horse chasing a cow
NCHA Futurity Open Champion Stevie Rey Von & Ed Dufurrena • Photo by Hart Photos

Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Involving NCHA Futurity Champion Stevie Rey Von

The 2015 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity Open Champion has new owners.

Stevie Rey Von (Metallic Cat x Miss Ella Rey x Dual Rey) is now owned by Don and Janie Vogel, of St. Jo, Texas, their attorney, Lew Stevens, said Thursday afternoon. He said the move brings an end to lawsuits filed late last year between the Vogels and the horse’s former owner and trainer, Ed Dufurrena.

Stevens said the out-of-court settlement also includes two other horses: NCHA Open World Champion Stallion Auspicious Cat (High Brow Cat x Lenas O Lady x Peppy San Badger) and Stevie Rey Von’s half-sister Creyzy Train (by Auspicious Cat). Terms of the transfer, including monetary details, were not immediately available Thursday afternoon.

“I would like to congratulate Jandon LLC on their purchase of Stevie Rey Von as part of a package deal on Feb. 7, 2018, and good luck with this year’s breeding season,” Dufurrena said.

The Vogels did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Thursday afternoon. Their attorney, Stevens, said the move resolves all pending litigation and gives his clients 100 percent ownership of the horses.

In September, the Vogels filed a civil lawsuit claiming Dufurrena defrauded them on a partnership involving the three horses. Dufurrena denied the claims and filed a lawsuit of his own accusing the Vogels of fraud and breach of contract.

Attorneys for the parties will soon file a court motion asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuits, Stevens said. He said he believed Stevie Rey Von and Auspicious Cat will continue to stand at EE Ranches, in Whitesboro, Texas, but said he didn’t know if a decision had been made regarding Stevie Rey Von continuing training and showing.

So far, Stevie Rey Von has amassed an Equi-Stat record of $352,032. In addition to winning the NCHA Futurity Open Championship with Dufurrena, he took the 2015 NCHA Futurity Limited Non-Pro Championship with his trainer’s daughter, Rieta.

The red roan stallion comes from a family of accomplished cutters.

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Stevie Rey Von and Rieta Dufurrena in the 2015 NCHA Futurity Limited Non-Pro. • QHN File Photo

As the son of Equi-Stat Elite $17 Million Sire Metallic Cat, Stevie Rey Von is a full sibling to NCHA Non-Pro Horse of the Year Purple Reyn, a 2010 mare that earned $361,880 during a cutting career cut short by her death last year to enteritis, an intestinal inflammation. She was the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Amateur Cutting World Champion, NCHA World Finals Non-Pro Show Champion and the AQHA Junior Cutting Reserve World Champion.

Younger sister Creyzy Train, the third horse involved in the settlement, has earned $16,312 in the cutting pen.

Their dam, Miss Ella Rey (out of Huggs Olena x Smart Chic Olena), earned $372,554 in her show career. Herself a two-time AQHA Amateur Cutting World Champion, she is the mother of the winners of $830,448, according to Equi-Stat.

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