Aussie rider Tony Piggot has taken out this years NCHA futurity, the first Australian in history, riding Rockin W, a Dual Rey colt out of 2004 NCHA Horse of the Year Boon San Kitty. This mare is by Highbrow Cat out of a Boon Bar mare.

The pair scored a massive 229 points three points ahead of runner up Yadacat. Sean Flynn finished in fourth place. 229 equals the highest Score in NCHA futurity history , Royal Fletch won with same score back in 2000. In other firsts this is the first Dual Rey horse to win the NCHA Futurity and the first with Highbrow Cat as the maternal sire.

Now 37, Tony Piggot moved to california some thirteen years ago, at first he wasn't sure how long he was going to stay, all he knew was he wanted to learn how to ride cutting horses. Tony is the son of Trevor and Dorothy Piggott, his dad is a retired cattle inspector with the Australian Department of Agriculture. He grew up with two sisters and three brothers in Casino in Northern New South Wales. It's been a long road for Tony since he left his home town. Then in his mid twenties, another Aussie Terry Clifford give him a job in the US. Back then, Tony had a strong work ethic and a good attitude but is the first to admit that "I didn't ride very good when I came over here".

It took two years before Terry entrusted him with a couple of two year olds, before then he just cleaned stalls, loped horses and did general horse care work.  After six years with Terry, Tony had a two year break from horses and then went to work with NCHA Hall of Fame trainer Paul Hansma. Two years later he was the senior of two assistant trainers. By then he was highly regarded for his work with two year olds but in competition he was still learning the ropes. Up until November 2007 Tony had earned just over $37,000 in prizemoney. But then things started to change, in the final two months of 2007 Tony earned just under $21,000 by winning the Open Derby Final at the Texas Futurity , The limited open final at the same event and then becoming equal reserve Limited Champion at the NCHA Futurity.

Up until then Tony lacked confidence in the show pen. According to mentor Paul Hansma , “I think he was pretty confident, then he lost if for a while, I think that's the biggest thing I worked with him on, and learning how to show. He's always had the talent and the drive."

Nearly two years later Tony rode into the first go - round aboard Rockin W with $113,828.07 in earnings under his belt. He strode into the show ring three weeks ago as a catch rider for Gary Gonzales who trained the horse. “I'm just a jockey,” amazingly he worked the horse Rockin W the first time just a few days earlier. “We really hadn't gotten along all that well. He has a lot of draw and it's been difficult for me to get with him and keep him up out of the herd. He's got a cool style he traps those cows and snakes around with his neck. He's a neat horse.”

In the first go - round they scored 220, then followed that up with a 216 in the second and then 218.5 in the semis. That was more than enough for Tony to secure a spot in his very first NCHA Futurity final. Eighth out in the first herd Tony had just finished watching reserve champions Yadda Cat and Michael Cooper post an impressive 226. "My first cow wasn't one that I knew, it wasn't one that I was trying to cut. It just shaped up for me. But it was a great cow to start the run. The second cow was one that I knew." As for the third cow? "I knew I had a strong run going and so I wanted to show the judges that I wanted to try to win this cutting."  The rest is history.

Congratulations should also go to another Aussie Geoffrey Sheehan who won the Open Limited title a few nights back scoring a 222 aboard the Peptoboonsmal mare Jojo Boon.
With the immense talent that Australia has both here and in the US it was only a matter of time before an Aussie won the US NCHA Futurity. We all stand proud today,