Cody Gann of Leighton, Ala., came into the Holy Cow Performance Horses Junior Youth World Finals with a lead in the World Standings. Riding Hevvy Metal, he extended that lead by winning two working rounds, plus the non-working cumulative round, to take both the World Finals and World Championship.
In the World Finals, they marked 218.5 / 221 / 220 for a total of 659.5. That gave them an 8-point lead over Jade Mitchell for the non-working finals, and 18 points for the show to lead Jade by 7 points for the show championship.
In the World Standings, Gann finished the year with 136 points, 11 ahead of Reserve World Champion Lyndi Polk on Dual Smart Dee Jay.
During the regular season, Gann rode Hevvy Metal, My Pepto Jewels, and Tronas Chex to earn points at 46 shows. In the World Finals, he stuck with Hevvy Metal, owned by Jerry and Patti Gann.
Bred by Cindy Smith, Hevvy Metal is 9-year-old Metallic Cat gelding out of Dual Nurse, a mare whose offspring have earned more than $500,000 in NCHA and reined cowhorse competition. Smith won the NCHA Non-Pro World Finals on Dual Nurse back in 2003.
Cody Gann and Hevvy Metal also won the Junior Youth Championship at the NCHA Eastern Nationals this spring.
Consistency was the key for Jade Mitchell of Perrin, Tex., the reserve champion of the World Finals. She and TOF Smooth Operator were the only team besides Cody Gann and Hevvy Metal to earn points in every round, with scores of 217 / 220 / 214.5 / 651.5.
Bred by Vick Pannell and owned by Slate River Ranch, TOF Smooth Operator is a 7-year-old gelding by Smooth As A Cat out of Rio CD Yadayadayada, making him a three-quarter brother to NCHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion Yadacat.
Jade Mitchell is the daughter of Hall of Fame Rider John Mitchell and Non-Pro Hall of Famer Hope Mitchell. Hope was the NCHA Youth World Champion in 1993. Jade also won the Junior Youth World Finals two years ago, riding Junie Wood.
Reserve World Champion Lindi Polk of Edwards, Miss., won the first round of the World Finals with a 222.5, the high score of the show, on Dual Smart Dee Jay. During the season, she also earned points on Cat N The Woods and Freckles Half Acre, scoring at 45 shows.
She earned 8 points in the World Finals for third place in the show, and wrapped up the year with 125 points in the World Standings.
| NCHA Junior Youth World Finals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CODY GANN | HEVVY METAL | 18 |
| 2 | JADE MITCHELL | TOF SMOOTH OPERATOR | 11 |
| 3 | LYNDI POLK | DUAL SMART DEE JAY | 8 |
| 4 | WILL BUSHAW | VELVETS REVOLVER | 5 |
| 4 | JACK BELL | FED EXX | 5 |
| 6 | EMMA GRACE RAPP | REYZIN | 4 |
| 6 | BREANNA COLLIER | SMARTYS BOON | 4 |
| 6 | BARRETT FREELAND | HIGH BROW DOLL (P) | 4 |
| 9 | REAGAN GLENN | TF CATS REMEDY | 2 |
| NCHA Junior Youth World Standings (WF Horse) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CODY GANN | HEVVY METAL | 136 |
| 2 | LYNDI POLK | DUAL SMART DEE JAY | 125 |
| 3 | EMMA GRACE RAPP | REYZIN | 85 |
| 4 | BRINLEY LIPPINCOTT | PEPTOS JAZZY CAT | 64 |
| 5 | BARRETT FREELAND | HIGH BROW DOLL (P) | 60 |
| 6 | BREANNA COLLIER | SMARTYS BOON | 57 |
| 7 | WILL BUSHAW | VELVETS REVOLVER | 56 |
| 8 | MAKENZIE COWAN | LITE THESE KATZ UP | 52 |
| 9 | JOSCELYN PILCHER | CR SMART BOONSMAL | 50 |
| 10 | JACK BELL | FED EXX | 47 |
| 11 | JADE MITCHELL | TOF SMOOTH OPERATOR | 41 |
| 12 | FAITH SHOWALTER | STYLIN BOOGIE | 40 |
| 13 | MAKENZIE MEEHAN | I LIKE IT THIS REY | 38 |
| 14 | REAGAN GLENN | TF CATS REMEDY | 36 |
| 15 | FAITH KING | DESDE EL COMIENZO | 35 |
| 16 | LILY ERWIN | PLAYFUL HIGHBROW CD | 30 |