Kittennish wins NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular Open 5/6 Year Old with Austin Shepard
The big sorrel mare known as Kittennish dominated in the NCHA Open 5/6 Year Old finals on July 20 in the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. With a high score of 224.5 in the finals, Austin Shepard of Summerdale, Alabama, and the 2019 mare owned Billy Wolf of Whitesboro, Texas, added another Championship to her long list of wins and $30,267 in cash. Although Kittennish “Kitty” has won titles in many other arenas across the country, she hadn’t yet captured a championship in the famed Will Rogers Coliseum.
“Kitty” (Hottish x Show Biz Kitty x High Brow Cat) has been in Shepard’s barn for going on three years, and she has “free reign” because she’s so talented.
“She’s the complete package—there’s really not anything she can’t do,” Shepard said. “She’s very, very athletic, very smart, and drives really smart. She wants it so bad.”
Kitty won a reserve title at the NCHA Futurity in 2022, in 2023 she placed second at the Super Stakes. Wanting to give the mare a chance to win a title at the famed Will Rogers arena before she’s eventually retired, he knew this would be a good show for her.
“She’s the best horse in the barn, so it was kind of a no-brainer,” Shepard said.
Shepard’s daughter-in-law Kamryn Shepard had the mare physically and mentally ready, so when he hit the pen, his goal was clean rounds in the semi-finals.
“I know she’s a very capable horse, capable of winning anywhere,” Shepard said. “In the finals, I drew last. I just wanted to have a good, clean run and I got lucky, and everything kind of fit.”
Shepard cut two cows well, and quickly selected a third black cow, which turned out to be his first cow, again.
“It isn’t really customary to cut the same cow twice, but thank God it worked out,” Shepard said. “It was actually a little better the second time.”
Winning this title aboard Kitty was really an accomplishment for mare most of all.
“I was more excited for her because she’s just such an exceptional, great horse, and I wanted her to have a title in that arena,” Shepard said. “I was more satisfied for her than I was for myself.”
Shepard is thankful for Kitty’s owner Wolf, his daughter-in-law, and his herd help: his son Cade Shepard, Clay Johnson, Sean Flynn and Boyd Rice.
Reserve went to 2019 bay mare Nice Work Babe (WR This Cats Smart x Just U Babe x Lizzy’s Gotta Player), owned by Kathleen Moore of Madill, Oklahoma, and rider James Payne of Marietta, Oklahoma. The pair scored a 223.5 to win $26,167.
Austin Shepard (Center) celebrates his win with Clay Johnson (Left) and son Cade Shepard (Right). * Photo by Amy Olson