RBaldwin

Ray Baldwin & Shesa Hollywoodcat Top Super Stakes Non-Pro

RBaldwinRay BaldwinAs the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes comes to a close, Ray Baldwin and Shesa Hollywoodcat are celebrating their Non-Pro Championship. The 4-year-old mare (High Brow Cat x CD Fillybingo x Bingo Hickory) walked out of Will Rogers $28,355 richer.

Shesa Hollywoodcat, bred by Silverado Caballo Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, carried her Fort Worth, Texas-based owner to a 216.5 from the last draw in a 20-horse finals. The duo also finished first in the Non-Pro semifinals.

 

Baldwin purchased the mare from Tate Bennett and Equi-Stat Elite $8 Million Rider Phil Rapp showed her in the 2012 NCHA Futurity Open, where she advanced to the semifinals. This win brings the horse’s lifetime earnings to nearly $45,000 in two shows.

 

Dean Holden, Marietta, Okla., piloted Playin With A Spoon to a 216 for the Reserve Championship. The David and Stacie McDavid-bred gelding (Hes A Peptospoonful x Lenas Playboy Bunny x Freckles Playboy) earned $27,318 for his Open title, along with $3,299 for a Gelding Non-Pro Reserve Championship.

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Friday, April 19, Limited Non-Pro:

HRiddle KManionHavey Riddle with her fiance, Kyle ManionThe National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Limited Non-Pro finals wrapped up Friday, April 19, at Will Rogers in Fort Worth, Texas. Havey Riddle piloted Mean Girl to a victory in the class with a 220 score. The Championship was worth $10,126.

Riddle, the daughter of Equi-Stat Elite $4 Million Rider Bill Riddle, will soon be changing her name. She and fiancé Kyle Manion are scheduled to fly out of Dallas, Texas, on Sunday for their destination wedding.

Before the wedding, though, Riddle and her 4-year-old mare (Cat Ichi x CD Tops x CD Olena), bred by the Riddle Family Revocable Trust, have one more finals to go. The duo marked a 214.5 in the Non-Pro semifinals, advancing them to the Saturday, April 20, finals.

Kelsey Weeks, Cotulla, Texas, piloted GS Counting On Kitty (Im Countin Checks x SDP Kitty Star Cat x Grays Starlight), bred by Gordon Sevig, Walford, Iowa, to a 217 for the Reserve Championship in the Limited Non-Pro. She also finished third aboard Brittney Rey (TR Dual Rey x Smart Little Peach x Smart Little Lena), a mare bred by Chris Cox, Mineral Wells, Texas.

 

 

For complete coverage of this division and the rest of the NCHA Super Stakes, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.

 

 

Thursday, April 18,  Gelding Non-Pro:

 

 

NelsonKnightNelson Knight (center) was joined by his family after his win.As the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes begin to wind down, new Champions are emerging. On Thursday, April 18, it was Nelson Knight and Platinum Boon that celebrated a win in the Gelding Non-Pro.

The two-set, 24-horse finals saw Knight and Platinum Boon as the 17th draw. The duo walked out of the pen with a 220, two points above the previous leaders. That score held up through the end of the class and the Championship award was handed to the Richmond, Virginia-based cutter.

“It was a good run,” Knight said. “I tried to cut cattle that would show my horse’s stop, so I wasn’t afraid to cut a cow that was a little bit quicker. I was able to show what I think he does best.”

Darren Simpkins, Weatherford, Texas, trained the 4-year-old homebred Slate River Ranch gelding (Mr Boonsmal To You x Spin N Roses x Docs Spinifex). Knight also qualified Platinum Boon for the Super Stakes Non-Pro semifinals, but after missing a shot at the finals on the horse, he said this win is certainly a nice consolation.

Knight and his father, Glade, both competed in the gelding finals, but they also both have other horses in the Super Stakes Non-Pro finals, scheduled for Saturday, April 20. Suzanne, Knight’s wife, and his two children, Colton, 4, and Marissa, 2, were on hand to celebrate the victory.

“It’s terrific,” Glade said about his son’s success. “This has been a wonderful show for us. Nelson rode very, very, very well. It pays off when you focus and work hard. I’m very proud of him.”

Dean Holden and Playin With A Spoon, who will also compete in the Non-Pro finals, finished Reserve with a 218. The David and Stacie McDavid-bred gelding (Hes A Peptospoonful x Lenas Playboy Bunny x Freckles Playboy) and Holden, Marietta, Okla., earned more than $3,000 for their performance.

For complete coverage of the NCHA Super Stakes, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.