The This Cats Destiny (Curly) story is remarkable. It includes the very best genetics from a mare line that just keeps producing, it includes people who recognised a good horse and were prepared to back their judgment, even though the horse was severely injured, and wonderful vets and medicines. Above all the fairytale includes a lot of perseverance and a dose of good old fashioned luck.
This Cats Destiny was bred by Guy and Nikki Morgan’s parents, Fred and Kim Johnston. They own a magnificent cutting mare called Colonel’s Destiny and with her ability and genetics, her foals always created interest. Such was the case when she produced a beautifully proportioned colt by WR This Cats Smart, who was named This Cats Destiny. Fate then interfered while he was a weanling when a mini tornado came through and he sustained a major eye injury. It was not known if the young colt would ever see again or if he had a future at all.
Guy and Nikki had always loved the Colonel’s Destiny family, but believed they would never be able to afford her progeny. After the accident Guy took his opportunity and pestered Fred about what he was going to do with his “one eyed gelding”. In time the colt changed hands, but he was never castrated. So the Morgan’s had secured their Colonel’s Destiny colt, but his future was far from assured. The eye injury was still not healed and what vision he was going to have was still not fully determined.
Guy broke This Cats Destiny in, still unsure of what vision problems were to be encountered. They were immediately blown away with his beautiful nature and his effortless approach. Guy was instantly reminded of the really top horses he had ridden in the States and they knew they had a special horse. The vets had told them that they believed he only had 20% vision in his eye and that would be the final result for life, but he didn’t seem to be disadvantaged. They believe that because the injury occurred so early in his life, he has adjusted and has learnt to compensate for the small percentage of vision.
His training continued and he continued to impress. Guy and Nikki headed to the 2011 NCHA Futurity with him and were quietly confident. They knew they had a good horse. Luck wasn’t with him in the Open, but when Nikki saddled up in the Non Pro it was all happening. This Cats Destiny and Nikki won both Go Rounds, were Non Pro Futurity Champions and won the Limited. Then it was off to Victoria where he made both Finals.
His 2012 Derby year produced similarly spectacular results. He finalled in both the Open and Non Pro Derbys at Tamworth and Victoria, winning the Non Pro Derby in Victoria.
Throughout his career he started in a total of 17 Aged Events, finalling in 13 and winning 3. This is a remarkable statistic for a horse with such limited vision and shows his superior intelligence, in that he is able to work “smart” to compensate for his injury.
But the future is now ahead of This Cats Destiny as a sire of cutting and campdraft horses and his early foal crops are really impressive. With a limited number of bookings in his first 3 seasons at stud, his 3rd foal crop hit the 2018 NCHA Futurity and made a big statement. Five progeny competed with 4 making 5 finals between them.
Reyving Lunacat and This Cats a Playboy were in the Open Futurity Final. This Cats a Playboy won the Gelding Futurity and Catfight and This Cats Rumba finalled in the Limited Futurity. Equally impressive is the number of Colonel’s Destiny progeny that joined the Open NCHA finalists, with her daughter, Drive N Me Crazy, and her granddaughter, This Cat’s Lethal, both finalling.
2019 saw even better results, he produced 5 Aged Event Champions & 16 finalists.
Reyving Lunacat was the Victorian Futurity Open Derby and Non Pro Derby Champion as well as the Armidale Open Derby Champion. This Cats A Playboy was the St George Open Futurity Champion and Destinys Diamond was the Coolah Snafflebit Futurity Champion.
Guy and Nikki credit the ability and genetics that This Cats Destiny is passing on from his dam, Colonels Destiny. Nikki remarks, “She is a cow crazy superstar and has gone on to produce a heap of good ones”.
What the future holds is exciting and the Morgans’ are thrilled to be riding horses by him, horses of exceptional quality with genetics that they are happy to see that the Australian cutting industry is recognising and using.
