Buffalo Ranch, Farmington, UT, announced today that they have purchased 2006 NCHA Futurity Open reserve champion Hydrive Cat from Dave and Georgia Husby (pictured on right with Clint Allen, and David Plummer, owner of Buffalo Ranch, on left), Weatherford, TX. The High Brow Cat son, winner of over $237,000, will continue showing under his trainer Clint Allen. Next spring, he will join the Buffalo Ranch-owned roster of stallions, including TR Dual Rey, Laredo Blue, Meradas Blue Sue, Highlightcat, and Lots Of Acres.
“He had been on our radar for some time and when we approached the Husbys about buying him, things went smoothly,” said Shane Plummer, president of Buffalo Ranch. “Dr. Lea Arnold has test bred and flushed seven recipient mares with his frozen semen and retrieved six embryos, showing his potency and excellent semen quality.”
According to Plummer, Hydrive Cat also tested negative through the newly available test to determine if a horse is a carrier of the genetic disease HERDA.
The Husbys purchased Hydrive Cat at five days of age from Esperanza Ranch, which bred the colt and his Color Me Smart-sired half-brother, Ruby Tuesday’s Color, a 2003 foal also out of Ruby Tuesday DNA. “I heard they were selling the babies and I had my choice,” said Georgia Husby, 2001 NCHA Futurity Amateur reserve champion on CD Royalty. “We owe a lot of credit to Winston Hansma and Rodie Whitman because they went over to Colleen Holt’s (broodmare operation) and chose this one for us.
“I also can’t imagine a better person to have trained this horse than Clint Allen,” Husby added. “He’s done an amazing job. They’re a great team and Clint loves the horse as much as we do.”
In addition to his NCHA Futurity title, Hydrive Cat was reserve champion of the Memphis Futurity, as a well as third-placed in the Abilene Spectacular and a finalist in the Bonanza Cutting and the Cotton Stakes. Ruby Tuesdays Color, ridden by Matt Budge for Jackpot Ranch and the earner of $70,000, was also an NCHA Open Futurity finalist, as well as an Open finalist at the Memphis Futurity and the South Point Futurity.
Buffalo Ranch also owns Hydrive Cat’s 4-year-old full brother SDP Buffalo Bill, earner of $25,500 and ridden by Greg Smith as a finalist in four limited age events.
Ruby Tuesday DNA, the earner of $218,916, is out of the all-time leading producer Playboys Ruby, with offspring earnings of more than $1.5 million.