, Watson qualified for the Super Stakes Classic Amateur Unlimited Finals, to be held Wednesday, April 11, with Iridescent Cat (219), by Catty Hawk, and Reychel (217.5), by Light N Lena. Her Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited mount, One Alley Cat LTE $40,411, by High Brow Cat, won the 2018 Abilene Spectacular Open and Open Novice, and placed (23rd) in the Bonanza Open under Cullen Chartier.

Watson, who placed (3rd) in the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro Limited and eighth in the Super Stakes Classic Amateur Unlimited on Shady Lil CD, by High Brow CD, is the NCHA earner of $185,070.

John Rockey showed Dureyngo Kid LTE $16,103, the Reys Dual Badger gelding that he showed to win both the 2018 Cattlemen’s Derby Amateur and Amateur Unlimited championships. Rockey, the NCHA earner of $165,958, placed third and won the Senior division of the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Classic riding Let Georgie Do It, by Metallic Cat.

Ken Hanson, the NCHA earner of $210,100, rode Rey Good Lookin LTE $54,401, by Dual Rey, who he showed as an Amateur Unlimited finalist in the 2017 NCHA Futurity, as well as a finalist in the 2018 Bonanza Amateur Unlimited. Chris Johnsrud also showed Rey Good Lookin for Hanson as an NCHA Futurity Open Limited finalist and to place fourth in the 2018 Bonanza Open.

Will Bushaw, an NCHA Junior Youth competitor in 2017, was also a 2017 NCHA Futurity Amateur finalist and Amateur Unlimited finalist riding Wood You Rather, by Woody Be Tuff. His 2018 Super Stakes mount Where Its At, by Dual Smart Rey, is out of the Smooth As A Cat daughter Smooth As A Twist $144,015, raised and trained by his father Chad and also shown by Will.

Melissa Drummond, the NCHA earner of $83,699, showed the homebred Metallic Cat gelding Metallize LTE $17,423, who was shown in 3-year-old limited age event Open competition by Adan Banuelos. Drummond was a 2016 NCHA Futurity Amateur Unlimited Semi-Finalist on My Stylish Babe, the maternal granddam of Metallize. Metallize is out of Lizzys Gotta Babe LTE $91,137, by Lizzys Gotta Player.

Eric Vanboekel, the NCHA earner of $333,265, rode the by Dual R Smokin daughter My Cats A Smoker, who he also showed as a semi-finalist in the 2017 NCHA Futurity Amateur Unlimited. Vanboekel was a 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited finalist (15th) on Ichis Ice Man, by Cat Ichi, and was reserve champion of the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Amateur Unlimited, as well as a 2017 Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro finalist (6th) riding Peppys Cashin Checks LTE $132, 625, by Im Countin Checks.

The NCHA Super Stakes and Super Stakes Classic continue through April 22. For daily live action and results go to nchacutting.com/events/triple-crown/superstakes