NCHA News

Senior Youth champion Chaser Crouch on GS Zans Cat. Ted Petit photos.

July 23, 2018, Denver, Colo.

On the first day of the NCHA TransWest Western National Finals, Senior Youth competitor Chaser Crouch, Corsicana, Tex., scored 215.5 points for the championship on 11-year-old GS Zans Cat, by Smooth As A Cat, while Kensley Barnett, Oakley, Kan., and Brooke Turner, Bushnell, Fla., tied for the reserve with 215 points, riding 10-year-old Pepto Lucky Jewel, by Peptoboonsmal, and 5-year-old Checkaleno, by Ima Countin Checks, respectively.

Last year, Chaser Crouch showed GS Zans Cat LTE $166,328 as fourth-placed finalist in the NCHA Denver Nationals, as well as fifth-placed finalist in the Senior Youth; his father, Casey Crouch, also placed sixth on GS Zans Cat in last year’s Open finals.

This is his tenth trip to the Eastern or Western National Championships finals in the $35,000 Non-Pro or Youth divisions.

Senior Youth co-reserve champions Brooke Turner on Checkaleno and Kensley Barnett on Peptos Lucky Jewel.

Junior Youth Finals

Junior Youth champion Jack Bell on Spin To You. Ted Petit Photography.

Jack Bell, Duluth, Minn., scored 219 points on 9-year-old Spin To You, by Mr Boonsmal To You, to win the Junior Youth championship. Kate Roberson, Mineral Wells, Tex., earned reserve with 215 points riding 11-year-old Catmerize, by High Brow Cat, and Aiden Marley, Cave Creek, Ariz., placed third with 214 points aboard 14-year-old San Tules Heritage, by San Tule Freckles.

Jack Bell and Spin To You LTE $73,318, made the leader board in 2017, as reserve champions in the NCHA World Finals. Spin To You had previously carried Kenny Platt successfully in open competition, as well as Robert Tregemba in amateur divisions.

Reserve champion Kate Roberson on Catmerize. Ted Petit Photography.

Kate Roberson placed in last year’s NCHA Denver Nationals Junior Youth Finals riding Smart Olee Smoke, where her mother, Nikki Roberson, showed Catmerize as a finalist in the $35,000 Non-Pro finals. Catmerize LTE $54,445, out of Merada Missy, by Freckles Merada, is a half-sister to Rambo Merada LTE $205,935 and Starched Wranglers LTE $200,334.

Aiden Marley placed third in last year’s NCHA Denver Nationals riding Shimmerz LTE $58,244, by Smart Lil Ricochet.

$25,000 Novice Round 1

Sharing the bill with the Youth was the first round of the $25,000 Novice division, where Scott Amos led the pack with a 222 on Lintons Playcat, owned by George Shaeffer of New Castle, Colorado. Casey Crouch had the second high score on Louis The Cat, the defending World Champion in this class, owend by Amy and Mike Delange and Rick Dubay of Fort Gratiot, Michigan.

In all, 24 horses marked 215.5 or better to advance to Sunday’s $25,000 Novice finals.

$25,000 Novice go-round leader Lintons Playcat, ridden by Scott Amos. Ted Petit photo.

Lintons Playcat is a 5-year-old gelding bred by David Hartman by Auspicious Cat out of Lintons Playgirl, a producer of earners of $549,000, including Stylish Playlin ($181,000) and Its All Play For Rey ($113,000).

Lintons Playcat, a $20,000 graduate of the Western Bloodstock NCHA Futurity Sales as a yearling, won both the Open and Non-Pro divisions of the Utah Derby last fall with Scott Amos, and Pamela Shaeffer, respectively, in the saddle.

The gelding was a $5,000 Novice finalist at last year’s Denver Nationals.

Louis The Cat was World Champion in the $25,000 Novice last year with Casey Crouch, and in the $25,000 Novice Non-Pro with Tyler Delange. The 8-year-old was bred by John Harrah by High Brow Cat out of Louella Again.

The horse took Tyler Delange to the $35,000 Non-Pro championship at last year’s NCHA Eastern Nationals, and to a reserve championship in the same class this spring. Crouch won $5,000 Novice reserve championships with him at both Jackson and Denver last year.

The NCHA Western Nationals at Denver continues through June 30.