The Adequan® Arena at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel transformed into a stage for exceptional reining talent today. The open division of the Derby’s ancillary competition took center stage, showcasing a group of elite riders and their remarkable equine partners. With a vibrant atmosphere and a chance to earn prestigious championship buckles, the competition provided a thrilling display of athleticism and precision.
$10,000-added 8 & Up Level 4 Open Maturity Champions – Matthew Palmer and Frozen Shining Gun
Matthew Palmer, NRHA Professionals Committee member, scored a 148 on Frozen Shining Gun to win the $10,000-added 8 & Up Level 4 Open Maturity Championship.
“He is a really special horse for me. He was brought over here from Poland,” said Palmer. “He’s been with me since The Run For A Million (TRFAM), and he was the first horse I showed at TRFAM, so it’s been a special ride with him. One of the best things about him is he has so much try, and he’s been there consistently for me throughout his career. He’s quite amazing.”
The 8-year-old gelding is by Colonels Shining Gun and Frozen Slide and is owned by Rachel Stanevich.
“He was actually the one I broke my foot on in Scottsdale right before the run for TRFAM qualifier, so this is my first ride back on him since I got hurt, and I felt like he and I needed to get back to the dance together. He was special for me today.”
$5,000-added 8 & Up Level 2 Open Maturity Champions – Sebastian Petroll and Xtra Miss Wimpy
NRHA Executive Committee member Sebastian Petroll scored a 146 to win the $5,000-added 8 & Up Level 2 Open Maturity. He rode a 9-year-old mare, Xtra Miss Wimpy, who has led him to great success in the show pen and his daughter. Along with winning larger titles like the NRHA Corporate Partner Bob’s Custom Saddles Showdown with Petroll at the 2022 NRHA Futurity, the mare is also a Short Stirrup horse for Petroll’s daughter, Lanie.
“This mare has been with us for the last six years and is part of the family now,” said Petroll. “She is really special mentally. What makes today special for me is getting to show her and to do good in the 8 & Up Maturity, is that I also showed her first daughter here [at the 2024 NRHA Derby] so it doesn’t happen very often that you get to show a daughter and mother at the same horse show, so that was a lot of fun.”
Xtra Miss Wimpy is by NRHA $4 Million Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr and out of Little Smart Wimpy, bred by Ixtul Quarter Horses LLC and owned by Ellen Cummins.
$6,000-added Open Champions – Jared Leclair and Makendiamonds
NRHA Million Dollar Rider Jared Leclair and Makendiamonds scored a 149.5 to win the $6,000-added open class. Leclair and the 8-year-old mare have had a lucrative career together, and she boasts $246,484 in NRHA LTE for owner Dorothy Queen.
“She’s an 8-year-old mare that I’ve had a lot of history of showing,” said Leclair. “I qualified with her for TRFAM this year. I plan on showing her there, and I used this class to get her prepped for TRFAM. She’s a really special mare. We’ve got two babies on the ground by her this year. She’s got a lot of personality; we have a great relationship. Showing together, we’ve had a lot of success. I really look forward to showing her at TRFAM. I had a great warmup showing today, and I’m looking forward to the future.”
Leclair also serves on the NRHA Judges Committee. The mare he rode is by NRHA $3 Million Sire Whizkey N Diamonds by Makeit In Tinseltown, bred by CDR Farms and owned by Dorothy Queen.
$2,000-added Intermediate Open Co-Champions – Arnaud Ferret and Johnette Burman
In the second slate of the Intermediate Open, it took a 145 to win top honors, and a pair of NRHA Professionals were up to the task: Arnaud Ferret and Johnette Burman
For Ferret, it was a repeat of Saturday’s performance. He rode Conquistadors Dun It (NRHA $6 Million Sire Hollywood Dun It x Conquistadors Sandy) to a 145 to win the first slate of the Intermediate Open and returned to the show pen to win the same class on the same horse with the same score. The duo also earned the high-point championship buckle from Montana Silversmiths.
“We had a pretty good run. He was fun to show,” said Ferret. “He’s a big stopper, big turner, and he’s been really good to have in the barn. The owner has been showing him in the green reiner and the rookie. He’s an angel. He takes care of everyone. He’s just fun to have in the barn. After work, they love to give him cookies; he can’t wait. As soon as we get off of him, he just wants his cookie.”
The 10-year-old gelding was bred by Double Run Farm and is owned by Garret Stevens.
Burman rode Hey Good Lookin, a 7-year-old gelding who also competes in rookie classes with owner Diana Duffey.
“I just feel like this is a pretty special horse. I’ve been showing horses for a long time and there are not many horses that can do what he does,” said Burman. “His owner shows him in the rookie, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to show him in the open as well. I’ve been lucky enough in my career to have a couple of horses like this, so I kinda know the special ones and, to me, those are the special horses. I think these horses that go to horse show after horse show and show a couple of times and still give it all they have that day are pretty special. They kinda need their own little set of recognition. This is one of those horses. I was pretty proud to ride him today and have a lot of fun showing him.”
The gelding is by NRHA $4 Million Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr and out of Ritas San Jo and was bred by Double Run Farm.
$500-added Limited Open Champions – Mandy Faust and Xtra Wimpys Catalyst
Mandy Faust and Xtra Wimpys Catalyst scored a 146 to top the Limited Open. Earlier this week, ‘Zorro’ won the Non Pro, Intermediate Non Pro, Limited Non Pro and Prime Time Non Pro with a 145.5 with his owner Kent Ray Taylor at the reins.
“He was just perfect for me. We are getting ready for Sunday for the non pro for his owner Kent Ray Taylor,” said Faust. “Zorro was just wonderful. He didn’t make any mistakes, and I just went on into my pattern. He was perfect,” said Faust. “We had a run-in pattern. He stopped big and turned nice for me. He was so much fun to circle that was the most fun about the whole pattern, we had to lope off into a small slow and he showed off right away.”
The 9-year-old stallion bred by Milholland Training Inc. is by NRHA Hall of Famer Wimpys Little Step and out of Im Not Blonde.
Limited Open High-Point Champion – Eduardo Giannasi and Boujee
“I just won the Limited Open high-point,” said Giannasi, who rode Boujee (NRHA Hall of Famer Magnum Chic Dream x Chexanicki). “I scored the same score on this mare as I did on Saturday. She is a really good show horse, I think, and [she is out of] a really good mare Chexanicki. A fun fact here at the show: I got to talk to Arnaud Ferret, Lauren Love and Mirjam Stillo who all rode some of the sons and daughters of Chexanicki, and that taught me a lot about trusting this mare in the show pen.”
Boujee was bred by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC and is owned by NRHA Corporate Partner Thorsport Inc.
To learn about Boujee and Giannasi’s previous wins this week, read here.
$500-added Rookie Professional Champions – Juan Robledo Coppiano and Alpha Sushi Chic
Juan Robledo Coppiano and Alpha Sushi Chic earned the top spot in the Rookie Professional in the first slate. He then won again today, making him the champion of the high-point buckle from Montana Silversmiths.
“Being here in the United States has been a dream for me,” said Coppiano. “I have watched all of the shows, the [NRHA] Derby, the [NRHA] Futurity and the NRBC [National Reining Breeders Classic] online for a long time. Being here and able to show in this arena is a dream for me and getting the championship today is just amazing; it feels unbelievable.”
The 8-year-old mare is owned, bred and nominated by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC and is by Wimpy Chic and out of Shiney Sushi.
To learn about Coppiano’s success earlier this week, read here.
Limited Non Pro Champions – McKenna Sparrow & Pretty Has Cash
Fifteen-year-old McKenna Sparrow from Washington rose to the top of the leaderboard in the second slate of the Limited Non Pro after scoring a 140.5 on her own Pretty Has Cash (NRHA $2 Million Sire Lil Joe Cash x Prettywhizprettydoes).
“Cash is pretty special because he loves bananas,” said Sparrow of the gelding bred by Clint Haverty. “He’s also the first I’ve gotten to really show in the showpen. He is very fun to ride, he has a sweet personality and he is really fun to be around.”
Sparrow joined NRHA just one year ago and already has $1,374 in NRHA LTE.
Limited Non Pro Champions High-Point Champion – Courtney Hammit & Ruff Spook
Courtney Hammit and David Hammit’s Ruff Spook (NRHA Hall of Famer Smart Spook x Ruffle Me Up) took home the Limited Non Pro High Point Championship.
“Ruff is very, very special to me because he came into my life when I was going through a hard time,” said Hammit of the Greg Hill-bred stallion. “He has made my life so much more fun and interesting. His personality is that he loves to be loved on. He’s a very spoiled boy, but out of all the horses, he deserves it the most. We had a great run. Mr. Nathan [Piper] and I have been working pretty hard, Mr. Nathan has done a great job working with me and I just have to get myself 100% so he’s [Ruff] 110%.”
As the final riders exited the Adequan® Arena today, the excitement for the remainder of the ancillary competition remained palpable. The upcoming days promise continued displays of exceptional horsemanship and fierce competition. Stay tuned for further updates on the captivating ancillary events at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel.