The Non Pro preliminary round of the 2021 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel kicked off on Monday, June 21. This year’s Non Pro entry numbers are record-breaking, with 304 runs spread across two days of competition. The staggering increase, up from 249 in 2020, is likely caused by the increase in added money in the new divisions, as well as the Four Sixes Ranch guaranteed champion payout.
The preliminary round not only determines who will compete in the clean-slate finals on Friday, June 25, it also decides the champions of the Story Book Stables Amateur, the GlycoGuard Non Pro Novice Horse Derby, and the Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes.
The current high scores across the many divisions of the Non Pro preliminaries are:
Level 4, Prime Time & Masters – Michael Garnett & Lil Patron (Lil Joe Cash x Miss Rey O Shine) – 221.5
3, 2 & Prime Time – Shaunda Rai Blinzler & Smoke In Whizkey (Whizkey N Diamonds x Suga Suga) – 218.5
Level 1 – Justin Eddy & Xtra Wimpy Voodoo (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Wimpys New Pal) – 216.5
Level 1 – Allison Thorson & Gunner Be Custom (Gunner x Custom Made Dunit) – 216.5
Youth – Luca Fappani & Wimpy Pale Face (Pale Face Dunnit x Wimpys Lil Doll) – 217.5
Currently leading the Story Book Stables Amateur, the Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes, and the GlycoGuard® Novice Horse Non Pro Derby, which will be awarded following the second section of the preliminary round on Tuesday, are:
Story Book Stables Amateur – Tabitha Sternberg Allen & Holly Trashya (Gunnatrashya x Hickorys Holly Cee) – 217.5
GlycoGuard Novice Horse Non Pro Derby – Charles Wiederholt & No Ask Kate (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Twisted Smoking Gun) – 214.5
Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes – Tish Fappani & Joes Genes (Lil Joe Cash x Electric Genes) – 218.5
Non Pro preliminary competition continues Tuesday. The top 30 in the Non Pro Levels 4-1, the top 20 in the Prime Time Non Pro and Youth Non Pro, as well as the top 15 in the Masters Non Pro, will advance to the clean-slate finals on Friday. The draw for the finals will be decided during the Platinum Performance Non Pro Draw and Welcome Party on Wednesday evening. This welcome party also features Reiners Rope, a fundraiser that benefits the Reining Horse Foundation Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund.
The awards for the Story Book Stables Amateur, the GlycoGuard® Novice Horse Non Pro Derby, and the Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes will be presented immediately at the conclusion of the Non Pro preliminaries on Tuesday evening.
For complete results and other information, visit NRHADerby.com.
Ancillary Competition Heats Up at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel
Three days into the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel, the event is in full swing. In addition to the great prizes presented in the Adequan® Arena, exhibitors have a chance to win circuit buckles, as well. The first circuit championships were awarded Monday afternoon.
Sumer Opinker
Sumer Opinker & Concealed Guns – Int. Open & Rookie Pro. (2) Champions & High Point/Ltd. Open High Point
Concealed Guns has raked in some cash while at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. On Monday, he added to the stash with wins in the second slate of the Intermediate Open and Rookie Pro, as well as second in the Limited Open. He and trainer Sumer Opinker also claimed the high point buckles for the Rookie Pro and Limited Open classes.
“He’s been doing really well. He’s been quiet, consistent, and great for me,” Opinker said of the gelding, by Guns R For Shootin out of Sweet Lena Shine. The pair marked a 146 in Monday’s competition, pocketing $1,495 across the three divisions. “It was a run-in pattern today. He ran in good for me and stopped and backed well. He turned great, and then his circles were the most fun for me because he was flying. The whole thing was really fun.”
Opinker has been riding Concealed Guns, owned by Mindy Gray, since the 2020 NRHA Futurity. “I thank his owner Mindy Gray, and Mirjam and Andrea Stillo, who have been great giving me the opportunities to show him. I really appreciate it,” she said.
Finishing second in the Intermediate Open was Christina Croston-Boyes on Golddiggin Whiz, owned by Phillip Boyes. Croston-Boyes and Golddiggin Whiz (Pale Face Dunnit x Whizzle For Me) marked a 144.5 to win $834.
Doug Milholland
Doug Milholland & Gunnatwistya – Ltd. Open (2) Champions
With a score of 146.5, Doug Milholland and Gunnatwistya took top honors in the second slate of the Limited Open with a 146.5. Owned by David and Lecleta Aitken, Gunnatwistya is by NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya and out of Totally Dun Twistin.
“He’s a really talented horse. I’ve had him just over a year. It took us some time to get on the same page, but we’re starting to come together now,” Milholland explained. “The owners are wonderful people, so it makes it even more fun when you have great customers with nice horses.”
Milholland and Gunnatwistya showed in the AQHA class over the weekend, finishing second. “I wanted to use these two classes as schooling runs, and just keep him quiet. He showed well for me. He’s getting to where I can ask him something and he’s there for me,” he said. “I thank Jesus for letting me be here. I thank my customers, too. It takes a village to get here.”
Milholland will stay busy during the Derby, not only showing but also helping his daughter, Brooke Culwell, who is competing in the Non Pro Derby as well as customers competing in the Non Pro classes.
Bo Van Duys
Bo Van Duys & Voodoo Smokin Annie – Ltd. Non Pro (2) & High Point Champions
Consistency paid off for Bo Van Duys. On Saturday she and her horse Voodoo Smokin Annie finished fourth in the first slate of the Limited Non Pro. On Monday, the duo marked a 141 to top the class and win the high point Montana Silversmiths buckle.
“She was a little skittish in the middle during the spins, but other than that she was good and calm. We still did well so I was happy with it,” Van Duys shared. “We were going to school today to get ready for the Maturity on Wednesday. I was just hoping to have a clean, good run and fix some things. Once I got in there I decided to just go for it because she was pretty good.”
Van Duys began riding the mare three years ago, after her mother, Holly Van Duys, purchased the mare from Sam Smith. The 8-year-old mare is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr and out of Caleys Smokin Peppy. She will hand over the reins to her mom in August when she leaves to attend Oklahoma State University. “I thank my parents and my trainer Shane Brown for all their help,” Van Duys said.
Finishing second in the Limited Non Pro was Anne Peters and Guns R Spooky with a 140.5. Guns R Spooky is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook and out of Berry Yer Guns.
Complete results from the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel can be found at NRHADerby.com.
The temperatures were high, and the runs were equally scorching on Sunday, June 20, at the 2021 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel. While the marquis event doesn’t begin until Monday, the horse show was in full swing in the Adequan® Arena and Arena 6, with Non Pro and Open exhibitors showing throughout the day.
Franco Bertolani
Franco Bertolani & Masked Gun – Open (1) Champions
Franco Bertolani went one-two in the first slate of the ancillary Open on a pair of incredible athletes owned by Cardinal Hill Training Center. The NRHA Million Dollar Rider won the class with a 148 on Masked Gun and took second with a 147 on Dun It For Whizkey.
“They were pretty good. Both of these horses were off for a year for rest, and then I brought them to the Redbud and here,” Bertolani said. “I didn’t have any problems with either horse, which was great. I just try to do my job and stay out of the penalty box. They are both nice horses.”
Both Masked Gun and Dun It For Whizkey are out of the blue hen NRHA Million Dollar Dam Dun It For Chex. Masked Gun is by NRHA Twelve Million Sire Gunner while Dun It For Whizkey is by NRHA Twelve Million Sire Topsail Whiz.
Bertolani added, “I thank all my crew. I thank Joao Marcos of Cardinal Ranch for letting me ride those two great horses. I thank all my family and team for supporting me at this big show.”
While Dun It For Whizkey has aged out of Derby competition, Masked Gun still has a year of eligibility left. “I’m not sure where we will go next. I want to go home and look at the schedule. We will have the Run for the Million Shootout, so we will see. I might try to show Masked Gun at some derbies,” Bertolani said.
Joshua Crawley
Joshua Crawley & Lil Sancho Joe – Int. Open (1) Champions
With a score of 145, Joshua Crawley and Lil Sancho Joe took the top spot of the first slate of the Intermediate Open, winning $582. The pair also finished fourth in the Open, worth an additional $816. “He’s been really good and he was really well-trained when I got him. He’s been in some good barns and programs, and I just got to enjoy it,” Crawley shared. “He turned really well both ways, circled smooth, and changed leads well today. He was great.”
Lil Sancho Joe is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Lil Joe Cash and out of Miss Rey O Shine. The 6-year-old is owned by David Hobbs. “We have just been getting him ready for David to show. David showed him at the Redbud, and I got to pilot him today,” Crawley said. “David will show him this week in the Rookie classes. I thank David and Denise for their support. They have been with me since the beginning. They have truly been a blessing. Of course, I thank my wife Kelsey and my daughter Sadie and my team. They do a great job for us.”
Heather Servies
Heather Servies & Gunners Genes – Ltd. Open (1) Champions
With a score of 144, Heather Servies and Gunners Genes won the Limited Open and took second in the Intermediate Open, earning more than $830. “He felt good warming up and I just knew going in I could put him where I needed in the maneuvers. He was just there for me, and stayed exactly where I wanted in every maneuver,” she said.
Owned by Sheri Aaberg, Gunners Genes is by NRHA Twelve Million Sire Gunner and out of the prolific producer Taris Designer Genes. “I have had him for a couple clients now. He has been a great little horse,” Servies said. “I’ll be showing him again in two novice classes, and then his owner is going to show him in the green classes later on in the week.”
Servies added, “I thank his owner, Sheri Aaberg. She has been incredibly supportive of me showing him and has been a great client. I also thank the place that I work for, Creekside. They are really wonderful and I’m really happy to be representing them.”
There was a tie for Reserve between Adam Johnson and Jason Franks. Johnson rode Rock On Wimpy (Wimpys Little Step x Spot On N Sassy), owned by Dana Wetherell, while Franks competed on CBK A Nu Kinda Spark (Jacs Electric Spark x HR Wright On Cash), owned by Patricia Ann Jackson.
Sumer Opinker
Sumer Opinker & Concealed Guns – Rookie Professional (1) Champions
Concealed Guns has already had a successful week at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. On Saturday, the 4-year-old gelding finished second in the Limited Non Pro and Prime Time Non Pro with owner Mindy Gray. He returned to the show pen on Sunday to win the first slate of the Rookie Professional, as well as fourth in the Limited Open, with trainer Sumer Opinker.
Opinker works for NRHA Professional Mirjam Stillo. “Sumer has been showing him quite a bit lately. She showed him at NRBC and did really well,” Stillo said of the colt, by Guns R For Shootin out of Sweet Lena Shine. “He’s just been really good. He’s stepping up and is really turning into a good show horse. He’s getting more consistent and better each time. We are really happy with him.”
Concealed Guns can’t rest on his laurels, as he will be showing again in the second slate of the Rookie Professional and Limited Open.
Second in the Rookie Professional was a tie between Emilie Lind and Katherine Davis, who both marked a 140. Lind rode CTC Go Daddy (HF Mobster x Miss Danakanic), owned by Heather Carta, while Davis piloted Chicsdundreamin (Magnum Chic Dream x Goody Goody Dun Drop), owned by Nancy Stillwell.
Jessicah Keller & Its Snippin Time – Nov. Horse Non Pro Level 2 (1) Co-Champion/Level 3 (1) Champions
Riding Its Snippin Time, Jessicah Keller tied for the win of the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 2, pocketing $557. Its Snippin Time is by Shine Big Time out of Snip O Satellite. The talented mare was bred and is owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Hilldale Farm. The duo also took sole possession of the win in the Level 3, worth an additional $561.
Kyla Thurlow and Kachina Olena Tag took reserve honors in the Level 3 with a score of 144. Kachina Olena Tag is by NRHA Two Million Sire Whiz N Tag Chex and out of Kachina Oak Olena.
Raeanna Thayn
Raeanna Thayn & Roseswhiz – Nov. Horse Non Pro Level 2 (1) Co-Champions
NRHyA member Raeanna Thayn optimized her time in the Adequan® Arena, using her runs to prepare for the Non Pro preliminaries which begin Monday.
On her 4-year-old mare Roseswhiz, Thayn scored a 144.5 to tie for the win of the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 2. “She was really good today. We were just schooling before the preliminaries. I just wanted to have a clean run. Since she’s only four, I wanted to let her do what she wanted to do,” Thayn said of the mare by NRHA $3 Million Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Rose Electric Step.
In addition to being entered in the Non Pro Levels 4, 3, 2, and Youth, Thayn and Roseswhiz will also compete in the new Colston Paving, Inc., Non Pro Stakes. Thayn purchased the mare through the 2018 Marketplace Sale at the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales. “I have only showed her a few times. I thank my parents, as well as my trainer Josh Murphy for helping me out,” she said.
Thayn recently won the Graphic Design division of the NRHyA Art and Photo contest and finished third in Photography. She said, “It is good to have a different outlook on the industry and all of the scholarship opportunities that NRHyA has. A couple of my friends did photography when I was younger, and I got to watch so I picked it up from them.” Raeanna plans to visit her artwork, displayed at the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame, this week.
Lisa Bricker
Lisa Bricker & Lotta Mobster – Nov. Horse Non Pro Level 1 (1) Champions
With a score of 143.5, Lisa Bricker won the first slate of the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 on Lotta Mobster.
Bricker began showing Lotta Mobster, by HF Mobster out of Alottachic N Lilwhiz, a year ago. “He has been really fun to ride and show. He was a little green when we got him, so my dad and I showed him a lot and my dad spent a lot of time on him. Everything is starting to click these last few shows,” Bricker explained.
Lisa added that her father, Donnie Bricker, has been her trainer her whole life. “There have always been horses that are sort of projects, and it’s fun seeing it all come together. When I come back from school, they always improve so much with him riding them. It’s so rewarding when it all does come together,” she said.
Bricker attends Texas A&M at College Station, Texas. “I get to show reiners while I’m in school, so riding is automatically built into my schedule,” she explained. “I am lucky because I know that it’s not the case for everyone who grows up riding.”
Bricker and Lotta Mobster also finished fourth in the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 2 and third in the Level 3 for total earnings of $1,196.
Sarah Armenta and Hangin On The Line took second in the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 with a 143, earning $514. Hangin On The Line is by Shine On Line out of Spooks Hangten.
The 2021 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel kicked off Saturday, June 19, with a full day of horse show action. Increased entry numbers for the event necessitated a few shifts and adjustments to the schedule and location, so the first slate of the Non Pro NRHA classes was moved to Arena 6, while the first section of the American Quarter Horse Association and American Paint Horse Association Open classes were held in the Adequan® Arena.
Morris Kulmer & NVR What A Lucky Joe – Non Pro (1) & Prime Time Non Pro (1)
It’s the last year of Derby eligibility for Morris Kulmer’s standout gelding NVR What A Lucky Joe, and the pair seem primed for success after marking a 145.5 to win the first slate of the ancillary Non Pro and Prime Time Non Pro on Saturday. The two collected checks totaling $1,131.
Morris Kulmer
“My plan going in the arena today was to just have a nice, smooth ride and wait until he made a mistake, then correct him if I needed to,” Kulmer shared. “It was a nice, smooth ride and we didn’t make any mistakes. I hope he carries that over to the Derby, but you never know. There are always last-minute things to change, but we were simply happy to show and bring it home.”
NVR What A Lucky Joe is the highest money-earner by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Lil Joe Cash and is out of What A Lucky Hit. “I thank my good friend Andrea Fappani who got me this horse. Of course, I thank my trainer Dan Huss and everyone at Huss Performance Horses. They do a great job taking care of my horses and getting them ready. I also thank my farrier, my vet, and the NRHA,” Kulmer said.
After the Derby, Kulmer will set his sights west. “We will go to Reining By the Bay, and then in August I’m excited for the Run For a Million. The reining industry is exciting right now. There is a lot of excitement, and everyone is looking for great horses, including me,” he said.
Tristan Bagby took second in the Non Pro (1) on Shina Gun (Gunner x Shiner Light) with a 144. Mindy Grey finished second in the Prime Time Non Pro with a 141.5 on Concealed Guns (Guns R For Shootin x Sweet Lena Shine).
Kalyn Sanders & Got That Iowa Shine – Int. Non Pro (1) & Ltd. Non Pro (1)
With a score of 142, Kalyn Sanders and Got That Iowa Shine took the win for the first slate of the Intermediate Non Pro and Limited Non Pro. The duo also finished third in the Non Pro, bringing their take for the day to more than $1,349.
Kalyn Sanders
Sanders is looking ahead to the $15,000 Added 8 & Up Maturity, which will be held in the Adequan® Arena on Wednesday. “We have a few things to smooth out before then to be ready, but I think we will be ok by then. Regardless, I’m just pleased at how today went,” she said.
“He was really good today. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this at all. We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to practice since the NRBC, but as usual he took care of me and did his job,” Sanders said of “Dillon,” an 8-year-old gelding by Smart And Shiney out of SLJ This Is My Juice.
A Business Development Manager for Chewy.com, Sanders hasn’t been able to ride Dillon as much to prepare. “I thank my fiancé, Josh Murphy, as well as his assistant Daniel Lopez who has kept Dillon legged up and ready for me when I couldn’t ride much because of work,” she said.
Finishing second in the Int. Non Pro was Paul Queen on Outta Dough (Gallo Del Cielo x Dough Olena) with a 141. Mindy Grey finished second in the Ltd. Non Pro on Concealed Guns (Guns R For Shootin x Sweet Lena Shine) with a 141.5.
Ancillary action continues Sunday with the first slate of the NRHA Novice Horse Non Pro and Open classes. A complete schedule, results, link to the live webcast and more can be found at NRHADerby.com.
