Ryann Packard, the leader going into this weekend’s Junior Youth World Finals, also leads 2017 NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro and Non-Pro Limited competitors who advanced to tomorrow’s second go-round. Riding Peptos Scootin Man, Ryann, 13, of Sun City, Kan., scored 221 points on Thursday, July 20, to top a field of 130 entries. Todd Quirk earned 219 points, the round’s second-highest score on Kattalyst, and five riders tied for third with scores of 218.5 points. Sixty-six entrants with scores of 210 points or higher advanced to the second round in the Non-Pro.

Ryann Packard placed fourth in the 2016 NCHA Top 15 Junior Youth standings and currently ranks first in 2017 standings with 177 points. Peptos Scootin Man LTE $26,206, a 5-year-old gelded son of Smart Lil Scoot, was one of eight horses, including Im Catmand LTE $252,096 and Sir Stylish Lizzy LTE $217,399, that Ryann rode in 57 shows to qualify for this year’s Youth World Finals.

Todd Quirk, Denham Springs, La., has shown Kattalyst this year to place third in the Ike Hamilton 5/6 Non-Pro, and was a  5/6 Non Pro finalist in The Pacific Coast Derby, where Adan Banuelos showed the 5-year-old Metallic Cat daughter to place fourth in the Open Finals. Quirk, the NCHA earner of $474,001, won the 2012 NCHA Classic Challenge Non-Pro Limited riding Cats In Ya Dreams LTE $268,895.

The five riders who scored 218.5 points were Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla., aboard 6-year-old Cherry  Peppers LTE $155,246, by One Time Pepto; Ashley Flynn, Weatherford, Tex., riding 5-year-old LHR Smooth James Rey LTE $93,303, by Dual Rey; Traci Burgess, Cleburne, Tex., on 6-year-old La Deja Vu LTE $33,397, by Cat Ichi; Joe Howard Williamson, Wichita Falls, Tx., riding Miz Savanah Ichi LTE $34,077; and Brandon Dufurrena, Gainesville, Tex., aboard 5-year-old Creyzy Train LTE $8,845, by Auspicious Cat.