Eva Blanton & Blondes Have Mor Fun
Eva Blanton & Blondes Have Mor Fun • Photo by Seth Petit

Eva Blanton and Blondes Have Mor Fun Crowned NCHA Intermediate Amateur Champions

Eva Blanton was the fourth draw in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) World Championship Futurity Intermediate Amateur Finals, and she set the bar high. Riding Blondes Have Mor Fun, she laid down an impressive 221 to earn a check for $16,845.

“I only worked him one time before,” she said. “It has been a fun week getting to ride and show him.”

Blondes Have Mor Fun, “Felix,” is by High Brow Cat, the Equi Stat Elite $90 Million Sire owned by Blanton’s father, Darren, who later owned the stallion in partnership with Kelly and Madison Crum of Beechfork Ranch. The 2019 palomino gelding is out of Peptos Fancy Jewel (x Peptoboonsmal).

“In the first go in the semi-finals I wanted to get clean cuts, advance, and get to know Felix, since it was our first show. In the second go, we were getting to know each other more,” she said. “In the finals I was more aggressive in the cuts and more confident in him, and he felt more comfortable underneath me.”

Eva Blanton & Blondes Have Mor Fun
Eva Blanton & Blondes Have Mor Fun • Photo by Seth Petit

In the finals, she credits top-ranked NCHA trainer Paul Hansma with setting her up with an early, large lead—the pair won by five points.

“The cows Paul picked were perfect, and Felix held them there. I haven’t had a run like that in a long time,” she said. “Felix is smooth and is easy to take to a cow. I’ve ridden some 3-year-olds that are tight and hard to show. But Felix is easy, and that’s a testament to Paul.”

Blanton received the horse as a yearling as a surprise gift from her father. She longed for a palomino, and the family’s personal connection to High Brow Cat made Felix the perfect fit. In the coming year, she plans on hitting every show and competing with the gelding as much as possible.