IntheStats -01 HickoryValentino LolaSearle WN08

In the Stats: NCHA Western National Championships

IntheStats -01 HickoryValentino LolaSearle WN08Hickory Valentino (Doc’s Hickory x Connies Gail x Freckles Loverboy), a 1998 gelding bred by Sherry Wolfenbarger Cagan, of Portola Valley, California, and owned by Rhett and Lola Searle, of Vernal, Utah, is the leading money-earner at the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Western National Championships with $23,420 in show earnings. The gelding was ridden by Lola Searle to earnings of $20,276, which included a $4,929 paycheck for winning the $50,000 Amateur in 2005. Rhett Searle rode the gelding to earnings of $3,144. Hickory Valentino has $48,739 in lifetime earnings recorded in Equi-Stat. • Photo by Suzanne Forrest

NCHA Western Nationals (1996-2015)

Top 10 Horses
1. Hickory Valentino (98G), $23,420
2. Sneakin Sam (97G), $20,379
3. Aachen (91G), $17,794
4. Smokin Manzana (84S), $17,759
5. Stylish Windy (02G), $17,430
6. PKR Big Mac (08G), $17,405
7. Irish Whiskey Sugar (98G), $17,226
8. Wee Little Badger (97G), $16,952
9. Smart Like King (93G), $16,717
10. Patty La Cat (06M), $16,373

Top 10 Open Riders

IntheStats 02 PattyLaCat JoshSleeman 12WesternNat SFEqui-Stat Elite $1 Million Rider Josh Sleeman, of Yelm, Washington, is the leading open rider with Western Nationals earnings of $24,344. Sleeman rode Ho Chi Minnie (Cat Ichi x Haida Ho x Haidas Little Pep), a 2006 mare bred by Double Dove Ranch, of Fort Worth, Texas, and owned by Duane Bruner, of Castle Rock, Washington, to win the $3,000 Novice Open in 2011. He is pictured riding Patty La Cat (High Brow Cat x Patty La Dual x Dual Pep), owned by Jim and Luana Wriglesworth, of Sandy, Oregon, who placed third in the $3,000 Novice Open that same year. • Photo by Suzanne Forrest

1. Josh Sleeman,Yelm, WA, $24,344
2. Todd Bimat, Orland, CA, $22,045
3. Lawson Hadlock, Plain City, UT, $19,442
4. Greg Smith, Mineral Wells, TX, $17,402
5. Scott Amos, Loma, CO, $17,033
6. Al Dunning, Scottsdale, AZ, $15,329
7. Tom Long, Gardnerville, NV, $14,829
8. Dustin Gonnett, Cayley, AB, CN, $14,592
9. Mike Wood, Scottsdale, AZ, $14,417
10. Les Bates, Ignacio, CO, $13,957

Top 10 Non-Pro Riders
IntheStats 03 CrossingRedRiver DavidBooth 12WesternNat SFDavid Booth, of Acton, California, has Western Nationals earnings totaling $17,640. He rode his Cat N Charm (High Brow Cat x Charm The Stars x Grays Starlight), a 2003 mare bred by Suzan Greenway, of Whitesboro, Texas, to win show earnings of $5,626. The pair won the Non-Pro at the 2015 renewal in Denver. Other horses carrying Booth to Western Nationals earnings include Crossing Red River, Spectacular Playboy, Pure Redwhiteandblue, Smart Michaelangelo and One Instant. Booth’s Equi-Stat lifetime earnings record is $391,524. • Photo by Suzanne Forrest

1. David Booth, Acton, CA, $17,640
2. Kimberly Thome, Santa Rose, CA, $16,075
3. Theresa Gillock, Las Vegas, NV, $15,656
4. Kathy Strain, White River, SD, $15,332
5. Pamela Shaeffer, Banner, WY, $14,918
6. Holly Jones, Walla Walla, WA, $13,067
7. Michelle Lemaster, Las Vegas, NV, $12,833
8. Jann Parker, Billings, MT, $12,584
9. Amanda Smith, Wembley, AB, CN, $12,092
10. Steve Williams, Grantsville, UT, $11,957

Top 10 Breeders
IntheStats 02 Open ExplicitLyrics Turner WN09Bar H Ranche is the leading breeder at the Western Nationals with $74,756 in show earnings accumulated by 25 horses. Patty La Cat is Bar H’s highest earner at the show with $16,373 won. Their second-highest money-earner is Explicit Lyrics, pictured with Chubby Turner, a 2004 mare (CD Olena x Hickory Prescription x Doc’s Hickory) who won $13,464 at the show. Owned by Daniel Jaeggi, of Geneva, Switzerland, the mare was shown by Jaeggi’s daughter, Constance Jaeggi, and Chubby Turner to lifetime earnings of $72,409, according to Equi-Stat. • Photo by Suzanne Forrest

1. Bar H Ranche, Moscow, TN, $74,756
2. Jack Waggoner and Susan Ferguson, Decatur, TX, $64,578
3. Double Dove Ranch, Longmont, CO, $53,753
4. Oxbow Ranch, Weatherford, TX, $44,769
5. Sierra Oak Ranch, Bakersfield, CA, $40,851
6. Willow Spring Ranch, Nanton, AB, CN, $36,091
7. Don & Kathy Strain, White River, SD, $35,926
8. Pat Fitzgerald, Paoli, OK, $35,668
9. Frank & Belinda Vandersloot, Idaho Falls, ID, $34,255
10. Gerry & Sandy Hansma, Granum, AB, CN, $34,155

Top 10 Owners

1. Michelle Lemaster, Las Vegas, NV, $45,440
2. David & Marla Hughes, Salem, UT, $40,014
3. Buffalo Ranch, Fort Worth, TX, $38,986
4. Skip Jones, Amarillo, TX, $36,440
5. Gerald & Theresa Gillock, Las Vegas, NV, $35,406
6. Kate Banuelos, Las Vegas, NV, $30,699
7. Switchback Cutting Horses LLC, Roscoe, MT, $29,969
8. Steve & Shelly Williams, Gransville, UT, $29,064
9. Harland & Jody Radomske, Weatherford, TX, $28,310
10. Rhett & Lola Searle, Vernal, UT, $28,144

Top 10 Sires

IntheStats 05 HighBrowCat 13CEssickHigh Brow Cat (High Brow Hickory x Smart Little Kitty x Smart Little Lena), a 1988 stallion bred by Hanes Chatham and Stewart Sewell and owned by Colt Ventures, of Dallas, Texas, is the Western Nationals’ leading sire. The stallion has 123 performers who have earned checks totaling $377,252 for average earnings of $3,067 at the show. His leading Western Nationals money-earner is Patty La Cat, owned by Jim and Luana Wriglesworth, of Sandy, Oregon, with show earnings of $16,373. • Photo by Cam Essick

1. High Brow Cat, $377,252
2. Smart Little Lena, $261,760
3. Dual Rey, $174,127
4. Dual Pep, $171,412
5. Peptoboonsmal, $141,875
6. CD Olena, $127,715
7. Doc’s Hickory, $125,157
8. Freckles Playboy, $121,320
9. WR This Cats Smart, $113,538
10. Grays Starlight, $97,287

Top 10 Dams

IntheStats 06 MeradasLittleSue 15MParksThree-time NCHA World Champion, 1996 NCHA Horse of the Year and NCHA Horse Hall of Fame inductee Meradas Little Sue (Freckles Merada x Docs Hickory Sue x Doc’s Hickory) tops the Western Nationals’ dams chart with 11 of her offspring banking a total of $47,659, for an average of $4,333. The 1990 mare’s leading Western Nationals money-earner is Sues So Smart (by WR This Cats Smart), a 2006 mare who won $8,607 at the show, followed by Quite A Boon, a 2003 son of Peptoboonsmal with show earnings of $7,783. • Photo by Megan Parks

1. Meradas Little Sue, $47,659
2. Smoothly Poppin, $29,323
3. Mia Tiana, $24,631
4. Connies Gail, $23,420
5. Otes Little Darlin, $22,980
6. Jazzy Bay Loxie, $20,788
7. Miss Fancy Zan, $19,733
8. Doc N Windy, $19,658
9. Peek A Boon, $18,727
10. Awhim Away, $17,794

NCHA Western Nationals History (1996-2015)
Year / Location / Entries / Added / Total Purse
1996, Ogden, UT, 358, $92,000, $162,092
1997, Ogden, UT, 540, $90,000, $198,266
1998, Ogden, UT, 461 $90,000, $182,998
1999, Ogden, UT, 552, $90,000, $200,561
2000, Ogden, UT, 657, $90,000, $221,809
2001, Ogden, UT, 595, $90,000, $205,835
2002, Ogden, UT, 635, $90,000, $215,872
2003, Ogden, UT, 707, $90,000, $230,231
2004, Ogden, UT, 787, $90,000, $245,593
2005, Ogden, UT, 725, $108,000, $304,682
2006, Ogden, UT, 705, $108,000, $275,081
2007, Ogden, UT, 792, $120,000, $311,761
2008, Ogden, UT, 809, $120,000, $314,871
2009, Ogden, UT, 680, $120,000, $281,536
2010, Ogden, UT, 1,164, $200,000, $414,014
2011, Ogden, UT, 708, $200,000, $397,453
2012, Reno, NV, 572, $200,000, $364,252
2013, Reno, NV, 684, $200,000, $396,891
2014, Denver, CO, 682, $200,000, $391,465
2015, Reno, NV, 730, $150,000, $322,445

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