The $2.3 million NCHA Summer Spectacular has been in high gear at Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth since July 12, but the high-dollar action begins tomorrow, Saturday, July 20, with the finals of the Open Classic Challenge.
Six-year-old Stylish Martini, who won the NCHA Super Stakes Classic in April, and 5-year old Katz Flash, tied with the high cumulative go-round score of 439 points from 24 contenders for the $391,000 purse. Last year’s Classic Challenge champion, Sarenadual, under James Payne, earned $42,000 for the win.
Docs Stylish Oak daughter Stylish Martini, shown by Roger Wagner for Dottie Hill, has official NCHA earnings of $326,159, while Purdy Boy Flash son Katz Flash, shown by Jason Clark for Darren Blanton, has $73,838, with the most recent earned as a finalist in the Abilene Spectacular.
Katz Flash won the first go-round with 224 points, the high score from both go-rounds. Cat Mom Do, shown by Matt Gaines for Reata Cutting Horses, was second highest with 222 points from the first round and earned the second-highest cumulative with 438 points.
Hottish, with Lloyd Cox for Dustin and Deena Adams, won the second go-round with 221 points and is one of two finalists for Cox, who also shows WR Jillaroo for Double G Cutting. Cox, Jason Clark and wildcard winner Grant Setnicka are the only riders to qualify more than one mount for the finals. Clark shows his own horse, Red N Boon Feather, as well as Short N Smooth, also owned by Blanton. Setnicka won the wildcard on Charles Burger’s Cat Belue, and also qualified on Charlie and Denise Seiz’s Cat Black I.
Finalist Thundercat, shown by Wes Galyean and tied on the bubble with six other horses at 433.5, topped all contenders in the Classic Challenge Non-Pro division with a cumulative of 438.5 points under owner Steven Feiner. Light N Lily, who scored 220 points under R.L. Chartier in the first go-round of the Open, qualified for the Non-Pro finals with Kaitlyn Larsen, while Reycy Moon also is a double qualifier with Sean Flynn and owner Gary Barker.
The Classic Challenge Non-Pro Finals will be held on Tuesday, July 23.
For details on the Open Classic Challenge finalists and their go-round scores, click here.