NCHA News

Reystylin Smooth and Sundance Jessie tied with 222 points to top the first day of Classic Challenge Open go-round competition, on the first day of the 2019 Metallic Cat NCHA Summer Spectacular. Both horses had earned their single largest payouts this past April, in the NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic.

Five-year-old Metallic Cat gelding Sundance Jessie LTE $47,062, shown by John Mitchell for Slate River Ranch, Weatherford, Tex., placed sixth in the this year’s NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic, and earned finalist checks in the Bonanza Classic, the Breeders Invitational, and the Arbuckle Mountain Classic, as well. 

Reystylin Smooth LTE $98,073, out of the Dual Smart Rey daughter Rey N Style LTE $102,608, is shown by Adan Banuelos for Ten/27 Ranch, Denham Springs, La. Bred by Eddie and Barbara Young, San Angelo, Tex., Reystylin Smooth won the 2018 NCHA Derby Open Limited and the 2018 Cattlemen’s Derby Open Limited with Justin Chalmers. This year, in addition to three Open finals with Banuelos, the 5-year-old Smooth As A Cat son has carried Ten/27 Ranch owner Todd Quirk to place fourth in the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic and the Bonanza Non-Pro Classic.

In addition to claiming Friday’s top score of 222 points, Adan Banuelos scored 220.5 points, the day’s third-highest score, with the Metallic Cat-sired gelding Catillac Reys LTE $157,469, also owned by Ten/27 Ranch. 

Six-year-old The Golden Shot LTE $92,707, sired by WR This Cats Smart and bred by James and Nadine Payne, Overbrook, Okla., was shown by James Payne to capture 221.5 points, the day’s second-highest score. Owned by Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla., The Golden Shot has been a consistent finalist with Payne, as well as with Moore, who showed the palomino mare as Non-Pro Reserve Champion of the 2018 Brazos Bash. The Golden Shot is also a full sister to Velvets Revolver LTE $269,469, who Nadine Payne showed to win the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro championship, and to place third in the 2017 NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro Finals.

Luzetta D, shown by Jason Clark for Katherine Reilly, Springtown, Tex., scored 220.5 points to tie with Catillac Reys for the day’s third-highest score. Bred by Darren Blanton, Dallas, Tex., and sired by High Brow Cat, 5-year-old Luzetta D LTE $2,623, was shown by Reilly as a 2017 NCHA Futurity Amateur Semi-Finalist and as a finalist in the 2019 Arbuckle Mountain 5/6 Classic Amateur Unlimited.

Five-year-old Catillac Reys LTE $157,469 earned his biggest single payout as Open Reserve Champion of the 2018 NCHA Derby under Adan Banuelos. The red roan gelding has also been a champion for Elizabeth Quirk, most recently, as Non-Pro Champion of the 2019 Breeders Invitational 5/6 Classic. 

The 2019 Metallic Cat NCHA Summer Spectacular continues tomorrow, July 13, with the second day of the Classic Challenge Open go-round.