8 minute read
A Perfect Partnership
TYLISH IN SAN ANGELOSPERFECT PARTNERSHIPA
Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck With only a few weeks together, Hope Mills and A Gritty Kitty Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck Deck rode away with the NRCHA Stallion Stakes Non Pro win.
By Whoever wrote this Photos by Primo Morales
By Kristin Pitzer Photos by Primo Morales
Hope Mills and A Gritty Kitty navigated to the Stallion Stakes Non Pro win with a 653.5 composite.
2021 NRCHA STALLION STAKES NON PRO TOP 10
Las Vegas, NV – March 26–April 3, 2021 Horse/Rider/Pedigree/Owner/Score/Money 1. A Gritty Kitty; Hope Mills; (Chiquita Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey); HM Horses; 653.5 (H:217/ R:216.5/C:220); $8,207.55 2. Dual Smarty; Julia Winders; (Dual Smart Rey x Cats Gabriella Acre x Cats Merada); Julia Winders; 648 (H:217.5/ R:218.5/C:212); $6,566.04 3. Play Rey Sugar Baby; Tammy Jo Hays; (Kit Kat Sugar x Lil Play Rey x Reys Dual Badger); Walter Greeman & Tammy Hays; 646 (H:217/R:218/C:211); $5,129.72 4. Shiney Nickel; Gianna Hansen; (Smart Boons x Nic A Shiner x Smart Shiner); Gianna Hansen; 645 (H:214/ R:215/C:216); $4,103.78 5. Dualin Alittle Time; Debbie Crafton; (One Time Pepto x ARC Little Dualena x Dual Pep); Debbie Crafton; 643.5 (H:212/R:217/C:214.5); $3,283.02 6. One Time Frosty Nic; Toni Hagen Heath; (One Time Pepto x Hollywood Frosty Nic x Hollywood Vintage); Daniel Heath; 637.5 (H:214/R:214/C:209.5); $2,872.64 7. Seven S Reyzor; Brent Ratliff; (Dual Smart Rey x Seven S Stylish Page x Peptos Blue Oak); Brent Ratliff; 636 (H:212/ R:208.5/C:215.5); $2,462.27 8. CR Tuff Guns N Roses; Abbie Phillips; (Woody Be Tuff x Gypsy Rose Rey x Dual Rey); Abbie Phillips; 635 (H:215.5/ R:218.5/C:201); $2,051.89 9. Miss Regan Street; Tammy Johnston; (Cee Mr Hickory x Miss Bourbon Street x Pep Bar Deck); Trystin Johnston; 633 (H:213/R:213/C:207); $1,641.51 10 (tie). Time To Lay It Down; Landon Luce; (One Time Pepto x Katies Kitty x High Brow Cat); Andrea Luce; 624.5 (H:198/R:212/C:214.5); $1,333.73 10 (tie). Smooth Cat Player 17; Carrie Volmer; (Smooth As A Cat x Lizzys Lil Playgirl x Lizzys Gotta Player); Carrie Volmer; 624.5 (H:212/R:209.5/C:203); $1,333.73
preliminaries and the finals. I wanted along, it was still going,” Mills said. “I to see what she would give me the was like, ‘Oh man, Kitty, you’ve got to second time.” keep going!’ Everything lined up for us In the herd work finals, Mills perfectly.” was determined to not make the The pair scored a 220 down the fence, same mistakes from the prelims. the highest cow work score. Their comShe aimed to keep things clean posite of 653.5 topped the reserve chamand show the judges Kitty’s poten- pions by 51/2 points. tial, as the herd work is the mare’s It was a great accomplishment for so favorite. The pair scored a 217, which little time together since Mills purchased was second highest overall. Kitty a little more than a month prior. She As they progressed to the rein work, found the 2017 Aaron Cook-bred mare Hope Mills and A Gritty Kitty weren’t well acquainted when they entered the 2021 National Reined Cow Horse Association Stallion Stakes at the South Mills and the mare were met with a new challenge. The pattern called for a run in, which Mills had never practiced with Kitty before. “I was like, ‘Oh, boy!’ ” Mills said with a laugh. “I just got this mare, so I don’t through Lipan, Texas, NRCHA professional Erin Taormino, who trained her as a 3-year-old. The mare is a half-sister to Stakes Open winner Hazardouz Material. In the short time they’ve been together, Mills has seen Kitty only get better, giving Point Arena & Equestrian Center in Las know everything about her. I just kind of her confidence in their future together. Vegas, Nevada, but by the time the Non went out there and showed her. “I feel like every time we make a run, Pro Finals rolled around we have places to on April 3, there was build. I don’t feel no doubt the pair was “I feel like every time we make a run, we have places to build. like I’ve maxed her in sync. Thirteen teams I don’t feel like I’ve maxed her potential. I’m super excited for potential,” Mills vied for their share of the $41,037.75 purse, the show year because I feel like she still hasn’t given me her said. “I’m super excited for the and after the dust set- all yet.”—Hope Mills show year because tled Mills and the mare, I feel like she still who she’d only owned hasn’t given me since February, came out on top, winning “She’s not a huge fan of speed,” Mills her all yet. I feel like this year will be very the title and a $8,207.55 check. added. “She likes to be a little bit on the interesting—if I can keep my husband off
For Mills, just making the finals was a slow side because she’s a little on the of her, that is.” success in itself. She and A Gritty Kitty lazier side.” Joking aside, Mills thanked her hus(Chiquita Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x The mare stopped and backed up well, band, Dustin, who is a trainer, for his Dual Smart Rey) had a few bobbles in but seemed a little tired during her cir- support, along with her parents, Dan and the preliminary herd work and barely cles. Still, the 216.5 the team marked kept Shawna Miller, for giving her the opporsecured a finals position as the last hole. them in the running for the title. tunities to dedicate her life to reined cow Though she could have nitpicked those She was a little worn out after the rein horse. She also mentioned Taormino for issues during the days leading up to the work, but Kitty stepped up to bat in the helping her find Kitty. finals, Mills instead gave “Kitty” some fence finals. She and Mills had a good “She has given me the opportunity time to rest. run going, but when they went to circle on this mare, and she actually trained
“She’s a bit on the lazy side, so I tried their cow, it surprised them with a burst my 3-year-old that I won the [NRCHA to not do too much with her,” said Mills, of energy. Snaffle Bit] Futurity on, too, so she’s been of Burneyville, Oklahoma. “I didn’t want “I thought I had kind of run the air a big part of my career,” Mills said. to blow out too much air between the out of it, but by the time my circles came
Julia Winders rode her stallion Dual Smarty (Dual Smart Rey x Cats Gabriella Acre x Cats Merada) to a 648 (H:217.5/R:218.5/C:212) for Non Pro Reserve and Intermediate Non Pro Championship honors, banking $10,196.30.
INTERMEDIATE NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION
With a 646 (H:217/R:218/C:211), Tammy Jo Hays and Play Rey Sugar Baby (Kit Kat Sugar x Lil Play Rey x Reys Dual Badger), co-owned by Hays and Walter Greeman, took home the Intermediate Non Pro Reserve Championship and a check worth $2,841.08.
NOVICE NON PRO CHAMPION
Gianna Hansen piloted her mare Shiney Nickel (Smart Boons x Nic A Shiner x Smart Shiner) to a composite of 645 (H:214/R:215/C:216) for the Novice Non Pro Championship. The duo collected $1,578.38.
NOVICE NON PRO RESERVE CHAMPION
With a 639 composite (H:212/R:211.5/C:215.5), Danielle Quinn and Whenever Wherever (Smart Luck x Travalen Easter x Travalena), owned by D&S Performance Horses, secured the Novice Non Pro Reserve title and a check for $1,262.70.
AMATEUR CHAMPION
Landon Luce and Time To Lay It Down (One Time Pepto x Katies Kitty x High Brow Cat), owned by Andrea Luce, took home the Amateur Championship with a score of 645 (H:215.5/R:212/C:217.5), worth $1,296.
AMATEUR RESERVE CHAMPION
The Amateur Reserve Championship and $1,036.80 went to Justine Munns and her stallion The Lena Look (Light N Lena x Look The Look x High Brow Cat) after the duo scored a 637.5 (H:214/R:216/C:207.5).
NON PRO LIMITED CHAMPION
Denille LePlatt and her mare Hannas Metallic Rey (Metallic Cat x Reyhanna x Dual Rey) scored a 657 (H:218/R:217/C:222) for the Non Pro Limited Championship and $3,412.80.
NON PRO LIMITED RESERVE CHAMPION
Smooth Cat Voo (Smooth As A Cat x Voodoo Chic x Smart Chic Olena) carried her owner, Calley Satriana, to the Non Pro Limited Reserve title with a 654 (H:215/ R:217/C:222), garnering $2,730.24.
