Gianna Pietrafesco and Smokin Tap scored 222 points to top 22 finalists for the $35,000 Non-Pro championship of the  NCHA Denver Nationals, on Tuesday, June 27. Paige Morse scored 220 points on Exotic Ride to claim reserve, and Scott Miller placed third with 215.5 points riding Rio Wilson.

Smokin Tap and Gianna Pietrafesco, Elbert, Colo., had their first taste of success together in the NCHA Western Nationals in 2014, where they took reserve in the $2,000 Limited Rider division, and a month later won the 2014 NCHA Summer Spectacular Junior Youth Cutting. In 2015, the pair placed second in the NCHA $35,000 Non-Pro World Finals, one of 10 finals events in their tally.

Twelve-year-old Smokin Tap LTE $76,262, by Smokin Trona, was bred and trained by Phil Rapp out of Tap O Lena LTE $450,639, dam of leading producer Tapt Twice LTE $279,457/PE $1,346,503, and maternal granddam of Dont Look Twice LTE $824,546, cutting’s richest mare in terms of show earnings.

Pietrafesco is the NCHA earner of $40,098.

Paige Morse, Ogden, Utah, and Exotic Ride LTE $44,569 first connected in the 2015 Utah Futurity, where they earned reserve in the 4-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Finals. The following year, they claimed reserve in the event’s 5/6-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro and placed fourth in the Non-Pro division. Including their second-place finish in last year’s NCHA Western Nationals $35,000 Non-Pro and their recent Denver Nationals coup, Morse, the NCHA earner of $33,244, and Exotic Ride have earned four reserve championship titles.

Six-year-old Exotic Ride is a daughter of Im Countin Checks LTE $509,642 and out of Little Exotic Dancer LTE $82,522.

Scott Miller, Hershey, Neb., and Rio Wilson enjoyed their first success in the 2015 Western States Futurity, where they claimed the 4-Year-Old Amateur reserve title and won the Amateur Gelding division. Since then they have placed in three other limited age events, as well as last year’s $35,000 Non-Pro division of the NCHA Western Nationals.

Rio Wilson LTE $28,471 is by Bobs Hickory Rio and out of Lil Wilma LTE $58,485, by Wilsons Lil Freckles. Miller, who placed second in the 2014 Nebraska Futurity 4-Year-Old Non-Pro on DMAC Widowed, is the NCHA earner of $38,671.