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Cody Hedlund won the Non-Pro Showdown in Cowtown on Meteles Cat. Hart Photography.

It was a big win in more ways than one, for Cody Hedlund and Meteles Cat on Monday night, in the Non-Pro division of the inaugural Western Bloodstock NCHA Showdown in Cowtown. The 227-point score was Hedlund’s highest earned in a limited age event, and the winner’s purse of $35,000 hit a home run out of Will Rogers Coliseum.

“That’s a huge check with a huge number on it,” said Hedlund, who collected $16,417 for his Non-Pro win in the 2015 Breeders Invitational. “This (Showdown in Cowtown) is going to be a big deal and I hope they continue it.”

Steven Feiner and Lil Rattler placed second with 222 points to earn $22,000, while Kylie Rice and Master Mate scored 219 points for third and $20,000.

The Showdown in Cowtown was a concept suggested to NCHA by Western Bloodstock Ltd.’s Jeremy Barwick, an innovator in cutting horse marketing and sales.

Five-year-old Meteles Cat, by Metallic Cat, is now the earner of more than $220,000. In addition to his Breeders Invitational win, he also placed as non-pro reserve champion in the 2014 Breeders Invitational and NCHA Super Stakes, and won the PCCHA non-pro championship.

Six-year-old Lil Rattler, by Dual Rey out of 2005 NCHA Futurity champion Highbrow Supercat, also surpassed all of her previous non-pro earnings with her Showdown cache of $22,000. The lifetime earner of nearly $260,000, Lil Rattler’s biggest previous share of a purse came as fourth-placed open finalist in the 2013 NCHA Super Stakes, under Wesley Galyean.

“I was getting kind of nervous and I don’t usually get too nervous,” said Cody Hedlund, who drew last to work in the 12-horse field of the Non-Pro Showdown in Cowtown finals, where Feiner and Lil Rattler drew next-to-last. “With Steven having that run right before me, I wanted to make sure I had an aggressive run and they (judges) knew I was here.

“My help did an awesome job of keeping me calm and finding my cows.”

Meteles Cat was bred and trained by Hedlund’s father, Rock, who qualified for this week’s NCHA Derby Open Semi-Finals with 434 points on Twice As Smoothe. Meteles Cat is also a half-brother, out of Teles Lies, to Teles Bout This Cat LTE $223,509, by WR This Cats Smart.

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Adan Banuelos marked 226 on Pedel To The Metall to win the inaugural Western Bloodstock NCHA Showdown in Cowtown

It was Pedel To The Metall, with Adan Banuelos aboard, for a 226-point win in the 12-horse finals of the Western Bloodstock NCHA Showdown in Cowtown on Sunday, July 12, during the NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular. The win was worth $60,000 to the 4-year-old Metallic Cat son’s owner, Faith Mountain Ranch, Houston, Tex.

Reyzin, shown by Phil Rapp for Gale Force Quarter Horses, placed second with 223 points, and Junie Wood, with John Mitchell for Slate River Ranch, was third with 221.5 points. Six-year-old Reyzin, by High Brow CD, earned $39,500; five-year-old Junie Wood, by Nitas Wood, earned $26,000.

“He’s a real strong horse and has an insane amount of natural draw to him,” said Banuelos, who qualified for the finals with 222 points in the 59-horse go-round, held at Silverado Arena in Weatherford, Tex., and drew fourth to ride in the finals.

“I didn’t plan on coming to cut with that much time on the last cow,” Banuelos added. “But I saw an opportunity and went for it without worrying about the clock. I didn’t know the cow. I just walked out with it and when I put my hand down, there was 40 seconds left on the clock.”

Watch the video.

Pedel To The Metall was bred by Gail Holmes’ Double Dove Ranch out of the Dual Rey daughter Twice As Reycy, reserve champion of the 2003 NCHA Futurity and third in the 2004 NCHA Derby. He is a three-quarter brother to Reycy Moon, the earner of $209,363, sired by Cats Moonshine.

Wes Ashlock, Abilene, Tex., trained Pedel To The Metall as a two-year-old, then Holmes sent the colt to Banuelos in January 2014, in preparation for limited age event competition. Banuelos and Pedel To The Metall qualified for the NCHA Futurity Semi-Finals, as well as for six major finals in 2015.

“This horse has been ready to offer something like this, and we haven’t been able to get anything done,” said Banuelos. “But we made up for it all tonight.”

Pedel To The Metall is entered for this year’s NCHA Derby, as a condition of purchase for a slot in the Showdown in Cowtown,
The win was worth $60,000 to the 4-year-old Metallic Cat son’s owner, Faith Mountain Ranch, Houston, Tex. (the 2014 NCHA Derby winner’s payout during the Summer Spectacular was $35,457).