The 27th Annual Abilene Spectacular, the first major limited aged event of 2019, opened on Friday with the 5/6-Year-Old Open first go-round, where Cool N Hot, ridden by Kobie Wood, and Wood She B A CD, under Sean Flynn, tied with the top score of 222 points. Copperish, with Lloyd Cox, scored 221.5 points, the round’s second-highest mark.
Five-year-old Cool N Hot, 2018 NCHA Open Horse of the Year, owned by Kobie and Paula Wood and shown by Kobie, is the NCHA earner of $272,420. The Hottish-sired stallion, bred by Paula Wood out of her 2006 NCHA Non-Pro World Finals champion, Donas Cool Cat, won the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Open championship with Kobie, then placed as reserve champion of the 2018 Breeders Invitational under Sean Flynn, catch-riding for Kobie, who was recuperating from heart surgery.
In addition to his tying score on Wood She B A CD, by High Brow CD, Flynn also qualified for the second go-round with 218.5 points aboard Hott New Cowboy, owned by Bobby and Mary Jo Hawkins, Seguin, Tex.
Five-year-old Wood She B A CD, owned and bred by Grace Ranch, Jennings, La., came into the Abilene Spectacular with NCHA earnings of $866. A full sister to 5-year-old CD Wood LTE $25,352, Wood She B A CD is out of Wood She B A Nockout, a full sister to 2014 NCHA Open Horse of the Year Junie Wood $525,774 and to Woody Be Tuff $351,063, the sire of NCHA earners of over $3.1 million, including CR Tuff Lucy $379,774 and CR Tuff Hearted Cat $276,864, 2012 NCHA Futurity Open co-champion.
Six-year-old Copperish $188,329, owned by Jimmie Miller Smith, Geary, Okla., won the 2018 Abilene Spectacular under Lloyd Cox. The Metallic Cat daughter, bred by Double Dove Ranch, is out of Stylish Play Lena $264,474, a leading producer of NCHA earners of over $1.8 million, including 2015 NCHA Open Horse of the Year Smooth Talkin Style $293,232.
In addition to Copperish, Cox also qualified for the 30-horse second go-round with 220 points riding Nothing Elz Matters $87,993, sired by Metallic Cat and owned by Puryear Farms, Perry, Ga., and Blackish $93,024, sired by Hottish and owned by Julie Jarma, Weatherford, Tex., as well as with 216 points on Nineteen Ninty Nine $38,056, sired by Metallic Cat and owned by Kathleen Moore, Madill, Okla.
The $213,000 added Abilene Spectacular continues at the Taylor County Expo Center, Abilene, Tex., through January 10: www.gullyranch.com/events.html