IF SpecialNuBaby MGaines 15KBP

Special Nu Baby Lands Idaho Mercuria Championship

IF SpecialNuBaby MGaines 15KBPSpecial Nu Baby & Matt GainesThe race for National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) World titles continued at the Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting, held in conjunction with the Idaho Cutting Horse Association (ICHA) Futurity and Aged Event, in Nampa, Idaho. And it was Special Nu Baby who continued her winning streak, taking the Mercuria Open Championship by a landslide.

Special Nu Baby (Dual Rey x Nu I Wood x Zack T Wood) and Equi-Stat Elite $7 Million Rider Matt Gaines, of Weatherford, Texas, marked a big 229 on Sunday, Aug. 30, from the first draw of the 10-horse finals. The duo was fresh off a Mercuria Open Championship in Las Vegas only eight days before.

Gaines stated that “Baby” was a special mare, as her name implies, and called her his “favorite horse ever.”

“She’s so athletic and smart; she can go fast, and she can go slow. It’s like tonight. Those weren’t her kind of cows, but she still handles them good enough to win,” Gaines stated.

The 9-year-old mare was bred by Crystal Creek Ranch, of Aledo, Texas. She and Gaines brought home $8,537 for owner Barker Ranch Cutting Horses. Baby boasts lifetime earnings in Equi-Stat of more than $351,000, making her the highest-earning offspring out of Nu I Wood.

Baby’s closest competitor was Pure Redwhiteandblue, ridden by Eric Wisehart. The 9-year-old red roan gelding (Mecom Blue x Purely Bob x Bob Acre Doc), who was bred by Jerry Durant, marked a 222, taking home $7,170 to owner Roger Booth for the Reserve Championship. Wisehart now has more than $100,000 in lifetime earnings, according to Equi-Stat.

Non-Pro

IF SaguaroIchi CJaeggi 15KBPConstance Jaeggi & Saguaro IchiConstance Jaeggi, the reigning NCHA Non-Pro World Champion, is no stranger to the Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting. Earlier this year at the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Derby and Classic/Challenge, held June 12-13 in Las Vegas, she and Saguaro Ichi won the Mercuria Non-Pro Championship. In 2014, the duo was named Mercuria Non-Pro Champions at the Las Vegas Cutting Horse Association Futurity as well. But winning never gets old to the Switzerland native, especially in a class where only three teams managed to keep from losing a cow.

“I just can’t believe I survived it,” Jaeggi said. “The cows were really, really tough, and there were a lot of people walking out and getting run over. Being last in the herd, it’s always kind of scary when it starts off like that!”

Jaeggi was the eighth draw out of the eight-horse finals. Prior to Jaeggi’s run, Bambi Gress, of Ennis, Montana, and her 9-year-old mare Sues So Smart (WR This Cats Smart x Meradas Little Sue x Freckles Merada), bred by Frank and Belinda Vandersloot, were sitting in first place with their score of 218. But Jaeggi’s 225 pushed them to the Reserve Championship.

Jaeggi took home $10,529 for the Championship, and Gress’ share was $8,322. Jaeggi praised Saguaro Ichi (Cat Ichi x Playboys Heidi x Freckles Playboy), saying that he was the most amazing horse that she had ever ridden.

“He takes care of me every time,” the earner of more than $452,000 said of the EE Ranches of Texas Inc.-bred gelding.

For complete coverage of the Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting held at the Idaho Futurity, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.