Action on the fourth day of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Stallion Stakes consisted of Pre-Futurity rein work for both open and non pro riders. In the Main Arena of the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center, on Tuesday, August 25, competitors became one step closer to the $135,000 total payout. Impressive scores were posted by teams preparing to make the trek to the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® in October.
Limited Open Bridle Champion
Riding to the top of the Limited Open Bridle at the 2020 NRCHA Stallion Stakes were Bob Grant and PaddysStarlightChic (Self Shine x RN Starlights Chic x Smart Chic Olena). Thanks to a score of 431.5 (212.5 rein/219 cow), the pair earned $1,200 for owners, Jeffrey and Lynne Heyer of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Pre-Futurity Open Composite
Leading the Pre-Futurity Open is California horseman Justin Wright aboard Smooth Lil Dream with a 443 composite (221 herd/222 rein). The mare, owned by Suzanne Rodoni Silverberg, is by NRCHA Million Dollar Sire Smooth As A Cat and out of Dream A Lil Dream, by NRCHA $3 Million Dollar Sire One Time Pepto.
Pre-Futurity Open Rein Work
NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Justin Wright soared to the top of the Pre-Futurity open rein work with a 223. Wright and Blu Label (Once In A Blu Boon x Shiney Miss Marker x Shining Spark) earned owner Bill Stevenson $900 for the go-round win. The duo are sitting second in the composite with a 441.5.
Pre-Futurity Intermediate Open Composite
After the completion of the Pre-Futurity herd work and rein work, it’s a tie for the lead of the Intermediate Open with a 437.5 composite. Dustin Mills showed Hope Miller’s Jubilee Jackson (Brother Jackson x Shining Princess Too x Shining Spark) to a 216.5 in the herd and 221 in the reining. Brandon Buttars rode Wright About Time (Hickory Holly Time x Wright About Now x Lenas Wright On), owned by his wife Sophia Buttars, to a 217 in the herd work and 220.5 in the rein work.
Pre-Futurity Limited Open Composite & Rein Work
Jacob Barry piloted Deah Hessian’s Keltic Kat (Kit Kat Sugar x Irish A Shine x Paddys Irish Whiskey) to the winning rein work score in the Pre-Futurity Limited Open of 218. The team also lead the Limited Open after two gos with a 434 composite.
Pre-Futurity Level One Limited Open Rein Work
The Pre-Futurity Level One Limited Open high reining score belonged to Craig Cowley and Hickorys Lucky Time (Hickory Holly Time x Travalenas Luckylegs x Travalena). The pair boasted an impressive 217.5 at the 2020 NRCHA Stallion Stakes.
Pre-Futurity Non Pro Limited Composite & Rein Work
Leading the Non Pro Limited Pre-Futurity at the 2020 NRCHA Stallion Stakes after two events is Lindsay Foreman and her mare, Gunna BeA Meericle (Gunnatrashya x Lil Meericle Whiz x Topsail Whiz). After a little tough luck in the herd, the pair made a smashing comeback in the rein work scoring a 217. The 420 composite places the team first after two events.
Pre-Futurity Non Pro & Intermediate Non Pro Composite
After scoring a 218 in the rein work, Sophia Buttars and PR A Smart Chick (WR This Cats Smart x Cluck Cluck x Gallo Del Cielo) maintain their lead of the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro Pre-Futurity at the 2020 NRCHA Stallion Stakes. Buttars and her mare have a five-point lead heading into the fence work with a 436 after two events.
Pre-Futurity Non Pro Rein Work
Hope Miller and Metalic Belly Dancer (Metallic Cat x Lil Private Dancer x Dual Rey) slid into the top spot of the Non Pro Pre-Futurity with a 219. This places the team second in the composite with a 431.
Pre-Futurity Intermediate & Novice Non Pro Rein Work
Mike Honald piloted his gelding, Shiney Travalena (Smart And Shiney x Travalen Easter x Travalena), to a 218 in the rein work of the Non Pro Pre-Futurity. The score was good enough to win the Intermediate and Novice Non Pro Pre-Futurity go round. With a 430.5 composite, Honald tied Emily Kent for the lead of the Novice Non Pro with one event left to go.
Pre-Futurity Amateur Composite & Rein Work
The high reining score, a 216.5, in the Amateur Pre-Futurity at the 2020 NRCHA Stallion Stakes came from Emily Kent and On The Reydio (Reydioactive x Bewitching Ichi x Cat Ichi). With a 430.5 composite, the pair lead the Novice Non Pro and Amateur Pre-Futurity with the cow work remaining.
The NRCHA Stallion Stakes is the fourth of five NRCHA premier events, and it pays out more than $500,000 in prize money. The event’s success is largely due to its tie to the NRCHA Subscribed Stallion program. Subscribed stallion nominators pay a fee so 4- and 5-year-old offspring can be eligible to compete in the limited aged event portion of the show. Besides paying lucrative checks to the Stakes winners, the NRCHA also presents an incentive checks to the nominator of the Stakes Champion’s sire in each division.
In addition to the Stakes divisions, the event offers a full slate of horse show classes, a one-time Pre-Futurity and several Spectaculars, including the $20,000 added Open Bridle Spectacular sponsored by Holy Cow Performance Horses.
o catch all the action via the free, live webcast, provided by NRCHA official videographer Equine Promotion, visit www.NRCHA.com.