Chris Hanson gives Metallic Mandy a pat after marking a 220.Chris Hanson and Metallic Mandy were third to work in the first set in Wednesday night’s finals of the John Deere Open at the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity in Fort Worth, Texas. The pair marked a 220 and the score held through the 21-horse finals to pick up the victory. The filly, who is owned by John and Hope Mitchell, of Weatherford, Texas, earned a check for $22,204.
“It was a little tough set of cows, but my help just told me to try to be smooth and clean and to not push for anything, let it happen if it was going to happen,” Hanson said. “I had some great help. It was early enough that we were able to move around and find our cows and it worked out. The cattle were tough, but I just wanted to have a clean run and try to make clean cuts. I wanted to put my horse in the best position that I could. I tried to be safe because I knew that the cattle were going to be tough. I tried to be smart about it.”
Hanson began working with Metallic Mandy (Metallic Cat x Playin With Pep x Freckles Playboy) after the NCHA Super Stakes when he went to work for Arlis Justice in Arkansas.
“I knew we had a good horse,” Hanson added. “She had been good through the rounds. She was shown in the Non-Pro and I knew we had the horse.”
Hanson also qualified Little Too Shy to the John Deere finals and was having a great run until losing a cow. They finished with a 205.
Gabe Reynolds and Metallic Moon (Metallic Cat x Haidas Halo x Haidas Little Pep) were first to work in the second set. Reynolds had a simple plan: to follow Hanson’s example and cut three black cows after watching several light-colored cows sneak back into the herd in the first set.
“Being first you can go cut the cows that you want and as long as you get up out of the herd and do your job it should all work out well,” Reynolds said.
The plan worked, but the score fell a few points short. Reynolds and Metallic Moon earned a 217.5 and the Reserve Championship. They picked up a check for $19,670. Metallic Moon is owned by Sandra and Jeremy Patton, of Washington Court House, Ohio.
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