NRHA Monthly Service Report—August
NRHA Community Mourns the Loss of Hall of Famer Ronnie Sharpe
The reining community mourns the loss of one of its memorable members. A National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame inductee, competitor, breeder, and judge, Ronald Sharpe’s impact on the industry was immense. He was one of the first accredited NRHA Judges when the Association was born. He is noted for judging in five of the world’s seven continents for five different associations including NRHA, for which he served in various capacities for over 45 years. He was also the longest-standing chairman of the American Quarter Horse Association Judges Committee.
As a horseman, he was one of the few to have made the futurity finals in both the NRHA and the National Cutting Horse Association. As a breeder, he was and is the leading producer of AQHA champions.
A former Marine, he had a passion for his country, horses, and his family. In fact, he was quoted for saying, “A loving wife, family, and some good horses is all a man can ask for.” Sharpe passed away at 84 years old in his home surrounded by the family that he loved on Saturday, September 3, 2022.
A memorial service will be held at Riley Funeral Home in Hamilton, Texas, on Saturday, September 10, 2022. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Star Volunteer Fire Department.
You can find his official obituary here.
Cowboy Conversations comes to Cowtown
Mark your calendars! Wednesday, September 21, Cowboy Conversations brings two of the most knowledgeable and colorful cowboys/cattlemen to the stage at Billy Bob’s Texas. Pete Bonds and Bob Loomis will share stories that will make you smile and maybe even squirm. Event co-chairs Lori McCarty and Sally Brumbaugh promise a unique entertaining and educational evening that will raise funds for Friends of the Fort Worth Herd.
Pete Bonds, cattle rancher and former Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assn president, owns and leases acreage in more than two dozen counties in Texas as well as in seven other states. Bonds Ranches runs cattle from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Bonds has received the Foy Proctor Memorial Cowman’s Award of Honor and the W.A. “Bill” King Award for Excellence in Agriculture from the Fort Worth Farm and Ranch Club. He was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2017.
Bob Loomis is an icon in the equine industry, a universally recognized master in the world of precision riding and also a who’s who in the Texas Longhorn Breed. The former president of the National Reining Horse Association, Bob has won six NRHA Open Futurity championships, more than any other trainer. He was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1992 and the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame in 2012.
Bob lives on his Loomis Ranch at Marietta, Oklahoma, where he raises horses and Texas Longhorn cattle. His Longhorns have swept Ultimate Awards. He and his wife breed Texas Longhorns for conformation, horn length, color and disposition.
Emcee Tom Johnson Operates 87 Ranch and Johnson Cattle Marketing and will lead Pete Bonds and Bob Loomis through spirited Cowboy Conversations.
Friends of the Fort Worth Herd provides financial and volunteer support for the Fort Worth Herd Twice Daily Cattle Drive. The Old West comes alive every day at 11:30 and 4 PM as real Texas drovers (cowhands) drive a herd of Texas Longhorns down East Exchange Avenue in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. The Fort Worth Herd attracts thousands of visitors each day and is a major driver of tourism in Fort Worth and North Texas.
What: Cowboy Conversations
When: Wednesday, September 21 – 6 pm
Where: Billy Bob’s Texas
For more information, sponsorship opportunities, and to make reservations, visit CowboyConversations.com
The National Reining Horse Association is not responsible for the information contained in this press release. Please contact the author or submitting organization for further information, requests, or questions.
Judges and Stewards Selected for 2022 NRHA Futurity
The 2022 National Reining Horse Association Futurity, set for November 24 through December 3, is the premier reining event in the world. Fans travel to Oklahoma City from around the globe to watch NRHA’s top trainers and riders make the big stage debut for elite 3-year-old reining horses.
The landmark event will pay $350,000 to the Level 4 Open Champion and $75,000 to the Level 4 Non Pro Champion, and will also determine the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships. Not surprisingly, being chosen to score the performances of the exhibitors as a judge is both an honor and a serious responsibility.
The individuals chosen to officiate at the NRHA Futurity this year blend veteran experience with freshman enthusiasm. For the Open Futurity in the Jim Norick Arena, the team includes Sandy Jirkovsky from Mississippi, Van Luse of Texas, Italian Manuela Maiocchi, Kim Myers of Pennsylvania, and Mark Turner from Indiana.
Evaluating performance for the Non Pro Futurity will be Buddy Fisher from Pennsylvania, Oklahoman Don Flohr, Margaret Fuchs of Ohio, Hiram Resende Silva Filho from Goias, Brazil, and Pat Wickenheiser from California.
Jan Dublin of Texas, Linda Hitt from Colorado, and New Yorker Kelly Hedges are the judges chosen for the NAAC classes in the Adequan® Arena.
Ed Cridge and Jeff Buckley, both from Texas, will serve as Equipment Judges in the Jim Norick Arena and the Adequan® Arena, respectively. Monitors for the event will be Eugenio Latorre of Spain and Doug Allen of Arizona.
The group includes four first time Futurity judges, including Maiocchi, Dublin, Hedges and Buckley.
The Futurity Show Steward team is headed by Ed Bricker. He will be joined by Lyle Jackson, Alessandro Dezzutto, Walt Larson and Marlin Holroyd.
“The Judges and Stewards committees take the task of Futurity Judge, Monitor and Steward selection very seriously. These are key positions that move the reining industry forward and set the standard for future competition. We are proud of this year’s lineup of officials and look forward to an exciting event,” said Patti Carter, NRHA Senior Director of Education & Officials.