Iridescent Cat, shown by Cullen Chartier for Tom and Hillary Watson, Stilwell, Kan., scored 223.5 points on Monday, October 23, in Jackson, Miss., to win the Southern Futurity Open Classic. Shes Full Of Hope, owned by Cowan Ranch, Ardmore, Okla. and shown by R.L. Chartier, scored 223 points for reserve, and Jose Uno Gato, with Austin Shepard for Jan Newman, Rosedale, La., placed third with 222.5 points.
This was the first major win for Iridescent Cat LTE $81,341, although the 5-year-old gelded son of Catty Hawk was reserve champion of the 2015 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro with Michelle Cowan, and reserve champion of the unlimited amateur division at the 2017 Brazos Bash with Hillary Watson. R.L. Chartier had shown the gelding as an open finalist in the 2016 PCCHA Derby and Cullen Chartier was aboard as a finalist in the 2017 Augusta Futurity Classic Open.
Shes Full Of Hope LTE $126,053, a 5-year-old Smart Mate daughter, won the 2017 Abilene Spectacular 5/6 Non-Pro championship with owner Bill Cowan, as well as the 2017 Non-Pro 5/6 at The Non-Pro in Oklahoma City. Chartier has shown her as a finalist in 12 major events.
Brothers R.L. and Cullen Chartier were raised on cutting. Their late grandfather, NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member M.L. Chartier was the owner of Dry Doc, shown by Buster Welch as the 1971 NCHA Futurity champion. Their father, trainer Randy Chartier, also a NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member, won the 1978 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity on the Dry Doc daughter Miss Dry, and their mother, Kelle Chartier, is a NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member, as well.
R.L. Chartier, 33, launched his training career with the 2008 NCHA Futurity Open Ltd. championship win on Haymaker for Wrigley Ranches; it was his first time to show in the Open Futurity. Last year, he showed A Little Bossy to the 2016 NCHA World Championship. A member of the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame, Chartier is the lifetime earner of $2 million.
Cullen Chartier, 29, winner of the 2014 NCHA Derby Limited Open on Sensacious, is the NCHA earner of $549,481.
Five-year-old gelding Joses Uno Gato LTE $45,529, by Bet Hesa Cat, placed tenth in the 2016 Augusta Futurity with Austin Shepard and was shown by Madalyn Colgrove as reserve champion of the 2016 Southern Futurity and Cotton Stakes Unlimited Amateur divisions. Current owner Jan Newman most recently placed eighth on the gelding in the Cotton Stakes 5/6 Unlimited Amateur.
Austin Shepard, the lifetime earner of over $7 million, is a NCHA Riders Hall of Fame member and the #4 all-time leading rider.
The Southern Futurity continues through Saturday, October 28.