NCHA News

Julie Jarma, Whitesboro, Tex., on  Metallic Bonus, and Lance Cooper, Weatherford, Tex., aboard Wiskeemakesmefriskee, tied with 222 points on Friday, February 28, to each earn $11,683, as co-champions of the 2020 Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Futurity. Ty Moore, Madill, Okla., scored 219 points for the third-place payout of $7,807, riding Tweezin My Brow.

Julie Jarma the NCHA earner of $590,414, won last year’s Brazos Bash Non-Pro Classic on Blackish LTE $180,399, by Hottish, as well as the West Texas Classic, and the reserve championship of the Brazos Bash Non-Pro Classic on Hott Heels, by Hottish. Metallic Bonus LTE $16,061, by Metallic Cat, is the first NCHA money earner out of the Dual Rey daughter Reys My Way LTE $10,827.

Lance Cooper, the NCHA earner of $247,524, won the 2018 Arbuckle Mountain Non-Pro Futurity on Zen And Tonic LTE $133,638, after he and the High Brow CD daughter had won the 2017 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited and the Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro. Cooper and Wiskeemakesmefriskee LTE $28,067, by Smooth As A Cat, also won this year’s Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro.

Wiskeemakesmefriskee, out of Justa Lil Freck LTE $113,253, by Bobs Freckle, is a half-brother to Wendels Little Missy LTE $158,117, by High Brow CD.

Ty Moore, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $1,165,589, won the 2012 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity Non-Pro on Mrs Bay Cat LTE $78,908, by High Brow Cat. Last year, in addition to championship wins in the Bonanza 4-Year-Old Non-Pro and the Brazos Bash Non-Pro aboard Scantly Clad LT $113,634, by Metallic Cat, Cooper also showed Tweezin My Brow to win 3-Year-Old Non-Pro championships in the PCCHA Futurity and the West Texas Futurity.

Tweezin My Brow LTE $51,784, by High Brow Cat, is a full sister, out of Miss Stylish Pepto LTE $216,005, to Cat Atat Cat LTE $242,665 and Miss Stylish Katz LTE $101,748. In addition to her 2020 Arbuckle earnings under Moore, Tweezin My Brow placed seventh in the Open Finals with Lloyd Cox, and was third in the 2019 PCCHA Open Futurity with Cox, as well.

John Johnson scores 228-point championship win in Arbuckle 5/6 Non-Pro

Riding Miss Masterson, by Cat T Masterson, John Johnson, Ardmore, Okla., put six points between himself and his closest competition on Friday, in the Arbuckle Mountain 5/6 Non-Pro Finals. Kelsey Johnson and Jessica Gonslaves, riding Smart Cat Rey RG and Mean Bean, respectively, tied with 222 points to split second and third.

Johnson, the NCHA earner of $142,166, and 6-year-old Miss Masterson LTE $109,450 have been solid competitors since 2017, when they placed seventh in the NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited. In 2018, they placed eighth in the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Limited, and in 2019 the claimed the Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro Limited reserve championship. NCHA Hall of Fame rider James Payne has also shown Miss Masterson successfully for Johnson in Open limited age events. Payne also showed the mare’s half-sister Peptotoodie LTE $169,652, by Peptotime.

Kelsey Johnson, Weatherford, Tex., the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $713,345, showed Smart Cat Rey RG to win the 2019 Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Futurity, after the pair’s debut together, as fifth-placed Non-Pro finalists in the2018 NCHA Futurity. They were also finalists in the 2019 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro, and Clay Johnson, the mare’s trainer and Kelsey’s husband, has shown Smart Cat Rey RG successfully, as well.

Sired by Dual Smart Rey, 5-year-old Smart Cat Rey RG LTE $81,948, is a half-sister to Ironn Butterfly LTE $112,368, by Just Playin Stylish, as well as to Once Mor LTE $70,893, who Clay Johnson showed as a 2019 NCHA Futurity Open Finalist, as well as a 2020 Abilene and Arbuckle Open Finalist. Kelsey also showed Once Mor, by Once In A Blu Boon, to place fourth in the 2020 Bonanza Non-Pro Finals.

Jessica Gonsalves, Millsap, Tex., the NCHA earner of $304,355, claimed her first major title as Non-Pro champion of the 1996 PCCHA Cutting Stakes, riding Starlight Jewel, by Grays Starlight. In 2012, Gonsalves claimed the NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited on Poundcake Deluxe, by Cats Quixote Jack.

Mean Bean LTE $17,509, by Dual Rey, was trained and shown as an NCHA Futurity Open Semi-Finalist by Jessica’s husband, NCHA Hall of Fame Rider Gary Gonsalves. The 5-year-old gelding is a full brother, out of Spookys Cash LTE $284,313, to Reyzin The Cash LTE $274,376, shown by Gary Gonsalves to win the 2015 NCHA Derby, among seven major limited event wins.

The 2020 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity concludes on Saturday, February 29 with Amateur Finals. To read more from Sally Harrison visit her blog at sallyharrison.com