July 22, Fort Worth, Tex.
Carol Ward scored 218 points on Crafty With Cows, as the first rider in the 21-horse NCHA Summer Spectacular Classic Challenge Non-Pro Finals. Ward held the lead until Steve Anderson, No. 19 in the draw, made his bid aboard Littlemak and secured his second 2018 NCHA championship win with 223 points.
Anderson, who won the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro title with 224 points aboard Littlemak, became the first rider to win both titles in the same year. The mid-year events have proven fruitful for Anderson and his family. Steve Anderson was reserve champion of the 2012 NCHA Derby Non-Pro with Smooth N Cattacular, and his wife Michelle won the Classic Challenge Non-Pro on Clifford Rey, in 2009, and tied for the Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro championship aboard Pantera Cat, in 2010. Anderson’s son son Caleb won the 2009 NCHA Derby Limited Non-Pro with Chulas Stargun, and Anderson Cattle Co. trainer Jon Burgess won both the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Open Limited and the NCHA Derby Open Limited riding Littlemak.
Littlemak LTE $170,383, a 6-year-old gelding sired by Starlights Gypsy, was bred by Joann Parker and is a full brother to PKR Big Mac LTE $183,289, out of Justa Swinging Gal, an unshown daughter of Justa Swinging Peppy.
Steve Anderson, Victoria, Tex., is an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $764,000.
Carol Ward, Rancho Murieta, Calif., is the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $922,000. She won the 2017 NCHA Derby Amateur Unlimited championship on Crafty With Cows, and was champion of the 2002 Abilene Spectacular on the 5-year-old High Brow CD gelding’s dam, Miss Haulin Hickory, who is also the dam of Lil Dulce Lu LTE $224,621, by Dulces Smart Lena.
Crafty With Cows LTE $299,000 launched his career by placing third under R.L. Chartier in the 2016 NCHA Futurity Open. He won the 2017 PCCHA Derby Open with Darren Simpkins, and was reserve champion of the PCCHA Derby Open Classic with Chartier, and on Saturday, July 21, he spilt 9/10 in the Classic Challenge Open under Chartier.
Luis Dearmas, Boca Raton, Fla., scored 216 points on 6-year-old Dual Rey Rey LTE $69,000 to place third in the 2018 Classic Challenge Non-Pro. Dearmas, the NCHA earner of $443,245, placed in both the 2017 and the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro with Dual Rey Rey, as well as in the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro riding Bea Cats Cat. Dearmas also showed Dual Rey daughter Dual Rey Rey to place (14) in the 2015 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Finals.
The 2018 NCHA/Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular continues daily through Aug. 5th. For live webcast and live scoring go to NCHAcutting.com.