cattalou bridleless with phil rapp
Cattalou punctuated a stellar performance career with a bridleless performance under the guidance of Phil Rapp. • Photo by Kelsey Pecsek Hruska

Cattalou Retires in Style

The highest-earning stallion out of million-dollar producer Louella Again has retired.

Cattalou, a son of the late High Brow Cat, walked to the herd for the final time Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Augusta Futurity. After scoring a 218.5 in The 41 Open with Equi-Stat Elite $9 Million Rider Phil Rapp, he worked a single cow bridleless. It was a fitting end to a spectacular career.

Owner William S. “Billy” Morris III was ringside to watch as Cattalou performed. It was an emotional moment for the Equi-Stat Elite $3 Million Breeder.

“That just shows what a beautifully trained horse he is,” Morris said of the stallion, who was bred by John Harrah. “What a great job he did.

“I’ve raised and loved cutting horses for a long time, and this is certainly one of the best horses I’ve ever owned,” continued Morris, who is the chairman of the Augusta Futurity. “[Owning him] is a great privilege. He’s a beautifully conformed animal and great athlete. He’s won a lot, and he’s just an exceptional horse.”

Cattalou left the show arena with lifetime earnings of more than $335,000 recorded in Equi-Stat — around $10,000 less than Louella Again’s No. 1 performer, Movin Downtown. In seven seasons, the stallion carried seven different riders to the pay window.

It all started with Beau Galyean, who piloted Cattalou to the 2012 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity Open semifinals for then-owner Curtis Chester. The duo continued pulling checks throughout the stallion’s limited-age career, highlighted with wins in the 2013 Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Derby Open; 2014 Breeder’s Invitational Classic/Challenge Open; and 2014 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity’s Classic/Challenge Open.

Equi-Stat Elite $6 Million Rider Paul Hansma took over the reins in 2016 when Cattalou kickstarted his role as a weekend competitor under the ownership of SDP Buffalo Ranch.

Morris purchased the stallion in January of 2017.

cattalou and billy morris
Cattalou and owner Billy Morris pictured after the stallion’s final run • Photo by Kelsey Pecsek Hruska

Cullen Chartier was next to sit at the helm. He campaigned Cattalou for the NCHA Open World Finals and finished sixth with year-end earnings of $49,591. Chartier’s father, Randy, contributed $10,118 of that season total as a catch rider.

Cattalou posted two checks to Equi-Stat in 2018, then rebounded in 2019 with another impressive season of hauling under the guidance of Brett McGlothlin. He was also shown by Morris’ grandson, William, several times last year.

“Cattalou is an exceptional individual. We, as a family, are very blessed to have owned him the past few years,” William said. “Showing him was a privilege.

“He is the most fun horse I have ever shown and is the best cutting horse I’ve ever shown. Every move he made was made with so much power and try. As I’m sad his show career is coming to an end, I’m thrilled to see what he sires in the breeding shed!”

With $33,497 in eligible weekend money earned, Cattalou ended his 2019 season ranked ninth in the Open World standings. The stallion also finished fourth in the NCHA World Finals last year, with scores of 220, 224 and 220.5 pushing his event earnings to $10,380.

Cattalou is a freshman sire, with his first offspring just coming of age to compete in the Western performance horse industry this year. According to American Quarter Horse Association records, he has nine registered foals from his first crop.

“We’re going to send him to The Four Sixes now for breeding purposes,” said Morris, whose other stallions — Equi-Stat Elite $2 Million Sire Boon Too Suen, Hes Playingforkeeps and Wagon Stake — also stand at the facility in Guthrie, Texas. “His oldest babies are three, and we’ve got some of his babies just starting training.”

According to sale records, one of the stallion’s futurity hopefuls may be Catta Reys, a 3-year-old gelding out of Blue Reys (Dual Rey x Cash Moria x Cash Quixote Rio) who sold during the NCHA Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale for $10,500. The Lee and Holly Francois consignment was in training with Alex Rachner at the time of the sale and nominated to the NCHA Futurity.

Among the other Cattalou offspring who sold during the 2019 NCHA Futurity Sales were: Miss Shorty Lou, a yearling filly out of million-dollar producer Sweet Shorty Lena (by Shorty Lena) who brought $20,000; and Katzalou, a yearling filly out of $270,162-earner Aristo Katz (by Smart Aristocrat) who sold for $12,500.