Meteles Cat, A $437,016 Home-Made Legend
- Melanie Smith
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 30
"He was our knight in shining armor. He was probably the best one," says Landy Hedlund, seated in the practice pen at the NCHA Super Stakes, remembering that “once in a lifetime” horse.
This is the story of Meteles Cat—a home-made legend and son of Metallic Cat, bred, trained, and shown entirely within the Hedlund family. Born into a legacy of horsemanship and raised with care in the family’s operation, Meteles Cat went on to earn $437,016, competing at the highest levels in both the NCHA Open and Non-Pro divisions. He has become a legend and his name is forever etched into the Cutting Horse History.
Though Meteles Cat was born in 2010, his story begins much earlier. His dam, Teles Lies, was trained and shown by Rock Hedlund, who earned over $96,000 on her. Rock also trained her dam and grand-dam, the latter of which he rode to win the Youth World Championship in 1981. To say that Alvin was very special to the Hedlund family from the beginning is an understatement.
Alvin?
To the family, Meteles Cat was never just another colt. He was “Alvin,” a barn name bestowed in honor of Alvin Fults, the owner of Metallic Cat at the time. The Hedlunds follow a tradition: naming colts after the person who rode or owned the sire. With “Beau” already taken (a nod to Metallic Cat’s rider, Beau Galyean), the name Alvin stuck.
A True Champion in the Arena—Meteles Cat
Him competitive résumé speaks for itself. A two-time AQHA World Champion and NCHA Hall of Fame inductee at just six years old, he was a force in both Open and Non-Pro arenas. But more than that, he opened doors for the Hedlund family—giving them opportunities to compete at venues and events they might never have otherwise reached.
Landy Hedlund recalls one memory in vivid detail: “It’s the day he won the slot cutting with Cody. He was the last horse to go, and he had a questionable hot quit on his first cow… They marked him a 224 with a review. About half an hour later, they came back to the mic and slowly announced the score was changed to a 227. That was an emotional day, to say the least.”
In 2024, Melanie Smith, owner of Solo Select Horses, and Kaleb Terlip (who also owns part of the stallions Woody Be Tuff, Pride And Joyy and Time To Glo) acquired Meteles Cat.
His appeal was clear: “His offspring are just freak athletes and really, really pretty,” Smith says. “I always thought he was one of the prettiest-headed and necked Metallic Cat studs. He fits our breeding program so well—we can breed him to cutting, cow horse, and rope horse mares.”
Breeders across the country echo the sentiment. Dan Heath, who has produced multiple Meteles Cat progeny, says, “Everybody who has bought one from us has loved the horse. They have the greatest minds. They’re easy to be around and easy to train. Those are the kind of horses that walk into the show pen and the judges are looking for a reason to give them a big score.”
Among Meteles Cat’s standout progeny is Teles No Lies. Shown by Heath’s wife, Toni, they were crowned 2025 Non-Pro Hackamore World Champion by NRCHA in February.
In the cutting pen, several of Meteles Cat’s offspring like Dont Look For Troubl or Fancy Meteles have won over $150,000 in their early careers.
His progeny are proving their versatility and talent by also doing great in the show pen across the Reined-Cowhorse and Roping industries.
Only a few weeks left to breed to Meteles Cat for 2025. You can secure your breeding here.
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