Chad Bushaw and Bitterest (Once In A Blu Boon x Bittersweet) took home the championship title in the Augusta Futurity 5/6-Year-Old Non Pro finals, earning a prize of $12,739.52. The 2021 bay roan mare scored a 222, securing a two-point lead over Austin Shepard’s Dualz (Dual Reyish x Ashado), ridden by Kamryn Shepard, who finished in second place.
This victory adds to the list of accomplishments for the 5-year-old mare and Bushaw. They previously won the 4-Year-Old Non Pro Championship at the 2025 Arbuckle Mountain Futurity with a score of 222 in the finals.
Bushaw also secured two more spots in the top 10 of the 5/6-Year-Old Non Pro division with full siblings Bitterly Armed and Butterflies, both sired by PG Heavily Armed out of Bittersweet. Bitterly Armed claimed sixth place with a score of 213 and $1,800 in earnings, while Butterflies finished ninth with a score of 206, adding another $1,800 to Bushaw’s total winnings.
Continuing his winning streak, Bushaw also claimed the championship title in the 4-Year-Old Non Pro division riding Cassanova (Don’t Stopp Believin x Bittersweet). With an impressive score of 221, the 2022 red roan gelding outperformed the competition by seven points, earning over $21,000 in class earnings and incentives.
Bushaw continued to excel in the 4-Year-Old Non Pro division, securing fifth place on Sweet Emelia (Dual Smart Rey x Bittersweet) with a score of 210, earning over $5,500.
Bittersweet Greatness
All of Bushaw’s top 10 horses share the same dam, Bittersweet (Metallic Cat x Miss Sea Rey), highlighting the mare’s strong influence on her offspring. Paired with top sires, her progeny are making a mark in the Non Pro arena.
Bittersweet, bred by Marilyn Jo Franz, was a successful show horse during her career. Bushaw rode the 2014 red roan mare to multiple major aged event Non Pro championships. In her second year of showing, she was crowned the 2018 NCHA Non Pro Horse of the Year, earning over $236,000 in cutting competitions.
Bushaw’s own achievements in the cutting world are equally impressive. He has won Non Pro championships at all three NCHA Triple Crown events, amassed over $4.7 million in NCHA career earnings, and was inducted into the NCHA Non Pro Hall of Fame in 2005.
Results
5/6-Year-Old Non Pro
| Place | Horse | Rider | Owner | Score | Money Earned in Class |
| 1 | Bitterest | Chad Bushaw | Crown Ranch LP | 222 | $12,739.52 |
| 2 | Dualz | Kamryn Clark Shepard | Austin Shepard | 220 | $10,379.39 |
| 3 | Justa Good Old Boy | Chelsea Tatum | CT Cutting Horses LLC | 217.5 | $8,019.28 |
| 4 | Mazel Tov | Rieta Duferrena | Shona Lyn Duferrna | 217 | $5,659.16 |
| 5 | Testarosaa | Sasha Thompson | Craig Thompson | 214 | $3,729.58 |
4-Year-Old Non Pro
| Place | Horse | Rider | Owner | Score | Money Earned in Class |
| 1 | Cassanova | Chad Bushaw | Crown Ranch LP | 221 | $13,406.18 |
| 2 | Von Hot Revolver | Ty Moore | Kathleen Moore | 214 | $10,912.73 |
| 3 | Boomtallic | Codie Green | Casey Green | 213.5 | $8,419.28 |
| 4 | Hot Catty | Blakley Simoneaux | Simoneaux Livestock | 211 | $5,925.83 |
| 5 | Sweet Emelia | Chad Bushaw | Crown Ranch LP | 210 | $3,862.91 |