The All American “Cat Walk”
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
 
The Cat Walk and handler Max Ciampoli
by Margaret Cordes
It was a strut worth more than $55,000! With a unanimous vote of the three-judge panel, The Cat Walk is the 2007 All American Weanling Cup champion. Chosen the best out of forty-six weanlings vying for a piece of a $178,000 jackpot, the champion’s share of the Cup is $55,292.16.
The All American Cup, now in its fourth year, has quickly become an institution that kicks off each year’s All American Horse Classic in Indianapolis, Ind. It was a black-tie affair that started with a tribute to the seventeen-time World’s Champion CH Blackberry Delight, presented by trainer Lynda Freseth for owners Shannon Sewell and Rachel Machamer. Jim Aikman, founder of the All American Cup, is the breeder of this legendary champion that started his winning career in the very same arena at the Indiana futurity in 1993. Proof, according to Mr. Aikman, that “good show colts can make good show horses.”
The judges arrive in style.
When it was time for the main event, one by one, forty-six contenders entered the ring. All carefully selected by their owners and trainers as the cream of the crop. Only two broodmares can be declared to any one of the All American Cup nominated stallions.
Twenty finalists returned to the show ring for a second inspection by judges Gene van der Walt, Jan Lukens and Don Brookshire. From the twenty, another three were separated from the herd including The Cat Walk shown by Max Ciampoli for owners and breeders Lynn and Robert Keys, My Bibbity Boppity Boo shown by Bill and Lisa Waller for Lizabeth and Randy Thomas, and Heir Color shown by Smith Lilly for the well-known Reedannland breeding program owned by Dr. Alan and Dottie Raun.
A third inspection lead the judges to a unanimous decision for not just the winner, but unanimous all the way down to the fourth place ribbon winner, The Lady’s Man bred and shown by Brad Cougill, the handler of last year’s All American Cup Champion Life Is A Cabernet TS.
The Cat Walk was spotted by trainer Bill Becker at Shadow Run Farm the day she was born. Becker says he watched Max Ciampoli handle babies last year at the Kentucky Fall Classic and asked him to come out and help him pick this year’s Shadow Run futurity contenders. “I knew she was good the day I saw her,” said Ciampoli, “she had so much motion as a baby.” Cup founder Jim Aikman agrees after what he saw Tuesday night, “she is absolutely a gorgeous and fantastically trotting colt. They won it commandingly!”
Dick Kearney, owner of the sire, Catalyst, will receive the inaugural Catron Family Perpetual Trophy, a new honor this year. Aikman is also careful to point out the importance of the maternal influence. The Cat Walk is out of She’s In Style, a young talented five-gaited mare by Desert’s Supreme Memories. She’s In Style was three-year-old reserve world’s champion for John T. Jones, and then a successful junior exhibitor mount for the Keys’ daughter Jessica.
Jim Aikman and son Jamie
Also an important player in the ring, according to Aikman, is the tailor, Tina Glosemeyer, who was just beaming about helping to corral the first futurity winner for the Keys.
Nancy Becker, beaming as well says, “I really wanted to see her win. They are just such good people to this business.”
Jim Aikman with the winning team –
Nancy Becker, The Cat Walk, Max Ciampoli, and Bill Becker
The top twenty in the 2007 All American Weanling Cup are:
1- $55,290.16 - The Cat Walk (Catalyst X She’s In Style)
2- $39,494.40 - My Bibbity Bobbity Boo (Magica Me X Breezin’s Riverdance)
3- $25,276.42 - Heir Color (Reedann’s Heir To Glory X Colors Flying)
4- $18,957.31 - The Lady’s Man (Oceanfront X Lady Fairtown)
5- $11,058.43 - Soquilli’s Southern Blues (Undulata’s Nutcracker x Callaway’s Bluegrass Girl)
6- $7,899 - Showtime’s Extra Fancy (Pentagon X Showtime’s Princess Di)
7- $3,000 - Cheetah’s Sweet Escape (The Cheetah X Absolute Debutante)
8- $2,000 - Wickson’s Night Light (Nocturnal X Prodigy’s Pride)
9- $2,000 - Kalarama’s McDreamy (Belle Reve’s Renaissance Man X Dunedin Classy Lady)
10- $2,000 - Evanescence (Gypsy Santana X Princess Too)
11- $2,000 - Our Secret Dream TS (Highpoint’s Dream Of Genius X Barbara’s Secret)
12- $2,000 - Lady’s Third Heir (Love Is In The Air X Lady Of War)
13- $2,000 - Royal Crest’s Stone Legacy (Royal Crest’s Rockin’ On Heir X Royal Crest’s Tashi Rock)
14- $2,000 - It’s Happy Hour Somewhere (Love Is In The Heir X Spirits and Sparks)
15- $1,500 - About To Get Interesting (The Last Don X Becoming)
16- $1,500 – Showtime’s Apollo (Pentagon X Barb’s Santana)
17- With Distinction (Callaway’s Guy Park X Callaway’s Smell The Roses)
18- Molokai (Sir William Robert X Sadie’s Lady)
19- The Pistol (Rifles & Roses X Classiphied Edition)
20- Believer’s Lala (Born Believer X Frankly Dear)
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