AQHA Magazine May / June 2018 AQHA_May_June_2018_WEBSITE | Page 37

Courtney Roberts aboard Big One (Q-54631)
ARTICLE BY KYLIE R. MELROSE.
Photos Liz Speed
The prestigious and exciting National
Cutting Horse Association 2017
National Finals from the 19th to 24th
of March 2018 at the world class
Australian Equine Livestock and
Events Centre in Tamworth, New
South Wales. Held with the extremely
popular 2018 NCHA Breeders
Incentive Show, the 2017 NCHA
National Finals Show began with the
$5,000 Novice featuring a total field
of 89 brilliant Cutting horses and
their pilots.
Earning the Champion Title and
accolades was the super stylish red
roan daughter of Metallic Cat
(Q-72828) (IS) and Pepperokie (Q-
62296), Metallic Rose (Q-82595)
after marking the highest scoring
run in the event of 222 points with
Jackson Gray aboard for Sunkissed
Quarter Horse Stud. With a 220
marking run Bourbon Jack with
Scott Campbell in the saddle took out
the Reserve Championship for owner
Jim Gale.
In third place, with a mark of 218
points, was the son of Dual Rey (Q-
52538) (IS) and the brilliant cutting
mare Turpentine Acres (Q-50873),
Turpys Dual (Q-76773), ridden by
Jamie Creek for Dianne Bennett.
One point behind saw Tuffy To Be
Purrfect earn fourth place with Scott
Campbell aboard for Vaughn
McGuinness. Dr Joanne Smith's
Classically Lilly was ridden by Todd
Graham to earn fifth place after
scoring 216.5 points.
Wednesday the 21st of March saw
the Snaffle Bit and $15,000 Novice
events being hotly contested. Taking
the Snaffle Bit Cutting by storm,
with a brilliant 221 marking run, was
Christopher Ware showing the son
of Peptos Stylish Oak (Q-39269)
(imp) and Dennies First Spin
(Q-36083), RBH Billy Boonsmal
(Q-73325) from a field of 19 entries.
Christopher then went onto share
the Reserve Championship Title
riding Wungum Margarita, with
Philippe Manchon showing Crystal
Park Peptos Time (Q-73236), a 2012
son of One Time Pepto (Q-65433) (IS)
and Dulces Glory (Q-59600).
Earning a whopping 227 to win the
$15,000 Novice was Sorta Smooth
(Q-79440), a son of Smooth As A Cat
(Q-78992) and Roosters Lil Darlin
(Q-60612), with Scott Campbell in
the saddle for owner Kirk Nicholson
from a field of 56 entries.
The Reserve Championship Title was
earned with a super 220 marking
run by the daughter of TR Dual
Rey (Q-59684) (IS) and Mia CDee
(Q-55965), EB S Flame Tree (Q-
78702), shown by Aaron Wheatley
for owner Angus McKinnon. The son
of Sophisticated Catt (Q-58861) (IS)
and Leoetta The Lioness (Q-65546),
Alphacat (Q-77819) and owner Steve
Byrne marked a brilliant 218.5 point
run to finish third in the event.
Thursday the 22nd of March was
kicked off with the explosive $15,000
Non Pro Cutting featuring 34
exceptional cutting horses. Winning
the Championship Title was Emma
Stockdale showing the daughter
of Docs Spin N Tell (Q-38336) and
Roc N Missy (Q-31211), Marilyn
Monroc (Q-70063) with a brilliant
and impressive score of 218 points.
Sharing the Reserve Championship
with equal 217 marking runs were
Andrew Wrigley aboard GB Mrs
Gump (Q-76183) (Hard Hat Henry
(Q-67747) (imp) and A One Jays
Buckle Bunny (Q-56130) and
Matthew Caban showing EB S
Mainline (Q-73237), a son of Lectric
Playboy (Q-58451) and EB S
Mainstreet (Q-57671).
From a field of 30, Claire Byrne
showed her family’s exciting
Cutting horse, Alphacat (Q-77819),
to earn the incredible 222 winning
run and Championship Title in
the Rookies. Shelly Ruff showed
Metallictoy to earn the Reserve
Championship in the Rookies with a
skillful 216.5
run.
The Novice Non Pro event kicked off
the cutting action on Friday the
23rd of March with a tremendously
exciting winning run by Ryder Yates
and Spins Tequila Doll (Q-73199)
(Docs Spin N Tell x Oaks Cello
Q-65438) that earned them an
amazing score of 223.5 points. With
another crowd pleasing run of 220
Julie Jones showing This Catifex
(Q-74882) (WR This Cats Smart
(Q-59319) x Angel Spin (Q-49528)
May • June • 2018 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 37