Lincoln, Illinois rider wins the 2006 NCI Building Systems/ NCHA World Championship Futurity Amateur championship in Fort Worth, Texas.        

[DEC. 29, 2006]  Fort Worth, TX —  On December 15, 2006, Patrick Collins of Lincoln, Illinois, riding Oh Cay Felix wins the title of Amateur Champion. The winning horse is a gelding out of High Brow Cat.

Patrick Collins and Oh Cay Felix brought down the house at the NCHA Amateur finals with a score of 222 to win the title. “He is a gift – an awesome horse,” said Collins of his homegrown son of High Brow Cat. “Craig (Thompson) has done a fabulous job training him and getting him ready. I happened to be here at the right time, at the right place.”

Oh Cay Felix and Craig Thompson scored 227 points, the second-highest score in the history of the NCHA Futurity, in the Open Finals; to win the Open Championship title. The Open championship also earned Oh Cay Felix the richest winner’s purse in NCHA Triple Crown history - $250,000, which makes the gelded son of High Brow Cat the richest three year-old in the history of the sport, with earnings of $262,164, including his Amateur winner’s take.

Collins, 51, is a feedlot owner from Lincoln, Illinois. Before his Finals performance, he said his cutting highlight had been when trainer Craig Thompson scored 219 points on Oh Cay Felix in the second go-round of Open competition, qualifying the horse for the Semi-Finals.

“I’d seen him through the year and knew that he was nice,” said Collins. “But Craig kind of keeps the package always wrapped and smooth and silky. The real test is when you do down there and put your hand down.”

Collins has to use his right hand when he puts his hand down. His left arm was severed at the elbow in a farm accident 25 years ago. Although the arm was reattached surgically, he keeps it tucked up to his chest when he rides as it is useless during competition. His right hand holds his reins, and he also uses it to stabilize himself by pushing against a special bar built on the front of his saddle.

NCI Building Systems is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of metal building components, engineered metal building systems and metal coil coating in North America. Based in Houston, Texas, NCI Building Systems is publicly traded on the NYSE as NCS, is comprised of 18 companies with 44 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, in Canada and Mexico. NCI is able to provide a variety of custom building needs; from large riding arenas to small storage buildings, from metal roof panels for your home to a wall system for your business. For more information about NCI Building System please visit www.cuttinghorsebuildings.com.

The National Cutting Horse Association is made up of over 17,000 members across the United States with a wide range of backgrounds. The sport of cutting has roots in Western ranching traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and cattle handling. From cowgirls to CEOs, from firefighters to professional football players, the common ground is often in the cutting arena. Each year more than 2,200 NCHA-approved events are held throughout the country with more than $42 million in prize money awarded. To learn more about the National Cutting Horse Association and the sport of cutting, call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.

[News release]