Reiners brought the heat in their last chance to make it to the National Reining Horse Association Futurity finals. More entries and higher payouts brought the best out of 3-year-old reiners and their riders.

More than $2.9 million will be paid out, breaking the 2022 record for riders in Non Pro and Open divisions in the Jim Norick Coliseum. 

Once again, the Level 4 Open exhibitors will be competing for an impressive $350,000 first-place prize during the MS Diamonds TX L4 Open Futurity Finals. The reserve champion will win a guaranteed $150,000, and third place will bank $100,000.

The CINCH Non Pro Level 4 is also lucrative, with the Champion leaving the Sooner State with $75,000, the Reserve winner earning $45,000, and third taking a cool $35,000.

Andrea Fappani Leads Field of Open Finalists on Inferno Thirty Five

A competitive field of 3-year-old horses and their riders tested their skills Nov. 29 in the Jim Norick Coliseum for the Level 4 Open Semi-Finals sponsored by Not Ruf At All, hoping to put together a second solid run that would earn them a trip to the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals on Dec. 2. All day, scores kept going up and up, as riders added the semifinal scores to their first-round scores for composites that indicate consistency as well as fiery talent.

The NRHA’s only Eight Million Dollar Rider, Andrea Fappani, rode Stephen Archer’s Inferno Thirty Five to the highest composite score of the Level 4 Open Semi-Finals, presented by Not Ruf At All, with a 443.5.

Inferno Thirty Five is a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six and out of Madeof Pure Spangled by Star Spangled Whiz. Mary A. Jansma nominated the horse bred by Cardinal Hill Training Center. The horse already has $100,000 in lifetime earnings thanks to a win at The Invitational at the 100X Reining Classic.

Luca Fappani took the top spot in Levels 2 and 3 on Playing With Da Boys, a 2020 mare sired by NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of the Gunner mare My Berry Best Gun. Neiberger-Camp Partnership owns Playing With Da Boys, who already has earnings of more than $3,800 through the 100X Reining Classic. The composite score was 442, and Fappani will advance in Level 4 also.

In Level 1, Maxime Morin set the pace on his own horse Magnum Wimpys Dream, with a 437 composite. The 2020 stallion is sired by NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream and out of Wimpys Little Lassie by Wimpys Little Step. He was bred and nominated by Henry Knox. The horse has $4,776 in earnings through the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity and the Warm Up 3 Futurity sponsored by Snipers Smoking Gun.

NRHA Seven Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida received the top composite score of 442.5  in Prime Time on Spooks Gotta Homerun, a 2020 stallion sired by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of A Ruf Mistress by Lil Ruf Peppy. The horse was nominated by Tracy Cole and bred by Larry Weihing. He has lifetime earnings of more than $15,000 through the North American Reining Stakes Futurity and the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity.

Bubbles for Advancing to the Open Futurity Finals:

MS Diamonds TX Level 4 – 437

Level 3 – 433

Level 2 – 428

Level 1 – 419

Prime Time – 434.5 (with handicap)

Riders Advance from CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation

Although the NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity preliminary round concluded Monday, Nov. 27, riders who barely missed qualifying for the finals still had a chance to advance.

That’s because the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation round gives entries that last chance needed to secure a spot in the Finals. In the consolation, the top five from each of the four Levels move on to Friday’s competition.

Topping the Level 4 were NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon and Stephanie Porath, tying with an impressive 218.5. McCutcheon rode Arylosa, a mare she owns with NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider and Owner Tom McCutcheon, nominated by Euro-Vets Inc., by Arlosa Whiz and out of Spooky Lil Chex, while Porath was aboard Gunna Prosper, a stallion she owns and nominated with her husband, Jackson Porath. The stallion is by NRHA Ten Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya and out of Whizen Starlight. 

In the Level 3, it was Robert Peterson and TR Ice On Fire who claimed the lead with a 214. TR Ice On Fire is a gelding owned by Goose Creek Ranch LLC and nominated by Tamarack Ranch, by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize and out of Wallawhizagun.

The Level 2 lead was secured by Kristen Avila, riding A Spook In Hollywood, a horse she owns and nominated herself. The stallion is by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Hollywoodstinseltown and out of Lucky Lil Spook, for a score of 211.

Taking the Level 1 was Delacy Hubbard, aboard HF Freeze Brand, for a 214. HF Freeze Brand is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize and out of HF Mobscar, nominated by Heritage Farms. 

Bubbles to Advance out of CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation:

Level 4 – 215

Level 3 – 211

Level 2 – 209

Level 1 – 209

Draw positions for the finals will be decided during the Platinum Performance Draw Party at 8 a.m. Thursday in the Sale Arena.

Complete results, draws, schedules, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

As the National Reining Horse Association Futurity continued through the open semi-finals at the OKC Fairgrounds, competitive teams of horse and rider fought for Adequan ® NAAC Champion titles.

Adequan ® NAAC Novice Horse Open Levels 1 & 2 Champion and Ancillary Novice Horse Open Champion – Marco Ricotta & Black Chex Cash

On their path to hopefully claiming a world championship, Marco Ricotta and Black Chex Cash have collected quite the list of championship accolades, and on Tuesday, Nov. 28, they added Adequan® NAAC Novice Horse Open Levels 1 & 2 Champions to the list. The pair also claimed the ancillary titles for the Novice Horse Open in Levels 1, 2 and 3.

This impressive list of new titles earned the pair $4,290 to add to Black Chex Cash’s lifetime earnings of just over $25,000.

“We ended up at a show earlier in the year, and she [Kim Niven] said ‘Marco, why don’t you try him? Go do what you got to do and have some fun,” Ricotta said.

Black Chex Cash, a 2016 stallion by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Big Chex To Cash and out of Blazing In Black, suffered an injury in his 2-year-old year that prevented him from making a name for himself in his futurity and derby years, but he is commanding the attention of anyone watching the ancillary pen now.

Black Chex Cash is owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Tim Anderson and has been shown in non pro divisions by Kim Niven.

To prepare for the run today, Ricotta said, “I tried to get him in the mindset the night before, so today, I went outside and rode him in the big pen to finish getting him mentally ready.”

Ricotta thanked Anderson and Niven for the chance to ride the stallion this year.

Competition continues in the Adequan® Arena with the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation Round.

Competition in the Adequan® Arena at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City continued Monday with the Rookie Professional and Limited Open classes of the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships, which is held in conjunction with the National Reining Horse Association Futurity.

Adequan® NAAC Limited Open Co-Champion – Tyrell Smith & Major Durango

Coming from The Land of Maple, Tyrell Smith brought the best of his string of horses all the way down to the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships at the OKC Fairgrounds to claim the title of the Adequan® NAAC Limited Open Co-Champion with a score of 219.

“I’ve had him his whole career. We did the futurities back home,” Smith said. “This is his last derby year, so we thought we would try to qualify for the affiliate finals. And we did, so we came down here, and he’s been pretty good. I’m very happy.”

Smith rode Major Durango, a 7-year-old stallion with lifetime earnings of $6,400, owned by Gail Gatto. Major Durango is by Durable Shine and out of Holly Majors.

Going into the pen, Smith was not confident they’d be leaving with a title or with a high score at all.

“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” Smith said. “When I was getting on him, the guy hauling some shavings dumped a pallet just before I was supposed to go in. We both got a little nervous, and I had to get his focus again.”

Smith thanked Major Durango’s owners, Bob and Gail, his fiancé, Amanda, and his parents for their belief in him and for their support.

Adequan® NAAC Limited Open Co-Champion & Rookie Professional Champion – Allison Yeager & Shiners Voodoo Juice

Allison Yeager had few expectations coming into the NRHA Adequan® Limited Open.

“I was hopeful that we could do well,” Yeager said. “ I was not by any means thinking we were going to mark a 219 and be co-champions.”

But that’s what she did on the 2012 gelding Shiners Voodoo Juice, winning the Adequan® NAAC Rooke Professional title and tying for the win in the Adequan® NAAC Limited Open.

“He’s been in my program for a couple of years,” Yeager said. “We bought him from Kyle Kellmer Performance Horses, who I used to work for, and he had (the horse) in his program for a couple of years. He’s super consistent and really fun to show.”

Shiners Voodoo Juice was sired by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr and is out of SLJ This Is My Juice (by Smart Like Juice). Chelsea Howell is his owner, and Kendall Norcross leases the horse.

“We were Draw 1 this morning, and I was pretty nervous about showing in that pen,” Yeager said. “This is my first time being here. And, he turned really good and went out and circled like I know he can circle, and we went through, and he came down in his rundowns. Stopping is where he really shines, and he stopped really great for me all three times.”

Shiners Voodoo Juice has $38,000 in lifetime earnings. In addition to their NAAC titles, Yeager and Shiners Voodoo Juice tied for second in the ancillary Limited Open and were second in Rookie Professional. All told, the wins added $1,253 to the gelding’s earnings.

“He is one of those horses that has a lot of personality and nickers at you when he thinks he has been tied up too long,” Yeager said. “He nickers at you if he thinks he’s hungry, which is all the time. He’s super fun to have in the barn.”

Ancillary Limited Open and Rookie Professional Champion – Flavio Tarquini & Blue Inferno

With a score of 219, Flavio Tarquini and Blue Inferno tied for the high score of the day in the Adequan® Arena. When his fellow competitors elected not to run off for the ancillary title, Tarquini was crowned the Champion of both the Limited Open and Rookie Professional ancillary classes.

“He was good today,” Tarquini, originally of Italy, shared. “His owner, Shelley Rosenberger, has shown him and done really good. I thank her for letting me show him.”

Blue Inferno, bred by Jeffrey Palmer, is by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six and out of Showtimes Lil Step. The six-year-old gelding has lifetime earnings of more than $57,000, and the wins in the Adequan® Arena added an additional $715 to that total.

With just a few riders left to ride in the first section of the National Reining Horse Association CINCH Non Pro Futurity at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Ok., it was assumed that the long-standing leads would hold– until Kelsey Price entered the pen. Although the judges elected to review the run, Price took a decisive lead in the round with a 220 score in the end.

Price rode Let Err Rip, a 2020 gelding by NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream and out of Gunner Be Custom, who she had previously ridden for high placing scores at the 100X Reining Classic Futurity, the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity, and the All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity. While this may only have been the first round, Price left the arena almost $3,000 richer.

In the NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals, riders in Levels 4 through 1 will be competing for a purse of approximately $760,000, a $30,000 increase from 2022. The lion’s share of that monstrous payout will be awarded on Friday, Dec. 1, during the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals.

An additional opportunity for riders piloting American Paint Horses to increase their horse’s lifetime earnings is the APHA Chrome Cash incentive. In the NRHA Cinch Non Pro Futurity, there was an added $6,500 up for grabs. Gina-Maria Schumacher, aboard Reining Royalty, claimed the purse with a score of 219.5.

The riders who did not secure a spot to try and earn their portion of that purse will still have a chance to advance through the Consolation Round, which will be Nov. 29. A specific number of horses who just missed that top-25 mark will compete in the Consolation Round, with the top five of each level then advancing to the clean-slate Finals.

CINCH Non Pro First Round High Scores:

Level 4, 3, & 2 High Score – Kelsey Price & Let Err Rip (Magnum Chic Dream x Gunner Be Custom)

Owned by Kelsey & Kole Price | Nominated by Rodion Cantacuzene Jr. | score of 220

APHA Chrome Cash Winner – Gina-Maria Schumacher & Reining Royalty (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Bella Della) – 219.5
Owned by XCS Ranch LLC | Nominated by Michell Anne Kimball | score of 219.5

Level 1 Co-High Score- Rylee Butler & SS Rock My World (Ruf Lil Magnum x Xtra Ruby Step) – 217.5

Owned by Rylee Butler | Nominated by Silver Spurs Equine | score of 217.5

Level 1 Co-High Score- Dani Latimer & Snap My Crush (PS Mega Shine Chic x Snapbacks) – 217.5

Owned and nominated by Dean Latimer | score of 217.5

Youth High Score – Addisyn Schmersal & Vintage Attitude (A Sparkling Vintage x Face The Attitude)

Owned by Hickory Creek Ranch LLC | Nominated by Ginger Schmersal | score of 219

Prime Time High Score – Adam Donahue & SS Play With Guns (Tinker With Guns x Play For Chic)

Owned by Adam and Darla Donahue | Nominated by Silver Spurs Equine | score of 219.5 (includes handicap)

CINCH Non Pro Finals Bubbles

Level 4 – 215

Level 3 – 213

Level 2 – 212

Level 1 – 208.5

Prime Time – 210.5 (includes handicap)

Youth – All Entered

Scores Needed to Advance to CINCH Non Pro Consolation

Level 4 – 212

Level 3 – 211.5

Level 2 – 209.5

Level 1 – 205.5

Complete results, draws, schedules, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.