NCHA News

World Finals winners and year-end World Champions were determined in four classes on December 5, 2019 at the 7 Ranch NCHA World Finals in Fort Worth’s Watt Arena. The winning scores were tallied in the $25,000 Novice, $35,000 Non-Pro, $5,000 Novice Non-Pro and $2,000 Limited Rider divisions.

Competition gets underway December 6 in the $5,000 Novice, $50,000 Amateur, $25,000 Novice Non-Pro and $15,000 Amateur. The four working rounds of the Open and Non-Pro conclude on Saturday, December 7.

$25,000 Novice

Hall of Fame Rider Mike Wood notched up his seventh Novice win at the World Finals since 2014 riding TRs Best Player in the $25,000 Novice. He won the class last year with Little Jackson Cat, and he’s taken the $5,000 division on Scoot Justa Lil (2014), Clays Little Kit Cat (2015), Buzzted (2016), One Time At Night (2017) and Hesa Belle Cat (2018).

This year, he marked 224 / 220.5 to win the first go-round, place third in the second, and win the non-working finals based on cumulative score. TRs Best Player earned $3,981 at the show, beating Superfly with $3,369.

TRs Best Player was bred by Buffalo Ranch and is owned by Debra Winard, of Scottsdale, Arizona. The 10-year-old mare is by TR Dual Rey out of Lizzys Player. In her limited age career, she was reserve champion of the Southern Futurity. She came into the World Finals ranked 11th in the World Standings,  and finished the year in sixth place.

World Finals reserve champion Superfly is shown by Cody Lamont for KT Ranch. The 7-year-old Smooth As A Cat gelding is out of Lenas Horn, by Holidoc.

Peptos Scootin Man, winner of the second round of the World Finals under Hall of Famer Tim Smith, is the 2019 World Champion with $45,581.

The 7-year-old gelding by Smart Lil Scoot out of Peptos Little Gal, was bred by H.E. Sutton and is owned by Tim and Diane Smith of Payson, Arizona.

Kual CD, ridden by Tance Bryant at the World Finals for C.J. Marcello of Lithia, Florida, is the Reserve World Champion with earnings of $31,529. The 9-year-old gelding was bred by Kayla Norris by High Brow CD out of Kual Gun.

$35,000 Non-Pro

Gavin Clarke of Jackson, California swept both working rounds and the non-working finals to win the World Finals and the year-end World Championship. He rode Rubys CD Legacy, his mount throughout the year, for scores of 223 / 219 / 442 to earn $2,820 at the show. He earned $20,643 for the World Championship.

Rubys CD Legacy was bred by Phil Hanson by CD Lights out of Smart Little Ruby. The 11-year-old mare is a three-quarter sister to Rubys Royal CD, an earner of more than $248,000 with Hanson and owner Bonnie Martin. 

Debra Windard and Reys Hot Wheels placed second at the World Finals with earnings of $2,162. They finished sixth in the year-end standings. Reys Hot Wheels is a 13-year-old gelding bred by Brinkman Ranch by Dual Rey out of Smart Little Beauty.

James Figiel of Weatherford, Texas, is the Reserve World Champion with Hes A Rubypepto. They earned $17,953 for the year. Hes A Rubypepto is an 11-year-old gelding bred by Ruby Tuesday Partners by Hes A Peptospoonful out of $1.3 million producer Ruby Tuesday DNA.

$5,000 Novice Non-Pro

Smooth Like Foxetta, ridden by Marilyn Kittelman of Yoncalla, Oregon, won the World Finals with earnings of $4,158. They won the first round, placed 2nd in the second and won the non-working finals with scores of 223 / 220.5 / 443.5.

Smooth Like Foxetta is a 6-year-old mare bred by Glenn and Debbie Drake by Smooth As A Cat out of Travs Foxetta, by Travalena. Her second dam is Super Stakes reserve champion and $778,000 producer Stylish And Foxie. She came into the World Finals in 14th place in the World Standings and moved up to ninth with her Fort Worth earnings.

Marilyn Kittelman has career earnings of more than $70,000. She has previously been a finalist at the NCHA Western Nationals and the Northwest Futurity.

This Isa Third, ridden by Christine King of Scottsdale, Arizona, placed second in the World Finals with earnings of $3,118. The 7-year-old son of Third Cutting has earnings of more than $220,000 and finished fourth in the World Standings.

Dual Rider, ridden by Katherine Whitby of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, is the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro World Champion, with earnings of $47,594. The 8-year-old gelding, bred by the late Dr. Skip Jacques, is by Flo Rider out of Bella Dual, a half-sister to Hall of Fame Horse Belles N Bullets.

The Reserve Champion for the year is Lyricstosmoketo, shown by Norman Clark of Dos Palos, California with earnings of $20,041. 

The 7-year-old mare was bred by Daniel Jaeggi by Dual R Smokin out of Explicit Lyrics. Clark’s highest year-end ranking before this was third in the $25,000 Novice Non-Pro in 2017 on Explicit Lyrics.

$2,000 Limited Rider

Aden Bernhagen of Corsicana, Texas won both the World Finals and the World Championship with Dr Cuzin, the horse he rode Dr Cuzin, the horse he won the Junior Youth championship with at this year’s NCHA Western Nationals.

He earned $1,842 at the World Finals, marking scores of 212 / 217 / 420. For the year, the team earned $14,199.

Dr Cuzin, owned by Tom Murrell, was bred by Kelly Schaar by Dual Rey out of Short Candy. Dr Cuzin carried Murrell to the $15,000 Amateur title at the 2015 NCHA World Finals.

Sharon Wilson of Portageville, Missouri, placed second in the World Finals with earnings of $1,805 at the show. She rode Cougars January Jonz, a 6-year-old son of High Brow Cougar.

Meredith Simister of Langley, British Columbia, earned the Reserve World Championship with earnings of $7,770 She showed Dreamin Sweet, by Sweeter Than Pepto, at the World Finals.