Oh Cay Felix & Patrick Collins • Photo by Don Shugart

In the Stats: NCHA Futurity

The No. 1 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity money-earner is The Gemnist, who was ridden by Kathy Daughn to win the 1985 Futurity Open Championship. The Gemnist (Doc Bar Gem x Miss Fancy Zan x Black Gold Zan), a 1982 gelding whose Equi-Stat record totals $368,547, was bred by Jim and Mary Jo Milner, of Southlake, Texas, and owned by Harland and Kris Radomske, of Venture Farms in Ellensburg, Washington. At the time, Daughn was the youngest rider to have earned the Open title and was only the second woman to have accomplished the feat. (Lindy Burch was the first, in 1980, aboard Mis Royal Mahogany.)

Top 10 Open Horses

  1. The Gemnist (82G), $269,740
  2. Smart Little Lena (79S), $267,085
  3. Rockin W (06S), $265,496
  4. Docs Okie Quixote (80S), $263,483
  5. High Brow CD (04S), $250,000
  6. Metallic Cat (05S), $250,000) 
  7. Oh Cay Felix (03G)), $250,000 
  8. One Time Royalty (07S), $250,000
  9. Doc Per (81S), $237,092
  10. Second Spot (13M), $225,395

Top 10 Open Riders 

Ronnie Rice • QHN File Photo

Centerville, Texas-based trainer Ronnie Rice is the leading open rider at the NCHA Futuirty, with total earnings of $1,937,412 at the event. He’s ridden 44 horses to the pay window, and his No. 1 money-earner is 2012 NCHA Futurity Open Co-Champion CR Tuff Hearted Cat, whose Open checks totaled $201,971. He’s ridden five other horses to six-digit figures: Dainty Playgirl ($200,000); San Tule Freckles ($200,000); Peptocandy ($147,617); Jewel Bars Cat ($121,334); and Lethal Weapon I ($121,163).

  1. Ronnie Rice, Centerville, TX, $1,937,412
  2. Lloyd Cox, Marietta, OK, $1,681,879
  3. Kathy Daughn, Gonzales, TX, $1,213,546
  4. Matt Gaines, Weatherford, TX, $1,206,013
  5. Tag Rice, Crowley, TX, $1,094,283
  6. Bill Freeman, Rosston, TX, $1,066,721
  7. Austin Shepard, Summerdale, AL, $1,026,136
  8. Jody Galyean, Marietta, OK $986,257
  9. Paul Hansma, Weatherford, TX, $900,788
  10. Lindy Burch, Weatherford, TX, $807,301

Top 10 Non-Pro Horses

Miss Silver Pistol & Wes Shahan • Photo by Danny W. Huey

The NCHA Futurity’s No. 1 non-pro horse is Miss Silver Pistol (Doc’s Hickory x Pistol Lady 2 Be x King’s Pistol), shown by owner Wes Shahan. The 1982 mare, bred by Art Shahan, of Pleasanton, Texas, was ridden by Wes to the 1985 Futurity Non-Pro Championship. The win was worth $77,917, which helped the mare climb to more than a half-million dollars in lifetime earnings.

  1. Miss Silver Pistol (82M), $77,917
  2. Dual Ya Scout (04G), $72,039
  3. Catty Hawk (05S), $69,819
  4. Wild Hickory Bob (04G), $69,708
  5. Woodys Bad Boy (05G), $65,418
  6. Snapper Cal Bar (81S), $65,145
  7. Lannies Freckles (05M), $63,162
  8. Olenas Dually (95M), $63,107
  9. Peponitas Acre (93S), $260,818
  10. Baker Prescription (83M), $60,587

Top 10 Non-Pro Riders

Mary Ann Rapp • QHN File Photo

Mary Ann Rapp, of Weatherford, Texas, is on top of the NCHA Futurity non-pro rider chart. She has earned money at the event on 26 horses and accumulated total show paychecks of $674,948. Her leading money-earner is 2002 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Champion Little Janey Lena (Smart Little Lena x Playboys Ruby x Freckles Playboy), who collected $50,696. A few of her other earners include: Toy Engine (Playgun x Cool The Engines x Smart Little Lena), with $47,525, and My Other Toys A Car (Smart Lena Boon x Hickorys Short Cut x Shorty Lena) with $47,365.

  1. Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, TX, $674,949
  2. Sandy Bonelli, Petaluma, CA, $466,003
  3. Chad Bushaw, Weatherford, TX, $460,037
  4. Paula Wood, Stephenville, TX, $403,504
  5. Kelle Earnheart, Weatherford, TX, $385,447
  6. Hope Mitchell, Weatherford, TX, $382,890
  7. Greg Coalson, Weatherford, TX, $321,252
  8. Dustin Adams, Springtown, TX, $319,089
  9. Phil Rapp, Weatherford, TX, $310,080
  10. Merritt Wilson, Whiteboro, TX, $297,853

Top Breeders

Jack Waggoner • Photo by Jessica Robbins

Jack Waggoner and Susan Ferguson, of Bridgeport, Texas, are the leading NCHA Futurity breeders. They have bred 87 money-earners who have won a total of 1,587,571. A Hocus Pocus Cat (High Brow Cat x That Smarts x Smart Little Lena), a 1996 stallion, is their leading earner with $160,143 won at the event. Their 2005 stallion Pretty Katz (Pretty Boy Cat x Aristo Katz x Smart Aristocrat) also passed the $100,000 mark at the Futurity after accumulating $126,541 to become their second-highest earner.

  1. Jack Waggoner & Susan Ferguson, Bridgeport, TX, $1,587,571
  2. Bar H Ranche, Weatherford, TX, $1,338,583
  3. Slate River Ranch, Weatherford, TX, $1,027,797
  4. Double Dove Ranch, Benbrook, TX, $985,691
  5. Phil & Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, TX, $911,313
  6. Harden Ranch, Weatherford, TX $840,979
  7. Walton’s Rocking W Ranch, Millsap, TX, $789,093
  8. Linda Holmes, Longmont, CO, $682,403
  9. Center Ranch, Centerville, TX, $678,011
  10. King Ranch Inc., Kingsville, TX, $660,860

Top Owners

Phil and Mary Ann Rapp • Photo by Megan Parks

Weatherford, Texas, residents Phil and Mary Ann Rapp are the leaders on the NCHA Futurity owner’s chart. They have owned 47 horses that have total event earnings of $1,214,015. Four of those earners have garnered more than $50,000 at the event. Their leading performer is Cats Full Measure (High Brow Cat x Playgirl Peppy x Freckles Playboy), a 1996 mare who collected $90,976 at the show. A few of their other earners include: Smart Little Jerry (Smart Little Lena x Playboys Ruby x Freckles Playboy), with $70,505; Tapt Twice (Dual Pep x Tap O Lena x Doc O’Lena), with $58,952; and Little Janey Lena, a full sister to Smart Little Jerry, with $50,696.

  1. Phil & Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, TX, $1,214,015
  2. Slate River Ranch, Weatherford, TX, $1,209,366
  3. Oxbow Ranch, Weatherford, TX, $794,493
  4. Center Ranch, Centerville, TX, $754,166
  5. Harden Ranch, Weatherford, TX, $690,451
  6. Wesley & Kristen Galyean, Claremore, OK, $626,361
  7. Linda Holmes, Longmont, CO, $618,498
  8. James Hooper, Decatur, AL, $617,440
  9. Sandy Bonelli, Petaluma, CA, $595,575
  10. Patrick & Laura Collins, Lincoln, IL, $594,665

Top Sires

High Brow Cat • Photo by Cam Essick

High Brow Cat clearly tops the NCHA Futurity’s sire chart. The stallion has sired 415 NCHA Futurity money-earners who have won a total of $10,767,664, for average earnings of $25,946. His leading money-earning offspring is Oh Cay Felix, a 2003 gelding out of the Futurity’s leading dam, Oh Cay Shorty (by Shorty Lena). Oh Cay Felix earned $263,157 at the Futurity. High Brow CD (out of Sweet Little CD x CD Lena) is tied with Metallic Cat (out of Chers Shadow x Peptoboonsmal) as High Brow Cat’s second-highest money-earner at the event, with $250,000 collected by each horse.

  1. High Brow Cat, $10,767,664
  2. Dual Rey, $4,881,714
  3. Smart Little Lena, $4,859,161
  4. Peppy San Badger, $3,164,192
  5. Peptoboonsmal, $3,163,871
  6. Dual Pep, $3,140,393
  7. Smooth As A Cat, $2,909,769
  8. Freckles Playboy, $2,131,897
  9. Doc’s Hickory, $2,111,235
  10. Metallic Cat, $2,032,702

Top Dams

Oh Cay Felix & Patrick Collins • Photo by Don Shugart

Oh Cay Shorty is the NCHA Futurity’s No. 1 dam with 11 money-earners who have won a total of $588,265 at the event for an average of $53,479. The mare’s leading Futurity money-earner is Oh Cay Felix. Oh Miss Caroline, a 2008 full sister to Oh Cay Felix, ranks second on the mare’s list with Futurity earnings of $200,000.

  1. Oh Cay Shorty, $588,265
  2. Jazabell Quixote, $461,918
  3. Lynx Melody, $385,109
  4. San Starlight, $366,161
  5. Ruby Tuesday DNA, $324,318
  6. Laney Doc, $313,944
  7. Boon San Kitty, $307,011
  8. Sweet Little CD, $304,419
  9. Desire Some Freckles, $293,561
  10. Miss Fancy Zan, $288,330

NCHA Futurity History (1962-2016)
Year / Location / Entries / Added $ / Total Purse

1962, Sweetwater, TX, 36, n/a, $18,364
1963, Sweetwater, TX, 45, n/a, $23,225
1964, Dallas, TX, 171, n/a, $33,332
1965, Dallas, TX, 235, n/a, $46,958
1966, Dallas, TX, 146, n/a, $64,129
1967, Fort Worth, TX, 394, n/a, $85,572
1968, Fort Worth, TX, 532, n/a, $97,477
1969, Fort Worth, TX, 296, n/a, $109,057
1970, Fort Worth, TX 689, n/a, $118,489
1971, Fort Worth, TX, 303, n/a, $117,592
1972, Fort Worth, TX, 708, n/a, $124,666
1973, Fort Worth, TX, 690, n/a, $132,408
1974, Fort Worth, TX, 349, n/a, $137,151
1975, Fort Worth, TX, 815, n/a, $154,683
1976, Fort Worth, TX, 908, n/a, $215,539
1977, Fort Worth, TX, 847, n/a, $246,391
1978, Fort Worth, TX, 1,014, n/a, $306,545
1979, Fort Worth, TX, 592, n/a, $328,485
1980, Fort Worth, TX, 716, $15,600, $578,172
1981, Fort Worth, TX, 800, $14,000, $915,633
1982, Fort Worth, TX, 1,073, $10,000, $1,139,764
1983, Fort Worth, TX, 811, $30,000, $1,716,354
1984, Fort Worth, TX, 754, $30,000, $1,611,159
1985, Fort Worth, TX, 757, $200,000, $2,026,189
1986, Fort Worth, TX, 892, $200,000, $1,669,950
1987, Fort Worth, TX, 678, $200,000, $1,557,371
1988, Fort Worth, TX, 696, 305,325, $1,594,220
1989, Fort Worth, TX, 616, $250,000, $1,361,024
1990, Fort Worth, TX, 688, $286,000, $1,305,744
1991, Fort Worth, TX, 733, $220,000, $1,321,068
1992, Fort Worth, TX, 715, $231,100, $1,335,428
1993, Fort Worth, TX, 749, $220,000, $1,390,302
1994, Fort Worth, TX, 808, $230,000, $1,494,121
1995, Fort Worth, TX, 793, $230,000, $1,500,374
1996, Fort Worth, TX, 1,018, $297,000, $2,030,857
1997, Fort Worth, TX, 996, $344,900, $2,043,278
1998, Fort Worth, TX, 1,232, $345,000, $2,391,513
1999, Fort Worth, TX, 1,288, $345,000, $2,574,457
2000, Fort Worth, TX, 1,530, $349,346, $2,859,954
2001, Fort Worth, TX, 1,446, $355,655, $2,819,761
2002, Fort Worth, TX, 1,493, $378,516, $2,850,795
2003, Fort Worth, TX, 1,436, $369,924, $2,812,676
2004, Fort Worth, TX, 1,518, $345,000, $2,813,373
2005, Fort Worth, TX, 1,559, $350,000, $3,213,475
2006, Fort Worth, TX, 1,652, $1,002,365, $4,138,651
2007, Fort Worth, TX, 1,839, $1,000,000, $4,400,108
2008, Fort Worth, TX, 1,986, $1,000,000, $4,385,433
2009, Fort Worth, TX, 2,016, $1,000,000, $4,218,976
2010, Fort Worth, TX, 1,611, $1,000,000, $3,383,115
2011, Fort Worth, TX, 1,663, $1,000,000, $3,350,824
2012, Fort Worth, TX, 1,812, $1,500,000, $4,043,075
2013, Fort Worth, TX, 1,813, $1,425,000, $4,033,653
2014, Fort Worth, TX, 1,823, $1,025,000, $3,866,968
2015, Fort Worth, TX, 1,775, $0, $3,385,156
2016, Fort Worth, TX, 1,949, $0, $3,649,713