Bobby Ray Hawkins & Reybellion • Photo by Kelsey PecsekThe first championships for 4-year-old horses at the Lucas Oil National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes, held March 26-April 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, were named Tuesday, April 4, in Will Rogers Coliseum. In the last class of the day, Bobby Ray Hawkins and Reybellion marked a 215.5 to win the Unlimited Amateur.

Reybellion (Dual Rey x Blues Stylish Bell x Docs Stylish Oak), bred by Linda Holmes, of Longmont, Colorado, carried his owner to the winning score in the 33-horse class from the 11th draw in the first set. That performance held on to the lead by a half-point margin, earning the duo an $8,519 paycheck.

Hawkins, of Seguin, Texas, now boasts an Equi-Stat record of more than $290,000, while his 4-year-old gelding’s lifetime earnings reached nearly $30,000, including the 2014 NCHA Futurity Senior Non-Pro Championship and a Futurity Non-Pro finals berth.

The Super Stakes Unlimited Amateur Reserve title went to Matthew Dedden, of Burlington, Kentucky, and his 4-year-old gelding Nurse Adams (San Tule Freckles x Nurse Nellie x Dual Pep), bred by Painted Springs Farm LLC, of Nashville, Tennessee. The duo marked a 215 from the second draw in the second bunch to earn $8,143.

Super Stakes Amateur

The 23-horse Super Stakes Amateur class battled tough cattle, giving Cody Erwin and Pickinupstrangers the challenge they needed to show their talents off to the judges. The Vancouver, Washington, cutter and his gelding (High Brow Cat x Dual Lookin Pep x Dual Pep), bred by Ken Jackson, of Hermann, Missouri, marked a 218.5 for the win.

Erwin and Pickinupstrangers walked to the herd sixth in the second of two sets. The score to beat was a 217 that had lit up the scoreboard just two horses earlier, but the duo bested that mark by 1.5 points. After his run, Erwin was greeted with hugs by his family as he awaited the end of the class.

When scores were made official, none of the reviews changed the standings, leaving Erwin and Pickinupstrangers in the No. 1 spot. The Championship paid $5,365, which combined with the $950 finalist check the team earned in the Unlimited Amateur to bring their show total to $6,315.

Platinum Metallic (Metallic Cat x Hottness x Spots Hot), bred by Alvin and Becky Fults, of Amarillo, Texas, carried owner Gary Byrd, of Athens, Texas, to the Amateur Reserve Championship with a 217. The horse-and-rider duo picked up a check for $5,147, as well as a $950 payday for making the Unlimited Amateur finals.

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