July 24, 2018, Denver, Colorado

Louis The Cat and Casey Crouch scored 222 points on Sunday to win the 24-horse finals of the TransWest NCHA Western Nationals $25,000 Novice division. He Deals and Curry Diehl earned reserve with 221 points, while Playin Heavy Metal and Logan Ginkens placed third with 219 points.

Louis The Cat is owned by Amy and Mike Delange and Rick Dubay, Fort Gratiot, Mich. The 9-year-old son of High Brow Cat, with career earnings of $213,371, placed first in the 2017 NCHA $25,000 Novice World standings under Crouch, and first in the 2017 NCHA $25,000 Novice Non-Pro World standings with the Delange’s son, Tyler. He was also reserve champion with Tyler in this year’s NCHA Eastern Nationals $35,000 Non-Pro.

Louis The Cat is a full brother to Louellas Cat LTE $302,483 and Cattalou LTE $295,057, as well as half-brother to Movin Downtown LTE $334,523. The siblings’ dam, Louella Again, by Dual Pep, is a leading producer, with 13 NCHA earners of $1,478,776.

Trainer Casey Crouch, Corsicana, Tex., is the NCHA earner of $1,045,872. On Saturday, his son, Chaser, won the Western Nationals Senior Youth championship.

He Deals is owned by his breeders, Frank and Ora Diehl, Ruskin, Fla., the parents of Curry Diehl, and the owners of the gelding’s sire, Dealnwithacoolcat. In addition to 5-year-old He Deals LTE $17,775, Dealnwithacoolcat is also sire of Smart Dealin, who Curry also showed as a finalist in the $25,000 Novice finals, as well as of Stinky Deal and Dealiteful, who qualified for Monday’s $5,000 Novice finals.

Curry Diehl, Winauma, Fla., is the NCHA earner of $621,381. In 2017, he showed He Deals to place third in the Augusta Futurity Open and as a finalist in the Non-Pro Plus Open.

Playin Heavy Metal is owned by David Patee, Dakota Dunes, S.D., also the owner of Miss Priss Pepto, who Logan Ginkens showed to place fourth, with 218 points, in the $25,000 Novice finals. Sired by Metallic Cat, 7-year-old Playin Heavy Metal LTE $104,988, was a limited age events open and non-pro finalist with John Mitchell, Sean Flynn, and Nelson Knight.

Logan Ginkens, Anthon, Iowa, is the NCHA earner of $252,023. He was an open finalist (sixth) at last year’s NCHA Denver Nationals with Highrey Cat, who he also showed as a finalist in this year’s NCHA Western Nationals $25,000 Novice finals for owner Paul Pietz, Lakefield, Minn.