NCHA Youth competitor Makayla Cowan, Ardmore Okla., claimed the high mark of the Rios of Mercedes 4-Year-Old Amateur Semi-Finals with 218 points aboard Cattys Promise, on Monday, April 12, at the 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes. She also scored 216 points on Redneck Hillbillie to tie for the second-highest score with Trey Bullinger, Kentwood, La., on Blazer Lena Rey, and Kayla Norris, Sumrall, Miss., on Ginis Bama On Time.

Makayla Cowan won the 2020 NCHA Futurity Amateur championship on Redneck Hillbillie LTE $33,922, by Light N Lena, and she was an Amateur Unlimited Semi-Finalist there on Cattys Promise. The NCHA earner of $76,300, Makayla also won the 2019 NCHA Senior Youth World Finals and placed in the 2020 Finals riding Brinking Lights LTE $27,437, by CD Lights.

Cattys Promise LTE $2,776, bred by Cowan Ranch, Ardmore, Okla., and sired by Catty Hawk, is the first money earner out of the Smart Mate daughter Full Of Hope LTE $187,342, who Michelle Cowan, Makayla’s mother, showed to place third in the 2018 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic. Makayla’s younger sister Makenzie also qualified for the 4-Year-Old Amateur Finals with 214.5 points on Cowan Ranch-owned and bred Catty Lights LTE $14,657, by Light N Lena.

Trey Bullinger, the NCHA earner of $19,442, showed Blazer Lena Rey LTE $15,493 to win the 2021 Ike Hamilton Derby Intermediate Amateur and Limited Amateur. He also rode the Halreycious daughter, who was bred by Marvin Marmande, to claim reserve in the 2020 Cotton Stakes Non-Pro and Intermediate Non-Pro Futurity, and to place third in the 2021 NCHA Eastern Nationals $15,000 Amateur Finals.

Kayla Norris, the NCHA earner of $222,497, won the 2009 NCHA Super Stakes Amateur Classic riding Kula Gun LTE $103,205, by Playgun. She also placed in the 2012 and 2014 NCHA Super Stakes Classic Limited Non-Pro and the Super Stakes Limited Non-Pro, respectively, on Brickyard Cat LTE $63,899, by High Brow Cat, and homebred CD Kual Gun LTE $92,145, by High Brow Cat out of Kual Gun.

Norris’s most recent Super Stakes success was in the 2016 Non-Pro Finals, where she placed seventh on Kual Lil Wendy LTE $48,540, by High Brow CD out of Kual Gun.

The 2021 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes continues through Saturday, April 17.