The early futurities are offering a preview of what may be to come later this year in the race for the top of the freshman cutting sire rankings with two high-profile stallions recently getting winners.
Several cutting stallion will be represented by their first 3-year-olds this year, but the two heavyweights appear to be National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open Horse of the Year Metallic Rebel and NCHA Futurity Open Champion Stevie Rey Von.
The two sons of Metallic Cat have already had contenders at the early futurities, and it was Metallic Rebel who struck first with an Open Champion thanks to the victory by A Rebel N Paris in the Yellowstone Cotton Stakes 3-Year-Old Open.
A Rebel N Paris was ridden to victory by Salvador Cabral for owner-breeders Jarrett/Shannon Callahan, of McConnells, South Carolina. He’s out of the mare Post Card From Paris (by Light N Lena), and also won the class Gelding Incentive and finished fourth in the 3-Year-Old Limited Open for a total show haul of $15,499.
Metallic Rebel also was represented at the Cotton Stakes by Limited Open Reserve Champion Rebelssmartplaygirl. The daughter of the mare Watch Me Mate (by Smart Mate) previously won money at the West Texas Futurity, where she was the 3-Year-Old Limited Open Reserve Champion and placed in the Intermediate Open.
Stevie Rey Von was represented by Lily Von Shtupp, who won the 3-Year-Old Unlimited Amateur at the Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity & Aged Event. The mare out of EquiStat Elite $1 Million Producer Bet On Houston (by Peptoboonsmal) also placed third in the show’s 3-Year-Old Non-Pro.
