NCHA News

Metallic Hill, ridden by Jesse Lennox. Seth Petit photo.

The first day of 4-year-old Open Derby go-round competition in the NCHA Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular, on Saturday, July 11, saw some solid performances from the 63-horse field. Another 128 are slated to work on Sunday, but so far, Metallic Hill, shown by Jesse Lennox for Rocking P Ranch, is the standout with 222 points.

Texas Tuxxedo and Im A Platinum Kitty tied with 219.5 points, Saturday’s second highest score, while seven horses tied with 219 points, the third highest score. Owned by Thomas and Debra Herold, West Point, Iowa, and sired by Once In A Blu Boon, Texas Tuxxedo is shown by NCHA Hall of Fame rider R.L. Chartier, who was co-champion of the 2019 NCHA Derby aboard Caution Piping Hot, owned by Anderson Cattle Co.  Im A Platinum Kitty, by Metallic Cat, is shown by Casey Green for Bobby Ray and Mary Jo Hawkins, Seguin, Tex.

Metallic Hill, a semi-finalist with Jesse Lennox in the NCHA Futurity, was bred by Rocking P Ranch, Fort Worth, Tex., also the owner of Metallic Hill’s sire, Metallic Cat, a leading sire of earners of over $29 million, and the title sponsor of the NCHA Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular. Reys Desire LTE $393,766, dam of Metallic Hill, won the 2010 NCHA Super Stakes and 2011 NCHA Super Stakes Classic with Lee Francois.

Jesse Lennox also scored 219 points on Saturday showing Sitnonthedokofthebay LTE $8,314, a Once In A Blu Boon gelding owned by Rocking P Ranch. Others scoring 219 in Saturday’s Open Derby first go-round include Metal Mulisha, by Metallic Cat, owned and shown by Zeb Corvin, Canyon, Tex.; Kinky Bootz, sired by Dual Rey, and shown by Austin Shepard for owner-breeder Glenn Drake, Napa, Calif.; Hughes Captain Hook, by Thomas E Hughes, shown by Clay Cerny, for John Hauerland, Columbus, Tex.;  Twise Baked, sired by High Brow Cat and shown by T.J. Good for Circle R Cutting Horses LLC, Ocala, Fla.;  Blu Too Smart, by Once In A Blu Boon and shown by James Payne for owner and breeder Robert Masterson, Guthrie, Tex.; and Camo, by Light N Lena, owned, bred and shown by Sean Flynn, Weatherford, Tex.

Saturday’s 4-year-old Derby go-round was preceded by the last sets of first go-round of Classic Challenge Open competition, which concluded with a 215-point bubble for advancement to the second go-round on Tuesday, July 14. Summer Time Fun, co-champion of the 2019 NCHA Derby, scored 224 points under James Payne to top the Open go-round, while the Lizzys Gotta Player gelding Most Stylish Player, shown by Nathan Gribble for Cowan Ranch, Ardmore, Okla., topped the Open Limited field with 220 points.

The NCHA Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular Open Derby first go-round will continue and conclude on Sunday, July 12. The 76-horse Open Classic Challenge second go-round will begin at 8:00 am on Monday, July 13.

To read more from Sally Harrison visit her blog at sallyharrison.com