James Bradley Mitchell Cashes in with Smooth Metallica in the 4-Year-Old Open
NCHA $3 Million Rider James Bradley Mitchell guided Smooth Metallica (Smooth Talkin Style x Metallic Alley) to the top of the 4-Year-Old Open leaderboard at the 2026 Augusta Futurity, securing the championship with a score of 222. In a tightly contested class where scores stayed close throughout the finals, the pair’s run proved decisive, earning more than $47,000 in class earnings and incentives for owners Brad and Anna Mitchell.
The win marked a major early-season highlight for the 2022 red roan gelding, who continues to build on a strong foundation laid in his 3-year-old year. Just weeks earlier, Mitchell and Smooth Metallica competed at the 2025 NCHA Futurity, finishing 17th, where their score of 210 added more than $36,000 to the gelding’s earnings.
Gavin Callahan and Rebelious Lil Sister Return to the Top in the 5/6-Year-Old Open
The Augusta Futurity has proven to be familiar territory for Gavin Callahan and Rebelious Lil Sister (Metallic Rebel x Catscratch Sister), and 2026 was no exception. After capturing the 4-Year-Old Open Championship at Augusta in 2025, the pair returned this year to claim the 5/6-Year-Old Open title, adding another chapter to an already impressive résumé.
The 2021 red roan mare, known as ‘Aubrey,’ delivered a standout performance in the finals, posting a commanding 225. That score put Callahan comfortably ahead of the field by six points and earned more than $22,000 in class earnings and incentives for owner C4 Cutting Horses LLC of Rocky Point, North Carolina.
Results
4-Year-Old
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Owner | Score | Money Earned |
| 1 | Smooth Metallica | James Bradley Mitchell | Brad & Anna Mitchell | 222 | $30,000 |
| 2 | My Kinda Mink | Austin Shepard | Belle Terre Ranch | 221 | $24,999.37 |
| 3-4 | Ee Raspberry Red | Cass Tatum | Ee Ranches Inc | 220.5 | $20,546.91 |
| 3-4 | Rebel T Spoon | Casey Green | Bar C Land & Cattle LLC | 220.5 | $20,546.91 |
| 5 | Gooogle Me | Cass Tatum | Pat Taylor | 217.5 | $17,166.90 |
5/6-Year-Old
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Owner | Score | Money Earned |
| 1 | Rebelious Lil Sister | Gavin Callahan | C4 Cutting Horses LLC | 225 | $20,497.95 |
| 2 | Tatoosh | Bradey Davis | Jeffrey Barker | 219 | $17,705.45 |
| 3 | Pinkalicious | Andrew Nave | William E Riddle Jr | 217.5 | $14,912.95 |
| 4 | Blue Beacon | Bradey Davis | Victor Davis | 216.5 | $12,120.45 |
| 5-7 | Jazlyn | James Payne | Kathleen Moore | 216 | $8,746.96 |
| 5-7 | Wrecked The Rollz | Cade Shepard | Beechfork Ranch | 216 | $8,746.96 |
| 5-7 | Dizzee Spell | Lauren Minshall | Doug Secrest | 216 | $8,746.96 |