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Cat On A Hot Tinroof scored a special win for owners Dustin and Deena Adams at the 2021 Abilene Spectacular. * Photo by S. Sylvester Photography.

Cat On A Hot Tinroof Scores Bittersweet Abilene Win

Cat On A Hot Tinroof’s win at the Abilene Spectacular was bittersweet for owners Dustin and Deena Adams.

The 4-year-old mare named “Baby Doll” is a daughter of their beloved stallion Hottish, an Equi-Stat Elite $4 Million Sire and runner-up in the race for 2012 National Cutting Horse Association Open Horse of the Year. Her winning 220-point run with Dustin Adams in the 4-Year-Old Non-Pro on Jan. 20 came just shy of a year after the Adams’ made the difficult decision to euthanize her sire, who was only 12.

Hottish was a part of our family. We still get emotional every day,” Dustin Adams said of the son of Spots Hot. “It’s extra special to have a daughter of his. She is sweet and has a great heart and style like he did.”

The win in Abilene secured “Baby Doll” her first lifetime earnings. The finals go alone paid $12,000. Earlier in the week she also finished 8th in the Open with trainer Michael Cooper in the saddle, which added another $5,500.

Cat On A Hot Tinroof

Dustin was looking for a new horse to ride and asked friends to keep an eye out. Cooper recommended Baby Doll, and Dustin only needed to work her for 30 seconds to know she was the one and bought her late in the fall of 2020. The filly is out of Rio Gato (by High Brow Cat), a  earned $24,796 in the cutting pen and, before her daughter’s win in the Abilene Spectacular had progeny earnings of $126,741.

“She is a beautiful mare with good style and swoop,” Adams said of the mare’s daughter, Baby Doll. “She likes her job and tries hard.”

The pair also competed at the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity, but missed the finals due to what Adams described as pilot error. Heading into the Abilene Spectacular, he knew Baby Doll was working good and was looking to cut some good cattle to showcase her talents.

“I really have to thank my help Michael Cooper, Clay Michael Johnson, Lloyd Cox and Casey Greene. Cameron Thompson also helped me lope her all week,” Dustin said. “We’re very grateful and honored to win this.”