The $175,000-added Southern Cutting Futurity in Jackson, Miss. was in high gear on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 25 and 26, with four finals, including the Open Derby and the Open Futurity. In the Derby, riding 2016 NCHA Futurity Open reserve champion and 2017 NCHA Derby champion Sir Long Legs, Austin Shepard scored 224 points and realized his tenth Southern Cutting Futurity win. In the Open Futurity, Willie J Rey, a five-time limited age event open finalist under James Payne, scored 221 points to earn his first championship.
Shepard, who rides Sir Long Legs LTE $271,872 for Lew Hall, Highland City, Florida, won the 2016 Southern Cutting Futurity aboard Kual Lil Wendy LTE $48,540, a maternal granddaughter of Dual Kual LTE $96,136, who Shepard showed in 2000, to earn his first Southern Cutting Futurity win. As the sport’s #4 all-time leading NCHA open rider, Shepard has won championships in every major event, including the NCHA Futurity, Super Stakes and Derby. In addition to Sir Long Legs, Kual Lil Wendy and Dual Kual, he has also won Southern Cutting Futurity titles on Widows Intentions LTE $352,665 (2004); Like It That Way LTE $83,381 (2004); Cees Little Poo LTE $228,618 (2005); Starstruck Ichi LTE $104,302; Peppy Catalena LTE $92,384 (2010); Cats In Ya Dreams LTE $268,895 (2011); and Divas On Time LTE $167,495 (2013).
Sir Long Legs, also winner of the 2017 NCHA Derby, was sired by High Brow Cat out of Lil Lena Long Legs $189,672, by Smart Little Lena.
Southern Futurity reserve champion 4-year-old Desires Some Time LTE $69,576, by One Time Pepto, was the Open Derby reserve champion with 219.5 points under Lee Francois, who showed the red roan mare’s dam, Reys Desire LTE $393,766, to win the 2010 NCHA Super Stakes. Desires Time was bred and is owned by Woody Bartlett, Pike Road, Ala., who also owned and bred her dam and granddam Playguns Desire LTE $124,352.
Open Derby third-placed finalist Reyvinmetallicat LTE $43,277 was shown by James Payne for Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla. The red roan mare, who also won the West Texas Futurity Open Novice division under Payne, is a daughter of 2017 leading sire Metallic Cat.
Open Futurity champion, with 221 points, and Open Gelding champion Willie J Rey LTE $25,710, is a gelded son of Dual Rey owned by Charlie and Denise Seiz, Cedartown, Ga. Willie J Rey has been an open finalist in the 2017 West Texas Futurity and the Cotton Stakes with Payne, as well as a West Texas Futurity Non-Pro finalist with Denise Seiz.
Reserve champion Thommo LTE $16,374, by Thomas E Hughes, scored 217 points for reserve under NCHA Hall of Fame Rider Craig Thompson, Thompson bred and owns Thommo with his wife Sasha, who showed the gelding to win the 2017 Cotton Stakes Non-Pro Ltd.
Three horses tied and split third through fifth places with 216.5 points: A Little Wild Cat, by Boon A Little, shown by Dell Bell for Lisa Crossen, Era, Tex; Cornfucius, by Auspicious Cat, shown by Paul Hansma for Gary and Michelle Reichar, Frankton, Ind.; and Metallic Smooth Cat, by Metallic Cat, shown by Lee Francois for Richard Carney, Kemp, Tex. A Little Wild Cat, the 2017 Cotton Stakes Open and Open Ltd. champion under Bell, also won the Southern Futurity Open Ltd.