NCHA News

Perhaps one of the most pivotal transactions in equine discipline history has recently taken place in north Texas. Metallic Cat, 2016 NCHA Sire of the Year, lifetime earner of approximately $637,700, and his offspring bringing around $15.8 million, has found a new home with Robert (Bobby) Patton Jr. of Aledo, Texas.

Alvin and Becky Fults at Fults Ranch Ltd. sold Metallic Cat to Bobby Patton on September 20, 2017, for an anonymous amount. Patton, now owner of sires Spots Hot and Boon San, is thrilled about the transaction and looks forward to working with Jeremy Barwick of Brazos Valley Stallion Station to continue pursuing a solid breeding operation.

“I didn’t wake up and plan to own Metallic Cat,” says Patton. “ It was just an opportunity that I feel fortunate to take advantage of…I am excited to breed to Metallic Cat and Spots Hot.”

Expressing his enthusiasm in becoming the new owner of one of NCHA’s top stallions, Patton says he is motivated to work with Jeremy Barwick and his own trainers for sound advice on breeding and expanding.

Over the years, Metallic Cat has produced a plethora of successful offspring. At the 2017 NCHA Super Stakes, Metallic Cat offspring made up 12 of the 46 finalists in the Non-Pro and Open finals, alone. Of those 12 foals, 5 placed in the money, including the winning horse of the Open finals, Hashtags, who scored a 220 to bring a hefty prize of $74,104.

Although Patton has seen Metallic Cat’s offspring succeed in masses, he was happy to reveal that his own top two three-year-olds and top two two-year-olds are all sired by Metallic Cat as well.

“It’s pretty obvious to me that that’s the stallion you want,” Says Patton in reference to Metallic Cat. “And if you’re looking for an outcross, I think Spots Hot is the way to go.”

Patton, partial owner in the L.A. Dodgers and successful Texas investor, first acquired a taste for cutting horses in 2015 when Alice Walton sold her ranch. From there, Patton purchased his first stallion, Boon San, and would go on to purchase Spots Hot the next year at the 2016 NCHA Futurity.

Currently, Patton has several brood mares that reside on his ranch and foals that are competing in weekend events and limited aged events. Patton owns the Rocking P Ranch in Aledo, Texas, where Metallic Cat, Spots Hot, and Boons San will stand in the offseason. During the breeding season, the stallions will reside at the Brazos Valley Stallion Station. Regardless of Patton’s young career as a cutting horse and stallion owner, he is passionate about his new title as the owner of Metallic Cat and is eager about the endeavors to come.

“Even though it’s early in my career, I can’t really imagine, even 20 years from now, that there would be a more pivotal moment than this,” says Patton, referring to the purchase of Metallic Cat. “He very well may end up being the best stallion out there.”

Patton looks forward to expanding his knowledge of the sport as well as becoming more involved in the industry. With his hardworking ranch staff and cutting horse experts in his corner, Patton is happy to lean on others for advice when it comes to cutting horses. The success of the Rocking P Ranch and the well being of his horses has been credited to Patton’s hard working ranch hands, who work from sun up to sun down.

“I ended up buying this ranch [the Rocking P] in Aledo and the people that had built it were getting out of the cutting horse business,” says Patton. “I bought [the ranch property] primarily as an investment. Shortly after buying it, Alice Walton had her big sale. I just kind of had the idea that I’d go check it out, and that’s where I met Jesse Lynox.”

Since then, Jesse has remained a trainer for Patton and has worked at the Rocking P Ranch, training cutting horses and helping Patton with his transition into the cutting horse industry. Patton values Jesse’s knowledge of cutting horses and admires his hard work and dedication to the job, along with the rest of the ranch staff.

The health and happiness of the horses is most important to Patton, and he has seen to it that they are going to continue to be treated with all of the care and respect a person can offer. The future is promising for NCHA’s proud new owner and wildly sought after stallion. If you would like to know more about Metallic Cat or the Rocking P Ranch, please visit the Rocking P Ranch on Facebook.