When 15-year-old Sheridan Clark, Weatherford, Tex., won the Limited Non-Pro Finals of the Lucas Oil NCHA Super Stakes Classic on Sunday, April 5, she became the youngest member of an elite club. Only 12 other riders have won three or more championships in major NCHA Triple Crown divisions on a single horse. And all but two of them are professional trainers.
Clark and Meradas Puddy Cat marked 225 in the Super Stakes Classic for a championship title to add to their previous Limited Non-Pro titles in the 2013 NCHA Futurity and the 2014 NCHA Derby.
Triple Crown winners Bill Freeman (Smart Little Lena, 1982-83), Joe Heim (Docs Okie Quixote, 1983-84) and Tag Rice (Chiquita Pistol, 2002-03) are Clark’s most obvious predecessors. Here are others who have won three or more championships at NCHA Triple Crown events on a single horse:
- The late Greg Welch won the 1991 NCHA Futurity, 1992 NCHA Derby and 1993 NCHA Classic on Little Tenina.
- All-time leading rider Phil Rapp won three Open and three Non-Pro championships in Will Rogers Coliseum on Tap O Lena in the mid-1990s.
- Sandy Bonelli won four Non-Pro and two Open titles on Shakin Flo a few years later.
- Boyd Rice has the most Open wins in WRMC on a single horse, Third Cutting, taking the NCHA Super Stakes, NCHA Derby, NCHA Super Stakes Classic and NCHA Classic Challenge.
- Roger Wagner won the NCHA Derby, Super Stakes Classic and Classic Challenge on Stylish Martini.
- Skip Queen and Sister CD were Non-Pro Champions in the Super Stakes and Super Stakes Classic, and also won the Open Super Stakes Classic.
- Tate Bennett put together a hat trick in the John Deere Limited Open Division with Reyn Maker in the NCHA Derby, Super Stakes and Super Stakes Classic.
- Patrick Collins and Oh Cay Felix won Amateur titles in the NCHA Futurity and Super Stakes Classic, as well as the Limited Non-Pro at the NCHA Classic Challenge.
- Mica (Motes) Chartier won the Non-Pro Super Stakes Classic, and the Limited Non-Pro Super Stakes Classic and Classic Challenge on SL Jaybird.