Rieta Dufurrena wins 5-Year-Old Intermediate Non-Pro championship
Rieta Dufurrena, Gaineville, Tex., scored 222 points on November Reyn LTE $46,063 to claim the 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes 5-Year-Old Intermediate Non-Pro championship, on Thursday, April 8. Janet Westfall, Granbury, Tex., riding Sugarlesss LTE $26,061, scored 219.5 points for the reserve championship.
Rieta Dufurrena, the NCHA earner of $409,735, posted Thursday’s 222-point championship win on November Reyn after she and the Im Countin Checks daughter had qualified for the 5-Year-Old Non-Pro Finals earlier in the day.
November Reyn, owned by Rieta’s mother, Shona Dufurrena, was bred by Rieta’s brother, Brandon Dufurrena, who showed the mare’s dam, Purple Reyn LTE $356,632, by Metallic Cat, to win the 2015 NCHA World Finals and place third in the 2014 NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes.
Rieta Dufurrena won the 2015 NCHA Non-Pro Limited on Futurity Open champion, Stevie Rey Von LTE $418,953, who her father Ed Dufurrena showed to win the NCHA Open Futurity, and who Beau Galyean showed to win the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic. Purple Reyn, November Reyn’s, dam is a full sister to Stevie Rey Von.
Rieta Dufurrena also showed U Gott The Look LTE $33,387, by Metallic Cat, on Sunday, April 4, as a Super Stakes 5/6 Non-Pro Intermediate finalist. Dufurrena and U Gott The Look were 2020 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro finalists, as well.
This is the first Super Stakes championship (reserve) for Janet Westfall. The NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $1,354,400, has earned over $132,000 in 10 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Finals. She has also won 17 West Coast championships, including the 2004 PCCHA Cutting Stakes on Jeeps Posi Traction LTE $332,058, who her husband Russ Westfall rode as reserve champion of the 2004 NCHA Open Super Stakes, and Janet showed to win the 2008 NCHA World Finals.
Sugarlesss, a Kit Kat Sugar gelding, was bred by Janet and Russ Westfall out of Lil Bit Reckless LTE $231,124, by CD Royal LTE $158,357. Janet showed CD Royal as reserve champion of the 2000 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity and to place fifth in the 2001 NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes.
Russ Westfall also qualified Sugarlesss for the 2021 NCHA Super Stakes 5-Year-Old Open Finals.
Keene goes 20-20 for 5-Year-Old Ltd Amateur championship
Hal Keene, Weatherford, Tex., posted the 220-point high score on Kat Play in NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes 5-Year-Old Amateur first go-round competition on Wednesday, April 7. On Thursday morning, Keene and his Kit Kat Sugar gelding delivered another 220-point run to win the 5-Year–Old Amateur Limited championship. Marcelle LeBlanc, Fort Worth, Tex., scored 215 points on Martini In Style for the reserve championship.
Keene, the NCHA earner of $12,624, showed Kat Play LTE $59,316 to win the Waco Texas Amateur Futurity and to place fourth in the Amateur Unlimited. He also claimed the 2020 PCCHA Futurity 4-year-old Intermediate Amateur reserve championship on Kat Play, while Hayden Upton showed the Kit Kat Sugar gelding as 2020 PCCHA Futurity 4-year-old Open reserve champion, to place third in the 2020 West Texas Open and Open Intermediate finals.
Marcelle LeBlanc, the NCHA earner of $27,577, was a 2020 NCHA Classic Challenge Amateur Intermediate and Amateur Limited finalist aboard the High Brow Cat daughter Twiced Bet LTE $36,384, who she also showed as reserve champion of the Waco Texas Futurity 5/6 Amateur.
Thursday’s 5-Year–Old Amateur Intermediate reserve championship marked LeBlanc’s first NCHA payday aboard Martini In Style LTE $28,873. But the Metallic Cat daughter was an Open limited event finalist under Beau Galyean in 2019 and with Rodrigo Taboga and Randy Chartier in 2020.
Bred by Dottie St. Clair Hill, Martini In Style is out of Stylish Martini LTE $361,920, who won the 2011 NCHA Open Derby, the 2013 NCHA Open Super Stakes Classic, and the 2013 NCHA Classic Challenge under Roger Wagner. Stylish Martini, by Docs Stylish Oak, is a half-sister to 2007 NCHA Open Horse of the Year Copaspepto LTE $417.440, winner of the 2007 NCHA Super Stakes, among five championships in 2007.
The 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes continues through Saturday, April 17.
To read more from Sally Harrison, visit her blog at sallyharrison.com.
