That’s high praise from a former NCHA Non-Pro Futurity and Derby champion.
Yesterday, in the second go-round of the XTO Energy NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes competition, Earnheart added 216 points to her first round mark of 219 points to claim the high cumulative go-round score.
Cancan Reyvolution, by Dual Rey, was trained by Clint Allen. Earnheart placed third with the gelding in the NCHA Non-Pro Futurity, then claimed non-pro championships of the Tunica Futurity and the Bonanza.
Allen showed Cancan Reyvolution to place third in the NCHA Super Stakes Open Gelding Finals ,earlier this week.
Hope Mitchell shared yesterday’s high score of 218 points with Roger Turner and also placed second in cumulative standings with 434 points aboard Shes Playin Cricket.
“She’s been our little golden egg from Day One,” said Mitchell of the homebred daughter of Teles Again, an Australian-based stallion owned by Hope and her husband, trainer John Mitchell.
“She’s had some bad luck, but she’s been such a good horse. She’s waiting for her turn.”
The Mitchells bred Shes Playin Cricket out of Shes Playin Red, a daughter of Acres Of Red, the stallion shown by Hope in nine major finals.
“I’d rather be last here than first,” said Turner, who had scored 209 points in the first go-round. “We’ve always been just a half-point or a point off, but she’s a fantastic mare.”
CD Frosted Lights was trained by David Stewart, who showed her as a semi-finalist at the NCHA Futurity and a finalist at the Abilene Spectacular.
Jennifer Foland earned 432.5 points, the third-highest cumulative, on homebred Cat Nasty, a three-quarter brother to Hissy Cat, the earner of more than $300,000, who Foland rode to win the 2008 NCHA Classic Challenge Amateur championship.
“He’s been one of my favorites since he was a baby,” said Foland of the Cat T Masterson son. “I like that he’s a cow horse and he tried to do his job. He’s been one of my kid’s favorites, too.
Cat Nasty was shown by his Tatum Rice as a finalist in the 2011 Bonanza Futurity and the Bonanza Gelding Open.