bamacat

Shepard Pushes Past $6 Million Mark

bamacatAustin Shepard & Bamacat • Photo by Hart PhotosAustin Shepard, of Summerdale, Alabama, needed to earn less than $10,000 at the Breeder’s Invitational (BI) to surpass the $6 million point in Equi-Stat. At the event’s first opportunity to garner money, Shepard exceeded the mark by earning a total of $27,538 in the Classic/Challenge Open finals on three different horses.

“Its not like I set out to earn $6 million,” Shepard said. “I just go from one day to the next, and I try to do as good as I can each time I compete.”

Shepard scored a 221 with Bamacat (High Brow Cat x MH San Tules Dually x San Tule Freckles) to finish third in the finals and earn a paycheck worth $14,803. That run alone pushed Shepard past the $6 million mark and brought Bamacat’s lifetime earnings to $244,386 in Equi-Stat.

“We raised Bamacat ourselves and have had him since the first day; he’s kind of like our kid,” Shepard said. “He’s been really good this year and remained really sound and consistent for me.”

Shepard continued to add to his winnings one run at a time in Tulsa, riding Gini One Time (One Time Pepto x Paving the Rey x Dual Rey), owned by Gary Dellinger, of Catawba, North Carolina. The duo earned $7,997 for their fifth-place tie in the finals. Impressed by her recent performances, Shepard plans to continue showing the mare, who now boasts $22,784 on her Equi-Stat record.

The Equi-Stat Elite $6 Million Rider and Cat Sheree (High Brow CD x Nurse Sheree x Peptoboonsmal) were part of a three-way tie for 13th place in the finals, which earned an additional $4,738. Cat Sheree is currently owned by Plantation Farms LLC, of Denham Springs, Louisiana. 

Prior to his success at the BI in the Classic/Challenge Open finals, Shepard had garnered $132,943 during 2015 alone, according to Equi-Stat.

“I may have shown a little bit more this year compared to other years, but all-in-all, it’s about a good set of horses that have made this such a good year,” he said.

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