Month: June 2022

The horse show action continued in the Adequan® Arena at the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel. There were 103 entries in the Novice Horse Non Pro classes, spread across three levels. In the end, Melissa Wigen, Veronica Williams, and Gavin Warren tied for the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 title, with Wigen taking sole possession of the top spot in Levels 2 and 3.

Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 Co-Champion & Level 2 & 3 (1) Champion – Melissa Wigen & Starlight Escalade

Melissa Wigen battled through the hardship of losing her competition horse and finding another one to compete on and rise above at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. On Tuesday, June 21, Wigen won the co-championship of the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 (1) and won the championship of Levels 2 and 3.

“It was really tough [when] I lost my last horse. [Starlight Escalade] has been really special to me and we’ve worked very hard. I feel like he’s a blessing to me. Win or lose, he is a gift from God,” Wigen said.

Despite Starlight Escalade’s (Starlights Wrangler x Escalanta Chic) initial fear of the Adequan® Arena, the pair came together to mark a 143.

“He was [initially] really scared of the arena and I flew my husband here to help me get through it. I was able to call on him in his circles, which I hadn’t been able to do this week because he’s been spooky. His stops were O.K. for us, and I’m not going to tell you it’s all horse,” Wigen said with some humor.

On Wigen’s list of people to thank were her husband, Travis Wigen, Yonathan Baruch and the barn community, plus her own family.

“It’s not easy to have kids at teenage age, try to [compete] and do well, and have a job,” Wigen said.

Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 (1) Co-Champion – Veronica Williams & Shiners Nu Chic

Veronica Williams got some redemption Tuesday, June 21, in the Adequan® Arena. After a disappointing Non Pro Derby run, Williams and Shiners Nu Chic (Smart Chic Olena x Shiners Lil Annie) tied for the win in the first slate of the Novice Horse Level 1.

“I just got her, and this is our first big outing together. I showed her in the Non Pro Derby and we had some bobbles, which was really disappointing. I decided I was going to come back over here and do this, and it worked out,” Williams said. “We’ve been getting to know each other, and getting in sync with each other.”

According to Williams, their 143 together was obtained with some motivated riding.

“I was mad, so I rode a little stronger. She’s a really lazy mare and can use a lot of leg,” Williams said.

She thanked her husband and his barn of clients for their continued support and cheers in the pen.

Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 (1) Co-Champion – Gavin Warren & Lil Ruf Maggie

Gavin Warren was among the three that tied for the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 (1) Championship, scoring a 143. He did so on Lil Ruf Maggie (Magnum Chic Dream x Lil Ruf Jessie), a mare he is newly acquainted with.

“This is my show with her – I just started with her. I showed her full sister last year so it’s fun to be able to keep riding the same bloodline and see what I can do with them,” Warren said. “Their minds are very, very similar, and they want to perform to the best of their ability and do their job.”

Warren’s Non Pro Derby run didn’t go to plan earlier in the week, so he entered the Novice Horse class to gain more show experience.

“I want to thank my dad and my trainer, Devin Warren, and my mom for taking care of things back home. Everyone in my barn [too], for their kind words and [tips],” Warren said.

Intermediate Open High Point Champion – Patrona Whiz & Arnaud Ferret

Seasoned showman Arnaud Ferret and Patrona Whiz earned the Intermediate Open High Point Championship Monday, June 20, in the Adequan® Arena.

With the two Intermediate Open runs, Patrona Whiz (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Smokin Jeanie Jag) added $1,100 to her lifetime earnings. The five-year-old mare is bred and owned by Diane Beckmann.

“She’s very nice, very talented, [but] she’s a little green in the show pen. We try to put her in there as much as we can and get her some show experience. Make sure she gets show broke,” Ferret said.

According to Ferret, Patrona Whiz’s strengths are her circles and stops.

“[Monday] She ran in pretty good… and then she circled really, really good. She had a bobble on the second lead change, but she was awesome the rest of the way,” Ferret said.

Next up for Patrona Whiz are more trips into the show pen with Ferret at the reins.

“We’re going to keep on going until she gets comfortable going in there. Trying to get her ready for the Derby next year,” Ferret said.

Limited Non Pro High Point – Kaylene Cunningham & KB Bucks N Guns

Kaylene Cunningham came to the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel with a goal – win the Limited Non Pro High Point Montana Silversmiths championship buckle.

She did just that on Monday, June 20, with eight-year-old KB Bucks N Guns (Gunner x Smart Whizzin Jenny), winning $180 across both days and adding to the gelding’s $4,500 in lifetime earnings.

“I’ve had him for almost a year. This is our seventh show and I think we just click,” Cunningham said. “The run was great. We were calm, he felt like he was there with me every step of the way. He didn’t do anything that I didn’t want him to do.”

KB Bucks N Guns may be a performer inside the pen, but he is a diverse eater in the barn. According to Cunningham, his favorite treat is ice cream and strangest nibble has been pizza.

“He likes to eat whenever I’m eating. So, if I’m having something he has to have it too, otherwise he throws a little bit of a temper tantrum,” Cunningham.

Next up for the pair is the American Paint Horse Association World Show.

“I want to thank my mom and my trainer Shane Brown,” Cunningham said.

The second day of the Open preliminaries of the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel is in the books. With only one day and 91 runs left to determine the finalists, every competitor entering the arena is looking for a solid run.

All tried and some came close, but no one was able to unseat NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Casey Deary from the top of the leaderboard with Americasnexttopgun, owned by Puno Performance Horses LLC. Deary and the stallion, by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz out of NRHA Futurity Champion Americasnextgunmodel, put together a 223.5-point run during the first section, and are all but guaranteed a spot in the Finals on Saturday, where the Level 4 Open Champion will win $75,000.

For the second year in a row, the Level 3 Open Champion will take home $35,000, the Level 2, $20,000, and the Level 1, $10,000.

The preliminary rounds are spread across three days and wrap up Wednesday afternoon. The current high scores across the divisions of the Open preliminaries are:

• Level 4 – Casey Deary & Americasnexttopgun (Walla Walla Whiz x Americasnextgunmodel) – 223.5
• Level 3 – Fernando Salgado & Pale Dun Star (Pale Face Dunnit x Get Ya Some Stars) – 222.5
• Level 2 – Jared Leclair & Makendiamonds (Whiskey N Diamonds x Makeit In Tinseltown) – 221
• Level 1 – Melanie Patroll & Dirty Diamonds (Whizkey N Diamonds x Wimpys Cat Step) – 218

Running concurrently with the Open preliminaries are the $40,000-added Tamarack Ranch Open 4-Year-Old Stakes and the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Open Novice Horse Derby. Currently leading the Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes and the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Open Derby, which, along with the Prime Time, will be awarded following the third section of the preliminary round on Wednesday, are:

• Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes – Shawn Flarida & Alpha Jac Sparrow (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Chexanicki) – 221.5
• Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Open Novice Horse Derby – Brandon Brant & Dainty Little Spook (Smart Spook x Dainty Little Step) – 220.5
• Open Prime Time – Duane Latimer & Hesa Rockin Whiz (Topsail Whiz x A Bueno Poco Dunit) – 222 (includes handicap)

The Open preliminaries run through Wednesday, June 22. The top 30 in the Open Levels 4-1 will advance to the clean-slate finals on Saturday. The draw for the finals will be decided during the Platinum Performance Open Draw Party on Friday at 10 a.m.

For complete results and other information, visit NRHADerby.com.

Jerseys Baby Driver, the flashy buckskin stallion with the monster stops, brought the roof down on the 2021 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel. With his trainer, 2020 NRHA Professional of the Year Trevor Dare, “Hercules” spun, circled, and of course, slid his way to a score of 226.5, winning the Open Level 4 title and check for $75,000.

Since then the stallion, by Yellow Jersey out of Wind Her Up Chic, has added even more to his impressive resume – most recently the Level 4 title at the National Reining Breeders Classic.

While Dare and Hercules aren’t competing in this year’s Derby, the stallion is already on the grounds and will be making an appearance during the Hercules Reception on Thursday, June 23.

The Reception, which will be held in the Super Barn Warmup Arena, is slated to begin at 4 p.m. The stallion will be available to meet fans and even pose for pictures!

“We are excited that owner Janice Laney has chosen to bring her great stallion Hercules to the Derby for this reception. He is known for his great demeanor and love of kids, so this is a great opportunity for kids – both in reining and from the local area – to learn about horses and meet a great one,” noted NRHA Events Manager Cheryl Cody. “While this particular reception is geared towards the younger crowd, there will be plenty for adults to enjoy as well.”

The excitement that begins with the reception continues later in the night. The $20,000-added Invitational Freestyle Reining presented by the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, traditionally held during the NRHA Futurity, will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. The eight contestants have been working on their choreographed routines and will be ready to put on an entertaining show.

Prior to the start of the Freestyle, the Derby Level 4 Non Pro Finalists will be introduced in the Coliseum Arena.

To keep up with the latest news and updates from the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel, visit NRHADerby.com, or follow NRHA on Facebook at Facebook.com/nrhareining

Another action-packed day of competition drew to a close at the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby, where the Open Preliminaries kicked off and several ancillary champions were crowned in the Adequan® Arena.

As the Derby moves into its busiest week, the best is yet to come with Open Derby building momentum and more ancillary classes receiving their winners.

$2,000 Intermediate Open Champion – Heza Voodoo Doll & Richard Pokluda

Heza Voodoo Doll and Richard Pokluda swept the $2,000 Intermediate Open and $500 Limited Open Monday afternoon, June 20, in the Adequan® Arena. With a score of 140, Pokluda earned $1,027.

“My run went well. I just need to free him up running to his stops, but he ran in and stopped good, circled good, spun really well and [overall] it was a nice, solid run. All I could ask for,” Pokluda said.

The team has been together since January of this year and is getting more acquainted with each show.

“It’s my fourth or fifth time showing him,” Pokluda said. “He’s a nice horse, very good-minded, very talented, just young.”

The four-year-old gelding is sired by NRHA Two Million Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr and out of Doll Of The West. Owner Marci Michel bred and raised him.

“He’s very easy, very simple at home. He just hangs out in his stall and loves his turnout. His owner likes to feed him carrots,” Pokluda said. “He’ll start getting carrots from me [now].

$500 Limited Open Champion and High Point Champion – ARC Wimpysgottagun & Johnette Burman

The 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel is ARC Wimpysgottagun and Johnette Burman’s first show together, and the pair are already adding to the nine-year-old stallion’s record. With a score of 142, the pair won the $500 Limited Open Championship and secured the Montana Silversmith’s High Point buckle for the class.

“The first slate, I was a little conservative with him, because his owner was going to show him. [Now] that she was done showing him it was time to step on the gas and give him a little bit more,” Burman said.

ARC Wimpysgottagun (Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Little Chic) was bred by NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner Arcese Quarter Horses and is owned by Janice Dickson.

“This is the first horse show I’ve shown him [at], and the second time I’ve shown him,” Burman said. “He was good for me, he’s really a nice horse and he’s lot of success through the years. “He’s a phenomenal stopper and he’s very capable of plussing every maneuver.”

Burman rides for Matt Mills and thanked Mills for helping her improve her showmanship. She also thanked owner Dickson for allowing her to show the horse.

$500 Rookie Professional High Point Champion – CBK A Nu Kinda Spark & Eric Grondin

Eric Grondin and CBK A Nu Kinda Spark (Jacs Electric Spark x HR Wright On Cash) clinched the Rookie Professional High Point Montana Silversmith’s buckle Monday afternoon, June 20, in the Adequan® Arena. The title represents consistency in the Canadian trainer’s showing – a skill he has been working hard to hone.

“I think I’m very lucky to have won the High Point,” Grondin said.

With a championship title in the class on June 18 and a reserve title in the second slate, Grondin earned a total of $449 for CBK A Nu Kinda Spark’s owner Patricia Ann Jackson.

“I think [his strengths] today were the lead change and his stops. He always stops,” Grondin said. “He’s not really complicated to warm him up before a class. I think I need to do the same thing every time I show him.”

$500 Rookie Professional Champion – Code Dun Snuck Out & Bobby Haneline

The Rookie Professional (2) championship went to Code Dun Snuck Out (Electric Code x Dun Sneaking Out) and Bobby Haneline, who earned $252 for the win.

“He’s one that I just started riding a month ago or so. He’s been in training with Jared Leclair, and I work for Jared. The owner was nice enough to let me start riding him,” Haneline said.

The four-year-old stallion was bred by Robbin Thayn and is owned by Nicole Callaway.

“The run was good – he wanted to be good for me. I could have run him a little harder but the owner is going to show him at the end of the week [in ancillary classes] so I figured we’d go a little softer and make sure he’s ready for her,” Haneline said.

According to Haneline, Code Dun Snuck Out is on the smaller side but doesn’t lack the strength it takes to make it through a reining pattern.

“I thank Jared Leclair,” Haneline said. “Jared and Karla have been really good to me.”

Limited Non Pro (1) Champion ­– Kylie Baker & Made For Tinseltown

Kylie Baker and Made For Tinseltown claimed the win of the Limited Non Pro (2) Monday evening, June 20, in the Adequan® Arena. Scoring a 143, Baker earned $345 for the win.

“This was the first time I showed him [at the Derby] so I just wanted a clean, easy run. He did really great, I was able to push him more than I thought I would be able to,” Baker said.

Made For Tinseltown, known as “Moose,” is sired by Gunners Tinseltown and out of Custom Made Dunit. The seven-year-old gelding was bred by McQuay Stables and is owned by Tara Davis.

“I’ve been riding him for a few months now. I started leasing him [recently],” Baker said. “He’s super pure in the show pen. He’s kind of older but hasn’t been shown too much so he’s just a blast to show. I love everything about him.”

According to Baker, Moose didn’t get off her leg like she wanted in the turnarounds but performed the rest of the pattern perfectly.

“I loped him off and he was great. He’s super square underneath me and around the ends, he’s super honest. You turn around the corner and he’s like, ‘I don’t really want to run, but O.K.’ He stopped great, better than he has in a while,” Barker said.

The team is showing later in the week in the ancillary Novice Horse Non Pro and Youth competitions.

“I thank my parents and Moose’s owner, Tara Davis. She’s the best for letting me show him. I also thank my trainer, Shane Kelley, and my whole barn family. There are too many to thank,” Baker said.

Jackpot Rookie Prime Time Champion– Amanda Johnson & Arise The Phoenix

Amanda Johnson and Arise The Phoenix may not have been together long, but are quickly figuring each other out. On Sunday, June 19, Johnson and the five-year-old mare marked a 141 in the Adequan® Arena for victory in the first slate of the Rookie Prime Time and also top The Run For A Million Rookie Qualifier.

“She’s really sweet and she’s a businesswoman. She wants to do her job and then be finished. The more yåçou let her do [the pattern] on her own the better she is,” Johnson said.

“Ari” is a flashy double-registered Pale Face Dunnit (an NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire) out of Talk About Janie. She was bred by Rachelle Valentine and is owned by Johnson.

Sunday was Johnson’s fourth ride on the mare, and she focused on navigating Ari through the pattern as smoothly as possible.

“Yesterday we didn’t know what we were going to have because we haven’t [practiced] with her enough,” Johnson said.

Coming from a diverse horse background including jumpers, cow horses and breed show horses, Johnson said she’s been riding reiners for about a year.

“I like the cow stuff but with a daughter in college it’s hard to keep everybody schooled up [on cows],” Johnson said. “So, we chose something that’s a little easier for us to do all the time.”

Johnson thanked the team at Billy Williams Performance Horses and Ruben Vandorp for connecting her with Ari.

For the first time at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel, Rookie competitors’ entry and judges’ fees were generously covered by NRHA Global Event Sponsor Toyon Ranch.

“Thank you so much to Toyon Ranch, it’s a blessing to get a little bit of relief because we work so hard to be here. Thank you so much,” Johnson said.

During the first section of the Open preliminary round of the 2022 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel, 108 of the 290 total entries stopped, slid and circled for a chance to advance to the finals. The clean-slate Finals will be held Saturday, June 25, in the Jim Norick Arena of the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, and the Level 4 Open Champion will be presented a guaranteed first-place check of $75,000.

For the second year in a row, the Level 3 Open Champion will take home $35,000, the Level 2, $20,000, and the Level 1, $10,000.

The preliminary rounds are spread across three days and wrap up Wednesday afternoon. The current high scores across the divisions of the Open preliminaries are:

Level 4 – Casey Deary & Americasnexttopgun (Walla Walla Whiz x Americasnextgunmodel) – 223.5

Level 3 & 2 – Jared Leclair & Makendiamonds (Whizken N Diamonds x Makeit In Tinseltown) – 221

Level 1 – Haley Franc & J Jameson (Star Spangled Whiz x Lime A Rita) – 217

Level 1 – Dalton Vicar & Alpha Black (Wimpy Chic x Chexanicki) – 217

Running concurrently with the Open preliminaries are the $40,000-added Tamarack Ranch Open 4-Year-Old Stakes and the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Open Novice Horse Derby. Currently leading the Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes and the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Open Derby, which, along with the Prime Time, will be awarded following the third section of the preliminary round on Wednesday, are:

Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes – Jason Vanlandingham & Excessive Rufness (Not Ruf At All x Smokin Lady Gunner)

Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Open Novice Horse Derby – Brandon Brant & Dainty Little Spook (Smart Spook x Dainty Little Step)

Open Prime Time – Duane Latimer & Hesa Rockin Whiz (Topsail Whiz x A Bueno Poco Dunit) – 222 (includes handicap) 

The Open preliminaries run through Wednesday, June 22. The top 30 in the Open Levels 4-1 will advance to the clean-slate finals on Saturday. The draw for the finals will be decided during the Platinum Performance Open Draw Party on Friday at 10 a.m.

For complete results and other information, visit NRHADerby.com.