Bea Pure Cat set a high bar in the inaugural NCHA Scottsdale Nationals. The 8-year-old gelding, Open Co-Champion under Morgan Cromer on Friday, came back on the last day of competition to score 224 points and claim the Non-Pro championship for his owner, Jill Roth, Paso Robles, Calif.
Kim Adolf, Morristown, Ariz., winner of the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro championship on Athenitall, scored 223 points on Smooth Criminal Cat to earn the Non-Pro reserve championship, and Scott Maling, Scottsdale, Ariz., placed third with 220 points riding Smooth Flying (DNA).
Bea Pure Cat LTE $127,011, an 8-year-old gelded son of High Brow Cat, is a full brother to 2012 NCHA Futurity Open champion He Bea Cat LTE $356,219. Roth, the NCHA earner of $186,768, showed Bea Pure Cat last year as champion of the 2016 Mercuria NCHA World Finals $25,000 Novice Non-Pro and was World Champion of that division, as well. The pair also won the 2015 Pacific Coast 5/6 Amateur Unlimited, 5/6 Amateur Unlimited Gelding, and the 5/6 Amateur Unlimited Senior divisions.
Kim Adolf, the NCHA earner of $212,599, also showed 8-year-old Smooth Criminal Cat LTE $63,879 as a finalist in the Scottsdale Nationals $25,000 Novice Non-Pro division, while her husband, trainer Todd Adolf, showed the Smooth As A Cat gelding as an Open finalist.
Scott Maling, the NCHA earner of $174,900, placed fifth in the 2007 NCHA Futurity Amateur division riding Brows CD, a CD Olena son, who he also showed in the finals of seven other major limited age events. His 10-year-old Scottsdale Nationals mount, Smooth Flying (DNA), by Smooth As A Cat, earned $69,912 as an Open limited age event finalist under John Mitchell for Slate River Ranch.
Cathy Jackson $15,000 Amateur champion
Cathy Jackson, Oro Valley, Ariz., scored 219 points riding Catsblue Boon to win the $15,000 Amateur championship. Sherry Stryker, Loomis, Calif., claimed reserve with 215 points aboard Boot Scootin Bonnie, and Jody Gray, Cool, Calif., placed third with 211.5 points on Little Ms Magic.
Cathy Jackson, the NCHA earner of $13,240, also showed Catsblue Boon LTE $40,357 as a finalist in the Scottsdale Nationals $35,000 Non-Pro and placed fifth with the mare in last year’s NCHA Western Nationals $35,000 Non-Pro division. Eleven-year-old Catsblue Boon is by Duals Blue Boon and out of Genuine Gold Cat LTE $167,186, the 2004 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro champion under Hall of Famer Mary Jo Milner.
Sherry Stryker, with NCHA earnings of $7,373, also showed Boot Scootin Bonnie as a finalist in the $35,000 Non-Pro division. Boot Scootin Bonnie LTE $18,364, is an 11-year-old sorrel tovero mare sired by Olenas Bonnies.
Jody Gray, NCHA earner of $19,387, won the 2016 El Rancho Futurity Amateur championship riding Top Shelf Cat, and also placed as a Scottddale Nationals finalist aboard Little Ms Magic in the $35,000 Non-Pro division. Twelve-year-old Little Ms Magic LTE $31,749 is sired by Abrakadabracre.