Cade McCutcheon & Custom Made Gun (pictured at the 2015 NRHA Derby) • Photo by Waltenberry The second section of the $190,000-added National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby Non-Pro qualifier closed the show at the Oklahoma State Fair Park yesterday. An exciting competition determined the finalists that will make their way back to the Jim Norick Arena on Friday, July 1, when the NRHA Derby Non-Pro champions will be crowned.
In the Level 4 Non-Pro, the top scores were captured by mother and son team, Mandy and Cade McCutcheon, along with Bill Rhoads, DVM. All closed their runs with a 217.5.
Cade rode two of his mounts, Vintage Crome (A Sparkling Vintage x Smart Custom Chrome x Custom Crome) and Custom Made Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] x Custom Made Dunit x Hollywood Dun It), to the top score in Level 4, as well as in the Youth division.
Vintage Crome is a 5-year-old mare owned by Mandy and her husband, Tom McCutcheon, and nominated by Petra Conner. The talented mare boasts $45,032 in NRHA lifetime earnings. Custom Made Gun is a 5-year-old stallion owned, nominated and bred by McQuay Stable Inc. who boasts $46,637 in earnings.
Mandy, an NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider, claimed her top score aboard Always Gotyer Gun (Gunner x Always A Dunit x Hollywood Dun It). The 2012 stallion, bred and nominated by Petska Trinity Equine LLC, is owned by McQuay Stables Inc. and has won $29,520 in NRHA competition.
Mega Maggie Mae (Magnum Chic Dream x Cinco De Mega x Marthas Mega Jac) is a 2012 mare bred and nominated by Marty Boneson. Rhoads rode the pretty bay, who boasts $82,853 in lifetime earnings, to the 2015 Cinch NRHA Futurity Level 4 Non-Pro Reserve Championship and swept Levels 3, 2 and 1.
Rick Christen, riding Ms Dreamy (Magnum Chic Dream x A Gal With A Gun x Gunner), a 2010 mare he owns, held on to the lead in the Level 3, Prime Time and Masters Non-Pro divisions after posting the highest score – a 217 – in the first section of the qualifying go-round yesterday. Ms Dreamy is a Sire & Dam offspring bred by Jana Simons and boasts $122,004 in earnings.
The top score in the Levels 2 and 1 – a 216 – was posted by 14-year-old Taylor Zimmerman riding Zirconia With A Twist (PT) (Like A Diamond [PT] x Twistin On Command [PT] x Commander Riminic [PT]). The 5-year-old stallion, bred and nominated by Theresa Cravens, is owned by Justin Zimmerman.
Derby Non-Pro Bubbles
In the Derby Non-Pro, the following scores will qualify to advance to the finals:
- Level 4 Non-Pro (top 30 horses, plus ties): 213.5
- Level 3 Non-Pro (top 25 horses, plus ties): 212
- Level 2 Non-Pro (top 20 horses, plus ties): 210.5
- Level 1 Non-Pro (top 20 horses, plus ties): 209.5
- Prime Time Non-Pro (top 15 horses, plus ties): 213.5
- Masters Non-Pro (top 15 horses, plus ties): 209
- Youth Non-Pro (top 15 horses, plus ties): 208.5
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