Dannica Percevich, Belle Fourche, SD, showed Imasmoothlittlecat as the last performer in the NCHA Denver  Nationals $50,000 Amateur Finals and rode out the winner with 220.5 points.  Penny Bailey, Morristown, Ariz., scored 219 points aboard Sandman Rey for the reserve championship, and Paul Thompson, Aledo, Texas, placed third with 216 points on Bearly Lil Ricochet.

This was Dannica Percevich’s second time to receive an award and paycheck at the 2017 Denver Nationals. Last weekend, she earned the $15,000 Amateur reserve championship, also atop Imasmoothlittlecat. In addition, trainer Todd Adolf showed Imasmoothlittlecat as a finalist in the Denver Nationals $25,000 Novice division.

Sired by Smooth As A Cat and half-sister to Chulas Merada LTE $153,378, 8-year-old Imasmoothlittlecat LTE $34,159 carried Percevich and Adolf as finalists in the NCHA Scottsdale Nationals $35,000 Non-Pro and $25,000 Novice divisions, respectively.

Penny Bailey and Sandman Rey also claimed success earlier in the week as finalists in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro, the same division where they gained the finals at the NCHA Scottsdale Nationals last month. Todd Adolf also showed Sandman Rey in the finals of the $5,000 Novice at the Scottsdale Nationals.

Sandman Rey, a 6-year-old gelded son of Metallic Cat, is out of Wanda Rey $88,757, a three-quarter sister to Catrina Starlight LTE $99,456, out of Stella Starlight LTE $292,408/PE $905,781. Penny Bailey is the NCHA earner of $48,163.

Paul Thompson, the NCHA earner of $41,512, and Bearly Lil Ricochet had just one cattle change following the $50,000 Amateur Finals to prepare for the Denver Nationals Non-Pro Finals, where they placed fourth with 218 points. But their first success as a team came in the finals of the 2012 the Non-Pro Cutting $35,000 Non-Pro division, and in 2014, they won the AQHA Select World championship.

Bearly Lil Ricochet was also shown by trainer Terry Hollis in the Denver Nationals Open Finals. The 14-year-old gelding, sired bySmart Lil Ricochet, Bearly Lil Ricochet LTE $28,829, is out of Bearly Nuf Cash LTE $39,207, by Miss N Cash.