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Cat A Rey, Brad Mitchell Lead Classic/Challenge Open as NCHA Summer Spectacular Begins

Cat A Rey and George C Merada, two 6-year-old cutting horses who have earned big checks before in Fort Worth, Texas’ Will Rogers Coliseum, but have never won an event there, started off well in their finals attempts during the 2012 National Cutting Horse Association Summer Spectacular.

Cat A Rey (Dual Rey x Sheza Smart Cat x High Brow Cat), a stallion bred and raised by Barbara and Kix Brooks’ Painted Springs Farm, LLC, Nashville, Tenn., posted a first-go best 222 on Sunday with his career-long trainer Brad Mitchell in the saddle.

George C Merada (Cats Merada x Lenas Stylish Bunny x Docs Stylish Oak), a gelding bred and owned by Furst Ranch, Bartonville, Texas, carried its resident trainer and his career-long pilot John Wold to an opening-round 221 to start near the lead.

Cat A Rey, a career earner of $163,104 as a cutter so far, and Mitchell placed 16th during the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open finals after making the Open semifinals with a second-go 223. They placed sixth during the 2010 NCHA Super Stakes Derby Open finals and reached three Open semifinals during their five prior trips to Fort Worth.

The stallion and Mitchell have earned a combined $89,217 of their $163,104 career total as a cutting duo at Fort Worth events heading into this show. They won the 2010 Augusta Futurity Open title and were Co-Reserve Champions during the 2012 Augusta Futurity Classic Open early this year to earn nearly $31,000 in Augusta, Ga.

George C Merada and Wold placed seventh in the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open finals with a 218.5 finish. They also reached the 2010 NCHA Summer Spectacular, the 2011 NCHA Super Stakes Open finals, plus this year’s NCHA Super Stakes Open semifinals. The horse and Wold have earned $101,849 of their combined $153,998 as a cutting duo at prior Fort Worth Shows. They also won the 2011 AQHA Junior Cutting Championship and finished as 2012 The Non-Pro Plus The Open Classic Open Reserve Champions while competing in Oklahoma City the past two years.

SDP Locked N Loaded, bred and owned by Buffalo Ranch, Fort Worth, Texas, opened with a third-best 220 score. The 2006 gelding (Laredo Blue x Cat Tuesday x High Brow Cat) an Weatherford, Texas, trainer Michael Cooper, made two finals at May’s Breeder’s Invitational in Tulsa, Okla. They also made the Classic Open finals during early spring’s NCHA Super Stakes and February’s Bonanza Cutting in Glen Rose, Texas, to accumulate all of the horse’s $64,475 in prior career earnings.

Also Monday in Fort Worth’s Watt Arena, Amanda Morris, Weatherford, Texas, guided 2000 stallion Just Playin Smart to a 224 that led the first go of Senior Youth scholarship cutting. Ralph Gray, Weatherford, Texas, owns Just Playin Smart (Freckles Playboy x Smart Little Pet x Doc O’Lena), a horse with $296,519 prior career cutting earnings. Brazos Bend Ranch Inc., Houston, Texas, bred the 2007 NCHA World Champion Stallion and Open Reserve Champion horse, ridden to both titles by Bluff Dale, Texas, trainer Faron Hightower.

Tuesday’s competition at Will Rogers Coliseum includes the eight-set 122-horse second round of Classic/Challenge Open competition. Horses and riders are all vying for spots the event’s July 15 Open finals. Youth NCHA Senior and Junior Youth World Finals started Monday and continue through Wednesday. Senior and Junior Youth scholarship finals take place Thursday in Will Rogers Coliseum.