This was only the third show Back Street Cat and Christina Cox competed in together, but it didn’t seem to deter them from cutting to the top of the leaderboard in the 4-Year-Old Non-Pro at The Non Pro Plus the Open with a 222.
Cox was the first draw of the finals, and she tried to stay completely cool to avoid chasing fresh cattle.
“[I thought,] ‘If I can get cut clean and do that, then I can probably get a decent score and get a good check,’” Cox said.
She accomplished just that and took home a check for $6,494 with some newfound confidence in Back Street Cat. The 2015 gelding is by Equi-Stat Elite $26 Million Sire Metallic Cat and out of Reycy Cowgirl, who won more than $30,000 during her time in the cutting pen. With seven money-earning foals, the mare (Dual Rey x Stylish Lil Cowgirl x Docs Stylish Oak) is a producer of more than $81,000. Back Street Cat, known around the barn as “Tuffy,” elevated himself to No. 3 on his dam’s offspring list thanks to this win.
“[He’s a] typical gelding; he’s just pretty easy to be around,” Cox described of the horse she recently purchased.
Cox fell in love with Tuffy after her husband, Lloyd, got the gelding in for training from breeder Kathleen Moore.
“I used to always joke like, ‘I’m going to buy that horse,’” remembered Cox, of Marietta, Oklahoma.
The rest, as they say, is history. The duo is preparing to head to the National Cutting Horse Association Summer Spectacular and continue their growth as a team.
Cox thanked her husband and her family for their part in her success. She said she wouldn’t be where she is today without her dad and brothers, and she is especially grateful to her mom for helping her take care of her kids during show season.
The 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Reserve title went to Ryann Rapp, of Weatherford, Texas, and Hows Your Memorey, a homebred daughter of Equi-Stat Elite $9 Million Sire High Brow CD. Rapp and the mare (out of Memorey x Dual Rey) scored a 218 worth $5,455.
5/6-Year-Old Mid-Level Non-Pro
Lucky Nedd Pepper & Whitney Hall
14S (Smart Little Lena x Royal Red Pepto x Peptoboonsmal)
Owner: Shannon & Ronda Hall, Comanche, OK
Breeder: Shannon & Ronda Hall, Comanche, OK
Score: 221
Payout: $4,058
For more coverage of the Western performance horse industry, subscribe to Quarter Horse News.
