The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity is the biggest prize in the sport of cutting, a place that highlights the best cutting horses and riders in the industry.
It’s also a showcase for the best sires in the sport.
The list of all-time leading NCHA Futurity sires reads like a list of who’s who in cutting, including both titans of the sport as well as younger sires whose 3-year-olds have already earned them a spot on the list.
Who will be the leading sire at this year’s Futurity, which started Thursday, remains to be seen. The show, as usual, will feature well-bred entrants sired by the best stallions in the Western performance horse world.
The past, however, often offers clues to the future. So, here’s how the list of all-time leading NCHA Futurity sires stacked up going into this year’s edition, according to Equi-Stat.
(statistics are through the 2019 show)
1. High Brow Cat
Pedigree: 88S, (High Brow Hickory x Smart Little Kitty x Smart Little Lena)
Progeny Earnings: $11,414,461
Earners: 464
Top Performers:
- 2006 Open and Amateur Champion Oh Cay Felix ($253,157, out of Oh Cay Shorty, by Shorty Lena)
- 2007 Open Champion High Brow CD ($250,000, out of Sweet Little CD, by CD Olena)
- 2008 Open Champion Metallic Cat ($250,000, out of Chers Shadow, by Peptoboonsmal)
2. Dual Rey
Pedigree: 85S (Dual Pep x Nurse Rey x Wyoming Doc)
Progeny Earnings: $5,847,475
Earners: 310
Top Performers:
- 2009 Open Champion Rockin W ($265,496, out of Boon San Kitty, by High Brow Cat)
- 2018 Open Champion Crey Zee ($203,061, out of Eazee E, by High Brow Cat)
- 2007 Open third-place finisher Rey Down Sally ($160,229, out of Solano Sally, by Doc’s Solano).
3. Smart Little Lena
Pedigree: 79S, (Doc O’Lena x Smart Peppy x Peppy San)
Progeny Earnings: $4,877,308
Earners: 287
Top Performers:
- 2007 Open Reserve Champion Desires Little Rex ($197,004, out of Desire Some Freckles, by Freckles Playboy)
- 2000 Open Reserve Champion and Non-Pro finalist Justa Smart Peanut ($192,057, out of 2000 Justaswinging Peanut, by Justa Swinging Peppy)
- 1997 Open Champion Some Kinda Memories ($140,012, out of Some Kinda Playgirl, by Freckles Playboy)
4. Metallic Cat
Pedigree: 05S, (High Brow Cat x Chers Shadow x Peptoboonsmal)
Progeny Earnings: $4,270,783
Earners: 299
Top Performers:
- 2015 Open Champion and Limited Non-Pro Champion Stevie Rey Von ($214,145, out of Miss Ella Rey, by Dual Rey)
- 2019 Open Champion Metallic Rey Mink ($197,786, out of Dual Rey Mink, by Dual Rey)
- 2016 Open finalist Mistresssis ($118,151, out of Smart Crackin Chic, by Smart Chic Olena)
5. Smooth As A Cat
Pedigree: 99S, (High Brow Cat x Shes Pretty Smooth x Wheeling Peppy)
Progeny Earnings: $3,511,155
Earners: 245
Top Performers:
- 2009 Open and Non-Pro finalist Aroseuchaclatter ($139,009, out of Mates Irish Rose, by Smart Mate)
- 2009 Open third-place finisher Smooth Going Cat ($136,285, out of Dually Lil Pep by Dual Pep)
- 2014 Open Reserve Champion Smooth Talkin Style ($109,512, out of Stylish Play Lena, by Docs Stylish Oak)
Stallions 6-15
Rank | Sire | Total NCHA Futurity $$$ |
6 | Peptoboonsmal | $3,170,824 |
7 | Peppy San Badger | $3,164,192 |
8 | Dual Pep | $3,148,298 |
9 | Freckles Playboy | $2,131,897 |
10 | Doc’s Hickory | $2,111,235 |
11 | One Time Pepto | $1,876,833 |
12 | Doc O’Lena | $1,617,544 |
13 | Dual Smart Rey | $1,281,488 |
14 | Woody Be Tuff | $1,273,435 |
15 | CD Olena | $1,197,099 |
UPDATE: This story has been updated with the correct pedigree for Dual Rey. The pedigree was incorrect in the initial version.