The 2016 NCHA Futurity, November 17 through December 10 in Fort Worth, represents a 37-year benchmark for Lindy Burch, owner of the Oxbow Ranch. It was in 1979 that Burch launched her training career with the NCHA Futurity Open Co-Reserve championship title on Diamond Mystery. She won the 1980 NCHA Futurity on Mis Royal Mahogany to become the first woman in history to claim the championship. Only one other woman has won the event in the 36 years since 1980. And last year, she claimed the 2015 NCHA Futurity reserve championship on Oxbow-bred Bet Shes Smooth, $101,415.
The Oxbow Ranch brand has commanded respect for over three decades, as has Burch, the architect of the Oxbow’s famous breeding program. In the past decade alone, horses with Oxbow connections have claimed three NCHA Futurity Open championships; three NCHA Open World championships; three NCHA World Finals Open championship wins; and two NCHA Futurity Open reserve championships.
Oxbow-bred Chers Shadow is the dam of Metallic Cat, $637,711, #1 NCHA Leading Sire in 2016, as well as an all-time leading sire of earners of $9.6 million. Metallic Cat won the 2008 NCHA Open Futurity and his son, Stevie Rey Von, won the 2015 NCHA Open Futurity. Smart Kitty RG, the 2008 NCHA Futurity Open reserve champion, is a granddaughter of Oxbow’s 1987 NCHA Futurity Open Finalist, Moria Sugar, $97,370.
One Time Royalty, $447,543, winner of the 2010 NCHA Open Futurity, is by One Time Pepto, $331,097, an all-time leading sire of the earners of $12.1 million. One Time Pepto is out of Oxbow-bred One Time Soon, an unshown daughter of 1968 NCHA Open Futurity champion Uno Princess.
The 2014 and 2013 NCHA Open World Champion, One Time Choice, $289,296, a One Time Pepto son, also carries Oxbow breeding through One Time Soon.
Bet Hesa Cat, $267,465, the 2011 NCHA Open World Champion was bred by Oxbow Ranch, out of the inimitable Bet Yer Blue Boons, $350,615, 2000 NCHA Open World Champion and two-times NCHA World Finals winner under Burch. Bet Yer Blue Boons is also a leading NCHA dam, with produce earnings of $1,052,403.
CR Sun Reys, winner of the 2015 and 2014 NCHA World Finals, was also bred by Oxbow Ranch, out of Play Peek A Boon $205,795. CR Sun Reys scored 233 points in the 2014 Finals to tie with the record set by Bet Yer Blue Boons in 1999. Play Peek A Boon is out of the Peek A Boon, $78,852, a half-sister to Bet Yer Blue Boons.
Third Cutting, $545,146, the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open Super Stakes and Open Derby champion, and a Top Sire 15 sire of 2016 money earners, is also out of an Oxbow-bred mare, Crab Grass, $50,914.
Burch qualified to show the Bet Yer Blue Boons daughter, Stylish Bet, $157,332, a half-sister to Bet Shes Smooth, during the 2016 NCHA World Finals, which is held simultaneously with the 2016 NCHA Futurity. She will also aim for the NCHA Futurity Finals on Kats Bet, a Metallic Cat daughter out of Bet Yer Blue Boons, and Betchalou, by Bet Hesa Cat out of Louella Again, in the NCHA Futurity go-rounds.