Clint Allen and Blue One Time marked 221 to lead the second round of the Open Classic Challenge at the NCHA Summer Spectacular Tuesday in Fort Worth. Phil Rapp marked 220.5 on NCHA Futurity champion Rockin W for the next highest score.
Blue One Time, who marked 214.5 in the first round for a cumulative score of 435.5, was bred by Jim Vangilder by One Time Pepto out of Quintan Blue. He was the high seller at $245,000 in Vangilder’s 2009 Rock Creek Ranch Dispersal Sale. Owned now by Georgia Husby of Weatherford, Texas, Blue One Time was an NCHA Futurity finalist and won the Tunica Futurity, and has earned more than $185,000.
Besides Rockin W with a cumulative score of 438.5, another Futurity Champion will advance to the finals. One Time Royalty, ridden by Lloyd Cox for Australia’s Susan Marchant, posted a cumulative score of 435.5.
It took a score of 434 or better to advance to the Open Classic Challenge finals.
In the Watt Arena, Lance Cooper marked 223 on Wrigley Ranches’ A Little Bossy to lead the go-round in the Junior Youth Scholarship cutting. Twenty-six contestants marked 213.5 or better to advance to Thursday’s finals.
In the second round of the Grace Ranch NCHA Youth World Finals, Brandon Westfall of Los Olivos, California marked 220 on Lil Bit Reckless to lead the round, over first-round leader Matthew Dedden on A Cat Named Sue.
Lil Bit Reckless, by CD Royal out of Trouble Lynn 495, was bred by Brandon’s parents, Russ and Janet, who have teamed up to win more than $227,000 on the 8-year-old mare in Open and Non-Pro competition.
Dedden’s second-place finish in the second round narrowed the gap between him and leader Jake Baca, promising an exciting final round Wednesday in the Watt Arena.
In the Senior division, World Champion Rieta Dufurrena and Kolby Don Moore split Tuesday’s honors with a 220-point tie.
Dufurrena, who came into the Grace Ranch NCHA Youth World Finals with an unbeatable lead, rode Auspicious Cat, while Moore rode Smart Little Cranbar.
Bred by LKC Ranch, Auspicious Cat is a 7-year-old son of High Brow Cat owned by Dos Cat Partners.
Kolby Don Moore’s mount, Smart Little Cranbar, was bred by Jack and Susan Waggoner and is owned by Bill and Tara Wilkins of McAlpin, Florida.
The 7-year-old gelding is by Smart Little Lena out of Playgirl Peppy, who has produced the earners of more than $400,000.