TRIPLE CROWN TRIUMPH!Author: Sally Harrison - August 7th, 2016
Armando Costa Neto, 24, and his gritty mare Watch Me Whip marked 223.5 to win the NCHA Non-Pro Derby Saturday evening at the NCHA Summer Spectacular, presented by Great American Insurance in Fort Worth, Texas.
Along with their win in the NCHA Futurity, and co-championship at the NCHA Super Stakes, that made them the sport's first Non-Pro Triple Crown winners, and installed Watch Me Whip as the Non-Pro Horse of the Year for 2016.
"This mare does so good every time," Costa said. "We're just a partnership. We know what our job is. When it's time to come and get some big scores, that mare can hold the tough cows."
After feeling some pressure coming into the show, which began to dissipate as he worked through the go-rounds, he admitted that his second cow in the finals caused concern.
"She was pretty scary," he said. "The second cow went up to the judges stand and came back and I thought she was going to try to run us over, but the mare is so smart that she doesn't really give the cow a chance to run us over.
"I just tried to let (Watch Me Whip) pay attention to that cow, and I backed off of riding her and just let her be smart.
"She can be a little wild, but she's smart and gentle, just a good little cow horse."
Homebred Watch Me Whip is by Playgun out of Look The Look, a High Brow Cat mare that Costa and John Mitchell rode to the Non-Pro and Open finals of the NCHA Futurity, eventually earning $172,000. She goes back to $1.6 million producer The Smart Look.
In addition to her Triple Crown wins, Watch Me Whip has placed second at the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity and Cattlemen's Derby, third at the Pacific Coast Derby, and fourth at the Breeders Invitational.
With her latest win, she (Watch Me Whip) has earned more than $127,000, plus her place in history as NCHA's first Non-Pro Triple Crown winner.
(See the original article on sallyharrison.com.)
VIVA BRASIL AS ARMANDO COSTA NETO WINS NCHA NON PRO FUTURITY!
Author: Lauren Middleton / Cutting Horse Central
It seemed like it was just meant to be for Armando Costa Neto and his mare Watch Me Whip, Playgun x Look The Look, last night in the 2015 NCHA Non Pro Futurity Finals. When we thought it could not get any better for this team we were proven wrong, it really did. "Beretta" has always been special to Armando and long time girlfriend, Mo Doone, but it seems that to win in the Will Rogers Coliseum everything has to fall into place. It did in a big way with three cows that challenged the gritty mare. The harder the run got the better she was and the more confident the team seemed. The crowd got louder and could tell this was a great run being put together. Armando and Johnny Mitchell looked for the last cow of the run with a good bit of time left on the clock knowing that if they finished strong the dream of winning the Futurity might come true. "Beretta" just got even better on the last cow. We watched the seconds on the clock tick down and Mo jump up and down on the sidelines from excitement for this special horse. The buzzer went off and we all were guessing the score in the stands. The pair marked an astounding 224 and claimed the Championship along with a check for $27,852.
The night seemed it was meant to be for this couple because it happened to be Armando's birthday and his family came from Brazil to watch the finals and celebrate with him. It was also bittersweet for the owners of the great stallion Playgun. This son of Freckles Playboy was laid to rest due to complications from old age the day before the finals and what a better way to celebrate his life and what he contributed to the industry than one of his daughters winning the Non Pro Futurity.
Watch Me Whip was raised by Barrinha LLC and out of their mare Look The Look. "Lookie", was purchased in the Futurity two-year-old sale and finished by John Mitchell. The mare had a great deal of success in the Open as well as the Non Pro. She is now a huge part of the Fazenda Barrinha ranch's breeding program and Beretta has further proven that fact. Armando trained Beretta himself along with the guidance of others, which is such a huge accomplishment for a non-pro.
They could not have been more proud for them as Armando and Mo stood with their mare for pictures with friends and family. The excitement for this team was evident even late in the evening as everyone cleared out.
(See the original article on CHC.)
Fazenda Barrinha – Brazil making history in the world of Cutting!
Located in Weatherford, Texas, Fazenda Barrinha is already becoming known as a center of reference for breeding, training, and in show results with top pedigree cutting horses.
The task of selection and preparation depends on the support of competent professionals, like trainer John Mitchell, and is well represented in the show pen by Armando Costa Neto, "Armandinho", that, since his arrival in the USA, has been showing great talent and a constant evolution in the show pen.
For the second year running, Armandinho has been named the top NON PRO of the last 5 years in the Equistat Inside Track. To crown his historic trajetory, Armandinho is now the first Brazilian to enter into the select group of competitors in the NCHA Hall of Fame. A great achievement, and a reason not just for the "Barrinha family", but for all brazilian cutters, to be proud.
Leader in the Equistat Inside Track statistics of the top earning owners in the last 5 years.
More than
$1 million
in total show earnings!
This is the Equistat Inside Track 2013 list from the Quarter Horse News magazine, that shows up and coming riders, from the classes - Open and Non Pro - that have stood out in the industry in the last 5 years.
For the second year running, Armando Costa Neto leads this list as the top Non Pro, ahead of all the other Non Pros with $540,000 in earnings in less than 5 years. A great achievement, and reason for all Brazilian cutters to be proud.