Reys Desire, reigning champion of the 2010 XTO Energy NCHA Super Stakes with 224 points, claimed the 5/6-year-old division of the event this year with 225 points Sunday evening.
“No question about it, she’s the best horse I’ve had to ride,” said Lee Francois, who shows the 5-year-old Dual Rey daughter for her breeder, H.B. “Woody” Bartlett, Pike Road, Alabama.
“I felt like I had a good chance, if I could just get something cut.”
Reys Desire drew up first in the second set, after Prime Time Kat and Clint Allen topped the first set with 219.5 points.
“You always worry a little bit cutting a cow,” said Francois. “But I’m real comfortable after I drop my hand on her because she’s in control then. She just makes me comfortable, when it’s her time to take over.”
Francois and his wife, Holly, also celebrated their eighth anniversary on Sunday.
Reys Desire earned a payout of $50,000 for the win and has NCHA lifetime earnings of $289,041.
Special Nu Baby and Matt Gaines, next-to-last in the finals work order, scored 222.5 points to claim the reserve championship.
A Little Bossy and R.L. Chartier, the last to work, scored 220.5 points for third place.
“I felt like when I quit my second cow I had a shot, if I cut something good,” said Gaines, who shows Special Nu Baby, by Dual Rey, for Gary and Shannon Barker, Madill, Oklahoma.
“I didn’t have time to dig for the cow I wanted to cut, so I went with another that was still fresh. You take a shot. Still second is not too bad.
“You can cut a lot different kind of cattle on this mare and still have a shot to win. She’s going to try her guts out every time.
“She’s so much like her mother that way.”
Special Nu Baby, who began her career as a 2009 NCHA Futurity Open finalist; who won the Pacific Coast Stakes and was reserve champion in four other major events in 2010, is out of Nu I Wood, who Gaines showed to win the Super Stakes Classic, as well as five other major events and over $405,000.
Special Nu Baby is half-sister to Special Nu Kitty, NCHA earner of $280,908, owned by Wrigley Ranches and ridden by R.L. Chartier
A Little Bossy, also owned by Wrigley Ranches and shown by Chartier, is sired by CD Lights. Chartier was the only rider to qualify three mounts for the 25-horse Super Stakes Classic finals: A Little Bossy and Smart Moria Boon, owned by Wrigley Ranches, and Smart Kitty RG, owned by Ralph Gray.
Smart Kitty RG was scratched prior to the finals due to an injury.
See complete results.