Kenny Platt Dominates in Denver

$5,000 Novice Horse Open winners Dualin Smooth Legacy and Kenny Platt • Photo by Kristin Pitzer

It has been said that competing on home turf gives someone an advantage, and at the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Transwest Denver Nationals, Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Rider Kenny Platt confirmed that thought.

In the Open finals, Fort Lupton, Colorado-resident Platt marked a big 222 on Valerie Gove’s Gilbert Cattle Company-bred gelding Little Lenas Cat (Smart Little Lena x Cassies Kit Cat x High Brow Cat) to claim the Championship.

Platt also claimed the Reserve Championship after guiding Win A Kitty (High Brow Cat x Win A Lena x Doc O’Lena) to a 217.5. The 11-year-old mare is owned by Harry Perrin and bred by Donald Lester.

During the $5,000 Novice Horse Open, Platt piloted Dualin Smooth Legacy (Smooth As A Cat x Dual Legacy x Dual Pep) to another 222 to claim the Championship, worth $1,875. The 4-year-old gelding is owned by Robert Tregemba and was bred by Mary Cavanaugh.

Louis The Cat (High Brow Cat x Louella Again x Dual Pep) and Casey Crouch picked up the Reserve Championship and $1,682 after putting together a solid 219.5.

Platt kept his success going in the $25,000 Novice Horse Open division when he marked a his third 222 on Reed McClymont’s Mark and Marsha Chestnut-bred gelding Cats Out Of The Bag (High Brow Cat x Lil Dream Catcher x Grays Starlight).

Platt and the 8-year-old gelding finished a half-point behind class champions, Tracy Barton and North Ridge Ranch’s homebred NRR Ollie Tom Cat (High Brow Cat x Uno Del Rey x Smart Little Uno).

$2,000 Limited Rider & Senior Youth

In the $2,000 Limited Rider, McKenzie McBride, of Fort Lupton, brought all she had and marked an impressive 221 on Reed McClymont’s homebred RM Lightning Merada (Cats Merada x Choice Jewels x SR Instant Choice) to claim the Championship.

Jamie Lynn Lucas claimed the Reserve Championship after piloting Doc Holirey (Dual Rey x Hissy Cat x High Brow Cat) to a 219.

Lucas also piloted the 5-year-old gelding to a 218 in the Senior Youth to clinch the title. Doc Holirey is owned by Barry Tutor, and he was bred by Jeffrey and Jennifer Foland.

Pittman Todd Turner and Hickorys Handy Cat (High Brow Cat x Hickorys Handy Kandy x Doc’s Hickory) picked up Reserve honors after earning a 217.5 from the judges.

Junior Youth

Ryleigh Ferrier, of Aubrey, Texas, and Ichi City Limits (Cat Ichi x Laney Rey x Dual Rey) set the bar at a 215 as the first draw of the Junior Youth finals, and those marks proved impossible to beat.

Ferrier and the EE Ranches-bred 6-year-old stallion topped the division by a big 3 points.

A 212 earned Hadley Ray and Spin To You (Mr Boonsmal To You x Spin N Roses x Docs Spinifex) the Reserve Championship.

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