After a tight race between two 4-year-old mares, Ichis My Choice has emerged the victor in the contest for National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open Horse of the Year honors.
Ridden by Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Rider Grant Setnicka, of Grandview, Texas, Ichis My Choice (Cat Ichi x My Little Abra x Abrakadabracre) made the battle interesting when she qualified for the top 15 in the NCHA Open World standings. While the mare, bred by EE Ranches of Texas Inc., trailed Amandas CD (High Brow CD x Amanda Stargun x Playgun) at the end of the limited-age event season, she had the chance for redemption.
Ichis My Choice and Setnicka marked a first-round 226 at the NCHA World Finals to tie for first and earn 18 points. A 210 the next night earned merely 4 points, but a third-round 231 added a total of 20 points to the tally. In round four, the mare marked a 220 for sixth place and 9 points.
Altogether, Ichis My Choice scored 887 points at the World Finals, and thanks to her second-place finish overall in the cumulative round, she increased her Horse of the Year total by 16 to 747 – merely 1 point more than Amandas CD.
Ichis My Choice, owned by J Five Horse Ranch LLC, of Weatherford, Texas, joins the ranks of some of the greatest cutting horses of all time. Amandas CD, who finished 2016 with 746 Open Horse of the Year points and nearly $190,000 earned with trainer Matt Miller just this year, ended her season as runner-up.
Quarter Horse News
by Hannah Harrel