Tammy Hays and Metallic Lightning take top honors in the NRCHA Stallion Stakes Non Pro Derby

The stakes were high in Las Vegas as National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) riders gathered for the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes. At the end of the Non Pro finals on Saturday, the chips fell favorably for Tammy Hays and Metallic Lightning (Metallic Cat x Maliblu Barbie x Smart Boons) who claimed the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes Non Pro Derby championship with a composite score of 649.

“He just did everything just like I asked,” Hays said of the 2020 gelding. “We’re teammates.”

Building a Partnership

About a month before the 2023 Snaffle Bit Futurity, Hays bought “Lightning” from Clayton Edsall and Kathryn Phillips. Although Hays and the then-stallion made the finals, their performance didn’t result in the finish she’d hoped for.

“We had some minor issues with him being a big, strong stallion and me not being big enough to convince him to do things for me,” she revealed.

After the Futurity, Hays opted to geld the stallion, and she felt the pieces of a solid partnership begin to fall together.

“He just kept getting better,” she recalled. “About three weeks ago, we really started clicking. He started feeling really reliable when I was schooling him down the fence.”

Their performance in the NRCHA Stallion Stakes fence work prelims proved her right, giving the pair a great start to their week in Las Vegas.

“When I bought him, he was a good, solid finals horse,” she explains. “I felt that he could get in the top five, but I wasn’t positive that he was a winner. After the prelims, I really thought I might have a chance on him because he was reliable all the way through.”

Finals Time

Hays and her horse continued to show off their teamwork throughout the week, culminating in a finals qualification. However, when the pair drew towards the end of the second set of cattle in the herd work finals, Hays knew she’d have to work for a good score.

“I had some practice works on him at home that impressed me,” Hays said. “But up until that point, I had had a little trouble getting him to grab a hold on that first cow. The finals run was the first time that he took a hold right from the get-go. The very first cut didn’t line up exactly like we wanted, and he let me clean it up with very little interference like a champ.”

Hays’ practice paid off when their herd work earned a 216.5 to place them in a good spot moving into the rein work.

“I was super excited for him to put it all together like I knew he was capable of,” she said. “After the herd work, I definitely felt like he had a shot.”

Tammy Jo Hays and Metallic Lightning * Photo by Primo Morales

As they progressed into the rein work, Hays knew she’d have to step up to keep the big gelding on track for a win.

“Leading up to and even during the show, I struggled getting him to stop like he’s really capable of,” Hays remarked. “He has an enormous stop. He pushes really hard, and he’s really good with his front end.”

With a little schooling help from her husband, 2024 Word’s Greatest Horseman Shawn Hays, Lightning and Hays headed down the alley. Although she felt her horse performed better in the prelim rein work, the pair still marked a respectable 214.5.

“I didn’t feel like he did anything wrong or messed anything up,” she said. “He was really good. We just didn’t quite pull it together like we did in the prelims.”

With only the fence work left to go, Hays worried her horse might be getting tired and wouldn’t be at his best.

“There were so many great scores, and I wasn’t super optimistic,” she admitted. “As I was getting ready to go down the fence, I spent a lot of time praying. You can work hard, but it just seems like when, when the Lord wants it to happen for you, it works out.”

When Hays called for her cow, Lightning came to play, and the duo marked a 218 to secure the championship.

“He was super tight, came all the way through his turns, and just gave me a chance to stay in control of the cow,” she praised. “You can’t ask for more than that. Not one time did he lean or pull away or get strong. He listened to me all the way through. That run was the kind of run you practice for and you hope you get.”

In addition to her husband, Hays credits her son, Hunter, and Shawn’s assistant, Brendan Hackman, for helping her succeed at the Stallion Stakes.

Non Pro Derby Champions

In the Intermediate and Limited Non Pro, Terra Kirchenschlager and Night Wach (Reyzin The Cash x Prowlin By Starlight x High Brow Cat) scored a 655 (Herd 217/Rein 218/Cow 220) for two champion titles.

Bringing home the win in the Level 1 Non Pro Derby, Matthew Kimes and Hope Shez Catty (Catty Hawk x Shes Full Of Hope x Smart Mate) marked a 644 (Herd 217.5/Rein 207.5/Cow 219).

The Select Non Pro Derby title was claimed by Eric Freitas and Scootin Lil Lola (Scooter Kat x Wareable x Smooth As A Cat) with a score of 649.5 (Herd 217.5/Rein 215.5/Cow 216.5).

In the Novice Non Pro Derby, Kenneth Schueller and Hey Babe (Stevie Rey Von x One Stylish Babe x One Time Pepto) marked a 637 (Herd 213.5/Rein 209/Cow 214.5) for the win.