The Kit Kat Sugar National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes was a bright spot after 12 difficult months for Stacie and David McDavid.
Stacie had surgery on her back last year and David experienced a stroke in his eye, an issue from which he has since recovered. They also mourned the passing of a close friend and family member.
For Stacie McDavid, winning the 5-Year-Old Amateur on Thursday, April 15, aboard homebred DMAC Sweet N Sour shined a bright light on the year. The mare by Hottish is out of the late Cherry Chex Dually, a daughter of Hes A Peptospoonful who earned $253,450 in the show pen and went on to produce the earners of nearly $400,000 – including DMAC Piccolo Pete, a horse McDavid rode to victory at the 2018 Bonanza Cutting.
“This mare has been special since early in her 3-year-old year. She has qualified for every Open finals with Clint (Allen) except this one,” McDavid said. “Her mother was an unbelievable performer and producer. We lost her and this our replacement for her.”
The Fort Worth, Texas rider calls the mare “Sweetie” and said it was a last-minute decision to ride the her. Equi-Stat Elite $4 Million Rider Allen, the mare’s trainer, missed qualifying for the Open finals and asked Stacie to show her in the 5-Year-Old Amateur.
McDavid said she hesitated, knowing she was coming off a 13-month layoff from not showing, in part due to the injury and recovery after surgery.
“Clint said, ‘Stacie I think you’re riding well. I think the time off did your body good,’” she said. “I thought as long as I stayed out of her way and trusted her, she could do it. I’m always up for a good challenge on those good horses.”
McDavid qualified three horses for the finals go-rounds across multiple classes but knew “Sweetie” had what it took to bring home the prize. The pair’s finals score of 221 earned a check for $7,319 bringing the mare’s Equi-Stat earnings to more than $82,072.
“It’s so incredible. I never get emotional but to have a team like this, particularly a trainer like Clint is special,” she said. “Any competitor needs a coach like that, one who has the faith in them like he has in us.”
