Four divisions of the Mercuria NCHA World Finals were decided Thursday in Fort Worth’s Watt Arena, throwing the spotlight on Show Champions, as well as the World Champions of 2016.
In the $25,000 Novice class, Hevvy Metal and Todd Gann marked 223 to win the final round and the non-working finals, earning $4,287 for the World Finals title.
Bred by Cindy Smith and owned by Thomas Guinn of Philadelphia, Mississippi, Hevvy Metal is a 6-year-old gelding by Metallic Cat out of Dual Nurse, who has produced earners of $350,000.
Gann won the Congress and Southern Classics with Hevvy Metal this fall in addition to his Novice campaign.
For the year, Hevvy Metal wound up Reserve Champion to World Champion Mercedes Smoothe, ridden by Gavin Jordan for Reata Cutting Horses. Mercedes Smoothe earned $43,589 for the year to Hevvy Metal’s 26,426.
Linda Davies of Lloydminster, Alberta, and Cetas Ahoy Mate marked 222 on Thursday to win both the second round and the non-working round of the Mercuria World Finals, as well as the World Championship.
Cetas Ahoy Mate was bred by Mark Nelson by Smart Mate out of Cetas Lady, by Doc Quixote. The 13-year-old gelding has now earned more than $141,000.
Davies won the $15,000 Amateur on him at last year’s 6666 Ranch NCHA Western National Championships and she was also a finalist in that class at last year’s Mercuria NCHA World Finals. She made $16,628 for the year to win the 2016 World Championship in the $35,000 Non-Pro.
The Reserve title went to Kim Davis of Sacramento, California, with $12,425 on Boon Jovi, a 7-year-old Peptoboonsmal gelding.
Consistency paid off for Scoots Lead Free and Gilda Jackson of Paradise, Texas, in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro World Finals. They marked 215.5 and 217 to win the non-working finals and the World Finals championship with earnings of $2,185 at the show.
Scoots Lead Free is a 6-year-old gelding bred by Jeems Bayou Production Corp. by Scootin Boon out of Lead Free, by Doc’s Hickory. Lead Free was a Pacific Coast Futurity reserve champ with Tom Lyons back in 1990, and she has produced earners of $240,000.
Scoots Lead Free wound up the year with earnings of $19,593, good for third in the standings behind World Champion CT Desireable and Erin Bimat with $25,053; and Simply Bird and Ed Wold with $21,127.
Dalton Vicar of Scottsdale, Arizona, made a clean sweep in the $2,000 Limit Rider division, winning every round of the Mercuria NCHA World Finals as well as the World Championship. He marked back-to-back 223s at the show, riding Cat In White Nikes, an 11-year-old High Brow Cat mare owned by Dr. Gerald Dorros.
Vicar earned $15,256 for the year, to give him the World Championship over Brian Pearse from Sturgeon County, Alberta with $10,177