It was payday for Brazos Bash Open finalists on Sunday and Monday at Silverado Arena in Weatherford, Tex. Tears From Heaven earned 222 points under Michael Cooper on Sunday to score the championship and $20,000 for Rose Valley Ranch, while PG Heavily Armed and James Payne marked 227 points on Monday to earn $20,000 for Michael and Beverly Armstrong, along with the Classic championship.
Also on Monday, Cool N Hot, under Kobie Wood for Paula Wood, and Rollz Royce, with Beau Galyean for Thomas Guinn, tied for the Derby win with 225 points and $19,000 apiece.
Dual Pep daughter Tears From Heaven was reserve champion of the West Texas Futurity Open, as well as a Cotton Stakes finalist under Matt Miller. She is a half-sister to Suen You Will See LTE $163,778. In addition to Tears From Heaven, Michael Cooper also showed Judgement Day LTE $117,037, by High Brow Cat, as a finalist for Rose Valley Ranch in the Brazos Bash Derby, and Ripping Ichi LTE $152,401, by Cat Ichi, as a finalist in the Brazos Bash Classic for E.J. and Audrey Huntley.
Futurity Open reserve champion and third-place awards went to Stunner Cat, by Metallic Cat, and CDs Kual Gun, by High Brow CD, with 217 and 215.5 points, respectively. Stunner Gun, shown by T.J. Good for JLC Performance Horses, previously placed as a finalist in the Idaho Futurity. CDs Kual Gun, owned by Jim Vangilder and shown by Matt Gaines, won the Idaho Futurity and was reserve champion of the El Rancho Futurity.
Cool N Hot, leader in 2018 NCHA earnings, with $230,957 , strengthened his bid for the title of 2018 NCHA Horse of the Year with his Brazos Bash co-championship. The Hottish son, bred by Paula Wood, won the NCHA Super Stakes Open with Kobie Wood, and claimed the Bonanza Open and Non-Pro championships with Kobie and Paula, respectively. He also won the Open division of The Open & Non-Pro Cutting this summer with Sean Flynn on board. He has career earnibgs of $266,520.
Rollz Royce LTE $144,604, a Dual Smart Rey son shown by Beau Galyean for Thomas Guinn, won the West Texas Derby Open with Galyean, as well as reserve championships in the NCHA Super Stakes, Ike Hamilton Derby, and Cattlemen’s Derby. In addition to showing Rollz Royce, Beau Galyean was also a Brazos Bash Classic finalist riding Bet Yer Metallic, by Metallic Cat, for Jeff Neidhart.
One Alley Cat LTE $94,083, third-placed in the Brazos Bash Derby with 221 points under Cullen Chartier, won the Abilene Spectacular Open early this year with Chartier, and also placed third in the Cotton Stakes Open. The High Brow Cat son also carried owner Hilary Watson to place third in the NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Unlimited.
PG Heavily Armed LTE $218,507 has been shown throughout his career by James Payne, for Michael and Brenda Armstrong. The six-year-old Playgun son also won this year’s NCHA Classic Challenge and was a finalist in the Super Stakes Classic. James Payne also showed The Golden Shot, sired by WR This Cats Smart, and Hot Revolver, by Spots Hot, as finalists in the Brazos Bash Derby for owner Kathleen Moore.
Brazos Bash Classic Open reserve and third-place awards went to CR Gotcha Covered and Second Spot, with 223.5 and 223 points, respectively. CR Gotcha Covered LTE $212,190, sired by Dualin Boon and shown by Tarin Rice for Joel Colgrove, has been a finalist in seven limited age events, including the Non-Pro Open, where he claimed the reserve championsip.
Second Spot LTE $321,912, by Spots Hot, won the 2016 NCHA Futurity Open with Matt Gaines and is shown for owners Gary and Shannon Barker by Lloyd Cox. Her seven other Open limited age event finals with Cox include the West Txeas Futurity Classic, where she was reserve champion.