Langston Pattillo, St. Elmo, Il., scored 219 on Tuesday, riding Shesa Tuff Teaspoon, by Woody Be Tuff, to top the first day of NCHA Derby Non-Pro and Non-Pro Limited competition. Kyle Manion, Aubrey, Tex., earned 218 points, the day’s second-highest score, on Smoothest Ride, by Smooth As A Cat, while  Kristen Galyean, Claremore, Okla., and Non-Pro Limited entrant Laura Bennett, Hereford, Tex., tied with 217 points, riding The Dark Alley, by Spots Hot, and Tictac Sugar, by Kit Kat Sugar, respectively.
Langston Pattillo, the 2018 NCHA Amateur Rider of the Year and recipient of the 2018 NCHA Amy Bell Memorial Award, has made the most of his time during the 2019 Metallic Cat NCHA Summer Spectacular. Riding High Stylin CD LTE $224,218, by High Brow CD, Pattillo, with NCHA earnings of $310,846, banked another $23,388 last week, when he won the NCHA Classic Challenge Amateur Unlimited and placed third in the Classic Challenge Non-Pro Finals. He also earned $5,000 as a finalist in the NCHA Derby Amateur Unlimited riding Zinging Some Reys, by Stylin Cat. Along with his gelding class paychecks, he has earned more than $35,200 so far at the show.
Shesa Tuff Teaspoon, with earnings of $1,218, was bred by Harland Radomske out of Shesa Spoonful A Fun $82,335, who carried Harlan and Jody Radomske as Amateur and Non-Pro limited age event finalists, including last year, when Jody won the PCCHA Derby All-Age Amateur Unlimited on the Hes A Peptospoonful daughter.
Kyle Manion has shown Smoothest Ride, bred by Tommy Manion, to earn nearly $50,000 in 2019, including as reserve champion of the Bonanza Non-Pro and to place sixth in the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro. The NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $1,794,040, Manion placed seventh in last week’s NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro riding Smooth As Mimi LTE $53,273, by Smooth As A Cat.
Smoothest Ride LTE $48,704, out of Zee Dually LTE $201,899, by Dual Pep, is a full brother to Smooth Asa Zee LTE $616,978, an all-time leading money earner and the 2013 NCHA Non-Pro World Champion. Smoothest Ride is also a full brother to Take It Eazee LTE $90,912, shown by Jim Vangilder to win the 2018 NCHA Derby Non-Pro Limited.
Kristen Galyean, the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $759,426, won the 2010 NCHA Derby Non-Pro and the Derby Non-Pro Limited riding Harley LTE $203,574, by Spots Hot. She also won the 2014 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro on ZR One LTE $74,674. This year, Galyean was reserve champion in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro with Duramax Dually LTE $175,399 and placed third in the Super Stakes Non-Pro on The Dark Alley. The Dark Alley LTE $141,918, made her limited age event debut as fifth-placed finalist in the NCHA Futurity Open Finals with Wesley Galyean, Kristen’s husband.
Laura Bennett, the NCHA earner of $16,130, topped Tuesday’s NCHA Derby Non-Pro Limited entrants with her ride aboard Tictac Sugar LTE $17,122. Earlier this year, Bennett, showed the mare as an NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Semi-Finalist and her husband, Tate, showed her to third in the Bonanza Open Limited.