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Two Sires Cross the NRHA $4 Million Dollar Mark

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announces two exceptional sires, A Sparkling Vintage and Inferno Sixty Six, have crossed the monumental $4 million mark in NRHA offspring earnings. This significant milestone reflects their remarkable influence in the reining industry and the exceptional performances of their progeny on a global stage.

A Sparkling Vintage

Born in 1997, A Sparkling Vintage is a standout sire bred by Jeff Cornelius and NRHA Hall of Famer Carol Rose. Sired by the legendary NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Shining Spark and out of Vintage Badger, this exceptional stallion is owned by Petra Zeitler. Known for his impeccable bloodlines and proven performance, A Sparkling Vintage last reached a major milestone in 2022. His contributions to the reining world have been cemented with his offspring’s success at premier events.

A Sparkling Vintage’s 183 NRHA money-earning offspring have propelled him to the $4 million milestone. A pivotal contribution came from SS Pretty Nifty, ridden by Anna-Maria Zehetbauer to claim the Italian Reining Horse Association Level 4 Non Pro 4-Year-Old Futurity Championship in 2024. The duo added over $100,000 to the sire’s progeny earnings, showcasing the enduring impact of A Sparkling Vintage on the reining industry.

A Sparkling Vintage’s top-earning offspring include:

  • A Vintage Smoke (out of Lady Smoke Peppy), bred and nominated by Karl Hapcic and owned by Diane Mesmer, $540,650 NRHA LTE
  • Not Ruf At All (out of All Ruffed Up), bred and nominated by Petra Zeitler, owned by NRHA Hall of Famer Vaughn Zimmerman, $456,437 NRHA LTE
  • Platinum Vintage (out of Starjac Miss), bred and nominated by Petra Zeitler, owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Silver Spurs Equine, $314,909 NRHA LTE
  • Starjac Vintage (out of Starjac Miss); bred by Petra Zeitler, nominated by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Tim Anderson, and owned by Clover Oak Ranch; $228,312 NRHA LTE
  • All American Vintage (out of All Ruffed Up), bred by Petra Zeitler, nominated by Harper Conner (USA) and NRHA Million Dollar Rider Gennaro Lendi (EU), owned by Eyal Carmon, $171,263 NRHA LTE

Inferno Sixty Six

Inferno Sixty Six, a 2012-born stallion, continues to blaze trails in the reining world. Bred by Hilldale Farm and nominated by Domenico Lomuto, this exceptional sire is the result of a legendary pairing between two NRHA Hall of Famers: Gunnatrashya and Snip O Gun. Owned by Slide or Die LLC, Inferno Sixty Six has consistently proven his worth, crossing his last milestone in the summer of 2024.

Inferno Sixty Six’s 378 NRHA money-earning offspring have solidified his place among reining’s elite sires. His rise to the $4 million milestone was highlighted by the stellar performance of NRHA Professional Kaci O’Rourke and The Firemen (Redhot Walla) at the 2024 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships. Together, they captured the MS Diamonds Level 4 Open Futurity Championship and the Level 3 Open Futurity Championship, earning over $425,000 in 2024 and cementing Inferno Sixty Six’s legacy.

Inferno Sixty Six’s top-earning offspring include:

  • The Firemen (out of Redhot Walla), bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Tamarack Ranch LLC, owned by Peter and Courtney Morgan, $425,078 NRHA LTE
  • Inferno Thirty Five (out of Madeof Pure Spangled), bred by NRHA Corporate Partner Cardinal Hill Training Center LLC, nominated by Mary Jansma, owned by Stephen Archer, $284,529 NRHA LTE
  • Winding Inferno (out of Wind Her Up Chic), bred and nominated by Cardinal Hill Training Center LLC, owned by NRHA Corporate Partner Teton Ridge Ranch, $218,038 NRHA LTE
  • Surprizing Sixty Six (out of Dun With Surprizes), bred and nominated by Valentin Rascon; owned by Janiene Borror, $169,534 NRHA LTE
  • Gangsta Sixtysix (out of Rush N Cat), bred by Lorenzo Lottie, nominated by Slide or Die LLC, owned by Julio Mora Hernandez, $168,344 NRHA LTE
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NRHA Celebrates Three Sires Reaching Multi-Million Dollar Milestones

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announces three of the industry’s leading sires have reached significant milestones, further solidifying their legacies in reining history. Gunners Special Nite, Spooks Gotta Whiz, and Gunnatrashya have each achieved new benchmarks through the extraordinary performances of their offspring.

Gunners Special Nite: NRHA $8 Million Sire

Gunners Special Nite, known as “Bailey” to those who love him, continues to shine in the reining world as an NRHA $8 Million Sire. The 2004 stallion, bred by Kim and Debra Sloan and owned by Turnabout Farm Inc., crossed the $7 million mark in April of 2024 and reached $8 million during the 2024 NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC). By NRHA Hall of Famer Gunner and out of Mifs Doll, Bailey himself boasts NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of nearly $220,000.

The milestone was achieved through the efforts of his 530 NRHA money-earning offspring, highlighted by stellar performances at the NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC. NRHA Hall of Famer Mandy McCutcheon rode two of Bailey’s progeny to success: Spookin At Nite (out of Spooks Little Princess) and Golden Nite Survivor (out of Golden Survivor), securing third and fourth places in the Level 4 Non Pro Finals and earning over $67,000 collectively.

Gunners Special Nite’s top-earning offspring include:

  • Modern Gun (out of Taris Modern Design), bred and nominated by Turnabout Farm Inc. and owned by MS Stables, $362,126 NRHA LTE
  • Guns And Dynamite (out of Chic Olena Starbuck), bred and nominated by Turnabout Farm Inc., owned by Tim and MaryBeth Ruckman, $297,851 NRHA LTE
  • All Nite Partier (out of Topsail Survivor), bred and nominated by Deana Nell, owned by Sotol Investments LLC, $281,183 NRHA LTE
  • CS Especially Moody (out of Judys A Little Moody); bred, nominated, and owned by NRHA $3 Million Owner Corrina Schumacher of XCS Ranch LLC; $229,059 NRHA LTE
  • Gunna Be Painted (out of Darlins Not Painted), bred and nominated by NRHA $2 Million Owner Tom McCutcheon, owned by Kevin Colston, $212,631 NRHA LTE

Spooks Gotta Whiz: NRHA $10 Million Sire

NRHA Hall of Famer Spooks Gotta Whiz, known as “Baby,” has achieved the $10 million sire milestone. The 2007 stallion, bred by NRHA Hall of Famer Clint Haverty and owned by Michell Anne Kimball, crossed the $9 million mark in August 2024. With NRHA LTE of $345,138, Baby is by NRHA $3 Million Sire Spooks Gotta Gun and out of Prettywhizprettydoes.

The 531 NRHA money-earning offspring of Spooks Gotta Whiz have consistently excelled, including Picture Perrfect (out of Isnt She Perfect), who played a significant role in this accomplishment. The talented horse and its NRHA Million Dollar Rider were crowned MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Futurity Reserve Champions at the 2024 NRHA Futurity, earning $150,000.

Baby’s top-earning offspring include:

  • Mic Dropp (out of Dun Dry Whiz), bred and nominated by Clark Reining Horses LLC, owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owners Tim Anderson and Clark Reining Horses LLC, $352,224 NRHA LTE
  • Alpha Jac Sparrow (out of Chexanicki), bred and nominated by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC, owned by Fritz Leeman, $298,564 NRHA LTE
  • Spooks Gotta Spark (out of Dolittle Lena), bred and nominated by Bobby Lewis, owned by Kevin Truax, $215,585 NRHA LTE
  • Outta Yur League (out of Shesouttayourleague); bred and nominated by Curtis Performance Horses LLC; owned by Frank Costantini Jr., Tim Anderson, Clark Reining Horses LLC, and Richard Vernon; $204,880 NRHA LTE
  • Spooky Whiz (out of Myo Starlight), bred and nominated by Spence Bell, owned by Bosque Ranch Performance Horses LLC, $186,043 NRHA LTE

Gunnatrashya: NRHA $14 Million Sire

Gunnatrashya (Gunner x Natrasha), an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee, has reached the monumental milestone of $14 million in sire earnings. Bred by Katarina Dorminy and owned by NRHA $3 Million Owner Arcese Quarter Horses USA, Gunnatrashya crossed the $13 million mark in August 2024. With NRHA LTE exceeding $218,000, the stallion’s success in the show morphed into an even more prestigious career as a sire.

His 812 NRHA money-earning offspring have achieved exceptional results worldwide. Notable among them is Shift N Gears (out of Snip O Gun), bred and owned by Hilldale Farm. Under the guidance of NRHA Million Dollar Rider Jessicah Keller, Shift N Gears claimed the 2024 All American Quarter Horse Congress Non Pro Freestyle Reining Championship and the Open Freestyle Reserve Championship, contributing significantly to Gunnatrashya’s milestone achievement.

Gunnatrashya’s top-earning offspring include:

  • Gunnabebigtime (out of Big Time Jazzy); bred, nominated and owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Tami Nelson; $864,903 NRHA LTE
  • Gunna Stop (out of Stop Little Sister), bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Toyon Ranch LLC, owned by Amber Gokey, $672,762 NRHA LTE
  • Andiamoe (out of Wimpys Little Chic); bred, nominated and owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA; $438,139 NRHA LTE
  • Ten Thirty (out of Dainty Little Step), bred and nominated by Brooke Wharton, owned by Rancho El Fortin, $418,788 NRHA LTE
  • Super Marioo (out of HA Chic A Tune), bred and nominated by Hillis Akin Family Partnership, owned by Tom and Mandy McCutcheon, $338,891 NRHA LTE

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In Memory of Joe Wolfe

Joe Wolfe of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, died February 3, 2025. He had a deep passion for horses and the reining community. He was elected to the Reining Horse Foundation Board of Directors in 2022. At the time of his passing, Joe was chairing the RHF Crisis Fund Review Committee and serving on the Scholarship Committee. He previously served on various committees for the National Reining Horse Association.

Joe was a reining breeder, owner and competitor. As an NRHA non pro, he amassed nearly $137,000 in lifetime earnings.

Joe is survived by his wife of 53 years, Emmy Wolfe. His full obituary and service arrangements can be found here.

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In Memory of Marty Roth

The Reining Horse Foundation and NRHA mourn the passing of Martin F. “Marty” Roth in January 2025.

Martin F. Roth, most recently resided in Grant Park, Illinois. He was known to friends and family as “Marty.” Martin was an avid enthusiast of hunting, target shooting and vintage cars. He had a special love for NRHA reining shows, where he enjoyed spending time watching his wife, Becky Roth, showcase her horses.

You can read his full obituary here.

Services are private and will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Reining Horse Foundation.

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Quarter Dream SRL Turns Dreams Into Reality as NRHA Million Dollar Owner

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announces Quarter Dream SRL, based in Puglia, Italy, has joined the elite ranks of NRHA Million Dollar Owners. This prestigious milestone celebrates the tremendous success and dedication of owner Pietro Marseglia, whose family’s equestrian legacy dates back to the 1930s.

Quarter Dream SRL’s remarkable journey to becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Owner culminated after the 2024 NRHA Season. Significant contributions to this achievement include standout performances by three of their horses Hollys Hijackers, Sugar Little Step, and Colonels Dancing Gun. Quarter Dream also acknowledges the broodmares Dance Little Spook, Gunna Be Majestic, and Sugar Little Step, which helped them reach this milestone.

“NRHA Professional Nico Sicuro, current Quarter Dream Trainer, [NRHA Million Dollar Rider] Franco Bertolani, Marcus Gebert, the Italian [NRHA Million Dollar Rider] Gennaro Lendi, [NRHA Million Dollar Rider] Ann Fonck and Rudi Kronsteiner are the ones who piloted Quarter Dream Horses to build what Quarter Dream is today.”

Additionally, Colonels Dancing Gun, a 10-year-old stallion bred, owned, and nominated by Quarter Dream SRL, earned $1,270 with NRHA Professional Nico Sicuro in the Run for a Million Qualifier, contributing to his impressive lifetime earnings of $240,230. Colonels Dancing Gun’s illustrious career includes victories such as the 2018 NRHA European Level 4 Open Futurity Championship, the 2020 NRHA European Level 4 Open Derby Championship, and the 2023 World Reining Championships Open Senior Individual Championship. Colonels Dancing Gun and Sicuro also earned the 2024 NRHA Open World Championship.

Quarter Dream SRL’s partnership with NRHA extends beyond the arena as an NRHA Corporate Partner since 2020, underscoring their commitment to advancing the sport of reining worldwide. With over 120 horses contributing to their NRHA records, the team’s dedication to excellence is unmatched.

For Pietro Marseglia, Quarter Dream SRL’s success is rooted in a singular vision. “We build in the years an excellent breeding program and we are proud of that.”

The family’s equestrian tradition began during a time of war in the 1930s, when Pietro’s grandfather served as the chief of the royal horse soldiers, and before during 1830 Giovanni aka “La Fata” was in the beer transport of course using horses.

Today, Quarter Dream SRL carries on this legacy, blending heritage with a commitment to innovation in the reining industry. The NRHA congratulates Quarter Dream SRL and Pietro and his wife Helena on this remarkable accomplishment and looks forward to their continued contributions to the sport. Read more about Quarter Dream SRL’s journey to the million in the April issue of the NRHA Reiner.