NCHA News

Alexa Dahl, Granbury, Tex., scored 219.5 points on Friday, Nov. 29, to top the first day of 2019 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro and Limited Non-Pro go-round competition. Brandon Westfall, also of Granbury, Tex., and Kylie Knight Rice, Weatherford, Tex., tied with 219 points, the day’s second-highest score, while Cody Hedlund, Lipan, Tex., earned the only 218.5-point score of the day.

Alexa Dahl’s mount, Smoothie Lou Who, by Smooth As A Cat, is a three-quarter sister to 4-year-old DMAC Kodiak LTE $57,827, the first performer out of the unshown Dual Rey daughter Reyal Money, a three-quarter sister to 2012 NCHA Futurity Open Limited reserve champion High Brow Jackson LTE $245,346.

Dahl, the NCHA earner of $147,972, was the 2012 NCHA $15,000 Amateur World reserve champion and won the 2012 NCHA $15,000 Amateur World Finals on Rita Wood LTE $55,880, by Nitas Wood. Last year, Dahl was NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Limited reserve champion and placed eighth in the Non-Pro Finals riding Playsomethingsmooth. This year, Dahl and her Smooth As A Cat gelding have earned money in Non-Pro divisions of six major events, including the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro Limited.

Kylie Knight Rice, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $531,658, first showed as an NCHA Futurity finalist as an Amateur in 2011, showing two horses – Austin Rey LTE $202,835, by TR Dual Rey, and Knight Reys LTE $12,727, by Peptoboonsmal. In 2012, Rice was a Futurity Non-Pro Finalist with the Smooth As A Cat daughter Maliblu LTE $47,266, and in 2014, she placed tenth aboard Master Mate LTE $110,150 in the Non-Pro and eighth in the Non-Pro Limited. In addition, Rice won the 2013 NCHA Non-Pro World Finals riding Dual Lights LTE $167,146. This year, she has also placed as a Top 10 finalist in three major limited age events, including the NCHA Super Stakes Classic, showing Reyhannon LTE $57,627, by Metallic Cat.

Rice’s mount on Friday, Guantanamo Rey, is a Dual Rey gelding out of Lil Pretty Richochet LTE $119,950, by Smart Lil Ricochet. This coming Sunday, she will show Jae Zee in the sixth set of the day. Jae Zee, owned and bred by her parents, Kevin and Sydney Knight, qualified for the Open Semi-Finals with Tim Smith. Jae Zee, by Boon Too Suen, is a half-sister to 2018 NCHA Futurity Open Champion Crey Zee LTE $300,801, shown by Tatum Rice, and owned by Kevin and Sydney Knight. 

Brandon Westfall showed Desires One And Only, owned by his parents, Russ and Janet, earlier this week to qualify for the Open Semi-Finals with 440 points, the second-highest cumulative score. On Friday, he showed I Reckon So, by Kit Kat Sugar, in the first go-round of Non-Pro competition. Russ Westfall had shown I Reckon So to earn 218 points on the first day of Open competition, but didn’t make the cumulative cut. He did, however, qualify for the Open Semi-Finals with 438.5 points on Sugarlesss, also sired by Kit Kat Sugar.

The NCHA earner of $487,186, Brandon Westfall showed Ringo LTE $53,803, by Kit Kat Sugar, to place as both an Open and Open Limited Finalist in the 2018 NCHA Futurity, as well as The Bluez Feather, by the Bluez Man, in the Non-Pro Finals.

Cody Hedlund, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $983,817, made his first showing in the NCHA Non-Pro Futurity when he placed fifth aboard Teles Bout This Cat LTE $230,047, in 2010. Since then, he has been a finalist five more times, including in 2017, when he placed third riding Iggy Reyzalea LTE $84,451, by Dual Smart Rey.

Luv The Way U Lie, Hedlund’s mount on Friday, is a daughter of Once In A Blu Boon, out of Teles Bout This Cat LTE $230,047, who Hedlund showed to win the 2011 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro championship, in addition to his fifth place finish in the 2010 Futurity Non-Pro Finals.

For complete up-to-date schedule and results for the 2019 NCHA Futurity and World Championship Finals, click here. To read more from Sally Harrison visit sally@sallyharrison.com.