It was has been “Juan” special week for Jordan Vaughn, Forsyth, Ga., who scored 222.5 points with Juan In A Million on Friday, March 13, to win the NCHA Eastern $5,000 Novice/Non-Pro championship, one day after he and his 7-year-old gelding claimed the $25,000 Novice/Non-Pro reserve championship. In addition, Vaughn placed third in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro Finals with 219 points on CR Tuff Catty Trey, by Woody Be Tuff.  Doug Secrest, New Albany, Ohio, claimed the reserve championship with 219.5 points aboard Desire A Third Cat, by Third Cutting.

Vaughn, the NCHA earner of $308,539, and Juan In A Million LTE $84,203, by Spots Hot, won five major limited age event championships in 2018 and 2019, and captured top money in many other non-working finals. Earlier this year, the pair also captured the Augusta Amateur All-Age Championship. In addition, Vaughn and 4-year-old CR Tuff Catty Trey LTE $31,115 claimed championship wins in the 2020 Augusta Futurity Non-Pro and the Amateur Finals.

Juan In A Million, bred by Patrick and Laura Collins out of Oh Miss Peacock LTE $104,607, by High Brow Cat, is a full brother to 2006 NCHA Open and Amateur champion Oh Cay Felix LTE $466,878, also bred by Patrick and Laura Collins, and shown in the NCHA Futurity by Craig Thompson and Patrick Collins.

 CR Tuff Catty Trey, bred by Arcese Quarter Horses out of ARC Catty Dual LTE $168,762, by Dual Pep, is a full brother to 5-year-old CR Dualin Out Tuff LTE $90,256, who placed third earlier this week under Austin Shepard in the NCHA Nationals $25,000 Novice Finals, and who is a half-brother to One Catty Cupid LTE $191,577, by One Time Pepto.

Doug Secrest, the NCHA earner of $126,644, rode Dual Smart Sherman LTE $30,168, by Dual Smart Rey, and Smooth Spyder Rey LTE $77,830, by Smooth As A Cat, as a five-time finalist at last year’s NCHA Eastern Nationals. He showed Smooth Spyder Rey as reserve champion of the $50,000 Amateur and to place seventh in the $25,000 Novice/Non-Pro. He also showed Dual Smart Sherman as reserve champion of the $5,000 Novice/Non-Pro, as well as a finalist in the $50,000 Amateur and the $25,000 Novice/Non-Pro.

Earlier this year, Secrest and 6-year-old Desire A Third Cat LTE $18,346 placed second in the Augusta Futurity 5/6 Non-Pro Intermediate Finals, and fourth in the Augusta Futurity 5/6 Non-Pro. Desire A Third Cat is the first of two NCHA money earners out of Desires Prissy Cat, a full sister to Thundercat LTE $302,762, Desires Katrina LTE $128,812, and Desires Kitty Cat LTE $118,149, among 30 NCHA money earners out of Desire Some Freckles LTE $188,990, a leading dam of NCHA money earners of over $1.5 million.

The 2019 NCHA Eastern National Championships continue through Saturday, March 14.