Special Nu Baby and Matt Gaines revised the record books again with their win in the Mercuria NCHA World Series of Cutting at the All American Quarter Horse Congress on October 8. Joe howard Williamson and Sweet Little Cats took the Non-Pro division. Both Special Nu Baby and Williamson lengthened their leads in the NCHA World Standings for 2015.
Special Nu Baby marked marked 230 for a six-point win over Cat Black I, ridden by Randy Chartier, earning more than $11,000.
It was the first time that any horse has won four World Series finals in a row, or that any horse has won five of the prestigious events in a single calendar year. Congress was the eighth and final event of the series for 2015.
Only one horse, Dont Look Twice with eight Mercuria wins spanning three years, has collected more Open victories in the World Series of Cutting. Dan Hansen’s Woody Be Lucky has won six of the events in the Non-Pro class.
Special Nu Baby, who also won the Mercuria finals at San Antonio, Las Vegas, Idaho and El Rancho, is piling up a big lead in the 2015 World standings. She’ll have about $115,000 in the bank in 2015, roughly twice what the second horse in the standings, Smart Stingrey, has earned. She’s also qualified for the NCHA Horse Hall of Fame this year, which gave owners Gary and Shannon Barker of Madill, Oklahoma another item to scratch off their “to-do” list.
Special Nu Baby was bred by Eddy Longley’s Crystal Creek Ranch, by Dual Rey out of Nu I Wood. Gaines showed Nu I Wood for Longley, earning over $400,000. The mare’s babies have earned more than $900,000 so far.
In the Non-Pro finals, three-time World Champion Joe Howard Williamson of Wichita Falls, Texas, marked 220 on Sweet Little Cats for a five-point win over Paula Wood on Pepto Boom.
Williamson, who posted a 221 to lead the go-round, was winning his second World Series event at Congress. Last year he scored on Acatbequick.
Sweet Little Cats was bred by Wendel & Eakin by High Brow Cat out of Sweet Little CD, making him a full brother to Horse of the Year High Brow CD. He had won Open championships with Austin Shepard at the Bonanza and the Cotton Stakes before Williamson bought him earlier this year.
Williamson, who won World Championships in 1999, 2004 and 2006, will come out of Congress with about a $20,000 lead in the standings, followed by fellow World Champions Dan Hansen, Stephanie Haymes, Mary Jo Milner and Constance Jaeggi.
The Mercuria NCHA World Series of Cutting paid out more than $590,000 in 2015, with Special Nu Baby collecting $66,601. Ninety-three different horses, 85 riders and 92 owners earned at least one paycheck in the 2015 World Series.