The heat was on in the 2017 Senior Youth Scholarship Cutting Finals, on Friday, July 28. In the first go-round, Kenli Marvin, Lauren Oehlhof and Regan Plendl posted scores of 220, 221 and 222, respectively and in ascending order, as the tension mounted.
In the end, it was Case Robertson, Farwell, Tex., who won the day. Showing midway through the last set, Robertson posted 224.5 points on Little Rey Whirlacat. Regan Plendl, Kingsley, Iowa, with 222 on Twistful Thinking, claimed the reserve championship, and Lauren Oehlhof, Norman, Okla., placed third with 221 points on Suen You Will See.
Case Robertson was a 2016 Senior Youth Scholarship finalist on Reymember That Cat LTE $100,043, by High Brow Cat, and a 2016 NYCHA World Finalist aboard Little Rey Whirlacat LTE $103,261. Owned by Lonnie and Barbara Allsup and trained and shown in open competition by Pete Branch, Little Rey Whirlacat also carried Marley Wood as a 2015 Senior Youth Scholarship finalist, and won the 2014 NCHA $15,000 Novice World Finals with Branch.
Regan Plendl placed in the 2017 NCHA Classic Challenge Unlimited Amateur Finals on Friday morning, riding Mr Metallic Rey, who she also showed to win the Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Non-Pro; the Unlimited Amateur 4-Year-Old Finals in The Non-Pro Cutting; and the Arbuckle Mountain 4-Year-Old Unlimited Amateur. Mr Metallic Rey, by Metallic Cat, was bred and is owned by Regan’s parents, Rick and Michele Plendl and will be shown in the Derby Open by Nick O’Dell.
Six-year-old Twistful Thinking LTE $268,669, by One Time Pepto, is owned by Austin and Stacy Shepard, and was shown by Regan’s fellow Senior Youth contender, Cade Shepard, as reserve champion of the 2014 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited, and as Non-Pro champion of the 2015 NCHA Super Stakes and 2015 NCHA Derby. Altogether, Twistful Thinking carried Cade as a finalist in 22 limited age events, including 11 championship wins and four reserves.
Lauren Oehlhof is a five-time NYCHA Summer Spectacular finalist. She placed third in the 2011 Junior Youth aboard WS Snicklefritz; was reserve champion in the 2012 Junior Youth riding RCC Skeet N Scooter LTE $192,795; showed WH Smart Pepto in 2014; and rode Tapt Out LTE $151,117 in 2015 and 2016.
Six-year-old Suen You Will See LTE $154, Lauren’s mount for the 2017 Scholarship Cutting, was shown by Michael Cooper as 2014 Futurity Open Finalist, and is currently owned by Ken Sitton. This year, Lauren also placed second in the $35,000 Non-Pro Finals of The Non-Pro, riding Intention Del Rey, and was a finalist in the Augusta Futurity 5/6 Unlimited Amateur on Dang Hot by Spots Hot.