Woman riding a horse
Dannica Percevich & Wild Haired Lilly. • Photo by Molly Montag.

First-Time Haulers Dannica Percevich & Wild Haired Lilly Win Two Titles  

Moments after her title-clinching run in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) $15,000 Amateur World Finals, Dannic Percevich couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the fact that she won two titles.

Percevich, of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, won the $15,000 World Finals Show Championship and the year-end World Championship. Earlier in the show, she was Reserve World Champion in the $35,000 Non-Pro.

“I think it’s just kind of setting in that we’re Show Champions and World Champion,” Percevich said while walking her horse, Wild Haired Lilly, back to the barns.

Two titles were decided after each class at the NCHA World Finals, held Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 in Fort Worth, Texas. The World Finals Show championship goes to the horse or rider, depending on the class, who earns the most money in each class during the show. The NCHA World title goes to the horse or rider who earns the most money during in each class during the entire year.

Percevich, who hauled for the first time, drove from her home base to shows across the country. She hit many shows with her trainer, Todd Adolf, hitting shows from California to Texas and all parts in between. Although it was an exhausting run, Percevich said she made a lot of memories and had a lot of fun.

“You’re on the road all the time. I probably only have been home 45 days all year, because we were just on the road,” she explained. “And, you know South Dakota is so far from all the shows that you need to kind of hit. So, I’d do it again but not next year.”

Her mount in the finals was Wild Haired Lilly (Wild Haired Cat x Lilly Mate x Smart Mate). Earlier in the year, she rode Imasmoothlittlecat (Smooth As A Cat x Little Lena Merada x Smart Little Lena).

“She’s pretty lovable,” she said of Wild Haired Lilly. “She’s really easy to get ready. She’s really easygoing. Been a lot of fun.”

Bred by Patrick Fitzgerald, of Paioli, Oklahoma, Wild Haired Lilly is one of five earners from her dam. She entered the World Finals with more than $56,803 in earnings. Percevich had an Equi-Stat record of more than $24,000.

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