NCHA News

Kathy Sokol, Seville, Fla., scored 215 points on Bet On Finale to win the NCHA Transwest Western Nationals $5,000 Novice Non-Pro championship on Saturday, the final day of the event. Nicole Pietrafeso, Elbert, Colo., was reserve champion with 214 points on Suen Or Lator, while Janice Eaton and Denise Seiz tied for third with 213.5 points, riding Justa Lil Catfight and Willie J Rey, respectively.

Kathy Sokol, the NCHA earner of $185,429, and Bet On Finale LTE $50,000 have a solid history of success in both limited age events and in NCHA Nationals competition. Sokol first showed her Bet Hesa Cat daughter to place in the 2015 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited Finals and went on to win the 2016 Southern Futurity Non-Pro Limited and place in the Non-Pro finals. In 2017, the pair took reserve in the NCHA Eastern Nationals $25,000 Novice Non-Pro, and earlier this year, they were finalists in the NCHA Eastern Nationals $5,000 Novice Non-Pro.

Nicole Pietrafeso, the NCHA earner of $82,405, placed seventh in last year’s NCHA Western Nationals Non-Pro Finals riding Purely Badger LTE $102,535, by Reys Dual Badger, who also carried her as Senior Youth champion at the NCHA Scottsdale Nationals in 2017. Altogether, Pietrafeso has shown Purely Badger as a finalist in six NCHA Western Nationals event finals, as well as in the NCHA $50,000 Amateur World Finals, in 2016, and the NCHA Senior Youth World Finals. Last year, Pietrafeso was a finalist in the NCHA Derby Amateur aboard A Fancy Blu Boon, by Once In A Blu Boon.

Janice Eaton, the NCHA earner of $322,815, has earned eleven major western futurity titles and placed in many more limited age events. Her official show record goes back to 2002, when she won the NCHA Western Nationals $2,000 Limited Rider riding Pinch Of Doc LTE $78,797, by Doc Freckles Leo. Justa Lil Catfight LTE $83,961, her mount in this year’s Western Nationals $5,000 Novice Non-Pro, is a 7-year-old daughter of High Brow Cat.

Denise Seiz, the NCHA earner of $283,122, has also been a successful limited age competitor. Earlier this year, she and Willie J Rey LTE $68,203, by Dual Rey, placed fifth in the Ike Hamilton Futurity 5/6 Amateur Finals. Seiz bred Willie J Rey out of Cat Black I LTE $208,229, who she showed to win the 2013 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Amateur championship, as well as the 2017 West Texas Championship Non-Pro title.