Jessie Pritchard and Who Ya Callin Shorty, by High Brow CD, scored 222 points on Tuesday to win the Augusta Futurity 4-Year-Old Intermediate Finals. Walt Erwin and Sweet Metallic CD 16, by Metallic Cat, marked 218 to place second in the nine-horse finals, while Gabe Reynolds and Reyz Your Chelada, by Reydioactive placed third with 215 points.
Austin Shepard, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of over $8.1 million, holds the record for Augusta Open championship wins, with five in the Futurity and three in the 5/6 Classic. He claimed last year’s Futurity with 225 points on Bama Jelly LTE $149,005, by Bamacat, and on Sunday, January 19, he showed Bama Jelly to top the 2020 Augusta Futurity 5/6 Classic qualifying go round, with 222.5 points.
The 2020 Abilene Spectacular concluded on Saturday, January 11 with the 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro Finals, won by Paula Wood, Stephenville, Tex., with 222.5 points, on Cool N Hot. Kylie Rice, Weatherford, Tex., scored 221 points as reserve champion on Miss Kitty Russel, while Nadine Payne, Overbrook, Okla., placed third with 218.5 riding Blu Velvet.
Langston Pattillo, St. Elmo, Ill., scored 222 points on Catsa U Later LTE $19,784, by Boon Too Suen, to win the Abilene Spectacular Amateur Derby. Hunter Williams, Nolan, Tex., took second with 219 points on Rumor On The Street, by Dual Rey, as well as first in the Amateur Gelding division. Williams also placed sixth in the seven-horse finals aboard Mightee Merle, by WR This Cats Smart.
Ireydescent, shown by Adan Banuelos, and Stole A Kiss, with James Payne, were the stars on Wednesday, January 8, at the Taylor County Expo Center, as 221.5-point co-champions of the 2020 Abilene Spectacular Derby. Miss Blu Boon, ridden by Lloyd Cox, was next with 219 points, while Jae Zee, with Tatum Rice, scored 218 points to place fourth, with the third-highest score in the 28-horse Finals field.
The stakes were high on Tuesday at the Abilene Spectacular, where the second go-round of Open 4-year-old competition saw 28 horses with cumulative scores of 434.5 points or more advance to Wednesday’s Derby Finals, and 19 Open 5- & 6-year-olds with scores of 220.5 points or more advance to the Classic Finals.
Metallic Rey Mink and Bellenfant stole the show with a 226
Hall of Fame Rider Gary Bellenfant earned two championships, and a place in the history books with his victory on Metallic Rey Mink in the 2019 Great American Insurance NCHA Futurity presented by the North Texas Chevy Dealers on December 15 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Brandon Westfall, Weatherford, Tex., aboard I Reckon So, by Kit Kat Sugar, and Kristen Galyean, Claremore, Okla., showing Coureygous, by Dual Rey, tied with 222 points on Friday, Dec., 13, to become co-champions of the NCHA Non-Pro Futurity; each earned $52,672. Westfall also claimed the reserve championship and $37,726 with 218.5 points on Desires One And Only, by One Time Pepto.
New to the Congress, the Cutting Champions Challenge filled the Coliseum on Sunday night with spectators eager to see champions from 20 different classes go head to head in a winner-takes-all competition.
The Brazos Bash is always known for big scores and epic runs from year to year. The arena makes for on edge circumstances which in turn equal some pretty impressive finals. It is hard to get to the finals because of the tough situation, but also it has to do with being in the heart of the cutting capital! This time of year should be impressive though, the four-year-old’s are confident, the three-year-old’s are coming into their own, and the five-six year old’s well, they are better than ever. We are steadily approaching the NCHA Futurity, but there are a few big shows left before the granddaddy of them all!
We are all headed our separate ways from the 2019 El Rancho Futurity and Foothill Fiesta, and man, was it one to remember! It is one to attend at least once, but if you go once you will no doubt go again. Carol Ward continues to go above and beyond for cutters, from accommodations, to the activities planned during the show, and of course the event itself! A finals night in El Rancho has a special feel unlike any other, it is a combination of the packed house, cutting under the stars, and Dru Stewart taking the time to make each trip to the herd special for each rider. It is all and all the fact that everyone is just as excited about the sport and want to watch a great cutting!
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