This spring, Call Me Mitch and Phillip Ralls captured the Worlds Greatest Horseman title, driving Mitch’s earnings to the highest of any reined cow horse. Just a month later though, Scooter Kat and Justin Wright took home reserve champion honors from The American Performance Horseman, earning them the top spot.
Both horses have had prolific careers, although Scooter Kat (Kit Kat Sugar x Metallic Daisy Dukes x Metallic Cat) is four years younger than Call Me Mitch (Metallic Cat x Miss Hickory Hill x Docs Hickory).
Both stallions now stand at Santa Lucia Farm in Santa Ynez, California, and spend their breeding seasons staying in shape by swimming there. Neither one seems ready to retire. Both trainer’s believe that their horse is the best.
Headed into The Run For A Million Working Cow Horse Challenge, the two were only separated by $13,524 in earnings according to EquiStat. After, they’re both richer.
On the morning of August 18, Scooter Kat stopped huge, and was leading the pack of decorated riders with a 226. Mitch was close behind with a 224.5.
“Leading up to it, Scooter felt outstanding, as he always does, and I felt like he went in there and we got to run hard. And it was it was a blast to show him in that pen,” Wright said.
The fence work was thrilling with 15 top riders and horses vying for $200,000 in purse money. Mitch marked a 224 down the fence.
Scooter and Wright drove home their lead with a 225.5 and tentatively began their celebration before the last set was through.
“He’s a competitor and he wants to win. Having that feeling beneath you is the most incredible thing,” Wright said about Scooter.
The younger stallion by Kit Kat Sugar earned $55,000 at The Run For A Million, while Mitch’s scores were good enough for the Reserve Champion title and $28,000 leaving him in close pursuit of the all-time title.
The hunt for EqiuStat all-time highest earning reined cow horse continues, and neither rider nor horse are going to get much rest in the fall show season.
