There is no stopping 6-year-old Junie Wood, who claimed her ninth major open championship under John Mitchell last week in The Ike Classic and increased her official NCHA earnings to $498,111. The 228-point win was the second this year for 2014 NCHA Horse of the Year Junie Wood, owned by Slate River Ranch, Weatherford, Tex.

Sired by Nitas Wood, Junie Wood won the 2013 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro championship for her breeder, Craig Crumpler, who sold her to Slate River Ranch owner Glade Knight following Crumpler’s NCHA Futurity Non-Pro win. Knight showed Junie Wood in 2015 to win the Non-Pro Senior divisions of both the NCHA Classic Challenge and the Brazos Bash.

In other news from The Ike, Metallic Rebel scored 225 points to win the Open Derby championship with Beau Galyean, for Tom Guinn, Philadelphia, Miss. The red roan stallion was one of six Metallic Cat offspring in the 19-horse finals. As a group they earned $64,661 (Metallic Rebel’s winner’s share was $21,751) or 44 percent of the total 4-Year-Old Open purse of $147,937.

Galyean also showed fifth-placed Metallic Cat son Chrome Catillac to win the 4-Year-Old Open Gelding and 4-Year-Old Novice Horse divisions, and placed third in the Open Classic aboard Magic Metallic, for Fults Ranch, Amarillo, Tex., owner of Metallic Cat.

Amandas CD, winner of the 2016 Abilene Spectacular 4-Year-Old Open, took reserve in The Ike Open under Matt Miller. The High Brow CD daughter is owned by Chris and Tracy Brengard.

Meanwhile, 6-year-old Meteles Cat, by Metallic Cat, took home the biggest check from The Ike Classic with combined earnings of $29,466, as Non-Pro champion and Open reserve champion. Meteles Cat, official earner of $333,739, was bred and trained by Rock Hedlund and shown by his son, Cody Hedlund, in both divisions of The Ike.

NCHA limited age event competition continues on Wednesday, February 10 in Glen Rose, Tex. with the first day of competition in the $139,000- added Bonanza Cutting.
http://www.nchabonanza.com/