July 21, Fort Worth, Tex.
PG Heavily Armed, shown by James Payne for Michael and Brenda Armstrong, Marietta, Okla., took no prisoners with a 229-point win on Saturday, in the NCHA/Metallic Cat Summer Spectacular Classic Challenge Open Finals. The Classic Challenge Open record high score of 230 points was marked by Third Cutting with Boyd Rice in 2010.
Metallic Smart Cat, shown by Matt Miller for Cynthia Villa, Chico, Calif., claimed the Classic Challenge Open reserve championship with 224 points, while Second Spot and Lloyd Cox placed third with 222.5 points for Gary and Shannon Barker, Madill, Okla.
Six-year-old PG Heavily Armed, by Playgun, served notice with a 224-point score in the first go-round of the Classic Challenge, which tied Copperish and Lloyd Cox for the top score of the round. In 2017, as a 5-year-old, he placed third in the Classic Challenge with 222 points.
This is a record third NCHA Classic Challenge win for James Payne, the NCHA Hall of Famer earner of $2,814,941. His first win came in 2012 aboard Sarendual, by Dual Pep, and his second in 2014 with Once In A Blu Boon, by Peptoboonsmal. Eddie Flynn and Roger Wagner are two-time Classic Challenge winners.
PG Heavily Armed, who earned $18,639 for his 2018 Classic Challenge win, has now earned more than $183,000. He was bred by Dick and Brenda Pieper, Marietta, Okla., who owned his sire, Playgun.
Five-year-old gelding Metallic Smart Cat LTE $108,981, by Metallic Cat, was reserve champion of the 2017 NCHA Derby, with 224 points under Matt Miller, and also won the Open Gelding division of the event. He also earned money as a finalist in the 2018 Cattlemen’s Open 5/6 Classic, as well.
Five-year-old Second Spot LTE $274,803, by Spots Hot, was bred by his owners Gary and Shannon Hall, and won the 2016 NCHA Futurity under Matt Gaines. In 2017, she was reserve champion of the Cotton Stakes 4-Year-Old Open under Lloyd Cox, and placed in the 2018 Abilene Spectacular 5/6 Open.
Second Spot’s dam is Reycy Moon LTE $209,363, by Cats Moonshine, and a half-sister to Pedel To The Metall LTE $188,402, out of Twice As Reycy LTE $194,141.
The 2018 NCHA/Metallic Cat Summer Cutting Spectacular continues daily through Aug. 5th. For live webcast and live scoring go to NCHAcutting.com.