NCHA News

Paula Wood and Cool N Hot. Photo by S. Sylvester Photography.

The 2020 Abilene Spectacular concluded on Saturday, January 11 with the 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro Finals, won by Paula Wood, Stephenville, Tex., with 222.5 points, on Cool N Hot. Kylie Rice, Weatherford, Tex., scored 221 points as reserve champion on Miss Kitty Russel, while Nadine Payne, Overbrook, Okla., placed third with 218.5 riding Blu Velvet.

Paula Wood is the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $2,530,895, as well as an NCHA Non-Pro World Champion and a past NCHA Non-Pro Futurity, Super Stakes, and Derby champion. Wood won her first Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro championship showing My Blue Hagan LTE $333,113, in 2004.

Six-year-old Cool N Hot LTE $342,691, bred by Paula Wood and sired by Hottish, was the 2018 NCHA Open Horse of the Year under Paula’s husband, Kobie Wood. Cool N Hot’s dam, Donas Cool Cat LTE $315,104, is the producer of 14 NCHA earners of $1.2 million, including the Boon Too Suen daughter Donas Suen Boon, LTE $425,911, bred and shown by Paula to win the 2012 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity.

Kylie Rice, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $551,431, showed Guantanamo Rey LTE $14,078, by Dual Rey, as a finalist in the 2019 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity, as well as Jae Zee LTE $15,546, in the Futurity Non-Pro Semi-Finals. Jae Zee, half-brother to 2018 NCHA Open Futurity champion Crey Zee LTE $300,801, shown by Kylie’s husband, Tatum Rice, also placed fourth and won the Gelding division with Tatum in the Abilene Spectacular 4-Year-Old Open.  

Five-year-old Miss Kitty Russel LTE $31,333, by High Brow Cat, was a 2018 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Semi-Finalist with Kylie Rice and a 2019 NCHA Open Super Stakes finalist under Tatum.

Nadine Payne is the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $639,574. This past summer, Payne won the NCHA Non-Pro Derby on 5-year-old Blu Velvet LTE $64,471, a Once In A Blue Boon daughter, who carried Payne to place third in the NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes, as well.

Payne had claimed three previous Abilene Spectacular championships. She won the 2016 Non-Pro 5/6-Year-Old Finals on Dizzy Lizzy Girl LTE $271,654, who also carried her as the Non-Pro 4-Year-Old Limited champion in 2014 and the 5/6-Year-Old Limited champion in 2015.

Lance Cooper and Wiskeemakesmefriskee. Photo by S. Sylvester Photography. 

The Abilene Spectacular 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Finals, also held on Saturday, January 11, prior to the 5/6 Non-Pro Classic, was won by Lance Cooper, Weatherford, Tex., with 224 points on Wiskeemakesmefriskee. Austin Adams, Springtown, Tex., scored 219 points as reserve champion on One Blu Fox, while Lindy Ashlock, Abilene, Texas, placed third with 218.5 riding CR Tuff Low Brow.

Lance Cooper, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $234,042, won the 2018 Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro 4-Year-Old Derby, as well as the Non-Pro Limited on Zen And Tonic LTE $133,638, who he had also shown to win the 2017 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited. This past summer, Cooper showed Special Nu Boon LTE $160,264, by Boon Too Suen, as NCHA Summer Spectacular Senior Youth champion.

In addition to the winner’s share of $9,000 in the Non-Pro Finals, Cooper and Wiskeemakesmefriskee also earned $1,078 in the Gelding division, and $1,347 in the Novice division.

Austin Adams, the NCHA earner of $440,713, had shown One Blu Fox LTE 33,212, by Once In A Blu Boon, to place fourth in the 2019 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity. Earlier in the year, Adams had also shown Royalty And Cats LTE $70,385, by One Time Royalty, to place seventh in the NCHA Non-Pro Derby and tenth in the NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes.

Lindy Ashlock, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $1,696,620, is a three-time Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro champion. Her first win came in the 2011 5/6-Year-Old Classic, riding Rey Nounce LTE $116,134, by Dual Rey. Ashlock  later won the 2015 Non-Pro Classic on Little Miss One Time LTE $257,436, by One Time Pepto, and the 2016 Derby with Smooth Kwackin Cat LTE $82,498, by Smooth As A Cat. She also showed In Reyverse LTE $107,084, by Dual Rey, to earn the title of 2017 NCHA Non-Pro Horse of the Year.

The 2020 Abilene Spectacular gave Ashlock’s mount, CR Tuff Low Brow, by Woody Be Tuff, her first paycheck. 

Click here for complete results from the 2020 Abilene Spectacular. To read more from Sally Harrison visit sallyharrison.com