AQHA September/October 2015 Magazine | Page 46

s e i t i r u t u F g n i t t u C Smashes Treble in By Taylor Barnett Photos Ken Anderson “This is one of those things you only ever dream of winning, let alone winning three” These are the words Chris Ware is still repeating months after Heavy Metal took out the NCHA National Futurity in Tamworth for 2015. Heavy Metal carried on that dream for Chris Ware and Jodie Mearns, as he rose to fame not only taking out the NCHA Futurity, but also followed up in champion style taking out the Toowoomba and Comet Futurities. The story of Heavy Metal, affectionately known as ‘Tin Man’ began with humble beginnings at the Morning Sun Ranch Stud dispersal sale in 2012, when Chris Ware and Jodie Mearns were working for the stud. They were helping to prepare and present the horses for sale. The sale was a success and had wrapped up, when Chris and Jodie along with two other workers made the decision to purchase a young horse and ‘have a crack’ at the NCHA National Futurity and a future sire prospect. Jodie and Chris have both come from strong horse backgrounds. Jodie has had a long running history with the cutting horse industry, with her father Brien Cadden a cutting trainer and herself winning a number of cutting events, including the first ever Non-Pro Classic on her imported stallion Dmac Daddy (imp). Chris has recently entered the cutting industry, training his first crop of cutting horses. He has prepared a large number of sale horses and has had a successful career so far across a number of different equine disciplines. T \