Photo credit to NCHA.

With more than $80,000 in National Cutting Horse Association lifetime earnings, American Paint Horse A Cat Named Sue broke a record while winning three championships at the NCHA Eastern Nationals, which was March 5-16 in Jackson, Mississippi. The 12-year-old sorrel solid Paint-bred gelding is by all-time leading cutting horse sire High Brow Cat (QH) and out of Merada Hickory Sue.

On March 11, A Cat Named Sue pulled double duty winning the Junior Youth and Senior Youth championships, which is the first time a horse has won both Youth titles at the Eastern Nationals. Matthew Dedden of Burlington, Kentucky, rode the gelding, who is owned by his sister Chloe, to a 221 to win the Junior Youth title while Jackie Funk of Elk City, Oklahoma, guided A Cat Named Sue to a 220 for the Senior Youth win.

On March 16, Dedden and A Cat Named Sue returned to split the victory for the $50,000 Amateur with Aubrey Pigg of Collinsville, Alabama, on Royals Magnificat (QH). They both marked a 219 and each earned nearly $6,000 for the split win.

A Cat Named Sue wasn’t only the only American Paint Horse to do well at the Eastern Nationals. The gelding’s 7-year-old half sister, Sue Rey Me, a sorrel solid Paint-bred by Dual Rey (QH), marked the second highest score of 218.5 in the $15,000 Novice Non Pro prelims on March 13 with owner Jenny Webster of Union, Missouri. The pair returned March 14 for the finals but ended up tied for fifth with a 216, earning $2,610.

About APHA

The American Paint Horse Association (APHA), the international breed registry for the American Paint Horse, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012. In fulfillment of its mission to collect, record and preserve pedigrees of the breed, APHA recognizes and supports 111 regional and international clubs, produces championship shows, sponsors trail rides and creates and maintains programs that increase the value of American Paint Horses and enriches members’ experiences with their horses. APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded, and now serves over 58,000 active youth and adult members around the world.