NCHA News

The NCHA Transwest Western Nationals, presented by 6666 Ranch, concluded the first day of its eight-day venue with the Junior and Senior Youth Finals, on Saturday, June 22.

Colt Moore, Williston, Fla., this year’s NCHA Eastern Nationals Senior Youth champion on Catscratch Sister, made a clean sweep of the NCHA Senior Youth Nationals with a 221-point championship win on Saturday, riding 6-year-old Badazz Cat, owned by Rick Croft, Cherokee, Okla. Last year, Croft showed the High Brow Cat son to place ninth in the finals of the NCHA Western $50,000 Amateur division.

Moore, the NCHA earner of $97,230, claimed his first Youth title at eight, as NCHA Junior Youth Rookie of the Year, and continues a family legacy. His father, trainer Casey Moore, won the NCHA National Finals Senior Youth National championship in 1990, before the event was split into the Eastern and Western Nationals.

McKenzie McBride, Fort Lupton, Colo., scored 219.5 points to claim the Western Nationals reserve championship aboard the 10-year-old Hickorys Indian Pep son Indian Clay, who she showed to win last year’s Western Nationals $15,000 Amateur championship. McBride also won the Denver Nationals $2,000 Limited Rider Finals in 2017 riding RM Lightning Merada.

Third-placed finalist Mattie Marie Dukes, Weatherford, Tex., scored 219 points on Saturday riding Dr Cuzin, by Dual Rey, owned by Tom and Sarita Murrell, Elm Grove, La. Last year, Dukes placed third in the NCHA Eastern Nationals riding One Time Player.

Fifteen-year-old Dr Cuzin, winner in 2015 of the NCHA World Finals $15,000 Amateur championship with Tom Murrell, is an NCHA Nationals veteran who has carried three National Youth finalists and has also competed in 11 NCHA Nationals divisions between 2016 and 2019. On Saturday, before the NCHA Western Senior Youth Finals, he carried Aden Bernhagen, as winner of the Junior Youth championship. His performance in Saturday’s Senior Youth Finals, marked the gelding’s fourth run of the day.

Aden Bernhagen, Corsicana, Tex., scored 217 points to win the NCHA Western Nationals Junior Youth championship aboard Dr Cuzin. Previously, Aden had shown Dr Cuzin to place sixth in this year’s Eastern Nationals Junior Youth Finals, as well as fourth in the Eastern $2,000 Limited Rider Finals.

Kate Roberson, Mineral Wells, Tex., scored 214.5 points on Sassi N Smooth, sired by Smooth As A Cat and owned by Scott Skinkis, Brillion, Wisc., to claim her second consecutive NCHA Western Junior Youth reserve championship. Last year, Kate was reserve champion on Catmerize, and the year before placed ninth with Smart Olee Smoke.

Alexis Bylo, Sullivan, Mo., scored 213 points on 10-year-old Pretty Bo Catt to place third in the Junior Youth. Andy Bylo, Alexis’s father, showed Pretty Bo Catt, by Sophisticated Cat, to placed eighth in this year’s NCHA Eastern Nationals $35,000 Non-Pro Finals, and last year was an Eastern and Western Nationals finalist on the mare in the $35,000 Non-Pro and the Non-Pro Novice divisions.