Finalists have been determined at the 2019 National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Derby, presented by Cats Picasso. After three events, Scooter Kat (Kit Kat Sugar x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey) and Santa Maria, California, professional Justin Wright led the Derby Open preliminary composite with 664.5 (222.5 herd/ 220 rein/ 222 cow). The bubbles for the clean-slate finals on Saturday, June 15, are as follows:
Derby Open — 651.5
Derby Intermediate Open — 642
Derby Limited Open — 636
Big scores were posted in the Derby Open fence work prelims, but coming out on top in the round were Shane Steffen, of Powell Butte, Oregon, and John Swales, of Millarville, Alberta, Canada.
Steffen piloted Peptos Smart Cookie (PT) (Cookin Merada x Uvaldes Cow Smart [PT] x Peptosmart), owned by Finally Farm Paints Inc., to a 223 down the fence. They landed in a tie for 17th with their composite score of 652.
Swales rode Northern Metallic (Metallic Cat x Little Cow Hound x Peppy Uh Huh) to an identical 223 for owner Marti Katerberg. The duo’s composite 656.5 tied for fifth in the prelims.
Derby Level 1 Limited Open
Sunni McCormick and Just Call Me Earl (Once In A Blu Boon x CP Peekn Sneakn Blue x Peeka Pep) were crowned the Derby Level 1 Limited Open champions.
McCormick, a California horsewoman, piloted Devon Camilleri’s 2015 gelding to a 645 composite (216 herd/ 215.5 rein/ 213.5 cow). In addition to a $3,051 check, they also received a buckle by Gist Silversmiths, a Cowtrac Systems, a headstall by Dennis Moreland Tack and product from Platinum Performance and UltraCruz.
Claiming their second major NRCHA premier event title, Smooth Dera Max (Smooth As A Cat x Dera Dually x Dual Pep) and Matt Frederick finished reserve in the Derby Level 1 Limited Open. Frederick guided the 2015 gelding, owned by Harry DeHaan, to a 644.5 composite (216 herd/213 rein/215.5 cow) and $2,542 payday.
Novice Horse Open
It was Kreyzy Horse (Dual Rey x Shes Twice As Smooth x Smooth As A Cat) and Kelby Phillips that rode away with the Derby Novice Horse Open title. The 2015 stallion, owned by DT Horses, scored a 219 in the herd work, a 219 in the rein work and 215 in the cow work. The 653 composite earned the team $2,655 for the win and a spot in the clean-slate finals.
Taking reserve in the Derby Novice Horse, and a spot in the Open finals, was Metallic Babe (Metallic Cat x Shes A Stylish Babe x Docs Stylish Oak), piloted by Wright. The 652.5 composite (217 herd/216.5 rein/218 cow) earned owners Jim and Linda Shrack $2,124.
Derby Non-Pro
Hope Miller and Sparking Metallic (Metallic Cat x Sparking Train x Shining Spark) smoked the Derby Non-Pro prelim round with their composite 655 (219 herd/218.5 rein/217.5 cow). Coming in second with a 649 (213.5 herd/215.5 rein) were Debbie Crafton and A Quick Remedy (Very Smart Remedy x A Quick Prize x Smokums Prize), whose impressive fence score of 220 sent them to the top of the round.
The bubbles for the derby non-pro finals are:
Non-Pro — 638
Intermediate Non-Pro — 628
Novice Non-Pro — 621.5
Derby Amateur
The Derby Amateur championship no longer eludes Darleen Wood and Cat Walks Into A Bar (WR This Cats Smart x Sue C Shiner x Shining Spark). After finishing reserve in the Amateur at the 2019 Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby and the 2019 NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Wood and her 2014 gelding captured the Amateur win at the 2019 NRCHA Derby.
The 633 composite score (214 herd/210.5 rein/208.5 cow) earned the team $1,674, a Gist Silversmiths buckle, Dennis Moreland Tack headstall, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery straw hat and product from Platinum Performance and UltraCruz.
Wood, of Goodyear, Arizona, collected her second win of the day after piloting Cat Walks Into A Bar to the Non-Pro Hackamore championship and a $1,440 check with a 279 composite (141.5 rein/137.5 cow).
The Derby Amateur Reserve Championship went to Mandy Lizama, of Stevinson, California. She rode San Master Peppy (Smart Little Pepinic x Masters Miss Pici x Master Remedy) to a 218 in the herd work, a 213 in the reining and a 201.5 in the cow work for a 632.5 composite, garnering $1,395.
Derby Non-Pro Limited
Adrianna Adams and Nu Kid On The Block, who was bred by Wrigley Ranches, walked into the arena for the boxing as the composite leaders with a 430. The leaders of the rein work followed suit in the cow work, tying to top that round, too. Overall, their 650 composite (211 herd/219 rein/220 cow) won the Non-Pro Limited title and $2,621.
Nu Kid On The Block (by Dual Smart Rey) is out of Special Nu Kitty (by High Brow Cat), who won $305,585 during her own career as a cutting horse. She is a half-sister to $486,156-earner Special Nu Baby (by Dual Rey), also a cutter.
Two 646.5 composite scores made Mason Beal and Lori Frampton-Crafton Reserve Co-Champions. Beal rode Unos Smokin Chic (Uno What Time It Is x Dew It Flo x Mr Peponita Flo, a full brother to $80,000-plus earner Uno What Time It Flo, to a 217.5 in the herd work, a 210 in the rein work and a 219 down the fence.
Frampton-Crafton and Candy Rap (Rap Cat x TR Dual Gal x TR Dual Rey) scored a 215 in the herd work, a 212 in the reining and a 219.5 in the cow work. Each horse-and-rider duo received $1,825.
