July 25, Fort Worth, Tex.
Lanston Pattillo, St. Elmo, Ill., set the pace then scored an eleventh-hour win in the 57-horse Semi-Finals of the 2018 NCHA/Metallic Cat Summer Spectacular Classic Challenge Rios of Mercedes Amateur Unlimited.
Riding Dualin Smooth Legacy, the gelding that carried him to win the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Classic and the 2018 PCCHA Derby Amateur Classic, Pattillo scored 217 points as the third rider in the first set of the Semi-Finals. Six riders later, John Brengard marked 218 on Amandas CD and held the top score until the last rider in the last set, Langson Pattillo, rode to the herd on High Stylin CD and marked 219 points.
This has been a banner year for Pattillo and his 5-year-olds geldings. In addition to his wins on Dualin Smooth Legacy LTE $40,817, by Smooth As A Cat, he also won the Breeders Invitational Amateur Classic and the Bonanza Amateur Classic on High Stylin CD, as well as reserve championships of the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Non-Pro Ltd. and the Abilene Spectacular Classic Amateur Unlimited. Bred by Sunrise Ranch, High Stylin CD LTE $68,058 was sired by High Brow CD.
John Brengard, Paragould, Ark., the NCHA earner of $218,294, won the 2014 NCHA Classic Challenge Amateur Unlimited with Smooth As A Huntress LTE $90,227, by Smooth As A Cat, and the 2015 NCHA Classic Challenge Amateur on SDP Hydriven Hicapoo LTE $135,994, by Hydrive Cat. He was also 2015 NCHA Amateur Rider of the Year.
Amandas CD LTE $272,569 was also bred by Sunrise Ranch and sired by High Brow CD. She was shown as a finalist (9th) in the 2015 NCHA Futurity Open by Matt Miller, who showed her exclusively as a 4- and 5-year-old.
NYCHA World Finals second round
Joey Varnadore, Appling, Ga., won the 2013 NYCHA Junior Youth World Finals aboard Reyminate, the gelding he showed to win Wednesday’s second go-round of the NYCHA Senior Youth Finals with 2017 points. This year, Varnadore, the 2012 NCHA Weekend Shows Rookie of the Year and the earner of $91,108, has also shown Pitchforks Bet 013 LTE $38,739, by Bet Hesa Cat, as a finalist in the Augusta Futurity Amateur Classic and the Augusta Amateur Unlimited Classic.
Twelve-year-old Reyminate LTE $111,561, by Dual Rey, is a half-brother to 2018 Classic Challenge Amateur Unlimited finalist Amanadas CD, shown by John Brengard. Both Reyminate and Amandas CD are out of Amanda Stargun LTE $91,468, who won the 2003 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic under Mary Ann Rapp.
Gavin Callahan, McConnells, S.C., scored 220.5 points to win the second go-round of the NYCHA Junior Youth World Finals aboard 8-year-old gelding Time N Tequila, by One Time Pepto. Gavin, the NCHA earner of $26,338, was a 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Amateur finalist riding 5-year-old Calico Spots $48,711, by Bet Hesa Cat, and placed third in the NCHA Eastern Nationals Junior Youth Finals on 8-year-old Johnny Reyngo LTE $193,219, by Dual Rey.
The 2018 NCHA/Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular continues daily through Aug. 5th. For live webcast and live scoring go to NCHAcutting.com.