NRHA Futurity NRHA Futurity - -Cont from page 7


Xtra Half N Half Tops Sale


Xtra Half N Half Tops NRHA/Markel Marketplace Sale


On December 7 during the 2019 National Reining Horse Association


(NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships, 56 horses walked through the ring at the NRHA/Markel Marketplace Sale. As Xtra Half N Half strode into the sale arena, bidders sat up and took notice. The handsome 2018 sorrel colt (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Cremes Chic Ole-


na x Smart Chic Olena) brought a final bid of $64,000 from Jimmy Nichols, of Templeton, California, making him the highest seller of the day. Con- signed by Heritage Farms, he is a half-brother to the earners of more than $250,000. Xtra Half N Half is enrolled in the NRHA Nomination Program and the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC). “We just liked the way he’s bred, the way he’s made. He’s so pret- ty-headed,” Nichols said. “Watching him in his video, he’s just really physi- cal, but he seems really quiet-minded.”


Nichols planned to send the colt to Mathieu Buton for training. Nichols and his wife, Nancy, also purchased the second-highest-seller


Lil Whizin Inferno (Inferno Sixty Six x Miss Jacspins Whiz x Conquistador Whiz), a 2018 red dun filly who was consigned by Terry and Warnetta Mar- tin. Nichols said he saw the same characteristics in her that interested him in Xtra Half N Half. “She’s not very big, but she’s so physical,” he added. “We’re going


to take her home, and I’ll ride her myself and get her ready. I’ve shown in the Open all my life and trained there in California, and we’ve had our own now for five or six years. I’m actually considering going back and doing the non-pro with her.” Lil Whizin Inferno was in training with Josh Visser for 60 days at the


time of the sale. She is five panel negative and enrolled in the NRHA Nomi- nation Program, NRHA Euro Nomination Program, and NRBC. The gavel fell at $31,000 for Heritage Farms/Parker Slavin Perfor-


mance Horses consignment HF A Winforthechics, a 2018 buckskin filly. Pur- chased by Gabriel de la Torre, the mare (HF Mobster x Win Smart Chicy x Smart Chic Olena) is a half-sister to National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) money-earner and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) point-earner Duallers Smart Chic. HF A Winforthechics is enrolled in the NRHA Nomination Program


and NRBC.


The NRHA/Markel Marketplace Sale wrapped up the NRHA Futurity Sales. Complete results can be found online at nrhafuturity.com/lives. w


10 SouthWest Horse Trader January 2020


Jacob Ballard & Flashin Benjamins


another great run, resulting in a 223.5, tying Flarida for second. After that, McCutcheon


couldn’t have told you how the last seven horses scored, but he could have given you an update on college football. “I went to the bus and was watching Wisconsin vs. Ohio State and doing my best not to pay attention to it. I was just waiting for my mom to call me,” he admitted.


Unbeknownst to him, his scores held, and McCutcheon won not only the Level 4 with Super Marioo, but also Levels 3 and 2, for $196,175 in earnings. Super Marioo’s nominator, Hil- lis Akin Family Partnership re- ceived $9,808.


McCutcheon also tied for Reserve in the Level 4 on Guns And Dynamite, and took sole possession of the title in Lev- els 3 and 2. Combined with his earnings on Deja Vu With A Gun, McCutcheon’s winnings for the evening came to $341,899. That unofficially pushed him to NRHA Million Dollar Rider status. Super Marioo, owned by Story Book Stables, is by Gun- natrahya out of HA Chic A Tune. McCutcheon began riding the colt in early fall when he was pur- chased from Gunny Mathison by Freddy Brassfield. “Gunny sold me this horse this summer. He did


a phenomenal job training him, and I just had to pick him up and do some of my things. Without Gunny, this never would have happened,” McCutcheon said. Shortly after McCutcheon showed the colt at the Best of the West Futurity, he received a phone call from Brenda Joyce, owner of Story Book Stables. “She said she wanted to have a horse with me and asked about Super Marioo. She bought him from Freddy, and has been amaz- ing to work with ever since,” he said. “This is the first horse I’ve had with her, and I’m really ex- cited for the future, whatever she decides to do.”


McCutcheon and Kirstin


Booth’s Guns And Dynamite, by Gunners Special Nite out of Chic Olena Starbuck, won a total of $145,724 across the three levels. Nominator Turnabout Farms re- ceived $7,286. “I thank my parents and grandparents for doing whatever it takes to make me as good as I can be,” he said. “There are hun- dreds of people who played into this, and I’m lucky I had the right horse to win tonight.”


Flarida and Shine Colt Shine pocketed a check for $110,752 for the Level 4 Open Reserve title, with nominator


Cont on page 12


Waltenberry


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