Charles Russell Bushaw, Weatherford, Tex., scored 219 points on Friday, December 11, to win $28,679 as the 2020 NCHA Futurity McAlister Assets Amateur Unlimited champion. Bushaw was aboard the Hottish colt Hawk Falcon, who he also showed to qualify for the Non-Pro Limited Semi-Finals.
Ken Schultz, Sacramento, Calif., posted 217 points for the reserve championship and $25,702 riding Meytallic, by Metallic Cat, and Kristen York, Saratoga, Wyo., scored 216 points to place third and win $15,226 on Smart Smilen Rey. Ken Schultz and Meytallic had also won the Unlimited Amateur Semi-Finals with 218.5 points, on Monday.
The NCHA earner of $128,219, Charles Russell Bushaw won the 2018 NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited championship on Wood You See LTE $45,168, by Woody Be Tuff, and was a finalist in this year’s NCHA Senior Youth Finals riding Peptotoodie LTE $169,823, by Peptotime.
Hawk Falcon, owned and bred by Crown Ranch LP, Weatherford, Tex., is out of the Choice Acres daughter La Femme Nikita LTE $122,141, who won the 2007 NCHA Non-Pro World Finals with Traci Burgess. La Femme Nikita is the dam of five NCHA earners of $106,177, including La Déjà Vu LTE $55,131, by Cat Ichi.
Ken Schultz, earner of $375,129, has placed in the NCHA Futurity finals seven times, including in the Non-Pro, the Non-Pro Limited, the Amateur Unlimited, and the Amateur. Last year he showed the Dual Rey gelding TF Reysin Chex LTE $27,680 as an Amateur Unlimited finalist, and in 2018, he rode both Rockin Those Tricks LTE $57,724, by Rockin W, and Calvin Baloo LTE $107,532, by Lil Catbaloo, as Non-Pro Limited and Amateur Unlimited finalists.
Meytallic is the oldest foal out of the Dual Rey daughter Reys Of Starlight LTE $127,054, who was shown by Schultz in nine major limited age event finals, including the 2016 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic; Schultz and Reys Of Starlight also placed fourth in the 2019 NCHA World Finals.
Kristen York, the NCHA earner of $123,357, was an NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Limited finalist in 2019 riding Smoother Than U LTE $12,386, by Woody Be Tuff. Smart Smilen Rey, York’s 2020 finalist is a full brother to DBL Smart LTE $76,721, by Dual Smart Rey out of This Cats Smilen, by WR This Cats Smart.