BR INSTANT REPLAY - FANTASTIC AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN!!
BR Instant Replay continuously “replayed” his top-notch performances throughout the 4 go-rounds of NCHA Derby competition to emerge the champion of the 4-year-old event Sunday evening, July 30. Owned by Walton’s Rocking W Ranch Inc. of Mineral Wells, Texas, the gelding was jockeyed to his victory by trainer Eddie Flynn
BR Instant Replay, sired by SR Instant Choice and out of Playboys Marian, looked like a winner from the first go-round when he scored 221 to tie with 2 other horses, Play For Chic, owned by James J. Blumer, Jr. and ridden by Kathy Daughn and Purdy Aristocrat, owned by Jack and Susan Waggoner and ridden by Bill Freeman for 2nd place. The gelding treaded water in the 2nd go round, scoring 214 to tie for 13-15 in the standings entering into the semi-finals.
Once earning a spot in the 60-horse semi-finals, however, he again forged ahead and returned to the top, this time taking the lead in the semis with a score of 221.5. The spicy gelding who trapped 3 cows in the center of the arena during the finals kept that lead to win the NCHA open Derby title with a score of 223. The wining score netted the pair $40,290.00.
Alice Walton, Wal-Mart heiress and owner of Walton’s Rocking W Ranch, Inc., also had a second horse in the finals, Susies Star Choice, that tied for 5th place.
Bueno Chex Dually, owned by Dick Brown of Tallulah, La., and ridden by Paul Hansma scored 220 to win the reserve championship title.
With a Derby purse of $350,100 at stake, 249 four-year-old horses entered in the first go round of the event, which began Saturday, July 22. From those horses, 60% or 150 of them, made the cut for the 2nd go round, and 61 of those horses then qualified for the semi-finals. It took a score of 216 or better in the semi-finals competition to then qualify for a spot in the open finals. With ties from the semi-finals, 23 horses competed in the Sunday evening finals.
The Derby open finals concluded the 18-day Summer Cutting Spectacular in which open competitors, nonprofessionals and amateurs competed in both 4-year-old and 5 & 6 year-old divisions. The event, which began July 13, drew more than 500 horses competing for a total purse of $1,218,304.
The next major NCHA event to be held in Fort Worth will be the prestigious NCHA Futurity, the first show for 3-year-old horses. Tentative dates for the Futurity are November 24 thru December 10.
For more information on the NCHA and The Summer Spectacular, call (817) 244-6188 or visit the NCHA website at www.nchacutting.com.