Makayla Cowan, Ardmore, Okla., had to wait through most of the last set in the Amateur Finals for her turn in the herd. But the winner of the 2019 NCHA Senior Youth World Finals made the most of her first time to ride in an NCHA Futurity Finals, with a winning score of 219.5 points on Redneck Hillbillie, by Light N Lena.
Bobbie Kay Davis, Templeton, Calif., posted 216.5 points on Just U N Me Baby, by Metallic Cat, for the reserve championship, while Michael Gregory, Rociada, N.M., placed third with 215.5 points on CR Tuff To Do It, by Woody Be Tuff.
The NCHA earner of $36,753, Makayla Cowan has had a successful year. She was a 2020 NCHA Senior Youth World finalist with the CD Lights colt Brinking Lights LTE $29,417, her 2019 World Finals winning ride, and she was reserve champion of the Brazos Bash 4-Year-Old Amateur on the Catty Hawk daughter Sweett Chaos LTE $34,572, who also carried her as a finalist in the Unlimited Amateur Finals.
Redneck Hillbillie was bred by Cowan Ranch out of the Catty Hawk daughter Billies Catty LTE $225,578, who Bill Cowan showed as a Non-Pro finalist in the 2014 NCHA Futurity. Billies Catty’s first foal is 4-year-old Billies Secret, who Makayla showed as an Amateur Limited finalist in the 2020 Brazos Bash and Makenzie Cowan rode to win the 2020 Southern Futurity Limited Amateur championship.
Redneck Hillbillie’s 3-year-old full brother, Handle On Randel, qualified for Thursday’s Non-Pro Semi-Finals with Bill Cowan.
Bobbie Kay Davis, the NCHA earner of $111,728, was a semi-finalist in the 2018 NCHA Futurity Amateur Unlimited aboard Audi Smooth LTE $16,631, by Smooth As A Cat. This year Davis claimed the PCCHA Futurity 5/6-Year-Old Non-Pro Limited on RN Starlights Cat LTE $119,055, by High Brow Cat, who she also showed to place third in the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Finals.
Bred by Davis, Just U N Me Baby is the first foal to show out of the Nitas Wood daughter Wood U N Me Baby LTE $179,286, who was shown by Russ Westfall in Open limited age events. Wood U N Me Baby is a full sister to Woodys Baby LTE $391,396, NCHA Non-Pro World Reserve Champion in 2016.
Michael Gregory, the NCHA earner of $6,098, showed as an Amateur Unlimited rider in his first limited age event, the Western States 4-Year-Old Futurity, riding the Stylish Rey gelding Seven S Blue Rey LTE $25,838. This year, Gregory and Seven S Blue Rey also earned money as Amateur Intermediate 5/6 finalists in the NCHA Classic Challenge.
CR Tuff To Do It, bred by Center Ranch, is out of CR Dees Boon Meow, an unshown daughter of Peptoboonsmal and a half-sister to the earners of $334,149 out of Dees Cats Meow, including CR First Tuff LTE $191,305, by Woody Be Tuff.