Category: Futurity

Generous sponsorships from Bob’s Custom Saddles and Toyon Ranch gave some reiners an opportunity to showcase their horses in the Jim Norick Coliseum during the 2023 National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Ok.

On Nov. 30, Rookie Level 1, Rookie Level 2, Intermediate Non Pro, and Intermediate Open riders who placed in the top 10 of their Adequan® NAAC classes rode into the bright lights of the coliseum in hopes of taking home a championship in the Bob’s Custom Saddles and/or Toyon Ranch Showdowns.

Winners in each of the Showdown classes received a check for $5,000. Thanks to the sponsorships from Toyon Ranch and Bob’s Custom Saddles, competitors didn’t have any additional entry fees to the showdown.

Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Open Showdown Champions – Justin Mathison & Alpha Taris Chic

Justin Mathison was ready for Pattern 7 in the Bob’s Custom Saddles NAAC Intermediate Open Showdown in the Norick Coliseum at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds.

The NRHA Million Dollar Rider rode Alpha Taris Chic to the Showdown win – and a check for $5,000 – with a score of 218.5. He also finished reserve on Shes Reddy On Line.

“Pattern 7 is a pattern we don’t run very often,” Mathison said. “I’m seasoned in the show pen so I know how not to rush through it, so I felt like I had an advantage there, and I’m riding two good horses. It was fun.”

Alpha Taris Chic is by Wimpy Chic and out of Taris Attraction by Mr Boomerjac. Jordan Wright Du Plessis owns the 5-year-old gelding with more than $18,975 in lifetime earnings.

“Alpha Taris Chic was very physical running and stopping, and I took my time,” Mathison said. “I loped off on my right set of circles, and he was a little bit nervous, so I stayed at plus-quarter on the throttle. I didn’t try to gas it. About a half-circle into my fast circle, I had him talked back into being with me, and then I could go as fast as I wanted.

“He slowed down great, stayed in frame, and changed leads right in the middle. Both circles were in frame, very pretty, and the part I’m most proud of is he turned his last corner and ran to his last stop as if he had never been shown before.”

That’s hard for a horse that has been shown a lot, Mathison said, adding that the horse isn’t typically nervous but could feel the excitement of the Norick Coliseum.

“He’s a solid citizen,” Mathison said. “These horses aren’t dumb. They know the bright lights are on in there.”

Shes Reddy On Line is a 2016 mare sired by Shine On Line and out of the Nic It In The Bud mare Guns R Reddy. She has lifetime earnings of more than $101,000. Mary A. Jansma bred and still owns the mare.

“I thank my help for helping me get both horses ready,” Mathison said. “This is an amazing event. I really thank Bob’s Custom Saddles for it, because when I showed in the Intermediate Open in the Adequan® arena, I had no idea I’d be able to run (in the Jim Norick Coliseum). I didn’t know until after the fact. It was a pleasant surprise. Thanks to Bob’s and all the sponsors. Everybody gives so much, and it makes our industry so much better.”

Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Non Pro Showdown Champion – Jennifer Neudorf & Shining In Town

Jennifer Neudorf and Shining In Town continued their winning ways Nov. 30 as they took the champion title and the $5,000 check in the Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Non Pro Showdown.

Neudorf and the 10-year-old stallion scored 218.5 in the Showdown after winning the Adequan® NAAC Intermediate Non Pro with a 223 to qualify for the bonus round.

“He felt really good,” Neudorf said. “It was a bit more of a complicated pattern, but he just listened and tried his best and made it fun as always. It was really cool to be back in the Norick.”

“Chubs” was sired by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Hollywoodstinseltown and is out of the Shining Spark mare Shine Ann. Carol Rose bred the horse that has more than $200,000 in earnings.

“It was for sure so fun and exciting to show in the Norick,” Neudorf said. “I thank Bob’s Custom Saddle for sponsoring such a cool class.”

Shining In Town had been retired before Neudorf legged him up and brought him to the NRHA Futurity. He has felt good all week, Neudorf said.

“He just tries,” she said. “He doesn’t ever want to be in trouble. He always wants to be a good boy, and it makes it fun. I want to keep showing him, for sure.

“I thank the Schmersal team, Craig and Ginger. They’re always such a big help. I also thank my parents for how they always support me.”

Toyon Ranch Rookie Level 1 Showdown Champion & Bob’s Custom Saddles Rookie Level 2 Showdown Champion – Rayne Anderson & Pale Face Gunslinger

Rayne Anderson and Pale Face Gunslinger continued their winning streak, claiming championships in the Toyon Ranch Rookie Level 1 Showdown Champion & Bob’s Custom Saddles Rookie Level 2 Showdown at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity & Adequan ® NAAC Championships.

“Going through the Gateway of Champions was very nerve-wracking,” Anderson said. “But once we ran in and started our pattern, we both kind of settled down.”

Pale Face Gunslinger is a 2014 gelding by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Pale Face Dunnit and out of Lost In Tinseltown. He is owned by Anderson’s grandfather, Tim Anderson, and has been previously shown by Kim Niven.

The pair won the Adequan® NAAC Toyon Ranch Rookie of the Year title earlier in the show, with Anderson proudly wearing the award buckle for that win as she entered the pen again to secure these championships.

Each Showdown featured a prize of $5,000 and claiming both wins will push the gelding over the $150,000 in lifetime earnings mark.

“I’m just thankful and proud. He still shows like a rockstar,” said Anderson of Pale Face Gunslinger, who she calls Simba. Unsure of where they’ll show next, the plan seems to be to take it a day at a time.

“I love John and Nancy (Tague) at Toyon Ranch. They are honestly the sweetest, best, kindest people to me and my grandparents, and I just appreciate them as a whole, and I appreciate their sponsorship of this class,” Anderson said as she thanked them. “I appreciate Bob’s Custom Saddles a whole lot too, for making this a possibility.”

Reiners brought the heat in their last chance to make it to the National Reining Horse Association Futurity finals. More entries and higher payouts brought the best out of 3-year-old reiners and their riders.

More than $2.9 million will be paid out, breaking the 2022 record for riders in Non Pro and Open divisions in the Jim Norick Coliseum. 

Once again, the Level 4 Open exhibitors will be competing for an impressive $350,000 first-place prize during the MS Diamonds TX L4 Open Futurity Finals. The reserve champion will win a guaranteed $150,000, and third place will bank $100,000.

The CINCH Non Pro Level 4 is also lucrative, with the Champion leaving the Sooner State with $75,000, the Reserve winner earning $45,000, and third taking a cool $35,000.

Andrea Fappani Leads Field of Open Finalists on Inferno Thirty Five

A competitive field of 3-year-old horses and their riders tested their skills Nov. 29 in the Jim Norick Coliseum for the Level 4 Open Semi-Finals sponsored by Not Ruf At All, hoping to put together a second solid run that would earn them a trip to the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals on Dec. 2. All day, scores kept going up and up, as riders added the semifinal scores to their first-round scores for composites that indicate consistency as well as fiery talent.

The NRHA’s only Eight Million Dollar Rider, Andrea Fappani, rode Stephen Archer’s Inferno Thirty Five to the highest composite score of the Level 4 Open Semi-Finals, presented by Not Ruf At All, with a 443.5.

Inferno Thirty Five is a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six and out of Madeof Pure Spangled by Star Spangled Whiz. Mary A. Jansma nominated the horse bred by Cardinal Hill Training Center. The horse already has $100,000 in lifetime earnings thanks to a win at The Invitational at the 100X Reining Classic.

Luca Fappani took the top spot in Levels 2 and 3 on Playing With Da Boys, a 2020 mare sired by NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of the Gunner mare My Berry Best Gun. Neiberger-Camp Partnership owns Playing With Da Boys, who already has earnings of more than $3,800 through the 100X Reining Classic. The composite score was 442, and Fappani will advance in Level 4 also.

In Level 1, Maxime Morin set the pace on his own horse Magnum Wimpys Dream, with a 437 composite. The 2020 stallion is sired by NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream and out of Wimpys Little Lassie by Wimpys Little Step. He was bred and nominated by Henry Knox. The horse has $4,776 in earnings through the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity and the Warm Up 3 Futurity sponsored by Snipers Smoking Gun.

NRHA Seven Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida received the top composite score of 442.5  in Prime Time on Spooks Gotta Homerun, a 2020 stallion sired by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of A Ruf Mistress by Lil Ruf Peppy. The horse was nominated by Tracy Cole and bred by Larry Weihing. He has lifetime earnings of more than $15,000 through the North American Reining Stakes Futurity and the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity.

Bubbles for Advancing to the Open Futurity Finals:

MS Diamonds TX Level 4 – 437

Level 3 – 433

Level 2 – 428

Level 1 – 419

Prime Time – 434.5 (with handicap)

Riders Advance from CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation

Although the NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity preliminary round concluded Monday, Nov. 27, riders who barely missed qualifying for the finals still had a chance to advance.

That’s because the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation round gives entries that last chance needed to secure a spot in the Finals. In the consolation, the top five from each of the four Levels move on to Friday’s competition.

Topping the Level 4 were NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon and Stephanie Porath, tying with an impressive 218.5. McCutcheon rode Arylosa, a mare she owns with NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider and Owner Tom McCutcheon, nominated by Euro-Vets Inc., by Arlosa Whiz and out of Spooky Lil Chex, while Porath was aboard Gunna Prosper, a stallion she owns and nominated with her husband, Jackson Porath. The stallion is by NRHA Ten Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya and out of Whizen Starlight. 

In the Level 3, it was Robert Peterson and TR Ice On Fire who claimed the lead with a 214. TR Ice On Fire is a gelding owned by Goose Creek Ranch LLC and nominated by Tamarack Ranch, by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize and out of Wallawhizagun.

The Level 2 lead was secured by Kristen Avila, riding A Spook In Hollywood, a horse she owns and nominated herself. The stallion is by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Hollywoodstinseltown and out of Lucky Lil Spook, for a score of 211.

Taking the Level 1 was Delacy Hubbard, aboard HF Freeze Brand, for a 214. HF Freeze Brand is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize and out of HF Mobscar, nominated by Heritage Farms. 

Bubbles to Advance out of CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation:

Level 4 – 215

Level 3 – 211

Level 2 – 209

Level 1 – 209

Draw positions for the finals will be decided during the Platinum Performance Draw Party at 8 a.m. Thursday in the Sale Arena.

Complete results, draws, schedules, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

As the National Reining Horse Association Futurity continued through the open semi-finals at the OKC Fairgrounds, competitive teams of horse and rider fought for Adequan ® NAAC Champion titles.

Adequan ® NAAC Novice Horse Open Levels 1 & 2 Champion and Ancillary Novice Horse Open Champion – Marco Ricotta & Black Chex Cash

On their path to hopefully claiming a world championship, Marco Ricotta and Black Chex Cash have collected quite the list of championship accolades, and on Tuesday, Nov. 28, they added Adequan® NAAC Novice Horse Open Levels 1 & 2 Champions to the list. The pair also claimed the ancillary titles for the Novice Horse Open in Levels 1, 2 and 3.

This impressive list of new titles earned the pair $4,290 to add to Black Chex Cash’s lifetime earnings of just over $25,000.

“We ended up at a show earlier in the year, and she [Kim Niven] said ‘Marco, why don’t you try him? Go do what you got to do and have some fun,” Ricotta said.

Black Chex Cash, a 2016 stallion by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Big Chex To Cash and out of Blazing In Black, suffered an injury in his 2-year-old year that prevented him from making a name for himself in his futurity and derby years, but he is commanding the attention of anyone watching the ancillary pen now.

Black Chex Cash is owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Tim Anderson and has been shown in non pro divisions by Kim Niven.

To prepare for the run today, Ricotta said, “I tried to get him in the mindset the night before, so today, I went outside and rode him in the big pen to finish getting him mentally ready.”

Ricotta thanked Anderson and Niven for the chance to ride the stallion this year.

Competition continues in the Adequan® Arena with the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation Round.

Competition in the Adequan® Arena at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City continued Monday with the Rookie Professional and Limited Open classes of the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships, which is held in conjunction with the National Reining Horse Association Futurity.

Adequan® NAAC Limited Open Co-Champion – Tyrell Smith & Major Durango

Coming from The Land of Maple, Tyrell Smith brought the best of his string of horses all the way down to the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships at the OKC Fairgrounds to claim the title of the Adequan® NAAC Limited Open Co-Champion with a score of 219.

“I’ve had him his whole career. We did the futurities back home,” Smith said. “This is his last derby year, so we thought we would try to qualify for the affiliate finals. And we did, so we came down here, and he’s been pretty good. I’m very happy.”

Smith rode Major Durango, a 7-year-old stallion with lifetime earnings of $6,400, owned by Gail Gatto. Major Durango is by Durable Shine and out of Holly Majors.

Going into the pen, Smith was not confident they’d be leaving with a title or with a high score at all.

“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” Smith said. “When I was getting on him, the guy hauling some shavings dumped a pallet just before I was supposed to go in. We both got a little nervous, and I had to get his focus again.”

Smith thanked Major Durango’s owners, Bob and Gail, his fiancé, Amanda, and his parents for their belief in him and for their support.

Adequan® NAAC Limited Open Co-Champion & Rookie Professional Champion – Allison Yeager & Shiners Voodoo Juice

Allison Yeager had few expectations coming into the NRHA Adequan® Limited Open.

“I was hopeful that we could do well,” Yeager said. “ I was not by any means thinking we were going to mark a 219 and be co-champions.”

But that’s what she did on the 2012 gelding Shiners Voodoo Juice, winning the Adequan® NAAC Rooke Professional title and tying for the win in the Adequan® NAAC Limited Open.

“He’s been in my program for a couple of years,” Yeager said. “We bought him from Kyle Kellmer Performance Horses, who I used to work for, and he had (the horse) in his program for a couple of years. He’s super consistent and really fun to show.”

Shiners Voodoo Juice was sired by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr and is out of SLJ This Is My Juice (by Smart Like Juice). Chelsea Howell is his owner, and Kendall Norcross leases the horse.

“We were Draw 1 this morning, and I was pretty nervous about showing in that pen,” Yeager said. “This is my first time being here. And, he turned really good and went out and circled like I know he can circle, and we went through, and he came down in his rundowns. Stopping is where he really shines, and he stopped really great for me all three times.”

Shiners Voodoo Juice has $38,000 in lifetime earnings. In addition to their NAAC titles, Yeager and Shiners Voodoo Juice tied for second in the ancillary Limited Open and were second in Rookie Professional. All told, the wins added $1,253 to the gelding’s earnings.

“He is one of those horses that has a lot of personality and nickers at you when he thinks he has been tied up too long,” Yeager said. “He nickers at you if he thinks he’s hungry, which is all the time. He’s super fun to have in the barn.”

Ancillary Limited Open and Rookie Professional Champion – Flavio Tarquini & Blue Inferno

With a score of 219, Flavio Tarquini and Blue Inferno tied for the high score of the day in the Adequan® Arena. When his fellow competitors elected not to run off for the ancillary title, Tarquini was crowned the Champion of both the Limited Open and Rookie Professional ancillary classes.

“He was good today,” Tarquini, originally of Italy, shared. “His owner, Shelley Rosenberger, has shown him and done really good. I thank her for letting me show him.”

Blue Inferno, bred by Jeffrey Palmer, is by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six and out of Showtimes Lil Step. The six-year-old gelding has lifetime earnings of more than $57,000, and the wins in the Adequan® Arena added an additional $715 to that total.