shiners-diamond-cat
Shiners Diamond Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Shiners Diamond Girl x Shining Spark) won the NRCHA Derby Open Championship with Justin Wright. • Photo by Primo Morales

NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Prelims Complete

The National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open preliminaries are complete in Fort Worth, Texas. The top 25 horses of the nearly 230 who competed in the preliminaries will advance to the clean slate finals and a chance at the $125,000 top prize on Saturday, Oct. 14, in the historic Will Rogers Coliseum. 

Snaffle Bit Futurity history may have been made when California professional Justin Wright piloted Shiners Diamond Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Shiners Diamond Lady x Shining Spark) to a scorching 669.5 composite in the prelims – the highest total Futurity preliminary score since 2000, and likely in the event’s history. First, the sorrel mare scored a 220.5 in the rein work. Then, she tied for the high score in the herd work with Opus Cat Olena (WR This Cats Smart x Opus Chic x Smart Chic Olena), shown by Clay Volmer – both with a 222. Then, Shiners Diamond Cat made the fence work look easy, scoring a phenomenal 227, winning the go-round and sealing the bionic composite score.

In the Futurity Open, it took a 646 an above to qualify for the finals. CINCH Intermediate Open riders needed at least a 641 to advance, and 19 riders will compete for the $30,000 top prize on Thursday, Oct. 12. The Limited Open finals will also be held on Thursday, and 11 will advance, with the bubble for that division at a 631. 

Level 1 Limited Open Champion

The Snaffle Bit Futurity Level 1 Limited Open Championship is determined by the scores in the preliminary go-round. The winning number was 217 for Miss Scarlets Cat and Myles Brown, of Stinnett, Texas. They scored a 217 in all three events – herd work, rein work and fence work. Their combined 651 composite not only garnered the Level 1 Championship and accompanying $8,520 paycheck; it also earned a spot in the Limited Open and CINCH Intermediate Open Finals on Thursday and the Open Finals on Saturday.

Limited Open Bridle Champion 

The Open Bridle Preliminaries and the Limited Open Bridle class were the last order of business on the Tuesday schedule in Fort Worth. In the Limited Open Bridle, Red It One Time (One Time Pepto x Genuine Redbud x Genuine Doc), shown by Jess Morgan for owner Eric Storey, claimed the Championship with a 285 composite (142.5 rein/142.5 fence), earning $1,725.

In the Open Bridle Preliminaries, 10 horses will advance to the clean-slate finals on Thursday, Oct. 12. It took a score of 287.5 and above to qualify.