On Wednesday, July 19, Fancy Rey, shown by Chris Hanson, and Ichis My Choice, with Grant Setnicka, tied with 222 points, the high score from the second go-round of the 2017 NCHA Classic Challenge Open, where a cumulative score of 435 points from the first and second round advanced 26 horses to the Finals.
Littlemak, with 221.5 points in the second go-round under Jon Burgess, claimed the high cumulative with 440.5 points, while Ichis My Choice, with Setnicka, and Play Miss Boonsmal, under Eddie Flynn, were second-highest with 440-point cumulatives, and Metallic Rebel, who won the first go-round with 223 points under Beau Galyean, tallied 439.5-points.
Grant Setnicka also scored 221.5 points in the second go-round on Texas Holy Cow Performance Horses-owned Metallic Mistress LTE $120,922, by Metallic Cat, to advance with 438 points, and qualified with a third mount, the 5-year-old Dual Rey son Two Time Dual LTE $103,380, owned by Jimmy Baros, Blanco, Tex. Setnicka was the only rider to qualify three horses for the Finals.
Ichis My Choice LTE $299,194, owned by J Five Ranch, Weatherford, Tex. and sired by Cat Ichi, made her mark with Setnicka as the 2016 NCHA Open Horse of the Year. She won or placed that year as a 4-year-old in 18 major events, including the Breeders Invitational Open championship, the NCHA Super Stakes Open reserve championship, and with J Five Ranch owner Constance Jaeggi, as the Pacific Coast Derby Non-Pro champion. Jaeggi purchased Ichis My Choice at two for $300,000, in the Western Bloodstock NCHA Futurity Sales.
Fancy Rey LTE $96,631, by Dual Rey, is owned by Charles Burger, Chatsworth, Ga. The 6-year-old mare was a limited age event open finalist in five major events under Wesley Galyean, who showed her in the 2014 NCHA Futurity; Chris Hanson took up the reins mid-year in 2016 and has since shown her in three major finals. Hanson, who won the 2014 NCHA Futurity Open Limited on Metallic Mandy, is the NCHA earner of $577,822.
Littlemak LTE $81,486, by Starlights Gypsy, is owned by Anderson Cattle Co., Victoria, Tex., also the owners of The Reyl McCoy, who qualified for the Classic Challenge Open Finals with a cumulative of 438.5 points under Tate Bennett. Jon Burgess, NCHA earner of $764,087, showed Littlemak to win the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Open Limited, the NCHA Derby Open Limited, and the Southern Futurity Open Limited. Steve Anderson, owner of Anderson Cattle Co., also showed the four-year-old gelding to win the 2016 Waco Texas Futurity Non-Pro championship.
Play Miss Boonsmal LTE $75,444, a 5-year-old Peptoboonsmal daughter owned by Danny Jones, Alberta, Can., was reserve champion of the 2017 Breeders Invitational Open Classic with Eddie Flynn, as well as third-place finalist in the 2017 Bonanza Classic, and a finalist in the Cattlemen’s Open Classic. Danny Jones has also shown her this year as an amateur finalist in four major events, and was fourth on her in the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Unlimited Amateur.
Eddie Flynn is an NCHA Hall of Fame Rider with earnings of $2,580,965. He won both the 2005 and 2006 NCHA Classic Challenge on Boon San Kitty LTE $498,188, as well as the 2006 NCHA Derby on Stylish Baby Doll LTE $193,587, and the 2000 NCHA Derby on BR Instant Replay LTE $158,806.
The NCHA Summer Spectacular continues tomorrow morning with the first go-round of the Non-Pro and Limited Non-Pro. The Classic Challenge Open Finals will be held on Saturday, July 22, following six sets of the NCHA Derby Amateur and Unlimited Amateur first go-round.