First-round competition in the 7 Ranch NCHA World Finals got underway Friday, December 4 in the $5,000 Novice, $50,000 Amateur, $25,000 Novice Non-Pro and $15,000 Amateur in Fort Worth’s Watt Arena. The final round will be held Saturday.
Fresh from a win with Dawn Chapman in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro, Crispy Kreme came back with Hall of Fame Trainer Mike Wood to win the $5,000 Novice go-round with a 227. Smokin Smooth Dually, ridden by Tosten Peterson, was second with a 224, followed by Found My Dream, also shown by Wood, with a 220.5.
Crispy Kreme is a 7-year-old gelding bred by D & D Quarter Horses by Metallic Cat out of My Other Toys A Car. He brought earnings of more than $155,000, mostly in Non-Pro and Amateur competition to the World Finals.
In addition to leading the World Finals, he also has an unbeatable lead of more than $9,000 in the World Championship race.
Jim Vangilder of Weatherford, Tex. and Metallic Legacy scored 229 to lead the opening round of the $50,000 Amateur. Justin Rockey scored 225 on Metallic Tax for second place, and Alisha Southworth was third on Metallic Maria Rey with 221.5.
The win moved him $507 ahead of Terri Bauer at $36,124 in a battle for the Reserve World Championship. Rockey has the World Champion’s title sewn up, with $40,055 currently.
Metallic Legacy is a 5-year-old mrae by Metallic Cat out of Docs Stylish Legacy. She was reserve champion of the Pacific Coast Futurity with Gary Gonsalves in 2018, and has earned more than $103,000.
Vangilder, 74, was inducted into the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame in 2006, and built an enviable breeding program before taking an extended break from competition.
Goodlookinsonofaich and Duff Sinclair of Lipan, Tex. scored 225 in the $25,000 Novice Non-Pro for a one-point lead over Smooth Boo 012 and Lexington Brooke Slaughter. Almost Metallic, ridden by Colton Cogdell, was third at 222.5.
Goodlookinsonofaich is a 7-year-old gelding bred by William and Billie Aylesworth. He’s by Cat Ichi out of Sheza Skeeto Rey, with lifetime earnings over $107,000.
Sinclair has shown the horse to an Unlimited Amateur reserve championship at last year’s NCHA Classic Challenge, and has been a finalist with him at multiple major aged events.
Highbrow Nadine, ridden by Terry Moore of Valdosta, Georgia, holds a $920 lead over Emma Rey, ridden by Amanda Smith, in the race for the World Champion’s title. Lyricstosmoketo, ridden by Norman Clark, is also in the running, another $399 back.
Tia Harari of Scottsdale, Ariz. and Smart Lookin Cat scored 223 to lead the first round of the $15,000 Amateur division. Sharmon Huber and Metallic Oaks scored 219 for second. Splitting third were Susan Stoltz on Double Tuff and Pegeen Anderson on Ticking Time Bomb with 216s.
Smart Lookin Cat was bred by Dana Haefner by WR This Cats Smart out of Miss Katie Hancock. The 13-year-old gelding was the Limited Open champion of the 2010 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, and has earned more than $73,000 in NCHA competition. He’s been Top 10 in the NCHA World Standings in the $35,000 Non-Pro and $10,000 Novice divisions in the past.
Harari was an Amateur finalist in the 2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity and has been a finalist in bridle and hackamore classes in major NRCHA events. Her NCHA earnings stood at $16,613 coming into the World Finals.
Her Friday win brought her within $503 of the World Championship leader, Brian Moore of Scottsdale, Ariz., who is showing Rio Tazzy.