NCHA News

 

Peeptos Cat, ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Wood for Christine King of Scottsdale, Ariz., scored 229 to win the second round of the $25,000 Novice at the 7 Ranch NCHA World Finals in Fort Worth’s Watt Arena on Thursday, December 3.

Betchalou, ridden by Hall of Famer Morgan Cromer for Clarke Butte Ranch of Bend, Ore., placed second in the round with a 229, but won the non-working finals 448 to Peepto Cat’s 445, and the World Finals title, based on show earnings, with $3,981 to Peeptos Cat’s $3,185.

Peeptos Cat took the World Championship, with $33,523 to $32,568 for Montanas Bad Cat, ridden by Casey Crouch for Patrick and Denise Bendele.

Peeptos Cat is a 9-year-old mare bred by Peter and Nora Stent by Cat Ichi out of Little Bow Peepto LTE $134,559. She had a successful aged event career, with Open reserve championships at the Bonanza and Southern Derby with Matt Gaines, and the Brazos Bash Non-Pro Classic with Alexa Stent. She has career earnings of more than $158,000.

Betchalou is a 7-year-old gelding bred by Oxbow Ranch by Bet Hesa Cat out of Louella Again. He’d won more than $255,000 with Cromer and owner Julie Clarke prior to the World Finals.

Reserve World Champion Montanas Bad is a 9-year-old gelding by Mr Black And Decker out of Montanas Dual Badger, bred by Douglas Ward. He was also a Top 15 finalist in the $25,000 Novice in 2018.

Sharmon Huber of East Wenatchee, Wash. and Metallic Oaks scored 223 to lead the second round of the $35,000 Non-Pro, edging Parker Johnson on LHR Smooth James Rey at 222 and World Finals winner Chaser Crouch on GS Zans Cat.

Bred by Dottie Hill, Metallic Oaks is a 6-year-old son of Metallic Cat out of Scooters Stylish Oak, by Docs Stylish Oak.

Chaser Crouch, of Corsicana, Tex. won the first round with a 224 on GS Zans Cat, as well as the non-working finals with a 442. He earned $2,444 to win the show championship by $396 over Huber.

GS Zans Cat is a 13-year-old mare bred by Gordon Sevig and owned by Crouch, of Corsicana, Tex. She is by Smooth As A Cat out of Zans Red Gold and has earned more than $197,000. She is a former Top 10 Open horse, and has made no fewer than 20 appearances in NCHA National Championship finals.

Chaser Crouch won the Senior Youth championship on GS Zans Cat at the NCHA Western Nationals in 2018, and he has career earnings of more than $46,000.

World Champion Virginia Kilduff of Prescott Valley, Ariz., added $1,429 to her year’s total at the World Finals to finish 2020 with $15,197 in the $35,000 Non-Pro division. She showed Kisses On My Bottom throughout the year. The 11-year-old mare, bred by Marvine Ranch. is by Hes A Peptospoonful out of Playful Ricochet, by Smart Ricochet.

Kilduff has been an eight-time finalist at the NCHA Western National Championships.

Aden Bernhagen of Corsicana, Tex. took the Reserve World Championship with $12,513 in earnings, including $828 at the World Finals. He rode Dr Cuzin which carried him to the World Finals and World Championships in the $2,000 Limited Rider division last year.

Dr Cuzin is a 16-year-old gelding bred by Kelly Schaar by Dual Rey out of Short Candy.

Crispy Kreme, ridden by Dawn Chapman won the first round and pencil finals to win the NCHA World Finals and take the Reserve World Championship in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro. They put together scores of 221-215.5-436.5 for a 2.5-point lead in the aggregate, but $794 in the crucial earnings column.

Crispy Kreme is a 7-year-old gelding bred by D & D Quarter Horses by Metallic Cat out of My Other Toys A Car. He brought earnings of more than $155,000, mostly in Non-Pro and Amateur competition to the World Finals.

This is the fourth time in six years that Dawn Chapman has finished in the Top 10 in NCHA Novice Non-Pro classes.

TR Shes A Cat, ridden by Audrey O’Connor of Parker, Colo., won the second round of the World Finals with a 217. Bred by Terry Dean, TR Shes A Cat is a 6-year-old mare by Bet Hesa Cat out of Tea Ares Dual Rey.

O’Connor showed the mare as an Amateur Intermediate finalist at the recent Pacific Coast Futurity. O’Connor has been a six-time finalist at the NCHA Western National Championships.

Rey My Belle, owned by Jim and Laura Jorde of Scottsdale, Ariz., and shown by Laura, is the 2020 World Champion with $5,000 Novice Non-Pro earnings for the year of $27,296.

Bred by Carroll’s Cutting, Rey My Belle is a 7-year-old son of Dual Rey out of Belle Mate, who was a three-quarter sister to Hall of Fame Horse Belles N Bullets. Laura Jorde has career earnings of more than $210,000. She showed the 2015 $15,000 Novice Non-Pro Reserve World Champion Razor.

 

World Champion Joseph Boyd of Scottsdale, Ariz. won the first round of the $2,000 Limited Rider on Bless Chu Mate. But Allison Welling of Weatherford, Tex. posted the division’s top score, a 227, in the second round, to win the non-working round and tie with Boyd for top money at the show. Each of them earned $2,444 in Fort Worth.

Boyd clinched the World Championship with his first-round win on Wednesday. He and Bless Chu Mate won the NCHA Western National Championships in the $2,000 Rider class in 2019.

He wrapped up the year with $14,268 in earnings.

Bless Chu Mate is a 13-year-old mare bred by Anderson Cattle Co. and owned by Gerald Dorros. She is by Smart Mate out of HB Dear Chula, and has earned over $87,000.

 

Welling was a finalist this year at the NCHA Eastern National Championships on Thiskittywearsacrown.

Metallic Alex is a 7-year-old gelding bred by Alex Franz by Metallic Cat out of TM Smart Alexis. He has earned more than $133,000, mostly with owner Stephanie Sheen.

The Reserve World Championship goes to Chrystal Ainsworth of Georgetown, La., riding SDP Hydrive Royalty. The 9-year-old mare was bred by Dave and Georgia Husby by Hydrive Cat out of CD Royalty, by CD Olena. She earned $9,386 for the year, including $376 picked up at the World Finals.

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