Sweet win for Bushaw and Bittersweet

Chad Bushaw on Bittersweet. Hart Photography.

Chad Bushaw owned the night, Friday, December 8, with a 225-point championship performance on Bittersweet, by Metallic Cat, in the 2017 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity. Brandon Westfall on Smooth Lil Cowtown, by Smooth As A Cat, took reserve with 221 points, and Cody Hedlund placed third with 220 points on Iggy Reyzalea, by Dual Smart Rey.

This was the second NCHA Non-Pro Futurity championship title for Bushaw, an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame earner of $3,259,465. He won the 2001 Non-Pro Futurity on Jerryoes LTE $252,780, and has been a finalist eight other times. His first NCHA Futurity success came as a finalist in the 1991 Amateur, when he was 18. Friday evening, his son, Charles Russell Bushaw, 14, was a finalist in the NCHA Futurity Unlimited Amateur Finals.

In addition to the NCHA Futurity, Bushaw has also won the NCHA Super Stakes (2008 on Cats Ruby) and the NCHA Derby (2012 on Bet On A Cat), and was reserve champion of the 2007 NCHA Super Stakes on Mocha Cappuccino.

Bittersweet, out of Miss Sea Rey, by Dual Rey, was bred by Marilyn Jo Franz and is a full sister to three other NCHA money earners out of Miss Sea Rey LTE $31,890, by Dual Rey. Bittersweet and Bushaw also won Thursday’s NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Semi-Finals with 219 points.

NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Champion Crowned

There was plenty of build up to the Non-Pro finals of the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity. After weeks of waiting, the finalists finally got their time in the spotlight.

The competitors did not disappoint, and after just a few horses in the first set, big scores were already being laid down. The biggest of the night was marked by Chad Bushaw and Bittersweet (Metallic Cat x Miss Sea Rey x Dual Rey), who put together a smoking 225 for the Championship.

In addition to bragging rights, the pair earned a massive $61,162 paycheck. Those earnings pushed Bushaw’s Equi-Stat record to nearly $3.4 million.

Bushaw was thrilled with the result of the finals and more than anything was happy he was able to show off the talent of Bittersweet.

“I have had a really good feeling about this mare for a long time,” he said. “Most the year, and certainly in the last six months, I felt like she could be something that I have not got to show in a long time and maybe ever. I was looking forward to tonight. I knew I had a special horse, so I felt relief [coming out with the win].”

NCHA Futurity Select Yearling Sale on top

The 2017 NCHA Futurity Select Yearling Sale, on Wednesday, December 6, completed sales on 88% of its offering, an all-time record for the sale, where 42 head sold for $2,424,000 and an average of $57,714.

Nu Metallic Lace, consigned by Eddie Longley, topped the sale at $250,000. The bay roan filly, sired by Metallic Cat, was purchased by Circle Y Ranch, Millsap, Tex., home of Im Countin Checks, the sire of 2017 NCHA Open World Champion Deluxe Checks. Out of Nu I Wood LTE $427,152, an NCHA all-time leading producer, Nu Metallic Lace is a half-sister to NCHA Open World Champion Special Nu Baby $LTE $481,197 and a three-quarter sister to Special Nu Kitty LTE $301,268.

Metallic Mystified, by Metallic Cat, was the second-highest seller of the sale. Consigned by Fults Ranch, the bay colt brought $200,000 from Rocking P Ranch, owner of 2017 leading sire Metallic Cat. Out of Sweet Abra LTE $120,151, an NCHA all-time leading producer, Metallic Mystified is a full brother to Metallic Rebel LTE $404,910, 2017 NCHA Horse of the Year and 2017 World Champion Stallion.

Rocking P Ranch, Fort Worth, Texas, also purchased One Time Pepto daughter Foxing Awesum for $150,000 from Waco Bend Ranch. The red roan filly is out of Dont Look Twice LTE $843,096, NCHA’s all-time leading female money earner. Her second dam is Tapt Twice LTE $285,226, a Top 10 NCHA all-time producer of the earners of $1,459,206.

Lou Rey, by Dual Rey, also went to Rocking P Ranch for $100,000. The Oxbow Ranch-consigned filly is out of Louellas Cat LTE $305,305, a full sister to Cattalou LTE $286,647 and half-sister to Movin Downtown LTE $346,715.

Shameless, a Dual Smart Rey daughter out of Miss Pepto LTE $100,727, by Peptoboonsmal, sold for $110,000 to John Thomas, Alberta, Canada. The red roan filly was consigned by Crown Ranch, Weatherford, Tex.

The 2017 NCHA Futurity Sales continue through Sunday, December 10. For the online catalog and daily results: www.westernbloodstock.com