John Rockey, Palmdale, Calif., scored 218 points to win the 2018 NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur; Max Reed, Ozan, Ark., earned the reserve championship with 215 points; and Bobby Woods, Blanchard, Okla., scored 214 to claim third.
John Rockey, the NCHA earner of $269,468, claimed reserve championships this year in the NCHA Super Stakes Amateur and the NCHA Derby Unlimited aboard Dureyngo Kid. On Friday, riding Sweet Toothe, Rockey came gunning for a piece of the prize in the NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur and came away with the championship.
Sired by Kit Kat Sugar, Sweet Toothe, earned her first check in Tuesday’s NCHA Futurity Amateur Semi-Finals, and qualified for the Unlimited Amateur Finals with 210 points in the Semi-Finals. Her dam, One Sweet Sis ($94,925), by One Time Pepto, is out of Star Of The Flo, a full sister to Shakin Flo ($417,909), Non-Pro champion of the 1997 NCHA Futurity and the 1998 NCHA Super Stakes, as well as the 1998 NCHA Open Derby.
Max Reed, the NCHA earner of $32,134, drew his first check as a limited age event finalist, when he placed third in the 2010 Western Sports Amateur; and in 2016, he showed Shaken Not Stirred to place fourth in the Cotton Stakes Amateur and Amateur Senior divisions.
On Friday, Reed was aboard Classy Lookin Cat, by High Brow Cat, out of Classy Dualin ($128,446), the dam of three NCHA money earners, including Exclusive Thyme ($111,185), by One Time Pepto.
Bobby Woods, the NCHA earner of $92,110, was a finalist in the 2017 NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur Finals aboard Our Little Jack, a homebred half-brother to Our Little Hottie, by Hottish, Woods’ 2018 NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur mount. Our Lucky Lilpeppy, the dam of Our Little Hottie and Our Little Jack, is a half-sister to Our Little Dyno ($406,264), by Little Dyno.