Zack And Blue, ridden by Cody Lamont for Parri and Jerry Longworth of Scottsdale, Arizona, marked 222 on Friday to win the Open finals at the 6666 Ranch NCHA Western National Championships in Denver. Brian Anderson took the reserve title with a 220.5 on Sues So Smart for Bambi Gress of Ennis, Montana.
Bred by Jim Vangilder, Zack And Blue is by Mecom Blue out of Zacks Lena, a Zack T Wood mare that earned $135,000 and has produced the earners of $337,000, including Lena Rey Zack ($116,000).
Nine-year-old Zack And Blue has made over $107,000. He won his first Western Nationals championship in 2012 with Al Dunning in the $3,000 Novice. He has also been a finalist there three times with Parri Longworth in restricted classes, and with Cody Lamont in the $2,000 Limit Rider at the 2011 show.
Lamont showed Little Tazman in the $10,000 Novice finals at the Western Nationals in 2012, and took Smart Little Wood to the finals of that class this year.
In the Open, he marked 216.5 on Zack And Blue to tie for the third highest score behind Kenneth Platt’s on Bea Smooth Marie and Jerry Palmer on Niki Blue, who both marked 219 in the go-round.
In the finals, he drew mid-way through the first set to post his winning 222. That was worth an estimated $5,090.
Reserve champion Sues So Smart was bred by Frank and Belinda Vandersloot by 6666 Ranch stallion WR This Cats Smart, out of three-time World Champion Meradas Little Sue. Brian Anderson has shown the 8-year-old mare for earnings of more than $63,000.
$3,000 Novice
Also on Friday, Brian Anderson rode a three-quarter sister to Sues So Smart to the championship in the $3,000 Novice finals for Sharon Waggoner of Jackson, Wyoming. he marked 220 on the 5-year-old mare to win from PKR Big Mac, ridden by Jon Burgess, with a 217.5.
Bred by the Vandersloots, Sues So Smart is by High Brow CD out of $1.1 million producer Meradas Little Sue. The broodmare’s offspring include Boon Too Suen ($248,000), Goody Two Sue ($124,000), Sue You ($116,000) and Meradas Blue Sue ($112,000).
Anderson was a Pacific Coast Derby finalist on To High For Sue last year, and her win in Denver will take her earnings over $21,000. Besides his reserve championship in the Open on Sues So Smart, Anderson was also a $10,000 Novice finalist on Didges Smart Kitty at this year’s Western Nationals. His other major wins have included El Rancho Futurity, Calgary Stampede Futurity and Big Sky Futurity.
Reserve champion PKR Big Mac went over the $100,000 mark at Denver for Jon and Traci Burgess of Cleburne, Texas. Bred by Joann Parker, the 6-year-old Starlights Gypsy gelding is out of Justa Swinging Gal. PKR Big Mac also took the reserve title in the $10,000 Novice.
$2,000 Limit Rider
After placing 18th last year in the $2,000 Limit Rider finals at the NCHA Western Nationals, Cara Glaze of Scottsdale, Arizona, came back this year to win the whole thing by marking 218 on Cee Sophi Kat, earning an estimated $5,090. Gianna Pietrafeso was second with a 216 on Smokin Tap.
Cee Sophi Kat is owned by Gordan Roper of Scottsdale, Arizona, and was bred by Troy Randolph. The 6-year-old palomino mare is by Sophisticated Catt out of Little Billie Smart, by Smart Little Jerry. She was the Super Stakes Amateur reserve champion with Randolph in 2012 and also won the Cattlemen’s Derby Amateur title with him that year.
Glaze was a $2,000 Rider finalist on MLPepto Cat at Western Nationals last year, and placed third in the class at the Mercuria NCHA World Finals on Lena Rey Zack last winter.