Chad Bushaw owned the night, Friday, December 8, with a 225-point championship performance on Bittersweet, by Metallic Cat, in the 2017 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity. Brandon Westfall on Smooth Lil Cowtown, by Smooth As A Cat, took reserve with 221 points, and Cody Hedlund placed third with 220 points on Iggy Reyzalea, by Dual Smart Rey.
This was the second NCHA Non-Pro Futurity championship title for Bushaw, an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $3,259,465. He won the 2001 Non-Pro Futurity on Jerryoes LTE $252,780, and has been a finalist eight other times. His first NCHA Futurity success came as a finalist in the 1991 Amateur, when he was 18. Friday evening, his son, Charles Russell Bushaw, 14, was a finalist in the NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur Finals.
In addition to the NCHA Futurity, Bushaw has also won the NCHA Super Stakes (2008 on Cats Ruby) and the NCHA Derby (2012 on Bet On A Cat), and was reserve champion of the 2007 NCHA Super Stakes on Mocha Cappuccino.
Bittersweet, out of Miss Sea Rey, by Dual Rey, was bred by Marilyn Jo Franz and is a full sister to three other NCHA money earners out of Miss Sea Rey LTE $31,890, by Dual Rey. Bittersweet and Bushaw also won Thursday’s NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Semi-Finals with 219 points.
Brandon Westfall, 17, Los Olivos, Calif., was also a finalist in the 2017 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity on Reckelle, by Metallic Cat. Smooth Lil Cowtown, his reserve champion mount, is out of Sweet Lil Cowtown LTE $74,422, a half-sister to Smooth As A Twist LTE $143,431 and will be shown by his father, Russ Westfall in the Open Semi-Finals.
Westfall, the NCHA earner of $303,799, was a 2016 NCHA Futurity Limited Non-Pro finalist aboard Big And Reckless LTE $13,173, by CD Royal, the stallion owned and shown by his mother, Janet Westfall, as reserve champion of the 2000 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity. Brandon was also reserve champion of the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes riding Laguna Girl LTE $59,119, by CD Royal, and a 2017 NCHA Derby Non-Pro finalist on Lil Dusty Lucy LTE $27,666, by CD Royal.
Cody Hedlund, Lipan, Tex., is an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $763,122. He placed fifth in the 2014 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity riding Strey Cat, by Smooth As A Cat, and fifth in the 2005 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity on Teles Bout This Cat LTE $230,047, the dam of Iggy Reyzalea, his 2017 Futurity mount.
Hedlund had also been a 2013 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro finalist with Meteles Cat LTE $433,565, by Metallic Cat, who he showed as Reserve Non-Pro Champion of the 2014 NCHA Super Stakes and Reserve Non-Pro Champion of the 2016 NCHA Classic Challenge.