Sunday, December 9, Fort Worth, Tex.
2018 North Texas Chevy Dealers NCHA Futurity, presented by Great American Insurance
Even with a score of 222 points, as first to work in the 21-horse NCHA Open Futurity Finals, Crey Zee and Tatum Rice were plenty vulnerable. Last year’s winning score was 228 points, marked by Austin Shepard and Dual Reyish. And the last time a score of 222 won the event was in 2008, when Metallic Cat and Beau Galyean claimed the championship. Both Shepard and Galyean, as well as three other past NCHA Futurity champions were in Sunday’s Finals, as well.
But Crey Zee and Rice proved unbeatable on Sunday. Badboonarising and Adan Banuelos came closest with 221 points, while CR Tuff Taboo, ridden by Tatum’s father, Boyd Rice, scored 218.5 to tie SF Hottish Lumi Cat and Foster Johnson with the third highest score.
Crey Zee, a Dual Rey daughter bred and owned by Kevin and Sydney Knight, Weatherford, Tex., is the first foal out of Eazee E ($211,145), who Tatum Rice showed as 2017 NCHA Open Reserve World Champion. Kylie Rice, Tatum’s wife, and Kevin and Sydney’s daughter, also showed Eazee E as reserve champion of the 2015 West Texas Classic Non-Pro.
Eazee E is out of Zee Dually ($201,899), a leading producer of earners of $1.8 million, including Smooth As A Zee ($616,978). On Friday night, Blakley Colgrove placed third in the NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Finals riding Smooth Magick, a full sister to Smooth As A Zee, and three-quarter sister to Eazee E.
Tatum Rice, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $1,984,161, has shown in five previous NCHA Futurity Open Finals, including in 2016, when he rode Hashtags ($476,725), who would go on to win many limited age event championships with Rice. This year, Hashtags and Rice also won the NCHA Open World Championship.
Badboonarising is owned by Plantation Farms., Denham Springs, La. Bred by Royce Stallcup, the black stallion is from the second crop of his sire, Once In A Blu Boon, who was also represented in the Futurity Finals by Pepsi Boon, shown by Ryan Moore for Jerry and Luann Jeffries.
Badboonarising is out of Show Biz Kitty, an unshown daughter of High Brow Cat and dam of SS Black Lil Kitty ($185,839), by Blue Bayou Boon, and Rollz Royce ($173,604), by Dual Smart Rey. Show Biz Kitty is out of Show Biz Sandy, 1993 NCHA Open World Champion and dam of 5 NCHA money earners with average earnings of $72,961.
Adan Banuelos, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $2,148,244, was an NCHA Futurity Finalist riding two horses in 2013, Cat Stevens ($92,674) and Metallic Warrior ($128,406)
CR Tuff Taboo, by Woody Be Tuff, is owned by Center Ranch, Centerville, Tex., and is one of three finalists sired by Woody Be Tuff and bred by Center Ranch, including CR Tuff Tizzy, shown by Travis Rempel for Rocking P Ranch, and CR Tuff Twinkie, winner of the Open Semi-Finals and shown by Jason Clark for Center Ranch.
CR Tuff Taboo’s dam, Cats Boonolena, by High Brow Cat, is out Peptolena Lucinda, maternal dam of 2013 NCHA Futurity Champion Dual Smart Kitty ($316,251).
Boyd Rice, the NCHA Hall of Fame earner of $4,3454,123, is a past NCHA Super Stakes and NCHA Derby champion, the 2005 NCHA Open World Champion on Bobs Hickory Rio, and an NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity champion.
SF Hottish Lumi Cat, owned by Linda Fielhaber, Jacksonville, Tex., was an NCHA Futurity Open Limited finalist with Foster Johnston on November 28. The Hottish-sired colt is out of Ima Phat Cat, an unshown High Brow Cat daughter, whose first money earner is SF Hottish Lumi Cat. Ima Phat Cat is out of the Parkman Bar daughter Luminosa Dunny ($57,437), producer of three NCHA earners of $15,664.
Foster Johnston, the NCHA earner of $369,323, was a 2011 NCHA Futurity Open Limited finalist, but this was his first time to qualify for the NCHA Futurity Open Finals.