Light And Sassy Shines at NSHA Futurity

On the next-to-last day of the National Stock Horse Association (NSHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity, the derby horses had their chance to shine. In an action-packed finals, Russell Probert piloted Light And Sassy to the Derby Open and Intermediate Open championships.

The duo finished the evening with a composite score of 661 and garnered $10,872 for their win in the Open and an additional $3,178 for the Intermediate Open Championship, giving them total show earnings of $14,050. This was the 5-year-old’s most lucrative payday and her first check with Probert, who has lifetime earnings of more than $85,000.

Earlier this year, Justin Wright rode Light And Sassy (CD Lights x Dual Sass x Dual Pep) to the Open Novice Horse Championship at the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Derby. Mysti McMaster and Roger Braa are also responsible for helping Light And Sassy, who is owned by Shelly Franklin, accumulate more than $26,000 in the reined cow horse pen.

Wright, who was last year’s World’s Richest Stock Horse Champion, claimed this year’s Derby Open Reserve title with Step To The Light (out of Shinersdiamondjackie x Shining Spark), another CD Lights offspring. Their efforts were worth a $7,828 payday for owners Mark and Kelly Gowing.

Derby Limited Open

With a composite score of 635, Metal Cat (Metallic Cat x Tipofthestar x Grays Starlight) and Brendon Clark were crowned this year’s Derby Limited Open Champions. They pocketed $1,177 for their performance.

The duo made their debut last year at the NSHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, where they won the Level 1 Limited Open and finished fourth in the Limited Open. This year, they made the Open finals at the NRCHA Stallion Stakes and were the Limited Open Champions at the NRCHA Derby in June.

Their most recent successes bring Metal Cat’s lifetime record to more than $12,000, and Clark has garnered more than $32,500 in his career.

Dualreycious (Halreycious x Ginnys Gun x Playgun) and Dan Daponde finished with a composite score of 631.5 to take the Limited Open Reserve title and go home with a check for $883.

Derby Level 1 Limited Open

Rebecca Sternadel put in a championship-earning run aboard her SJR Smart Dancer (PT) to go home with the Derby Level 1 Limited Open Championship. Their efforts were rewarded with a composite score of 629 and a paycheck worth $1,130.

SJR Smart Dancer (WR This Cats Smart x Like a Sundance [PT] x Like A Diamond [PT]) now has an Equi-Stat record of more than $4,000, and Sternadel elevated her lifetime earnings to nearly $7,000. The duo’s biggest paycheck came at the 2016 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, where they finished ninth in the Level 1 Limited Open.

Mi Smart Ichi Girl (Cat Ichi x A Smart Laker Girl x Laker Doc) carried Daniel Sanchez to the Level 1 Limited Open Reserve Championship with a composite score of 627.

Derby Non-Pro

Jayson Fisher & This Cats A Keeper • Photo courtesy of Jayson Fisher

The non-pros put in some equally impressive runs during their time at the NSHA Futurity. Jayson Fisher and This Cats A Keeper dominated in the Derby Non-Pro, garnering a composite score of 658.5. The duo took home $3,693 for the Championship.

Fisher, who posted his first check to Equi-Stat in 2005, has amassed nearly $165,000 in the show pen, and This Cats A Keeper (Cats Merada x Two D Two Bar x Smart Chic Olena) has earnings of more than $14,000.

At the 2016 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, Fisher and This Cats A Keeper finished sixth in the Non-Pro finals. This past April, Fisher’s son Wyatt showed the gelding at the NRCHA Stallion Stakes, where they won the Level 1 Limited Open Championship.

Metalic Dual (Metallic Cat x Dual Whisper x Kit Dual) carried Dave Ferguson to the Derby Non-Pro Reserve Championship with a composite score of 649.5. They took home a check for $2,216.

Derby Intermediate & Novice Non-Pro

Ramona Wold and Caymus Pepto walked away with not one, but two championships from their time at the NSHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. Not only did their composite score of 649 earn them top honors in the Derby Intermediate Open, they also finished first in the Derby Novice Non-Pro. Combined with a third-place finish in the Derby Non-Pro, they amassed $3,570 at the event.

Caymus Pepto, who is by Peptoboonsmal and out of the Bet On Me 498 mare Bet On Merada, now boasts more than $16,000 in lifetime earnings. Wold’s husband, Ken, showed Caymus Pepto throughout the 2016 season, where they had success at the NRCHA Derby as the Open Novice Horse Champions and the Open Hackamore Reserve Champions.

Wold took over the ride on Caymus Pepto for the 2017 season and had a great showing in the Non-Pro divisions at this year’s NRCHA Derby. Wold has a lifetime earnings record of more than $68,000, according to Equi-Stat.

Hope Miller and Dare To Sioux (A Shiner Named Sioux x Tari Darlin x Taris Catalyst), the duo that swept the Non-Pro divisions at the 2017 NRCHA Stallion Stakes, added some more cash to their bankrolls with the Derby Intermediate and Novice Non-Pro Reserve titles. They had a composite score of 643 and earned checks totaling $2,232.

Derby Amateur

Susan Modic and Shesa Smokin Cat finished as this year’s Derby Amateur Champions. Their composite score of 649 helped them collect a check for $1,776. This win brings Modic’s Equi-Stat record to more than $12,000, and Shesa Smokin Cat (WR This Cats Smart x She Smokes Smart x Senors Lil Brudder) now has lifetime earnings of nearly $25,000. In June, the pair finished third in the Amateur at the NRCHA Derby.

Tim Swickward piloted Blackest Pearl (Yellow Roan Of Texas x Sugar Babe Taffy x Master Remedy) to the Derby Amateur Reserve title. They picked up an $1,184 check after posting a composite score of 630.5.

Derby Non-Pro Limited

Jessica Draper and Workin Mans Blues laid down an impressive 652.5 composite score in the Derby Non-Pro Limited to claim the Championship and best their nearest competitors by a huge 8.5-point margin. Their efforts were worth $2,478.

Modic has a lifetime earnings record of more than $13,000 following this win, and Workin Mans Blues (Yellow Roan Of Texas x Topi Chexx x A Cowboy At Heart) elevated his Equi-Stat record to $6,355.

Corrie Brock and Shined Wright (Lenas Wright On x Shiney And Dressy x Shining Spark) picked up $2,065 for their composite score of 644 and went home with the Derby Non-Pro Limited Reserve Championship.

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