Competition in the Adequan® Arena of the State Fair Park in Oklahoma City continued Saturday with the Rookie Professional and Limited Open classes of the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships.
Nikki Tyndall Wins NRHA Adequan® NAAC Rookie Professional on Stars At Midnite
Nikki Tyndall and Stars At Midnight won the NRHA Adequan® NAAC Rookie Professional for the second year in a row. The pair also took co-championship honors in the ancillary class, bringing their total earnings to more than $716. Thanks to generous sponsors, Tyndall took home a variety of great prizes, including a saddle from Bob’s Custom Saddles, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, product from Dr. Joe Carter, Platinum Performance and Classic Equine, and a gift certificate for Bluebonnet Feed.
Tyndall and Stars At Midnight also placed in the NAAC and Ancillary Limited Open which ran concurrently, worth an additional $475.
“She was really good. I mean, I think she just threw it on the table today. I probably ran the best circles I’ve ever run on her. She was just phenomenal on that, then she stopped big and turned clean both ways, and was just really good,” Tyndall recounted the 218-point run.
Stars At Midnite, owned by Edward Frawley, is an 8-year-old mare by NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite out of Chic Olena Starbuck. “She came back from sickness this spring, but she came back 100 percent and is feeling great,” Tyndall explained. “She is just so kind. If a little kid would picture their ideal horse, that’s what she is. She’s always friendly with her ears forward and is just a joy to be around. She’s also super safe. You can throw anyone on her.”
For Tyndall, winning an NAAC is about more than just adding a line to a resume. “We get up every day and work for this, but training horses and working with people can be hard, and some days you just feel like you failed,” she admitted. “Then you keep going back the next day and going back again. To have this as a payoff for all the days where you thought maybe you should give up but you didn’t. It just really means a lot.”
Tyndall added her thanks to several influential people. “I thank my boss Dave Moore, our whole team, and of course Ed Frawley,” she said.
Finishing second in the NAAC Rookie Pro was Lea Inhaber-Courchesne on Magnum Moonstone with a 217. Magnum Moonstone, owned by Louis Zamboli, is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream and out of Shining Moonstone.
Jesse Gentile Wins NAAC Limited Open Championship on Taking A Mistress
Winning an Adequan® NAAC Championship is always an accomplishment, but to do it on a horse you’ve picked out and trained his whole career makes the achievement even more special.
That was the case on Saturday evening, when Valley City, Ohio’s, Jesse Gentile won the NAAC Limited Open Championship on Taking A Mistress with a score of 221. The duo won $592, as well as prizes including a saddle from Kyle Tack, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, product from Dr. Joe Carter, Platinum Performance and Classic Equine, and a gift certificate for Bluebonnet Feed.
The pair’s score also held for the win of the ancillary Limited Open, worth an additional $556 for owner Bevin Zimmerman.
“It means a lot. This is one we found as a yearling and trained up the whole way. I didn’t really get him shown well as a 3-year-old, but he’s really come along this year and had a good year,” Gentile explained.
Gentile and Taking A Mistress, by Taking A Rest out of Gangster Mistress, showed in Thursday’s Intermediate Open. “He was pretty good then, but maybe a bit tired, so for this class, I just didn’t prepare him much at all. I just got on, jogged around, then went in, and he was pretty good,” he said. “He’s kind of lazy, and he likes to sleep a lot, so I make sure to not ride him too much and give him plenty of rest time.”
Gentile and Taking A Mistress will show one more time in the Adequan® Arena when they compete for another title in the Novice Horse Open classes on Sunday.
Gentile qualified another of his entries for Friday’s Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Open Showdown, and he noted that the inaugural bonus rounds were definitely a factor when deciding to travel to Oklahoma City. “Especially with both of the horses I have, I’d say it was a factor. I am lucky enough to still be eligible for the Intermediate Open, so I wanted to try to go for it because that’s a lot of money added and a definite incentive to come and go for it,” he said.
“First and foremost, I thank Bevin Zimmerman and her husband Ray. They’ve been great customers for a few years now. I also thank my wife, Stephanie. She does all the behind-the-scenes stuff and helps get the horses ready and me ready so I definitely thank her, too,” he said.
Taking the NAAC Limited Open Reserve Championship was Cody Garrison and Reiningwiththestars, owned by Emily Morris. The pair marked a 218.5, which not only won the NAAC Reserve title but also tied for second in the ancillary division, worth $682. Reiningwiththestars is by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Wimpys Memorabilia.
Naike Bell and Smart Chicago Spook, also by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Smart Chicago Lena, tied for second in the ancillary Limited Open with a 218.5, winning $296. Smart Chicago Spook is owned by Thomas Tucker.
Morgan Moser Wins Ancillary Rookie Professional Co-Championship on Magnums Chexy Dream
With a score of 218, Morgan Moser and Magnums Chexy Dream tied for the win of the ancillary Rookie Professional, which was held Saturday in the Adequan® Arena. The pair also tied for fourth in the Limited Open, bringing the day’s take to $475.
“My mare was really easy. She warmed up like she normally does, and let me cruise her through like she typically does,” Moser said. “We have had her at Sam Smith’s for a year now. We got her through Casey Hinton last year at the Futurity.”
Magnums Chexy Dream is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream out of Big Gold Chex. The 4-year-old mare is owned by Michelle Schuck.
Moser, of North Carolina, added, “I thank my parents, of course, as well as Sam and Kelle Smith for helping me.”
