NCHA News

 

Fancy Deville and Austin Shepard scored 223 points on Monday,  November 23, to top the last of five days of 2020 NCHA Futurity Open first go-round competition, at Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth, Tex. The Once In A Blu Boon daughter, owned by Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Tex., posted the second-highest score of the first go-round.

Catolena Cashin In, sired by Reyzin The Cash and shown by Tarin Rice for Joel Colgrove, Boligee, Ala., won the first go-round with 224 points, on the first day of competition.

Fancy Deville also topped the 2019 NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale when she sold, consigned by Todd Nelson and in training with Richard Jordan, for $350,000 to Billy Wolf, whose first cutting horse was Dual Reyish LTE $427,941, the 2017 NCHA Futurity champion under Austin Shepard.

Bred by Lenis Fitzsimons, Pepin, Wis., Fancy Deville is out of the High Brow Cat daughter Louella Deville, a full sister to Cattalou LTE $333,051, Louellas Cat LTE $302,483, and Louis The Cat LTE $259,920, among 14 money earners of $1,731,357 out of Louella Again, a Top 10 NCHA all-time producer.

In addition to his 2017 NCHA Futurity win aboard Dual Reyish, Austin Shepard also won the 2007 Futurity championship and 2008 NCHA Open Horse of the Year title with High Brow CD LTE $502,202, and was reserve champion of the 2016 NCHA Futurity showing Sir Long Legs LTE $391,427.

Shepard, who has shown a total of 14 NCHA Futurity Open finalists, is the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $8,429,806.

Lil Abratallic and Matt Miller posted 222 points on Monday, the day’s second-highest score and the third-highest score (shared by six other horses) of the go-round. Owned by Texas Holy Cow Performance Horses LLC, Santa Ynez, Calif., Lil Abratallic, by Metallic Cat, was bred by Fults Ranch out of My Lil Abra LTE $64,220, making her a three-quarter sister to 2016 NCHA Open Horse of the Year Ichis My Choice LTE $418,693 and 2017 NCHA Futurity Open reserve champion The Animal LTE $237,990.

Matt Miller, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $3,800,004 won the 2006 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro championship on Travs Scooter LTE $221,566, and since turning professional has been an Open Futurity finalist seven times.

Baccardee, owned by RAD Cattle Co., Springtown, Tex., earned 221.5 points, Monday’s third-highest, under Ascencion Banuelos. The Hottish-sired colt was bred by James and Suzan King out of the unshown Metallic Cat daughter Metallic Rey. Metallic Rey’s dam, Reyann Hickory LTE $313,457, by Dual Rey, a 2005 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro finalist under Linda Holmes, has produced eight earners of $116,763.

Ascencion Banuelos, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $2,311,187, has been an NCHA Futurity finalist 11 times.

Horses with 214.5 points or higher from the 2020 NCHA Futurity Open first go-round qualified for the Open second go-round, which begins on Tuesday, November 24.

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