Patrick Collins of Lincoln, Illinois and Colton Smith of Geary, Oklahoma topped the first day of Rios of Mercedes Amateur competition with home-bred horses on Saturday.

Collins, riding Absolutely Oh Cay, marked 217, the day’s high, to lead the Unlimited Amateur division of the NCHA Derby. Smith, on Wendels Grendel, posted a 216.5 to lead the Amateur division.

Absolutely Oh Cay is a mare by Metallic Cat out of Oh Cay Shorty, the $1.2 million producer whose babies include NCHA Futurity Open champions Oh Cay Felix and Oh Miss Caroline. Collins also won the NCHA Futurity Amateur finals on Oh Cay Felix.

He won the Unlimited Amateur Senior title on Absolutely Oh Cay at the 2016 NCHA Futurity, and has been an Unlimited Amateur finalist on her at the Futurity, the Super Stakes, Abilene, and The Non-Pro Cutting.

Michael Holman of Benjamin, Utah, had the next highest score in the Unlimited division, a 216.5 on Metallic Moe, a home-bred gelding by Metallic Cat. Three riders, Julie Beasley, Reyly Plendl and Hardy Rogers, each marked 216.

In the Amateur division, Colton Smith rode Wendels Grendel, an Appaloosa gelding bred by his father, Wade Smith, by High Brow CD out of Docs Hickory Doll. Wade Smith was Unlimited Amateur reserve champion on the gelding at the Pacific Coast Derby this summer, and was also third at the Breeders Invitational.

Colton was reserve champion in the Amateur division of last year’s NCHA Classic Challenge, riding Lil Pep N Time.

Scott Jones of Millsap, Texas, posted the next highest score, a 216, in the Amateur go-round on Saturday. He rode Ichis Snicker Doodle, by Cat Ichi. Stephanie Croft of Cherokee, Oklahoma marked a 215.5 on Toy Story Three, by Cats Merada.

The first round of the Amateur/Unlimited Derby will continue Sunday, with the Amateur divisions of the NCHA Classic Challenge beginning on Monday.