High Brow CD wins it all

High Brow CD tops the charts
From NCHA’s Daily Chatter

From first go-round to the last, High Brow CD maintained his mettle. and Austin Shepard proved his showmanship in the NCHA Open Futurity. Last night, the dynamic duo upped the ante late in the first of two sets of cattle. Their 226-point score topped the field by 8.5 points. Only Desires Little Rex and Bubba Matlock, reserve champions with 222.5 points, came close enough to see their dust, four-deep in the second set.

“I was just trying to be smooth on my second cow, but it wouldn’t let me off and I kept having to be more aggressive,” said Shepard. “I didn’t think it was ever going to turn away. My horse was out of air and I was trying to slow myself down.”

When the first cow finally turned away, and Shepard turned back to the herd, Shepard spotted a volunteer close to the front. When helper Brett Davis told him that it was fresh, Shepard trotted up and cut it.

“I didn’t have any idea how much time I had,” he said. “It felt like I worked it forever. But when I went back (to the herd) I had twelve seconds left. So I kind of went back to my weekend experience.

“One thing I have learned through showing is that you can’t make a run like that. It just has to happen and you have to be aggressive and smart and pick your opportunities. But when it’s meant to happen, it happens.”

High Brow CD had tied for second with Al Poocino, ridden by Tom Dvorak, in the first go-round with 221 points. Special Nu Kitty, ridden by Clint Allen, won the first round with a record 227 points and the standings remained the same at the end of two go-rounds — Special Nu Kitty followed by High Brow CD and Al Poocino, with a tie.

It was in the Semi-Finals that High Brow CD and Shepard gave a taste of what was to come, with a 224-point “we’re out to win” performance.

“He’s been one of the nicest horses to train that I’ve ever had,” said Shepard of the High Brow Cat son owned by Arthur Noble, Madison, MS.



An interesting side note--this is the 4th High Brow Cat offpring to win the Futurity. This ties Doc Bar's record. I guess next year or the year after will break it, but how is that any surprise when there are SO MANY of them out there? I admit that he is a freak of a sire, but our breeding options get smaller and smaller when these things happen.