In less than a month, Oxbow Ranch’s Louellas Cat and Lindy Burch have claimed three major victories in three states, earning nearly $30,000.
The streak started with SouthPoint Classic finals in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 24, and continued with the Idaho Classic in Nampa and the Mercuria NCHA World Series finals at El Rancho Futurity in Rancho Murieta, California on September 14.
Burch marked 222 on Louellas Cat at SouthPoint, to earn $12,000, and also took the reserve championship and $9,000 with Teddy Price’s Smoothee.
She followed that with a 223 in Idaho, earning more than $9,000 for her three-point win over Lil Shorty Rip, ridden by Deena Edmonston for Stix Cattle Co.
At El Rancho Futurity, she led the go-round of the Mercuria NCHA World Series with a 225, then came back with a 229.5 in the finals to beat Todd Bimat on Jerry and Kathy Erwin’s Royalty Smart Cat by two and a half points, earning more than $8,500. Watch the video.
Bred by John Harrah, Louellas Cat is a 5-year-old by High Brow Cat out of Louella Again, a mare whose offspring are about to pass the $600,000 mark in earnings.
On top of her latest three-win string, Louellas Cat is holding second place in the 2012 NCHA World Standings and has total lifetime earnings of more than $170,000. She Burch’s chosen mount in last year’s prestigious NCHA Futurity Champions Cup.
Barnes wins Mercuria Non-Pro finals
Jeff Barnes marked 225 on his homebred gelding Spookys Cat Deville to win the Non-Pro finals of the Mercuria NCHA World Series at El Rancho Futurity over World Champion Dan Hansen on Woody Be Lucky. Watch the video.
Spookys Cat Deville is a 9-year-old son of High Brow Cat out of Barnes’ million-dollar producer San Starlight, a Grays Starlight mare whose offspring include Spookys Cash ($284,000), Spookys Smarty Pants ($230,000), Spookys Catmando ($165,000) and Spookys Cat Deville ($167,000).