Armando Costa Neto, winner of the 2015 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro championship, as well as the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro and 2016 NCHA Derby Non-Pro on Watch Me Whip, scored 220 points Sunday, November 26, to take the lead on Rosita Bela in the first go-round of the 2017 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro, following three days of competition. Jarrett Callahan on Double Ur Bets and Brandon Westfall tied with 218 points, Sunday’s second-highest score; Ryan Rapp earned 217.5 points on Manteca Moe, the day’s third-highest score.
Rosita Bela was bred by Billy Emerson by High Brow Cat out of Royal Red Rosita, a mare that Shannon Hall showed to a fourth-place finish in the 2011 Open NCHA Futurity. Royal Red Rosita is a grand-daughter of $887,000 producer Playgiarism.
Costa is an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame member and earner of $1,108,133. Among his 2017 wins, Costa, who lives in Weatherford, Tex., counts the Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro and the Pacific Coast Derby Non-Pro on 4-year-old Watch Me Nae Nae LTE $51,145, as well as the Cattlemen’s Derby Non-Pro 5/6 Classic on Watch Me Whip LTE $171,446. Watch Me Whip and Watch Me Nae Nae are full siblings by Playgun, bred by the Costa family’s Fazenda Barrinha Corp. and out of Look The Look LTE $172,784.
Jarrett Callahan, McConnells, S.C., the NCHA earner of $371,779, placed sixth in the Non-Pro Finals of the 1999 NCHA Futurity riding Bob Acre Venture. Most recently, he won the 2017 Augusta Non-Pro Futurity aboard Calico Spots LTE $39,936.
Double Ur Bets, by Bet Hesa Cat, was bred by Joel Colgrove out of FMR Double The Pepto, half-sister, out of Badger San Doc LTE $162,542, to the earners of $560,146, including Smart Sugar Badger LTE $176,210.
Brandon Westfall, Los Olivos, Calif., NCHA earner of $303,799, was 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro reserve champion riding Laguna Girl LTE $59,119, by CD Royal. Smooth Lil Cowtown, his Futurity mount, is by Smooth As A Cat out of Sweet Lil Cowtown LTE $74,422, by Sweet Lil Pepto, and was a $36,000 purchase at the 2016 NCHA Futurity Sales.
Ryan Rapp, Weatherford, Tex., 2017 NCHA World Finals Senior Youth reserve champion and NCHA Eastern Nationals Senior Youth reserve champion riding Im Reydioactive, earned his first major check in the 2015 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited Finals, on Tuff Julie. Since then the Rapp and his Woody Be Tuff daughter have racked some impressive credentials, including fourth place in the 2016 NCHA Derby Non-Pro Finals and a championship title in the NCHA Derby Non-Pro Limited , as well as reserve in the 2017 Bonanza Non-Pro 5/6 Classic.
Manteco Moe, by Hydrive Cat, is out of Memorey LTE $77,519, by Dual Rey, a half-sister to Shrimp Shack Shooter LTE $160,851, and three-quarter sister to Awesome Lil Catilac LTE $99,160.