Metallic Rebel and Beau Galyean took command on Monday, July 17, the first day of the 2017 NCHA Summer Spectacular, with 223 points in the Classic Challenge Open go-round. Peeptos Cat, under Paul Hansma, earned 222 points, the day’s second-highest score, while Dont Stopp Believin and Ruby Shadow Cat tied with 220 points ridden, respectively, by Phil Rapp and Jaime Snider.
Owned by Thomas Guinn, Philadelphia, Miss., and bred by Alvin Fults, 5-year-old Metallic Rebel LTE $279,197 claimed the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Open championship, one of four wins for the stallion this year from eight open major event finals. The Metallic Cat son, who won five major championships in 2016, currently ranks number one, with 381 points, in the count for 2017 NCHA Open Horse of the Year.
Beau Galyean also scored 219 points on Monday riding Metallic Rebel’s full sister, 6-year-old Magistic Moon LTE $132,252, owned by Jimmie Miller Smith and shown in amateur competition by Wade Smith, Geary, Okla. Galyean, an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider and the NCHA earner of $2,984,111, also showed Metallic Cat LTE $574,494, to win the 2008 NCHA Futurity.
Peeptos Cat LTE $71,317 is owned by Alexa Stent, Aledo, Tex. The 6-year-old Cat Ichi daughter was shown by Matt Gaines earlier this year as reserve champion of the Bonanza Open Classic and as a finalist in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Open. Gaines also showed the red roan, bred by Alexa’s parents, Peter and Nora Stent, as reserve open champion of the 2015 Southern Futurity. Alexa Stent bred Peepto Cat’s dam, Little Bow Peepto LTE $134,559, and showed her to place third in the 2011 NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro. Little Bow Peepto’s granddam, Bowman’s Fancy LTE $257,203, was trained and shown by Paul Hansma.
Paul Hansma, a member of the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame and earner of $5,983,669, won the 2005 NCHA Derby on Rockin By Choice LTE $313,077 and the 1994 NCHA Derby on home-bred Hicapoo LTE $446,712. Hansma also won the 2009 NCHA Classic Challenge on his own horse, Al Poocino $254,763, a maternal grandson of Hicapoo.
Dont Stopp Believin LTE $261,681, owned by Phil and Mary Ann Rapp, Weatherford, Tex., is by Dual Rey and out of Dont Look Twice LTE $824,546, cutting’s all-time richest mare. With open wins this year in the Augusta Futurity, the Cattlemen’s Derby and the NCHA Mercuria Houston World Series, as well as a fourth-place finish in the NCHA Super Stakes Classic, 6-year-old Dont Stopp Believin currently ranks fourth, with 240 points, in the running for 2017 NCHA Horse of the Year.
Phil Rapp, who won the 1994 NCHA Derby Non-Pro championship and 1995 NCHA Classic Non-Pro on Dont Stopp Believin’s third dam, Tap O Lena LTE $450,639, is cutting’s all-time leading money earner with earnings of $8,908,340.
Ruby Shadow Cat, owned by Michael Kemna, Valley View, Tex., also has close family ties to Rapp-owned and shown horses. Sired by Metallic Cat, 6-year-old Ruby Shadow Cat is out of Ruby Tuesday DNA, bred by Rapp and shown by Phil and Mary Ann Rapp to earn $208,455. Ruby Tuesday’s dam, Playboys Ruby LTE $262,441, carried Phil Rapp to win the non-pro championship of the 1991 NCHA Super Stakes, as well as the non-pro reserve championship of the 1991 NCHA Derby. Playboys Ruby is also a leading producer of the earners of $1,786,690, including eight performers who have each earned more than $100,000.
Jaime Snider, winner of the 2017 Pacific Coast Derby and the Abilene Spectacular Novice on Reysin Kittens LTE $71,000, has NCHA career earnings of $940,000. Mike Kemna has shown Ruby Shadow Cat this year to win the Arbuckle Mountain Non-Pro championship, as well as the Unlimited Amateur championship, and the Pacific Coast Derby Limited Non-Pro.
The 2017 NCHA Classic Challenge Open first go-round concludes on Tuesday, July 18.