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Cotton Stakes Non-Pro Derby

Sep 14, 2020, 08:25 AM by Sally Harrison

Chad Bushaw and Ava Rey scored 221 to win the Non-Pro Derby

Winning day for Chad Bushaw and Ava Rey

Ava Rey and Chad Bushaw, Weatherford, Tex., scored 221 points to win the Cotton Stakes 4-year-old Non-Pro Derby, in West Monroe, La., on September 11. Boondexterous, ridden by Missy Jean Etheridge, Corinth, Miss., and November Reyn, shown by Rieta Dufurrena, Gainesville, Tex., tied with 214 points, the second-highest score in the six-horse Non-Pro Derby finals.

Ava Rey LTE $34,395, who won the NCHA Derby Amateur championship earlier this summer with Chad Bushaw’s son Will, was also a finalist with Chad in the NCHA Non-Pro Futurity. Bred by P J Cutters, Fort Worth, Tex., Ava Rey, by Dual Rey, is out of the High Brow Cat daughter Kwackin Cat LTE $10,444, the producer of earners of $123,502, including The Kwack Shack LTE $65,048, reserve champion of the 2018 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited.

Bushaw, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $3,619,498, is a two-time winner of the NCHA Non-Pro Futurity (Jerryoes in 2001 and Bittersweet in 2017) and three-time winner of the Super Stakes 4-Year-Old Non-Pro (Cats Ruby, 2008; Bittersweet, 2018; and Rey Banz Gal, 2019). He also won the Cotton Stakes Classic in 2006 on A Cat Above, and in 2018 with Velvets Revolver.

Missy Etheridge, with NCHA earnings of $441,899, also won the Cotton Stakes Non-Pro Limited with Boondextrous, who Beau Galyean had shown earlier in the week as Cotton Stakes Derby Open reserve champion. Earlier this year, Etheridge earned money, as well, in the Arbuckle Mountain Derby and the Bonanza, as well.

Boondexterous LTE $65,049, by Once In A Blu Boon, was bred by Randle Tune out of the High Brow Cat daughter Cats Smart Lady, dam of six earners of $116,862.

Rieta Dufurrena, the NCHA earner of $339,653, placed third in the 2016 Cotton Stakes 4-Year-Old Non-Pro riding 2015 NCHA Futurity Open champion Stevie Rey Von LTE $418,947, who she also showed to win the NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited.

November Reyn LTE $23,577, by Im Countin Checks, was bred by Rieta’s brother, Brandon Dufurrena, out of Purple Reyn LTE $356,632, the 2015 NCHA Non-Pro Horse of the Year. Purple Reyn has produced three NCHA earners of $53,680.

The 2020 Cotton Stakes continues through Sept. 13.

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