Hall of Famer Sam Shepard marked 225 on SDP Lil Ichi Maddie to lead the qualifiers for Saturday’s finals of the Mercuria NCHA World Series of Cutting at the Augusta Futurity.
Nine horses scored 218 or better to advance to the finals in the year’s first show in the popular Mercuria NCHA World Series.
SDP Lil Ichi Maddie was bred by Jack and Linda Kenney by Cat Ichi out of Shortys Starlight, a Grays Starlight mare that Shepard rode in the 2003 NCHA Futurity finals.
SDP Lil Ichi Maddie is an 11-year-old mare owned by Cameron and Julie Thompson of Crossville, Tennessee. She was a finalist in multiple Open and Non-Pro limited age events, and placed seventh in the 2016 NCHA Open Standings. She has earned more than $131,000.
With career earnings of $2.3 million, Sam Shepard in in both the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame and the Members Hall of Fame.
| Mercuria Augusta Open Finalists | |||
| 225.0 | SDP Lil Ichi Maddie | Sam Shepard | Maben & Julie Thompson |
| 221.0 | Cats Lena | Curry Diehl | Frank & Ora Diehl |
| 221.0 | Button Down Supercat | Wesley Galyean | SMF Cutting Horses |
| 220.5 | Jay Moss Cougar | Gaylon Wells | Shannon Lamb |
| 220.0 | Deluxe Checks | Austin Shepard | Rhein & Amanda Standish |
| 220.0 | Reyzurbetsonthiscat | Craig Thompson | Barnwell Ramsey |
| 219.5 | Tommie Canduit | Bubba Matlock | Missy Jean Rosenberg |
| 219.5 | Gini One Time | Austin Shepard | Gary & Gin Dellinger |
| 218.0 | Reyvelation | Lloyd Cox | Lloyd & Christina Cox |
In the Non-Pro division, Lindy Ashlock of Abilene, Texas, led a field of 11 finalists with a 222.5 on Little Miss One Time. Little Miss One Time is a One Time Pepto mare bred by Eddie and Barbara Young out of Puddykat.
Ashlock, an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame inductee, won limited age titles on the mare at the Brazos Bash, Abilene Spectacular, and twice at the West Texas Futurity. Little Miss One Time has career earnings of more than $163,000.
| Mercuria Augusta Non-Pro Finalists | |||
| 222.5 | Little Miss One Time | Lindy Ashlock | Wes & Lindy Ashlock |
| 220.5 | Some Kinda Highbrow | Cade Shepard | Austin & Stacy Shepard |
| 220.0 | Smart Whittle Margie | Madalyn Colgrove | Blakley Colgrove |
| 220.0 | Cat Black I | Denise Seiz | Charlie & Denise Seiz |
| 218.0 | Big Daddys CD | Page Bowman | Mike & Libby Bowman |
| 217.5 | Im Reydioactive | Mary Ann Rapp | Phil & Mary Ann Rapp |
| 217.0 | Checking The Cats | Charles Israel | Charles Israel |
| 216.0 | Reyvelation | Christina Cox | Lloyd Cox |
| 216.0 | Acatbequick | Joe Howard Williamson | Joe Howard Williamson |
| 216.0 | Harley | Kristen Galyean | Wes & Kristen Galyean |
| 216.0 | Hard Eight BBQ | Cameron Thompson | Maben & Julie Thompson |
