Steve Schlesinger
Hallie Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Handle Bar Hallie x Handle Bar Doc), owned and bred by Donna Lu Campbell’s DLC Ranch, Fernley, Nev., and Schlesinger coasted into the finals with 215.5 and 216 efforts, then turned on the after burners in the big money round.
This Cats Jazzy, ridden by Tom Long, Gardnerville, Nev., and owned by T.J. and Debbie Day, Reno, Nev., finished a distant second with a 215 in the finals to earn $14,647. This Kats Kool, ridden by Long and owned by Donna Flanigan, Livermore, Calif., finished fifth with a 213 to earn $6,843. This Kats Kool and Long won the first-go and placed third in the second-go with 219.5 and 216.5 efforts to earn early $520 and $260 checks.
Hallie Cat and Schelsinger earned $32.50 in the first two rounds before topping the field by seven points in the finals. A 2006 gelding bred and owned by Campbell’s DLC Ranch, Scatman Cutters (WR This Cats Smart x Peppys Cool Cash x Cash Quixote Rio) teamed up with Schlesinger to win a Futurity Open title at the 2009 El Rancho Futurity in Rancho Murieta, Calif., last September.
The Fort Klamath Ranch Festival takes place in a scenic outdoor arena located at a large cattle ranch in Fort Klamath, Ore. It concludes Friday with finals in its Futurity Non-Pro, Derby Non-Pro, Classic/Challenge Non-Pro, Classic/Challenge Amateur, $15,000 Novice Non-Pro and $35,000 Novice Non-Pro division.
LHR Smooth Jamie May & Phil Hanson
The 4-year-old mare (Smooth As A Cat x Just Scarlet x Smart Lil Ricochet) and Hanson, a longtime Oregon trainer who moved to Weatherford, Texas, full-time in late 2008, earned their third victory in a row and fourth of the season while pushing their earnings to $213,368 in 2010, according to Equi-Stat records.
Pure Redwhiteandblue (Mecom Blue x Purely Bob x Bob Acre Doc) and Tim Smith, Temecula, Calif., finished as Reserve Champions in the Derby Open at the Fort Klamath Ranch Festival with a 222 to earn $7,337. Las Vegas husband and wife non-pro cutters Frank and Bonnie Martin own the 4-year-old gelding. The No. 2-finish pushed Pure Redwhiteandblue’s career earnings over $40,000.
Smooth Jamie May, owned by Sherry Chamberlin’s South Lazy H Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, has earned more money than any cutting horse in 2010, largely thanks to Derby Open victories in May, July and August at the Breeder’s Invitational in Tulsa, Okla., the NCHA Summer Spectacular in Fort Worth, Texas, and Wednesday’s victory in Fort Klamath, Ore., worth a combined $143,945. They won with 225, 227 and 228 final-round scores. The mare and Hanson also won at the Bonanza Cutting in Alvardo, Texas, during February to earn $30,756.
Wednesday’s win also vaulted LHR Smooth Jamie May into the NCHA Open Horse of the Year lead with 66 points by adding 12 to her total. Nearest rivals Third Cutting (60) and Dont Look (56) each earned two Horse of the Year points by reaching Open finals at last week’s West Texas Futurity in Amarillo, Texas. Horses earn 12 points for winning a championship, six points for winning a reserve championship and two points by reaching the finals at all NCHA-approved events offering more than $100,000 in added money.
The El Rancho Futurity & Foothills Fiesta, Sept. 15-29 in Rancho Murieta, Calif., includes a Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting any-aged event that will award six points to its champion and three to its reserve champion. Other remaining events featuring NCHA Horse of the Year points include the Music City Futurity, Sept. 11-19 in Franklin, Tenn., the Brazos Bash, Sept. 24-Oct. 3 in Weatherford, Texas, a Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 7-9, the Calgary Stampede Futurity in Calgary, Alberta, Can., Oct. 13-15, the Southern Futurity in Jackson, Miss., Oct. 25-30 and the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Futurity in Paso Robles, Calif., Oct. 19-31.
|
Subscribe to Quarter Horse News. 
Subscribe to Quarter Horse News Today!