horse-rider
Austin Shepard is now an $8 million rider thanks to performances like the 2017 NCHA Futurity, where he rode Dual Reyish to the Open Championship. • Photo by Kristin Pitzer

Freshman Sires’ Progeny Slated to Compete in 2018 NCHA Futurity

On Nov. 15, more than 1,000 3-year-old performance horses will descend on Fort Worth, Texas, for the highly anticipated National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity.

These cutting prospects will make their debuts under the bright lights of the Will Rogers Coliseum, riding to the herd while spectators eagerly lean forward for a better look. Behind the scenes, the owners of the sires represented by their first foal crops will be waiting with equal anticipation to see how the 2015 progeny reflect on the stallions’ names. 

The NCHA recently released the draw for the 2018 NCHA Futurity, and the three freshman sires with offspring set to compete in the Open, Non-Pro and Amateur divisions are Lil Catbaloo ($238,871), a 2009 son of High Brow Cat out of the Peptoboonsmal mare Sweet Lil Boo; Tuesdays High Brow ($13,873), a 2009 High Brow Cat stallion out of Ruby Tuesday DNA (by Peppy San Badger); and Stunned ($111,797), a 2010 High Brow Cat stallion out of the Smart Little Lena mare Absolutely Stunning. 

Lil Catbaloo’s two eligible progeny out of his 18 registered 2015 foals include Playful Lil Baloo, a gray filly out of Playful Ricochet ($84,218, by Smart Lil Ricochet) who has secured the 384th draw in the Open amidst a field of 541 competitors. Calvin Baloo, a sorrel gelding who is out of the Dual Rey mare Spookywearinstiletos, is slated for the 186th draw in the Non-Pro and the 216th draw in the Unlimited Amateur with owner Ken Shultz.

Tuesdays High Brow, who has four registered 2015 foals, will be represented by two prospects, both set to be piloted by Gary Walker in the Open division. The first is chestnut filly Zips Thirsty Tuesday (out of Zips Lollipop Lady x Zippos Warbonnet) from the 47th draw, and the second is the sorrel filly Woodutuesday (out of Woodulena x Zack T Wood), who will compete from the 374th draw.

Stunned, who has three registered foals from 2015, will be represented by the chestnut mare Stunning Goods, who is out of the Lil Smoking Dynamite (by Dynamite Badger). Stunning Goods will ride to the herd in the Non-Pro with Ashley Good in the saddle from the 14th draw in a field of 353 horse-and-rider teams.