Pam Shaeffer of Eagle, Colorado, got her biggest paycheck to date Thursday by winning the Non-Pro finals at the 6666 Ranch NCHA Western National Championships in Denver. She marked 219 on Royal Red Play to earn an estimated $6,200, while Sandra McBride of Azle, Texas, took the reserve title on Boonshadows.
Shaeffer tied for the third highest score in the go-round with a 216 behind Brad Wilson’s 218.5 on Freckles Darn Cat. She drew third in the finals for her winning score.
Royal Red Play was bred by Double Dove Ranch by Play Red out of Peek A Boon. The 7-year-old gelding is a half-brother to Rey Nounce, which Regan Plendl rode to win both the Junior Youth and the $35,000 Non-Pro at this show.
Royal Red Play has earned more than $50,000, including a Non-Pro Classic win at last year’s Utah Futurity, and an Amateur win at the Western States Fall Futurity the year before that.
Shaeffer was a Limited Non-Pro and Amateur finalist on Royal Red Play at the 2010 NCHA Futurity and has also won Amateur limited age titles at the Idaho Futurity and Utah Futurity in recent years with Krunch Time.
Reserve champion Sandra McBride rode her homebred mare Boonshadows, by Quejanaisalena out of Pinkolena, another homebred, that earned her more than $53,000. Boonshadows is Pinkolena’s first money earner. She has made more than $120,000 now, and has Non-Pro wins at the Cattlemen’s Classic, the Chisholm Trail Fall Classic and the Western States Fall Classic to her credit.
$15,000 Novice Non-Pro
PKR Big Mac had a busy show at the Western Nationals, picking up five checks for an estimated $16,500. The biggest payoff came in the $15,000 Novice Non-Pro when Traci Burgess won with a 222, while Kristen York finished second with a 218 on Smooth One Time Soon.
PKR Big Mac was bred by Joann Parker by Starlights Gypsy out of Justa Swinging Gal. The 6-year-old gelding went over $100,000 at Denver as reserve champion in both Novice classes under Jon Burgess, his $15,000 Novice Non-Pro win with Traci, as well as making the finals in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro and the Non-Pro with Traci.
On closing day of the Western Nationals, PKR Big Mac tied for the second high score of 217 in the go-round, behind Catswanna’s 219.5 with Scott Cusick. He came back that afternoon as 25th of 27 horses to win the finals.
Traci Burgess, a lifetime earner of more than $350,000, pulled down the biggest check of her career with PKR Big Mac when she finished fourth in the Non-Pro NCHA Derby in 2012. She was also an NCHA Super Stakes Classic finalist with him this spring.
Reserve champion Kristen York of Saratoga, Wyoming, marked 218 on Smooth One Time Soon, a 6-year-old Smooth As A Cat mare bred by Dave and Clare Capps out of Sheza Boonsmal. York won the Western States Fall Derby on her in 2012.