Gavin Callahan, McConnells, S.C., riding Hot Dona, scored 222 points on Monday to overwhelm the $35,000 Non-Pro Eastern National Finals field by a margin of six points. Madeline Nix, Blackville, S.C., and Heidi Denis, Geneva, Fla., tied for the reserve championship with 216 points, showing Two Cat Shakur, and Dualin Pepto Rio, respectively, in the field of 30 finalists.

Last year, Gavin Callahan placed third in the Eastern Youth competition riding Johnny Reyngo LTE $195,280, by Dual Rey, and went on to Fort Worth to capture the NYCHA World Finals Junior Youth championship aboard Time N Tequila LTE $172,845, by One Time Pepto. Eight-year-old Hot Dona, by Boon Too Suen, a full sister to 2012 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro champion Donas Suen Boon LTE $425,911, previously carried Callahan to place sixth in the 2017 Congress Non-Pro Classic.

Gavin Callahan is the NCHA earner of $31,093. Hot Dona LTE $36,910 was also shown by Gabe Reynolds to place fourth in last week’s Eastern Nationals $25,000 Novice finals.

Madeline Nix, the NCHA earner of $24,944, showed Two Cat Shakur, by Metallic Cat, earlier this year to place fifth in the Augusta $50,000 Amateur All-Age Championship, and eighth in the $35,000 Non-Pro. Nine-year-old gelding Two Cat Shakur LTE $67,047 is a three-quarter brother, out of Dually Lil Pep, by Dual Pep, to 2006 Smooth As A Cat daughters Smooth Going Cat LTE $215,019 and Shes Twice As Smooth LTE $191,734.

Heidi Denis and Dualin Pepto Rio LTE $37,855 have a solid history of success at the NCHA Eastern Nationals. Last week, the pair won the $15,000 Amateur championship, and have two times previously been finalists in both the $15,000 Amateur and the $35,000 Non-Pro . Eleven-year-old Dualin Pepto Rio, sired by Pepto Rio Playboy, is out of DPS Lenas Lucinda LTE $70,987, a full sister, by Dual Pep, to Lenas Dualin LTE $167,143.

The 2019 NCHA Eastern National Championships continue through Friday, March 15.