The 2020 Augusta Futurity concluded on Saturday, January 25, with the Open Futurity, where Kinky Bootz, owned and bred by Glenn Drake, Napa, Calif., scored 226 points to carry NCHA Hall of Fame Rider Austin Shepard to his sixth Augusta 4-Year-Old Futurity win. On the heels of his 5/6-Year-Old win aboard Dual Reyish, on Friday night, the 2020 Futurity win also gives Shepard his second Augusta Open Futurity sweep. Shepard won 4-Year-Old and 5/6 Year-Old championships in 2014, riding CD Kual Gun and Bamacat, respectively.
Au Aubiecat, owned and shown by Josh Deason, Pensacola, Fla., scored 220 points for the 2020 Augusta Futurity reserve championship, while Southern Side, shown by Walt Erwin for Mark Senn, Augusta, Ga., placed third with 219 points.
Kinky Bootz earned his first paycheck as a competitor with his $10,000 Augusta Futurity Open win. The Dual Rey son is out of the High Brow Cat daughter Sheza Stylish Cougar LTE $57,040, whose dam, My Stylish Playgirl LTE $31,553, was reserve champion of the 2005 Augusta Open Futurity under Bill Riddle.
Au Aubiecat earned $8,500 as the 2020 Augusta Futurity reserve champion. The Bamacat son is out of an unshown Peptoboonsmal daughter whose dam is a half-sister to Belles N Bullets LTE $421,002. This marks the first major limited age event finals for Josh Deason, the NCHA earner of $65,459, who showed Tuff Cuttin Cat LTE $9,965, by Woody Be Tuff, in last year’s NCHA Eastern Nationals $5,000 Novice finals.
Southern Side, sired by Metallic Cat, and a three-quarter sister to High Stylin CD $263,681, was a finalist in the NCHA Amateur Futurity with owner Mark Senn, and also placed sixth with him in the Augusta Futurity Non-Pro Intermediate. Senn showed Kreepin Cat and Peptos Paving Stone, as well, to place in The Augusta 41 Non-Pro and The 41 Amateur, respectively.
Walt Erwin, the NCHA earner of $709,108, won the 2019 Augusta Futurity 5/6-Year-Old Open on Willie J Rey LTE $91,392, and also showed the Dual Rey gelding to win the 2020 Augusta Futurity 5/6 Open Intermediate. Owner Denise Seiz also showed Willie J Rey as a 2020 Augusta Futurity Amateur finalist.
Jordan Vaughn claims second 2020 Augusta Futurity title
On Saturday, January 25, one day after they won the Amateur championship with 222 points, Jordan Vaughn and CR Tuff Catty Trey scored another 222 points to win the Augusta Futurity Non-Pro title. Madalyn Colgrove, Boligee, Ala., claimed the Non-Pro reserve champion with 220 aboard CD High Lena, while Page Bowman, Simpsonville, Ky., placed third with 217 points on Heza Sweet CD.
Vaughn, the NCHA earner of $286,737, had won the 2015 Augusta Futurity 4-Year-Old Amateur Unlimited and placed fourth in the Non-Pro with Wild Haired Fitz LTE $28,340, but this is his first Augusta Non-Pro Futurity win. Last year, Vaughn won the 2019 Augusta 5/6 Amateur Unlimited on Juan In A Million LTE $79,972, who he showed to win the 2020 Augusta 41 All-Age Amateur. Juan In A Million also carried Vaughn to earn winner’s checks in the 2019 Southern Futurity 5/6 Amateur Intermediate, Amateur Unlimited, and Amateur divisions.
CR Tuff Catty Trey is a full brother, out of ARC Catty Dual, to CR Dualin Tuff LTE $73,629 and CR Dualin Out Tuff LTE $73,039, and is a half-brother to One Catty Cupid LTE $191,577, by One Time Pepto.
Madalyn Colgrove, the NCHA earner of $679,547, won the 2018 NCHA Augusta World Series Non-Pro championship on One Catty Cupid, the half-brother to Jordan Vaughn’s CR Tuff Catty Trey. Colgrove was also champion of the 2019 Cotton Stakes 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro, one of six Cotton Stakes titles she has claimed since 2014, riding Hes A Heapinspoonfu LTE $153,243l, Sweet Lil Sue LTE $47,769, One Catty Cupid LTE $191,577, and Sweet Baby Marie LTE $187,701, respectively.
Colgrove’s 2020 Augusta Futurity mount, CD High Lena LTE $17,704, by High Brow CD, was a 2020 Abilene Spectacular Open finalist and NCHA Futurity finalist under Sean Flynn. The red roan gelding, out of Boons Freckle Lena, is a three-quarter brother to Boons Catalena LTE $139,472 and Freckle Lena Cat LTE $89,402.
Page Bowman, the NCHA earner of $652,231, is an Augusta Futurity veteran with four 5/6-Year-Old championships. She won the 2014 Non-Pro and Amateur titles on Athena Mad Man LTE $114,097, and Non-Pro title in 2015 and 2016 riding Tom E Boy LTE $142,786 and Big Daddys CD LTE $168,989, respectively.
Heza Sweet CD, by High Brow CD, is out of Snazzy Easter Bunny LTE $165,637, bred by Mike and Libby Bowman, and shown by Page in 2011, to win the Eastern Nationals Junior Youth Championship. Big Daddys CD LTE $168,989 is a full brother to Heza Sweet CD.