California horseman Clayton Edsall was on top of the leaderboard after the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Stallion Stakes preliminaries.
He lead the way with Metallic Train, a 2013 mare by Equi-Stat Elite $18 Million Sire Metallic Cat (out of Sparking Train, by Shining Spark) who marked a composite of 663.5 (218.5 herd/223.5 rein/221.5 cow).
Metallic Train was one of two foals out of Sparking Train to make the Open finals. Edsall also qualified with Sparking Train’s 2014 stallion, Bet He Sparks (by Bet Hesa Cat).
Gardiner Quarter Horses, of Ashland, Kansas, sold Metallic Train and bred four NRCHA Stallion Stakes Open finalists: Bet He Sparks, MetallicaLena, Bet Hesa Boon and Bet Hes Black.
Edsall and Bet Hesa Boon (Bet Hesa Cat x Flo N Blu Boon x Pretty Boy Boon) won the NRCHA Stallion Stakes Open Novice Horse Championship while qualifying for the Open finals. His fourth Open finalist is Shining CD Light (CD Lights x Jennys Spark x Shining Spark).
Edsall and Metallic Train were followed in the standings by Sarah Dawson, who was sitting second with MetallicaLena (Metallic Cat x Isabellena x Quejanaisalena) at a 658 composite (220 herd/219.5 rein/218.5 cow) and third with Travelin Miss Jonez (Travelin Jonez x Playin With Rubies x Lectric Playboy) at 655 (218.5 herd/221 rein/215.5 cow)
It took a score of 647 to advance to the Open finals, which begin Friday with the herd work
at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Additionally, 20 horses that scored composites of at least 640 made the Intermediate Open finals. Three horses marked a 621 or better to make the Limited Open finals.
For more news and information from the Western performance horse industry, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.
