Michelle Barnes, Lewiston, Idaho, scored 223 points on Hillbilly Handfishin, to win the Mercuria NCHA World Series of Cutting Non-Pro finals at the Core Balance PCCHA Derby, earning $8,750. Lauren Middleton, Weatherford, Tex., riding Sweet Reyvenge, scored 219 points for reserve, and Kylie Rice, Weatherford, Tex., placed third with 215.5 points on Snap Crackle Cat.
Barnes, with NCHA career earnings of $313,221, most recently placed seventh on Hillbilly Handfishin in the $25,000 Novice Non-Pro finals of the NCHA Scottsdale Nationals. She also placed fourth on Bet Shesa Diva in the 2016 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited, her biggest single-paying finish prior to the PCCHA Mercuria win.
Sired by Autumn Acre, 8-year gelding Hillbilly Handfishin began his career with a fifth-place finish in the 2012 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Finals under Mary Ann Rapp. Including his PCCHA Mercuria winnings, he has current lifetime earnings of $179,042.
Lauren Middleton is an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member with NCHA career earnings of $602,415. To date in 2017, Middleton has shown Cake By The Ocean as reserve champion of the Ike Hamilton Futurity Non-Pro, and Sweet Reyvenge as winner of the NCHA Houston World Series Non-Pro, third in the NCHA Eastern Nationals $25,000 Novice Non-Pro, and a finalist in the Eastern Nationals Non-Pro division.
Sweet Reyvenge LTE $115,602 earned his first limited age money as fourth-placed finalist in the 2012 Abilene Spectacular Open under Casey Morris. Sired by Reys Dual Badger and out of Sweet Camille, by Chicks Achy Breaky, Sweet Reyvenge is half-brother to Felix The Cat LTE $113,418.
Kylie Rice, NCHA career earner of $334,957, most recently earned money aboard Snap Crackle Cat as third-place finalist in the 2017 Mercuria NCHA World Series Mane Event Non-Pro and seventh-place finalist in the Mercuria NCHA Houston World Series Non-Pro. Rice was the 2013 Mercuria NCHA World Finals Non-Pro Champion riding Dual Lights. She also placed 10th in the 2014 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Finals on Master Mate, who carried her to third place in the 2015 NCHA Summer Showdown, as well.
Eight year-old gelding Snap Crackle Cat LTE $131,455, by High Brow Cat, was an open finalist in ten major limited age events under Tatum Rice, Kylie’s husband, including championship wins in the 2015 Brazos Bash 5/6 Year-Old Open and the 2015 Arbuckle Mountion 5/6-Year-Old Open, and as high-scoring horse in the 2015 Brazos Bash Open Gelding division.