Lawson Hadlock and Coooter Brown marked 220.5 to top the first round of the $5,000 Novice Friday at the NCHA Denver National Championships.

Coooter Brown was bred by Gordon Sevig and is owned by Denise Cox of Ogden, Utah. The 5-year-old gelding is by Dualin Puddy Tap out of GS Kittys Littlelena, a Smart Little Lena mare that has produced earners of $86,000.

Phil and Mary Ann Rapp, who had bred Coooter Brown’s sire, and his second dam, bought the horse as a yearling for $4,000 at the Western Bloodstock, Ltd. NCHA Futurity Sales. He went on to earn money in Gelding and Novice classes for the Rapps at NCHA Triple Crown shows.

Hadlock, who has NCHA earnings of more than $900,000, showed the gelding for Cox to place third in the  Western States Fall Derby and take the reserve championship of last year’s Utah Derby. Coooter Brown has earned more than $44,000.

Hadlock will also advance to the finals on Paige Morse’s Im Countin Checks mare Exotic Ride, after marking a 218.5 in the go-round.

Kenny Platt, who topped the $25,000 qualifiers earlier in the day, marked 219.5 on RM Lightning Merada for the second high score of the $5,000 Novice qualifiers.

RM Lightning Merada is bred and owned by Reed McClymont of Holdrege, Nebraska. The 5-year-old gelding is by Cats Merada out of Choice Jewels, by SR Instant Choice.

Platt has shown the gelding to major limited age event finals at the Pacific Coast Derby, Idaho Derby, and the West Texas Derby, and was an open finalist at last year’s NCHA Western National Championships.

Two horses, Cat Ladelle and Lintons Playcat, marked 219 in the $5,000 Novice go-round.

Cat Ladelle is a High Brow CD mare owned by Layne Bartl of Trilby, Florida and ridden by Ben Roberson.

Lintons Playcat is an Auspicious Cat gelding owned by Pamela and George Shaeffer of New Castle, Colorado and ridden by Scott Amos.