The stage is being set for the World’s Richest Reining—the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC). After an extensive review process involving the NRHA Judges Committee and Board, a group of highly respected professionals who bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and dedication were chosen to judge the event taking place November 26 – December 7, 2024 at the OKC Fairgrounds.
With a purse of more than $3 million and titles up for grabs, the competition will be bigger than ever.
Congratulations to the following individuals chosen to judge the 2024 NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC:
Jim Norick Coliseum Judges:
Eugenio Latorre: Sant Esteve de Palautordera, Spain
Mark Turner: Evansville, Indiana
Sandy Jirkovsky: Whitesboro, Texas
Van Luse: Whitesboro, Texas
Kelly Sapp: King, North Carolina
Chele McGauly: Elm Grove, Louisiana
Mack Weaver: Morgan, Utah
Manu Maiocchi: Pavia, Italy
Richard “Ollie” Griffith: Sarasota, Florida
Alessandro Meconi: Castel Gandolfo, Italy
Tom McBeath, Equipment Judge: Union, Mississippi
Maik Bartmann, Judge Monitor: Osthofen, Germany
Adequan® Arena Judges:
Buddy Fisher: Abilene, Texas
Todd Arvidson: Purcell, Oklahoma
Kain Emmons: Rancho Cordova, California
Kelly Hedges: Perrysburg, New York
Douglas Allen, Judge Monitor: Sandhurst, United Kingdom
For more information on what is certain to be another record-breaking NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAAC visit nrhafuturity.com.
The judge selection process for the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel and the NRHA Futurity begins several months before the first horse enters the pen. The selection process for each judge is outlined below:
Each eligible judge is contacted for their availability for the event.
All available judges are compiled into a list and sent to each member of the Judges Committee.
Judges Committee members make selections from the list to fill the allotted slots for the event.
These names are compiled into a shortlist and discussed on a conference call with all members of the Judges Committee. Nominations are allowed on this conference call.
The committee members, except for the chair, then rank their choices, and each ranking equates to a certain number of points. The points are compiled and submitted to the committee chair.
The committee chair reviews and makes recommendations based on the outcome of the vote and the needs of NRHA.
The ranked list with the Judges Committee Chair recommendations is submitted to a seven-person panel subcommittee for final selection.
This process is set in place to ensure the Futurity and Derby are well-judged competitions with quality, professional judges.
A raucous crowd was entertained by incredible runs in the Jim Norick Coliseum as the scores of the 2023 National Reining Horse Association Futurity MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Finals climbed higher and higher. The audience was confident that Brian Bell and Crystalized Whizkey would take the win with a 225.5, but if the sport has proven anything, it’s that it’s not over until it’s over.
The crowd was one of the largest in Futurity history, and the energy was palpable as NRHA Eight Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani ran into the pen as the last draw of the night and attempted to circumvent the lead.
With another 225.5, Fappani had secured what could have been a co-championship. But for Bell, who had yet to win his first Level 4 Futurity Championship, it wasn’t enough. He rewrapped his horse’s legs, zipped up his chaps, and ran in again to earn another impressive score of 224.5 to earn the coveted title.
“I’ve been second twice, by half a point,” Bell said. “I just couldn’t do it, I needed to know that I risked it all.”
Bell rode Crystalized Whizkey, a mare by Whizkey N Diamonds out of Lonely At The Top, owned by Wallace Wood. This win earned the pair an incredible $350,000, with a portion of that, $17,500, going back to the nominator, Rhodes River Ranch.
Crystalized Whizkey is a niece of Shesouttayourleague, one of the competitors in the last run-off that occurred at an NRHA Futurity in 2015. Making the event one for the history books, Fappani rode Inferno Thirty Five, a son of NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six, the other competitor in the 2015 run-off.
Heading into the NRHA Futurity, Bell was just shy of the money needed to be eligible to compete in The American Performance Horsemen presented by Teton Ridge in 2024, which factored into his decision to risk it all and go for first place, as second-place earnings wouldn’t qualify him.
“I just decided to go for it,” Bell said. “I know I’ve got a good horse; she’s strong, and she’s gutsy, so I’m not going to back off.”
Anyone who was a part of that roaring crowd, whether they were one who threw their hat in the arena or not, will keep this historic championship close to mind, but for Bell, it’s certainly a night he’ll never forget.
NRHA Open Level 3 Champions – Kole Price & Shez Got Addy Tude
An impressive score of 223 solidified Kole Price and Shez Got Addy Tude as the Level 3 winners in the NRHA Futurity at the OKC Fairgrounds.
“The cream always rises to the top,” Price said. “This mare… her runs just keep getting better and better.”
The L3 championship and placement in the top seven of the Level 4, gets the mare’s career off to a strong start, as the Futurity was her first time in the pen. Getting sick in the summer kept her from going to anything leading up to the Futurity, but Price was confident.
“It all worked out well. We worked really hard for this moment. We were very prepared, but everything just came together,” Price said.
The mare, owned by Capital Quarter Horses and nominated by Michell Anne Kimball, is by NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Miss Lil Addy Tude.
“Reining is like a bad drug,” Price said, chuckling. “It’s so addicting. And I mean, the crowd is so electric; who wouldn’t want to be a reiner after being here tonight? Tonight will carry me through another year of waking up at four in the morning to ride.”
It’s a particularly exciting weekend for the Price family– not only did Kole win the Level 3 Open Futurity, but Kelsey Price won the Level 2 CINCH Non Pro Futurity as well.
“I can tell you I’m ready to go home, and then we’re gonna party. I told my wife and her friends, get ready,” said Price. “Honestly, I was so excited for my wife. I really wanted her to do good, so this win is just extra.”
NRHA Futurity Open Level 2 Co-Champion – Gabriel Diano & SS Whatcha Gun Doo
Gabriel Diano rode Alpha Quarter Horses’ SS Whatcha Gun Doo to a 221 to tie for the NRHA Futurity Open Level 2 Championship.
“This horse is really easy to prepare,” Diano said. “He’s always trying to help and do whatever you ask, so getting him ready wasn’t a big deal. The run was really nice. He stopped big in the first rundown. When I backed up, he kind of stuck on the turnaround, and that was a worry, but when I asked him in the circles and the other three stops, he was amazing. He was really there, so I’m really happy.”
SS Whatcha Gun Doo is a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Tinker With Guns and out of Xtra Black Magic. He was bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine. SS Whatcha Gun Doo is a graduate of the NRHA Markel 2021 Elite Yearling Sale.
“That horse is nothing but great for me since we bought him as a yearling,” Diano said. “He has been easy to start, easy to show. He’s been really nice for me. (When I first saw him), he had the look – that black color, that blue eye. He moved really pretty in the round pen, so that caught me, and I bought him for myself. When he was started, he was a good friend, always great-minded.”
A mistake in the first go kept Diano and SS Whatcha Gun Doo out of the Level 4 finals.
“We made Level 2, and he showed liked he should show,” Diano said. “Winning means everything.”
NRHA Futurity Level 2 Co-Champion – Luca Fappani & Playing With Da Boys
A big score of 221 took Luca Fappani and Playing With Da Boys to the co-champion title Dec. 2 in Level 2 at the 2023 National Reining Horse Association Futurity.
“She did every part to the best of her ability,” Fappani said. “She ran in and stopped good, and handled running through the gates and the lights and the crowd. She ran and stopped, turned good both directions. It might be her strongest attribute.
“She circled really good right for me, and then she circled really good left. Just coming around by the gate, she slipped and fell out of lead behind a couple of strides, then she went right back to work. The rest of the pattern was great. She stopped three times around the end and did everything she could.”
Fappani and Playing With Da Boys also tied for third in Level 3 and for 11th in Level 4.
“There’s nothing I would change preparing her as far as her effort,” Fappani said. “Just a little bit of tough luck, and she deserves the world.”
Playing With Da Boys is a 2020 mare sired by NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of My Berry Best Gun by NRHA 14 Million Dollar Sire Gunner. She was bred and nominated by Sergio Elia.
Playing With Da Boys is owned by the Neiberger-Camp partnership.
“My girlfriend’s family, along with some of their friends, the Camp family, owns her,” Fappani said. “They bought her as a yearling out of a sale because they wanted a nice horse.”
The mare was in training first with NRHA Four Million Dollar Rider Casey Deary, then with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Fernando Salgo before Fappani got the ride on her.
“It took a bit for her and I to click,” Fappani said. “The first go at the Futurity, she marked a 23, and she was great. In the semis, she marked a 19 and a half. I took it a little slower, just trying to do a nice ride, and she showed incredible for me in these finals. It’s a little heartbreaking, but I can’t be mad. She showed her heart out, I should have done a better job. She put everything out there for me.”
NRHA Futurity Open Level 1 Champions – Marcos Guimaraes & Shootin Wright
Marcos Guimaraes made dreams come true for himself and for owner Dustin Milhollen as he piloted Shootin Wright to a 219 and the Level 1 Championship on Dec. 2 at the 2023 National Reining Horse Association Futurity.
“I couldn’t ask for a better run,” Guimaraes said. “He drug his butt, he rolled back, he turned, he changed leads, he did everything. He was amazing.”
Not only did Shootin Wright win the Level 1 Championship, but he was also third in Level 2.
“He’s great-minded,” Guimaraes said. “He doesn’t say no. He doesn’t get crabby. He does what you want him to do, and if you make a mistake, the next day, he forgives you.”
Shootin Wright is a 2020 stallion sired by Guns R For Shootin and out of Wrightintinseltown by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Hollywoodstinseltown. He was bred and nominated by Debbie Hubbert.
“I bought this horse as a yearling for Dustin Milhollen,” Guimaraes said. “He was supposed to be a non pro horse, and he ended up being a really nice open horse.”
The horse has $33,862 in earnings through the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity and the 100X Reining Classic Invitational.
“We came up here, and he didn’t have the first go we were wishing for, and then he got better in the second go. He was amazing in the finals,” Guimaraes said. “It means a lot to me. He’s probably the best horse I’ve ever had. I’ve been in the States for eight years now, and I never had an opportunity to show a horse like him.
“I’d like to thank everybody that helped me – my owners, my parents, everybody,” Guimaraes said. “Especially at this show, a friend helped me with the slowdown. It took him 10 minutes to help me with that, and it saved me in the finals. Everybody – 7 Lakes helped me, Thiago Boechat, so many people I can’t even tell. All of them.”
Shootin Wright will get some time off before returning to the show pen and the bright lights.
“We’ll take a couple of weeks off, maybe a whole month, and then start thinking about next year, probably NRBC,” Guimaraes said. “Hopefully NRBC. He’s a big horse, so he’s going to look better in that big pen. “
NRHA Futurity Prime Time Champions – Craig Schmersal & Trythatnasmalltown
A 220.5 was good enough to push NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider Craig Schmersal to the Prime Time Championship on Dec. 2 at the 2023 National Reining Horse Association Futurity.
“He stopped good the first time, turned good both ways,” Schmersal said. “The last stop, I missed it, or I would really have won (big).”
In addition to the Prime Time Championship, Schmersal also tied for 11th in Level 4.
“I think he’s going to be a really good 4- and 5-year-old Derby horse,” Schmersal said, adding that the horse should improve with growth.
Trythatnasmalltown is a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA 12 Million Dollar Sire Topsail Whiz and out of NRHA Million Dollar Dam Dun It For Chex by Hollywood Dun It. He was bred, owned, and nominated by Cardinal Hill Training Center.
“Joao Marcos of Cardinal Hill sent that horse to me,” Schmersal said. “We’ve had him the whole time. He’s been fun to train. He showed really good tonight. I’m thrilled to show him.
“I thank my wife, (Ginger), because she helps me every day,” Schmersal said. “She gets me through the whole show. Joao Marcos – he’s been awesome.”
The final Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship and ancillary classes ended at breakneck speed in a runoff Dec. 2 at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® NAAC.
At the end of the original competition, Ava Welman and Luke Bingham were tied at 218 in both the NAAC and ancillary 14-18 class.
“My (first) run was super smooth,” Welman said. “Earlier in the week, I had some trouble in my right circles. He was so honest for me today. He wanted to be really good. He had his game face on, so it worked out really well.”
In the runoff, Bingham rode first on Sparkin Dun It. Welman rode next on Mcspangled.
“I was a little nervous,” Welman said. “I’ve only done one runoff, and it wasn’t at this scale of event. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I was excited. It’s a big deal, so you’ve got to go for it when you have the chance to place this high.
Welman tied for seventh earlier in the week in a Non Pro class, and she wanted to get a win in, she said.
“I wanted to do it,” she said. “He felt good and ready.”
Mcspangled is a 2018 gelding sired by Star Spangled Whiz and out of Miss Mcdreamy by Magnum Chic Dream. He was bred by Fred Christen.
“I just got him in June at the Derby from Cooper Smith and Arno Honstetter. He’s a super cool horse, probably one of the most talented horses I’ve shown. He’s pretty special. I’ve pulled checks on him every time I’ve shown him.
“I have to thank my parents for getting me this horse,” Welman said. “He’s so cool. My barn family – they all showed up and helped me. I really want to thank Steve Archer. He’s helped me a ton with this horse. It’s been a really crazy ride, but it has been so fun.”
Bingham’s mount, Sparkin Dun It, is a 2013 gelding by Pale Face Dunnit and out of Sparkin Personality by Jacs Electric Spark. He was bred by Hickory Creek Ranch and is owned by Saddle Horn Farms.
Complete results and other news can be found at NRHAFuturity.com
The Jim Norick Coliseum was rocking on Friday, Dec. 1, for the Finals of the 2023 National Reining Horse Association CINCH Non Pro Futurity. The night was filled with all the emotions one could want in a finals, with everyone from first-timers to veterans vying for a title.
NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 4 Champions – Lane Colston & Gunna Be Painted
Lane Colston asked just a little bit more of his horse in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals.
Colston scored a 217 in the first round on Gunna Be Painted. That extra oomph in the finals was good for a score of 220.5, Colston’s first Futurity Level 4 Championship, and a check for $71,250.
“My run in and stop was pretty good today,” Colston said. “My turnarounds were really strong, and I went to shut him off, and I had a bit of penalty, and I knew that. We circled each way, and he was really smooth and quiet. I ran him pretty hard, and he stayed with me and listened to me the whole time. Around the ends, he was just exceptional. I ran and stopped him, and he stopped huge for me all three times.”
Gunna Be Painted is a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite and out of Darlins Not Painted by Smokin Chic Olena.
“In the prelims, I just wanted to stay quiet and not use all my horse up, and that’s what we did,” Colston said. “He’s so much fun to ride. Every time I get on him, I smile.”
Breeder Tom McCutcheon nominated the stallion now owned by Kevin Colston, an NRHA Corporate Partner through Colston Paving. As nominator, McCutcheon will receive $3,750.
“I thank my parents, Amy and Kevin Colston, and Jake Ballard. He has done a really great job with this horse,” Colston said. “He’s had him since the first of the year. I thank him and Tom and Mandy McCutcheon. They raised (the horse) and sold him to us. I’m super thankful for that.”
Before arriving in Oklahoma City, Gunna Be Painted had $29,566 in earnings through the All American Quarter Horse Congress and the All Star Reining Stakes Non Pro Futurity.
Colston, who lives in Frankfort, Kentucky, had lifetime earnings of $491,076 prior to the Futurity. He has been showing since 2013.
“I think this is my fourth time making the Level 4 finals,” Colston said. “Any time you make the finals at the big show, it’s a great feeling.”
CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 and Level 2 Co-Champion, Level 1 Champion – Dani Latimer & Snap My Crush
Any win is exciting, but Dani Latimer’s championship in the Level 1 and co-championships in the Level 3 and 2 of the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 at the OKC Fairgrounds aboard Snap My Crush were particularly special ones for her.
Snap My Crush is a 2020 stallion by PS Mega Shine Chic out of Snapbacks—a mare Latimer has a special connection to. The fact that the stallion is homegrown was just the icing on the cake; Latimer’s father, Dean Latimer bred and nominated the horse and is still the owner.
“He’s the first baby out of the horse I made the futurity finals on for the first time,” Latimer said. “So from the time he was born, I was just automatically looking forward to the day that I rode into the Jim Norick on him.”
The stallion, who she calls Finn, came into the Futurity with $53,604 earned through the 100X Reining Classic Invitational and One Hot Reining Summer Slide Futurity. The multiple titles earned the pair an additional $75,018, with an additional $3,948 going back to the nominator.
“Every time I stepped in the showpen this year, he was right there with me,” Latimer said of Finn. “He has given me his all, and as futurity horses, they go through a lot of pressure and a lot of training to get to this point, so for it to pay off, it’s super sweet.”
Going forward, Latimer plans to show Finn in 2024 at the various aged events, but said that first, “I’m going to make sure that he’s comfortable tonight. And then I’m sure my stalls are going to be a bit of a party.”
CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 and Level 2 Co-Champions – Kelsey Price & Let Err Rip
Kelsey Price and Let Err Rip earned an impressive score of 219 to secure their spot in the tie for first place in the Level 3 and 2 and join a four-way tie for reserve champion in the Level 4 in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity at the OKC Fairgrounds.
Let Err Rip is a 2020 gelding sired by NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream and out of Gunner Be Custom. He is owned by Kelsey Price and her husband, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Kole Price, who also trained the gelding.
“My horse was there for me; he turned really good after our run-in, and then the crowd got electric, so it really pushed me,” Price said of the run that earned her the championship.
While the NRHA Futurity is the most pressure the pair has faced this year, they came into the Futurity with $13,977 in earnings from the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity, the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity, and the All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity. To prepare, Price said, “I had to chill. I just had to walk around on him and avoid looking at the crowd I knew was out there.”
This win will add $72,155 to the gelding’s lifetime earnings, with $3,607 of that going back to his breeder and nominator, Rodion Cantacuzene Jr.
From here, the gelding’s path is unclear, as Kelsey and Kole Price simply can’t agree on who should pilot the talent through his four-year-old year, but both agree that he will undoubtedly be continuing a long career in the show pen.
“All I can say is thank you to my husband Kole,” said Price. “This means that a lot of hard work paid off. We’re out there everyday riding. It was a lot of fun being with my husband and our team, but it’s tough, and we get out of bed every day to ride, and we work all year for this to be successful.”
CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 Co-Champions and Level 4 Co-Reserve Champions – Allison Thorson & Froze
Allison Thorson went into her first NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity thinking she had no way to lose.
“I was super nervous,” Thorson said, “because I just don’t have experience with futurity horses in general. I was telling myself to go for it. Everything is on the line here, but I had the mentality of ‘I don’t have anything to lose and everything to gain.’”
And she did. Thorson rode her family’s stallion Froze to the co-champion title in Level 3 as well as tying for the reserve champion title in Level 4 with her score of 219. Thorson will receive a check for $34,011 for her co-reserve title in Level 4 and $26,666 for her co-champion title for a total of $57,643.
“I couldn’t think of a more special horse,” Thorson said. “The cool thing about this horse is his heart and his brain. He’s just so smart. It felt like an old soul was carrying me around.”
Froze came into the Futurity with $1,619 earned through the Arizona Reining Horse Association Best of the West Futurity. Thorson thought her trainer, NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider Craig Schmersal, was going to be competing on the stallion.
“We only have a handful of rides in,” Thorson said. “I think just being in the Schmersal program for so many years made it easier – especially with a horse like Froze. He’s just a gentle giant, good soul, good heart — it got better each ride this week.”
After the prelims, Thorson and Froze had qualified for the Level 3 Finals. She then rode Froze in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation round, which gives horses a second chance to make it into the finals.
Froze, a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize and out of Electric Cha Ching by Jacs Electric Spark, was bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine, which will receive a check for $3,033. Thorson’s family business, ThorSport, owns the horse.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank my family,” Thorson said. “They’re very supportive of me as well as my training team. Craig Schmersal’s team is just exceptional. They take care of the horses, top to bottom, day in and day out, and it’s just a big family. We enjoy it. We’ve had highs, and we’ve had lows, and to share it with them and my family means the most.”
CINCH Non Pro Futurity Prime Time Champions – Sandra Bentien & Gottabe Electrifying
A kind, athletic homebred stallion carried Sandra Bentien back into the saddle and into the winner’s circle at the 2023 NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals.
“I’m at a loss for words because I never expected to be here,” Bentien said Dec. 1 after claiming the championship in the Non Pro Prime Time division. “As I was walking in for my run, I was thinking it was icing on the cake. This is dessert. The fact that I made it (to the Finals) was what was most incredible.”
Bentien and her stallion Gottabe Electrifying faced obstacles on their way to scoring 221.5 (with handicap). In September, the horse was still green when he started with a new trainer, Stefano Calcagnini. Bentien herself hadn’t been on a horse in three years.
“I had two knee replacements and another knee surgery,” Bentien said. “I just wasn’t riding. I said, ‘I’m going to ride this horse, and if he makes the Futurity, he makes the Futurity, and if he doesn’t, we’ll have him for 4-year-old events. He’s a very special horse.”
Gottabe Electrifying is a 2020 stallion sired by Gotta Twist It Up and out of Lil Bit Electric. Bentien owns and showed both Gotta Twist It Up and his dam, Make It With A Twist.
“When I came to my circles, I thought, ‘I’m going to push him and think hard about how I showed his daddy,’” Bentien said. “I did that, and it was crazy how honest he was. When I went to my first rollback, he stopped and rolled back so good that I couldn’t help but smile because he reminded me of (Gotta Twist It Up).”
Bentien, who nominated her homebred to the Futurity, earned a check for $41,634 as rider and another $2,080 as nominator. That big check was due not only to her Prime Time Championship but also a top 10 placing in the Level 4, a fourth-place finish in the Level 3, and third-place in the Level 2.
“I have no doubt this horse has a long show career ahead of him,” Bentien said.
CINCH Non Pro Youth Futurity Champion – Emma Vanlandingham & Plus Me Im Shiny
The youngest competitor entered in the CINCH Non Pro Youth Futurity at the OKC Fairgrounds, Emma Vanlandingham, claimed both first and second place in the division with a score of 218.5.
To secure her championship, Vanlandingham rode Plus Me Im Shiny, a 2020 gelding by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Colonels Shining Gun out of Plus One Chex. He was nominated by Layla Choate and is owned by 2Star Investments.
About the gelding, Vanlandingham said, “He is such a sweet and kind, unbothered horse. I love his personality. He’s so goofy in the barn, just really like the class clown.”
Vanlandingham’s lifetime earnings exceed $105,000, and this championship in the youth earned them an additional $1,171.
The other horse who played a key in Vanlandingham’s success was Diamond Handz, a 2020 stallion by Dun It For Whizkey out of Princess N Pearls. This pair not only claimed the reserve in the youth but also had a top 10 placing in the Level 4, which brought another $20,840 in prize money.
“I think either me or my dad [NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Jason Vanlandingham] will show him next year,” Vanlandingham said. “I think he is talented enough to be an open horse, so I’m looking forward to watching him show.”
Vanlandingham thanked her parents, her siblings, and her friends for helping her get through her nerves and show well. She also mentioned that wearing her signature and seemingly lucky Vanlandingham-red for the finals certainly didn’t hurt anything either.
Complete results, news, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.
