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Kulmer and Sanders Win NRHA Non Pro Classes at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel

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.

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Tenda Equine Products Sponsor Drag Awards at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel

There are numerous opportunities to win prizes at the 6666® National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel, slated for June 19th-27th in Oklahoma City. The prize pool is set to expand in 2021 as contestants with the highest scoring run of each drag during the Open and Non Pro Preliminaries will win prizes from Tenda Equine Products.

The Tenda drag awards are given at the conclusion of each set and each drag award winner can go to the Super Barn paddock stand and pick up a Tenda bucket containing Tenda Giddy Up Shampoo, Tenda Pods, Tenda Sheen, Tenda Original Poultice or Tenda Hoof oil all generously sponsored by Tenda Equine & Pet Care Products and ThorSport Farm.

“We are glad to have this special benefit for our riders, thanks to Tenda,” said NRHA Events Manager Cheryl Cody. “It’s special and fun for our exhibitors to be able to walk out of the arena and get a gift for topping the set.”

NRHA Senior Director of Corporate Relations and Communications Sammi Miller echoed that sentiment. “Tenda Equine Products are a great addition to NRHA’s Derby award program,” she said. “Thank you to Tenda and ThorWorks Industries for coming on board to sponsor the high point leader of each section inside the Jim Norick Arena!”

Tenda Equine and Pet Care Products has been serving the performance horse industry for over 45 years with a primary goal of developing and manufacturing safe and effective products to promote and improve the overall health, soundness, performance, and overall well-being of equine athletes. For more information, visit the website at https://tendahorse.com.

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Skyrocketing Entries Necessitate Schedule Changes for 6666® NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

The 2021 6666® NRHA Derby presented by Markel will be the largest in history in terms of Derby entries. That’s great news; however, with 303 Non Pro and 265 Open entries in the draw, the event will present some logistical challenges.

The increased numbers were a last-minute turn-around that it is thought to be the result of the myriad of new incentives for riders that came from soaring sponsor support.  The Four Sixes Ranch’s guaranteed championship payments in all levels are a factor, as are the opportunities presented by the Story Book Stables Amateur Derby, the Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes, the Colston Paving Inc. Non Pro Stakes, and the GlycoGuard Novice Horse Non Pro and Open Derbies.

It seems that, for many exhibitors, the decision to enter was made at the eleventh hour. NRHA Events Manager Cheryl Cody explained, “The week before draw, we were substantially down in entries. They were so much lower than expected that I had taken my concerns to NRHA management. We were nearly 50 horses off the 2019 numbers, and even more from the 2020 totals. The deadline to be in the draw was Tuesday, June 1, the day after Memorial Day. From Friday evening, May 28, until midnight on June 1, we received more than 200 late Derby entries, as well as a staggering number of horse show entries!”

In checking the NRHA’s historic records, this volume of last-minute entries is unprecedented. Cody continued, “That increase, along with the anticipated accompanying ancillary entries, will make for long days for exhibitors. We have already taken steps to add a day to the show beginning in 2022. Unfortunately for this year, we will have to manage as best we can, because people have already made travel and vacation arrangements.”

NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter is looking forward to the historic event. “We are thrilled to have incredible sponsors whose support has brought us to this level. The funds they have brought in have been spread across so many divisions, benefiting all our exhibitors,” he said. “The explosive growth in our entry numbers this year have far outpaced the available dates. We have adjusted where we could this year, and plan to add another day to the schedule in 2022. We ask everyone for their patience and flexibility this year as we navigate through a record-setting, extraordinary event.”

The 2021 schedule has been modified with changes in start times and in locations for some classes as well as an amended entry deadline and schedule for the AQHA Open Class. Be sure to check the schedule and entry forms online at NRHADerby.com for complete details.

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Horse of the West “Short Stirrup Series” Continues at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel

The National Reining Horse Association has long enjoyed the coverage provided by Horse of The West (formerly NRHA Inside Reining), and the 2021 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel will be featured on the popular RFD-TV program.

According to NRHA Senior Director of Corporate Relations and Communications Sammi Miller, the program helps the NRHA Derby reach a much wider audience.

She said, “Horse of the West, has helped the association to reach new people each year and show them all the excitement of reining.” With the program’s change of focus and expansion to covering both reined cow horse and barrel racing, Horse of the West has increased access to people who are already in the horse business. Their understanding of the complexities of training a horse should help draw them to the reining discipline.

In 2021 Sandbur Productions, creator of Horse of the West, is celebrating 20 years of reining coverage with the “Short Stirrup Series.”  At five unique reining events this year, Horse of the West is providing a special sponsorship to the 10 and Under class and will feature the top two finishers in the TV show.

Jenifer Reynolds of Sandbur Productions has long had a passion for reining and for the industry’s youngest riders. She said, “We want to showcase our youngest riders and encourage their involvement with horses. We hope the Short Stirrup Series will encourage families to get their kids out of the house and onto the back of a horse!”

Like many others in the reining world, Jenifer believes in the benefits of being involved with showing reining horses. “We’ve seen first-hand how young kids learn confidence, responsibility, and appreciation for animals through their involvement in reining. We want to show that benefit to our viewers,” she said.

“The sponsorship by Sandbur Productions and Horse of the West of the Short Stirrup classes is new at the 2021 Derby. Supporting the youth is something dear to NRHA and to have our long-time friends, Jenifer Reynolds and Chris Cook at Horse of the West, come along side to sponsor the youth is something we are proud to announce,” Miller said.

6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel coverage on Horse of the West is scheduled for September 13 and September 20. Remember, the show airs on Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV. For those who don’t have RFD-TV, the shows are posted on the Horse of the West YouTube channel.

Horse of the West is a multiple Telly Award and AHP Equine Media Award winning weekly show presenting coverage of reining, reined cow horse, and barrel racing. In 2020 Horse of the West garnered a record 6 million 18+ views on RFD-TV, rural America’s most important network, and is on target to repeat those viewership numbers again in 2021.

Go to www.horseofthewest.tv for a complete show schedule.

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2020 NRHA Derby Presented by Markel Breaks Records

The 2020 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby presented by Markel was expecting a subdued look and feel. The Oklahoma State Fair implemented new protocols because of COVID-19. This included increased stall spacing, face mask requirements for staff, mandatory social distancing, and closing the event to the public.

All those measures were followed, but as the event unfolded it became clear that there was nothing subdued about the size of the show or the quality of the competition. The 2020 NRHA Derby presented by Markel became the largest in NRHA history. Not only was there a record number of horses, riders, and entries, the total purse for the show was also record-breaking, surpassing $1.1 million.

The combined payout for the Open and Non Pro Derbies set another record at $1,012,581. The Non Pro Derby had an all-time high payout of $354,620. The Open Derby had the third-highest payout in history, awarding $657,961.

“Our members were very happy that we were able to have this show and their enthusiasm was felt throughout,” said NRHA President Mike Hancock. “Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all the exhibitors for their spirit of camaraderie and cooperation. Not only was it a huge show – it was a great one!”

That off-the-charts momentum continued in the Adequan® Arena, where the traditional horse show classes sometimes went well into the night or even the early hours of the next morning. NRHA Events Manager Cheryl Cody said, “When the unprecedented entries became apparent for the first weekend, we were able to shorten two extremely long days by showing concurrently in Arena 6. Once the Derby competition began, we could not do that. Thanks to the commitment of our staff and officials and the cooperation of our exhibitors, we were able to get through those incredibly long days.”

In 2020, there were 1,433 stalls filled – another record. That translated to 820 horses actually entered in the show – up from 664 last year.

The number of riders competing at the event rose substantially as well, going from 499 in 2019 to 637 this year. All that equated to record entry numbers, up to 3,301 entries from 2,750 the previous year.

The huge show led to several career achievements, including three unofficial millionaire milestones. Andrea Fappani’s Open win in the Adequan® Arena early in the week made Rancho Oso Rio LLC an NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner. When Jason Vanlandingham won the Level 4 Open Derby Championship on Saturday evening on A Vintage Smoke, he surpassed the NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider mark in earnings, and his horse’s sire, A Sparkling Vintage, became an NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire.