Industry News

Teen Lacey Elliott Tops Australian Futurity Amateurs

Lacey Elliott, 18, Nandaly, Victoria, Aus., and Peptos Stylish San won the first ever Tamworth Regional Council Amateur Futurity title as its finals took place Thursday at the Australian Cutting Futurity.

More than $700,000 is up for grabs at the 2012 Australian NCHA Bayer IMAX Gold Futurity show that includes Open and Non Pro divisions of the Futurity, Derby and Classic Challenge competitions. It's underway in Tamworth, New South Wales at the Australian Equine And Livestock Events Center (AELEC). A live webcast can be seen on www.ncha.com.au.

Having already secured a place in Saturday’s Non Pro Futurity finals, Elliott and Peptos Stylish San scored a 147 in the Futurity Amateur finals to pick up the win. “I was just happy to be in the final. But this is really good, pretty exciting,” Elliott said. “I was just hoping to pick some good cows, but I was really impressed with him (Peptos Stylish San). He’s a really good boy.”

Ducks Dux, the 2007 mare who carried Clint Allen, Weatherford, Texas, to last June’s Australian Futurity Open title, led the Derby Non-Pro and qualified for its finals at the 2012 event by marking a two-go 148-142-292 with owner and trainer John Brekelmans as the richest cutting event in the Southern Hemisphere continued.

The most anticipated return at the event involved the 2011 NCHA Open Futurity Champion Ducks Dux and her catch-rider, Allen, competing in the Derby Open this year. The pair experienced bad luck in the second go of the Open, but the mare didn’t disappoint when she marked the highest score of the entrire Quality Hotel Powerhouse Non Pro Derby Open first go. She recorced a first-go 148 with owner Breklemans, Gracemere, Queensland, Aus., in the saddle, then added a second-round 142 Wednesday night..

Ducks Dux (Sophisticated Catt [IS] x Dashing Duckling x Doc’s Spinifex [IMP]) is the result of a Breklemans’ lifetime breeding project. The Duck mare line is considered to be one of the best in Australia. After winning the Futurity Open with the horse last year, Allen said, “Marking a 152 on a 3-year-old – it’s pretty difficult thing to do that. She’s really talented, solid and she’s right up there with the best of them (in America).”

Breklemans has suffered from a bad back. Earlier this year he put some of his horses up for sale. It was rumored he wouldn’t compete at this year’s show, but he returned and has fared well, already making the Non Pro Futurity finals with another Duck-bred horse.Tamworth’s Brett Peel had the second highest-scoring first-go Derby Non-Pro run with 146 points on Cool n Lethal (Dually Cool [IMP] x Smart Little Alana x Lethal Lena [IMP].

The second round of the Quality Hotels Powerhouse Non Pro Derby is underway. It will be followed by the inaugural Tamworth Regional Council Amateur Futurity Final. Previously there have only been Non Pro and Open classes at the Australian Futurity.

Bayer IMAX Gold & Tamarang Futurity Open

After two rounds, 20 horses with a combined aggregate score of 282.5 or higher progressed to Saturday’s Futurity Open finals for a chance to win the  $75,000 champion’s check. At the top of the leader board with a score of 290.5 is Koonamara Spoonfula Badge (RS Chisum [IMP] x Koonamara Peppy Anna x Oaks Jack Hammer) owned by Benjamin Loades and ridden by Corey Holden, Cobram, Victoria, Aus. Holden also jockeyed his own horse Cashs Poco Lena to a 288.5 composite for the second highest score. Holden got his start in cutting at the Bar H Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.

Sunday’s finals start at 8 a.m. New South Wales time, which is 5 p.m. Saturday in Texas. Eight cutting sets will take place before the first set of the Futurity Open finals.

SDP Buffalo Ranch Derby Open

It took a 287 composite to make Derby Open finals. Tied with the highest score, a pair of composite 293,s are Aaron Wheatley, Victoria, who also spent a lot of time working in America, Texas on the mare Winderadeen Ms Shortycat (Intricatolena [IMP] x Shortys Badgerlena [IMP] x Shorty Lena [USA]) and Jamie Creek, aboard the imported horse Truclass Slick Chick [IMP]. The 20-horse finals takes place Friday, Texas time.

Leading Edge Quarter Horses Classic/Challenge Open

A field of 17 finalist horses marked a two-go 284.5 or better. Two horses share the high score of 290 heading into the finals. Rob Hodgeman, Goondiwindi, Queensland, rode Stylish CD (CD Olena [IS] x Hollys Stylish Oak x Peptos Stylish Oak [IMP]) for owners John and Jacqueline Farley, while Dean Holden rides Peter and Jacinta Shumack’s Eyebrows Cat.

Tapt Dancin Cat Futurity

In the Futurity Non-Pro, 18-year-old Lacey Elliott leads the aggregate, riding Peptos Stylish San. Her 289 was three points better than Steve Felton and Tell Im Slick.

Mavericks Western Wear/Preifert Classic/Challenge Non-Pro

After one round Ian Bush, Queensland leads with a 146 on the stallion Stylish N Casual (Peptos Stylish Oak [IMP] x Lethal Spin x Doc’s Spinifex [IMP].