Category: Futurity

Thanksgiving Day is special to reiners, and not just for the delicious food and camaraderie amongst friends and family. It typically means the start of the most storied reining event in the world – the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships.

While the start of the Futurity was moved up a couple of days, there was much to be thankful for on Nov. 23. According to NRHA Chief Financial Officer John Foy, the 2023 Futurity is a record-breaker in numerous ways. Foy shared that total Open entries were up by 8.5 percent over the prior year. He also noted that 2022 was a record year for added money, but 2023 raised the bar, increasing by $66,200 to $1,163,529.

Another noteworthy record is that the Level 2 purse surpassed $200,000 for the first time in NRHA history!

Taking home a piece of that payout is a three-tier process, with the first being advancing out of the first round, which wraps up Friday, Nov. 24. Riders who qualify in Levels 1, 2, or 3 compete in the Semi-Finals rounds on Nov. 27 and 28, with the Level 4 qualifiers moving to the Semi-Finals sponsored by Not Ruf At All on Nov. 29.

From there, the top 30 in each level advance to the Open Finals, with finalists in Levels 1, 2, and 3 competing Saturday morning, Dec. 2. That evening, the Level 4 Open qualifiers will vie for a $350,000 championship prize in the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals.

Current Level Leaders through Go 1, Section 3, are:

Level 4 & 3, & APHA Open Chrome Cash – Dany Tremblay & Pawn Stars (PS Mega Shine Chic x All Guns On Deck) – 225

Owned by Cooper Smith | Nominated by Adh-Mor Ranch

Level 2 Co-Leader & Prime Time – Shauna Larcombe & Steppin Thruthe Nite (Steppin On Sparks x Spooks Night Time) – 220

Owned by Karon Murff | Nominated by Karon Murff

Level 2 Co-Leader – Daniel Martins Cruz & Wimpys Inferno (Inferno Sixty Six x Wimpys Pinesail) – 220

Owned by Ixtul Quarter Horses | Nominated by Ubere Agropecuaria Eireli

Level 2 Co-Leader – Robin Schoeller & Shine OH Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Miz Whizconsin)

Owned by Ruoff Dietter Reining Horses, Inc. | Bred by Ruoff Dietter Reining Horses, Inc.

Level 1 – Maxime Morin & Magnum Wimpys Dream (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimmpys Little Lassie) – 219

Owned by Maxime Morin | Nominated by Henry Knox

Complete results, draws, and more for the NRHA Futurity are at NRHAFuturity.com.

Dana Pastorino rocked her way to victory in the NRHA Limited Non Pro Adequan® NAAC and the Limited Non Pro ancillary title on Hesa Rockin Whiz, the horse who has been a stalwart for her throughout 2023.

“He’s a 7-year-old gelding,” Pastorino said. “I’ve had him for a year and a half, and he’s just really very solid. We’ve had an amazing year.” Pastorino started the year with wins at the Cactus Class, then the NRHA Derby, then Reining by the Bay. Her success all year has pushed her out of the limited non pro and intermediate divisions, she said.

“We just had a super spectacular year with him,” Pastorino said. Pastorino and her horse put the year’s experience to work in the Adequan® Arena for the NAAC classes.

“I just went out there, and I didn’t want to hold anything back, so I just turned hard and ran hard, and everything came together,” Pastorino said. “He was really with me, and it was very fun.” Hesa Rockin Whiz was sired by NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire Topsail Whiz and out of A Bueno Poco Dunit. Roxanne Koepsell bred the 2016 gelding who now has more than $100,570 in lifetime earnings. Pastorino’s two wins added $991 to that number for the horse she calls “The Rock.”

“(Fred Tremblay) found him for me,” Pastorino said. “He came from Duane Latimer’s program. I just needed something that I could go out and try and win a derby with, and we just clicked. I’ve learned so much because he’s finished, right? You just learn what it feels like to be right, to be correct.” Thanks to NRHA Corporate Partners, the champions of each of the NAAC classes are presented with incredible prizes along with the coveted titles.

Competition in the Adequan® Arena continues Thanksgiving Day with the first section of the NAAC Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro classes. Complete draws, results, schedules, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

Although more than 100 entries took their shot, none could oust National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Rider Dany Tremblay and Pawn Stars from the top spot in the first round of the Open Futurity. Competing at the end of the first day, the duo marked a 225 to take the lead, which remained in the lead through the second section.

The first step to making it to the Finals on Saturday, Dec. 2, is to advance out of the first round and make it to the Semi-Finals. With just two sections left to go in the first round, Tremblay and Pawn Stars have all but secured their spot in the Level 4 Open Semi-Finals sponsored by Not Ruf At All on Wednesday, Nov. 29.

Pawn Stars, sired by PS Mega Shine Chic and out of the mare All Guns On Deck, already boasts lifetime earnings exceeding $50,000, thanks to a third-place finish at The Invitational Futurity this fall. The colt, owned by Cooper Smith, was nominated by Adh-Mor Ranch.

This is the first year that the NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships haven’t started on Thanksgiving Day, a change required by the explosive growth of the event. The extended time will allow young horses more time for recovery between competition rounds.

Current Level Leaders through Go 1, Section 2, are:

Level 4 & 3, & APHA Open Chrome Cash – Dany Tremblay & Pawn Stars (PS Mega Shine Chic x All Guns On Deck) – 225

Owned by Cooper Smith | Nominated by Adh-Mor Ranch

Open Level 2 Co-Leader & Prime Time – Shauna Larcombe & Steppin Thruthe Nite (Steppin On Sparks x Spooks Night Time) – 220

Owned by Karon Murff | Nominated by Karon Murff

Open Level 2 Co-Leader – Daniel Martins Cruz & Wimpys Inferno (Inferno Sixty Six x Wimpys Pinesail) – 220

Owned by Ixtul Quarter Horses | Nominated by Ubere Agropecuaria Eireli

Open Level 1 – Maxime Morin & Magnum Wimpys Dream (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimmpys Little Lassie) – 219

Owned by Maxime Morin | Nominated by Henry Knox

Complete results, draws, and more for the NRHA Futurity can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

While the Futurity takes place in the Jim Norick Coliseum, the NAACs are contested in the Adequan® Arena. The NAAC competition spotlights various members and horses from across North America who qualify to compete in Oklahoma City.

In addition to incredible prizes from NRHA Corporate Partners, the champion of each NAAC class will be recognized the following day in the Jim Norick Coliseum as a show of support for these successful affiliate riders.

Adequan® NAAC Open & Ancillary Open Champion – Brian Bell on Gunna Whoa

Five months ago, Catherine and David Crandon asked NRHA Professional Brian Bell which horse was the nicest at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel.

Without hesitating, Bell said, “Gunna Whoa,” a 2017 stallion in training with NRHA Professional and Million Dollar Rider Todd Sommers. The Crandons purchased the palomino, and at the Adequan® NAAC, Bell and Gunna Whoa were the champions in Open NAAC and ancillary classes. The two wins added $6,042 to the horse’s lifetime earnings of $41,040.

“This horse, I felt like I owed him to have a bigger, better run on him,” said Bell, an NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider. “I’ve marked a 221 on him, a 223 on him, and a 221.5, and I just hadn’t jumped into that higher gear like I needed to. And today, I marked a 226.5. He’s such a nice horse that he deserved to have a run like that.”

The stallion’s run was good from top to bottom, Bell said.

“My first stop was huge,” Bell said. “My backup could have been a little smoother, so I knew I had to make up a little ground after that. I asked him to turn as fast as he could, and he gave 100 percent and shut off on the money both times. My first small slow (circle), he looked like a western pleasure horse, real pretty, and then went wide open, two large fasts, changed leads, and went like a western pleasure horse again. And then two large fasts and then three big stops on the side. And my last stop was probably the biggest off of them all.”

Gunna Whoa, bred by Doug Milholland, was sired by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six and out of Whozwhiz.

Adequan® NAAC Int. Open & Ancillary Int. Open Champion – Clemerson Barbalho on Spooks Gotta Outfire

Clemerson Barbalho and Spooks Gotta Outfire have shared a lifetime together – the horse’s lifetime, at least.

Barbalho bought an interest in the 2016 stallion when he was a weanling. When he was a yearling, he suffered a snakebite that left a wound in his muscles. To ensure the stallion was ready for the tough competition in the Adequan® Arena, Barbalho had a veterinarian give him a check-up and formulated a plan for the event.

“In the warmup, I tried to be as quick and soft as possible, and I just trusted him,” Barbalho said. “He’s honest to me always. He was super good everywhere. I knew that he was good, but I didn’t know how good it was. And I was very happy about that. More happy when I heard the score! It was very cool.”

The judges marked Barbaho and Spooks Gotta Outfire a 223.5, which gave him the win in the NAAC and ancillary Intermediate Open classes. He also was reserve champion in Open NAAC and third in Open Ancillary. The wins added $6,272 to the stallion’s lifetime earnings of $84,415.

Barbalho had encouraged breeder Tiago Coleto to cross his mare Black Custom Chex with Spooks Gotta Whiz. Coleto sold a half-interest in the resulting foal, Spooks Gotta Outfire, to Barbalho, then later the full interest. Barbalho eventually sold a half-interest to his friend Mark Weissman.

From the beginning, Barbahlo said, he knew the horse was special.

“He’s a complete horse,” Barbalho said. “He has all the parts. He’s beautiful, he’s super talented, and he has a very good personality. He’s always trying to please you. He’s like always since he was little. It’s just amazing how we are connected.”

The win qualified Barbalho and Spooks Gotta Outfire for the Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Open Showdown on Thursday, Nov. 30, in the Jim Norick Coliseum. There, the pair will compete for an additional monetary prize, with the winner taking home $5,000!

“I’m super excited about that because more money,” Barbalho said. “I need a new saddle, and more money is always good.”

Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Open Showdown Qualifiers

The top 10 finishers of the Adequan® NAAC Intermediate Open earn a spot in the clean-slate Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Open Showdown, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 30. All qualifiers must check-in and confirm their spot in the Showdown no later than noon Nov. 22, or they will be removed from the draw, and the next place entry will be invited.

Bob’s Custom Saddles Intermediate Open Showdown Qualifiers:

• Clemerson Barbalho & Spooks Gotta Outfire
• Justin Mathison & Alpha Taris Chic
• Rhea Pole & Gunners Town
• Justin Mathison & Shes Reddy On Line
• David Hanson & Xtra Needs A Drink
• Randall Dooley & Platinum Knight
• Derek Heitland & Settingthetownonfire
• Liam Sykes & Hope N A Prayer
• Josiah Haaby & GH Chromed Mercedes
• Josiah Haaby & Prescribe Me Bud

Adequan® NAAC competition continues Friday with the Limited Non Pro.

Complete results, draws, and more for the NRHA Futurity can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

For years, the National Reining Horse Association Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships has been bursting at the seams as the popularity of reining has continued to experience dramatic growth. In 2023, thanks to an agreement with the American Quarter Horse Association, the event was able to add to its schedule, expanding to 12 days of competition. 

On Nov. 21, competition commenced, with the first section of the first round of Open Futurity. With more than 440 entries in the Open Futurity alone, the competition should be formidable, and the scores posted on the first day reflect that.

NRHA Million Dollar Rider Dany Tremblay drew up near the end of the day on Pawn Stars, and it was worth the wait. Tremblay and the stallion, owned by Cooper Smith and nominated by Adh-Mor Ranch, took the lead in the round with a 225. 

Pawn Stars, by PS Mega Shine Chic out of All Guns On Deck, already boasts lifetime earnings exceeding $50,000, thanks to a third-place finish at The Invitational Futurity this fall. 

Thanks to efforts from both the Board of the NRHA and members of the Futurity Challenge, the Open Futurity will, for the third year, award the Level 4 Champion a check for $350,000, and the Level 3 Champion is guaranteed $70,000. The first step to making it to the Finals on Saturday, Dec. 2, is to advance out of the first round, and Tremblay and Pawn Stars have all but secured their spot. 

The Futurity First Round continues Wednesday, Nov. 22, with the second section and will wrap up with the fourth section on Friday, Nov. 24. 

Current Level Leaders through Go 1, Section 1, are:

 Level 4 & 3, & APHA Open Chrome Cash – Dany Tremblay & Pawn Stars (PS Mega Shine Chic x All Guns On Deck)  – 225

Owned by Cooper Smith | Nominated by Adh-Mor Ranch

 Level 2 & Prime Time – Shauna Larcombe & Steppin Thruthe Nite (Steppin On Sparks x Spooks Night Time)  – 220

Owned by Karon Murff | Nominated by Karon Murff

 Level 1 – Anne Grether & Dejavu All Overagain (Smart Spook x Dun Its Deja Vu)  – 217.5

Owned by RS Reininghorses BV | Nominated by Toyon Ranch

Protocol for Advancing in Open Futurity Semi-Finals

The Open Semi-Finals qualifiers will be those who mark in the top 30 percent of the first-go scores in Levels 4-1; however, no more than 75 entries in each division will advance. If fewer than 50 qualifiers are in the top 30 percent in a division, then 50 will advance to the Semi-Finals.

Complete results, draws, and more for the NRHA Futurity can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.