The cattle seemed testier on Tuesday than the first two days of the Open go-round, especially in the fifth bunch, where six horses lost cows — four in succession at the 2010 Borden Milk NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth.

“It was scary watching the first few,” said Chris Bates, who drew seventh in the sixth bunch aboard Grit And Grace for Iron Rose Ranch.

“We were a little indecisive going in there, but we cut what we wanted, until the last cow, and she shaped up good and we went with her.”

Grit And Grace earned 219 points, the day’s high score and the second-highest score from three days of competition. “She’s cowy and stops good and is easy to get along with. I’m lucky I got the chance to climb on a good horse and I’m lucky to work for Gary.”

Bates went to work for trainer Gary Gonsalves in Millsap, TX, six months ago. It was Gonsalves who trained 2009 NCHA Futurity champion Rockin W for Walton’s Rocking W Ranch; Tony Piggott showed the colt in the Futurity. Sired by One Time Pepto, Grit And Grace is out of Justa Smart Peanut, the 2002 NCHA Futurity Open reserve champion under Faron Hightower.

Sweet Lil Cat 007

Sweet Lil Cat 007, who scored 218 points under Roy Carter, has a license to feel at home in Will Rogers Coliseum. Her full brother, High Brow CD, won the 2007 NCHA Futurity with Austin Shepard, for Arthur Noble.

Bob Wendel, High Brow CD’s breeder, also bred Sweet Lil Cat 007. The mare is now owned by John and Nancy McCoy, Houston, TX, who purchased her as a yearling and asked Austin Shepard to train her.

Carter was catch-riding for Shepard. “I was really excited,” said Carter. “This is the first time I’ve caught for Austin. His horses are awesome.”

Carter traveled to Shepard’s home in Alabama to get accustomed to Sweet Lil Cat 007, and he met Shepard in Sulpher Springs, TX just before this show, to ride the mare again.

“I feel fortunate to be able to show a mare like this,” said Carter, who has ties to Sweet Lil Cat 007’s female family. He showed the stallion Smart Lil Scoot, a full brother to her maternal granddam, Sweet Lil Lena, who has produced eight NCHA money earners with average earnings of $83,123, including Pepto Taz, Sweet Little CD, and Sweet Lil Boo.

Suepercat

Suepercat and Russ Miller set a target with 217 points in the first of yesterday’s seven bunches. The score held top rank until Grit And Grace’s performance
midway through the sixth bunch.

“He works hard and the cow is important to him,” said Miller of Suepercat, a son of High Brow Cat. “The cattle had me a little bit worried because earlier they didn’t look at the horses. “But my help had their eye on some that worked for us.”

Miller trained Suepercat for Frank and Belinda Vandersloot, who bred him out of NCHA Horse of the Year and 3-time NCHA world champion Meradas Little Sue, an all-time leading producer of the earners of $998,000.

The Vandersloots have consigned a half-sister to Suepercat, by High Brow CD, to the Western Bloodstock Invitational Yearling Sale, to be held in John Justin Arena, on Tuesday, December 7.

Lil Miss Priss

Lil Miss Priss, bred, trained and shown by her owner, Tom Shelly, Los Olivos, CA, was one of seven horses to score 216.5 points on Tuesday.

“She’s just like her name — she’s a sweetheart,” said Shelly, who owned the mare’s sire, Peptozone, as well as her dam, Smart Hickorys Lena.
“Her mama was a nice mare,” he added. “But she broke her pelvis and I never got to show her.”

Shelly showed Peptozone, by Peptoboonsmal, as a semi-finalist in the 2002 NCHA Futurity, but didn’t continue on with him in major shows, and eventually
sold the horse, but retained some breedings.

“She’s never had a bad day yet and she tries every time,” said Shelly of Lil Miss Priss. “She’s real cow smart; she doesn’t do anything extra, but she’s always hanging in there.”

Shelly shows mainly on the West Coast, but he owned and trained Fannys Oskar, who tied as reserve champion of the 1982 NCHA Futurity with Chubby Turner.

The 1982 NCHA Futurity is most often remembered as the event that launched Smart Little Lena’s brilliant career. It was also the only Futurity with three reserve champions.

They were: Fannys Oskar with Turner; Sugs Gay Lady with Pat Patterson for Ware Ranch; and Taris Catalyst with Dell Bell for Spook Stream, all of whom tied with 223 points. Smart Little Lena won the event with 225 points — in the first of his Triple Crown victories. Docs Sugs Lady placed as reserve champion to Smart Little Lena in the 1983 Super Stakes; and Smart Little Lena tied Peppymint Twist, ridden by Buster Welch, for the championship of the NCHA Derby.