Cody Hedlund Conquers Classic/Challenge Non-Pro

The Breeder’s Invitational (BI) Classic/Challenge Non-Pro finals, held Saturday, May 16, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, featured 21 talented duos, including Champions Cody Hedlund and Meteles Cat. As the second pair in the draw, they marked a 225 to earn the win.

This championship marks the second successful year at the BI for Hedlund, of Acampo, California, and Meteles Cat (Metallic Cat x Teles Lies x Lenas Telesis), bred by Hedlund’s father, Rock Hedlund. In 2014, the duo finished as Derby Non-Pro Reserve Champions.

“That was probably one of the best runs I have had on him,” Hedlund said of his Classic/Challenge Non-Pro finals performance. “He’s just so smart about a cow and never gives up his quickness.”

Hedlund and Meteles Cat earned a check worth $16,417. Hedlund now boasts an Equi-Stat record of $545,910, while his 5-year-old stallion’s lifetime earnings total more than $170,000, according to Equi-Stat.

The Classic/Challenge Non-Pro Reserve Championship went to Brandon Dufurrena and his homebred mare, Purple Reyn (Metallic Cat x Miss Ella Rey x Dual Rey). The duo scored a 222 and brought home $14,214 in earnings.

Metallic Cat Becomes An Equi-Stat Elite $3 Million Sire

Metallic Cat’s reputation as a sire is growing by leaps and bounds, right alongside his offspring’s earnings. At the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes, which took place March 26-April 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, the stallion’s get surpassed the $3 million mark in a big way. Forty-three horses earned paychecks totaling $553,926, taking Metallic Cat’s Equi-Stat offspring record to $3,534,526.

Metallic Cat’s 2015 NCHA Super Stakes performers were led by Pedaltothemedal (out of Fairlea Magnolia Gal x Colonel Pic). Pedaltothemedal won the Gelding Open Championship and finished 11th in the Open finals under trainer Beau Galyean, whose wife, Ashley Galyean, piloted the horse to the Gelding Non-Pro Championship and the Non-Pro Reserve Championship. Pedaltothemedal walked away with total show earnings of $66,173.

Also at the NCHA Super Stakes, Lindy Burch rode Oxbox Ranch’s Adelle (out of Play Peek A Boon x Freckles Playboy) to a third-place finish in the NCHA Super Stakes Open, banking $38,747 between the semifinals and finals. DB Little Cat (out of Mates Little Cokette x Smart Mate) and Sheridan Clark were second in the Limited Non-Pro and fourth in the Non-Pro, earning $29,329. Metallic Manziel (out of Smart Look N Pepto x Peptoboonsmal) and Tag Rice were Reserve Champions in the Gelding Open and 16th in the Open, banking $29,261.

In all, 20 horses sired by Metallic Cat earned more than $10,000 each at the NCHA Super Stakes. The red roan stallion finished as the show’s leading sire, according to the NCHA.

Owned by Alvin and Becky Fults, of Amarillo, Texas, Metallic Cat’s first foals competed in 2014. Halfway through the season, “Denver” became only the second cutting stallion in history – One Time Pepto was the first – to top $1 million in offspring earnings with his first crop of performers. By the end of 2014, Metallic Cat had surpassed the $2 million mark, with 105 money-earners accumulating $2,027,976. Less than five months later, he’s added another $1.5 million to that total, with 144 money-earners averaging $24,545.