Heavy with Hope is a talented mare sired by Heavy Metal, a Metallic Cat son and standout cutting stallion trained and shown to success by Todd Graham. Heavy Metal claimed numerous futurity titles in 2015 and went on to achieve consistent success throughout his derby and classic career. Her dam, Chickasha Hope, was also a highly successful performer in the cutting pen and a proven producer of talented offspring. With such a strong pedigree of proven performance and breeding success, Hope was bred by Karen and Claus Thrun with both competition and future progeny in mind.
In 2022, as a three-year-old, Hope was presented by Rob Leach at the Tamworth Nutrien Classic Sale, where the Stevensons were instantly captivated by her powerful dam line and proven genetics, recognising her potential for both performance and future breeding at Benalla Stud. That same year, she confirmed her talent in the NCHA Snafflebit Futurity, marking the second top score in Go Round 2 with Drew, an early highlight of her ability.
Following her futurity year, 2023 saw Hope take the next step in her career. She was campaigned by Mark Buttsworth in the Cloncurry Stockman’s Classic Challenge, narrowly missing the Classic Final by just one point. Throughout the year, Sally also guided her to a string of consistent results, including 2nd in the Nursery Draft at the Nutrien Masters Sale in September, 2nd in the Maiden Draft at Killara in October, and 4th in the Maiden Draft at Tamworth in November.
Hope continued to shine in 2024, reaching the Tamworth Nutrien Classic Challenge Final with Mark Buttsworth, one of her major achievements to date. After her Classic run, Sally campaigned her throughout the season, while Drew also rode her to several strong placings. Sally describes her as, “quick and intelligent in the yard, with a natural instinct to read and chase a cow outside. Her honesty and determination to get the job done is a standout trait, which is what we love to see in our performing mares.”
Hope’s breeding career began alongside her performance success. Her first foal, a colt by Al Capone, was produced via embryo transfer and sold in 2025 at the Epic Performance Horse Sale for $20,000, making him one of the first five Al Capone progeny ever offered by Benalla Stud. Hope is set to be bred back to Al Capone in the 2025 season, with the aim of producing a filly that Sally believes could be exceptional and retained within the stud. Once her foal is weaned, Hope will return to the campdraft string, continuing to compete while also contributing to the next generation of Benalla Stud.
From her standout 2022 Futurity performance to her consistent results in 2023 and 2024 and her promising start as a broodmare, Heavy with Hope exemplifies the athleticism, consistency, and dual-purpose potential Drew and Sally aim to cultivate at Benalla Stud.
