Thomas Bray won the NCHA Summer Spectacular Classic Challenge Intermediate Open Championship by nearly 10 points on Saturday, July 18, marking a 225 on J+ Ranches’ Magick Madness.
Inside the hallowed Will Rogers Coliseum, the 5-year-old mare sired by Dual Reyish and out of Smooth As A Cat mare Smooth Magick found $11,915 in redemption after a semifinals bobble that kept the team out of Classic Challenge Open Finals.
Their score of 225 outpaced No. 2’s 216.5 by a healthy margin, a move that Bray said was the plan, but not by that much.
“Going into the Intermediate finals, it was hard because I only needed to make a little bit to take the lead, but it’s harder to do less,” Bray said. “So I took a deep breath, tried to mark a 72, and all the [judges] 75’ed me.”
Bray couldn’t help but smile when the buzzer rang out.
“I’ve been very fortunate to put some good runs together in this arena,” Bray said. “I’ve been showing in here for a long time and you know when you put a good run together.”
Making Magick
The J+ Ranch purchased Magick Madness out of the NCHA Futurity Sale as a long yearling in 2022. Then, she went to Cory Deel to be started. In October of her 2-year-old year, it was time for school with Bray, and he’s brought her along since then.
“She’s super cowy and a very nice mare, but can be very quirky,” Bray said. “You don’t know what side of the bed she’s going to wake up on most days. But she has lots of heart. She overdoes it sometimes because she tries so hard.”
Bray thanked his helpers Justin White, R.L. Chartier and Clay Johnson along with God, his wife, and J+ owners Michael and Tresha Johnson.
5/6YO Int. Open Finals Results
| Place | Horse | Score | Owner | Rider | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magick Madness | 225.0 | J+ Ranches LLC | Thomas Bray | $11,915.25 |
| 2 | Tagmykitty | 216.5 | Buck Creek Quarter Horses LLC | Clay Johnson | $11,524.59 |
| 3 | Reychel Royce | 216.0 | J T & Sandra Neal | Clay Johnson | $11,133.93 |
| 4 | Nicole L G | 215.0 | Buck Creek Quarter Horses LLC | Clay Johnson | $10,743.26 |
| 5-6 | Hashs Pepdualrey | 214.5 | GCH Land & Cattle Co | Chris Bates | $10,157.26 |
| Mimic My Moves | 214.5 | Mimic Metallic Country Boy Syndicate | Ed Flynn | $10,157.26 |