Chad Bushaw, Bet On A Cat Top Summer Spectacular Derby Non-Pro
Chad Bushaw rounded out his collection of Fort Worth bronzes when he won his first Derby Non-Pro Championship with a 222 on Bet On A Cat Saturday at the NCHA Summer Spectacular limited-age cutting to earn $22,196.
Bet On A Cat (High Brow Cat x Bet On Houston x Peptoboonsmal) also made the Derby Open finals and scored a 219 Saturday with Tom Dvorak to earn fifth and another $23,234.
The horse also competed in John Deere and Gelding Open finals while completing four runs each in the Non-Pro and Open divisions at the show – while earning more than $62,000. Bet On A Cat has competed consistently well with both riders and has combined to earn more than $200,000 while making many Open and Non-Pro finals.
Bushaw and Bet On A Cat were also Breeder’s Invitational Derby Non-Pro Champions at the May event in Tulsa, Okla. Dvorak won a John Deere 4-Year-Old Open title with him at April’s NCHA Super Stakes in Fort Worth.
“Tommy [Dvorak] and I’ve shown him on the same day several times. Not many horses can double up and be that competitive in both divisions. A lot of that has to go to Tommy, because he’s such a great catch rider, and when he does come work him, everything he does compliments the horse, and we’re not trying to change things or mix things. He and I have been real good friends a long time, and he’s taught me a lot of things the last 20 years, so it hasn’t been a major transition.”
Bushaw, Weatherford, Texas, also attributed much of his success Saturday to his corner men in the show ring, cutting trainers Matt Gaines and Sean Flynn, who both train from bases in Weatherford not far from his own.
“Those cows we cut were ones that Sean and Matt both liked a lot. They liked them settling and they were still fresh at the end, and they thought they were the type we could win on,” Bushaw said. “As usual those guys were right. They’ve been helping me a long, long time, and they don’t miss much.”
Quarter Horse News
By Anthill Admin