Category: History

For Immediate Release – September 13, 2019 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Big Chex To Cash has unofficially joined the National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) Million Dollar Sire list. NRHA congratulates the 2002 stallion and his owners, Silver Spurs Equine, LLC.

Big Chex To Cash is by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Nu Chex To Cash and out of Snip O Gun, who will be inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame, a project of the Reining Horse Foundation, in December. As a competitor, Big Chex To Cash won in excess of $194,260. NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani piloted the stallion to earn reserve champion titles in both the 2005 NRHA Open Futurity and the 2007 NRHA Open Derby.

Big Chex To Cash has 171 money-winning offspring, whose earnings total just over $1,000,000. His top-earning offspring are:

• Cashing Black Chex (out of Blazing In Black): $172,895 NRHA LTE
• Big Creme Chic (out of Cremes Chic Olena): $88,102 NRHA LTE
• Checksworthy (out of Banjoes Shinning Star): $67,312 NRHA LTE
• Time To Mark Big (out of Shes Markin Time): $55,012 NRHA LTE
• Big Fat (out of ARC Senorita Cal Bar): $44,018 NRHA LTE

For Immediate Release – August 8, 2019 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Gunners Special Nite does it again: He has unofficially become the newest National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Three Million Dollar Sire. He reached this milestone less than one year after joining the NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire list in September 2018.

Gunners Special Nite, by NRHA Hall of Fame inductee and Eleven Million Dollar Sire Gunner and out of Mifs Doll, was bred by Kim and Deborah Sloan. In 2010, Turnabout Farm, Inc., purchased the 2004 stallion and stood him at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses, Inc., in Aubrey, Texas, where he remains today.

Gunners Special Nite made a name for himself in the show pen before moving on to the breeding barn. With NRHA Professionals Tom McCutcheon and Marcy (Ver Meer) Starr at the reins, the stallion earned NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of nearly $220,000. His top finishes include:

• 2007 NRHA Open Futurity Reserve Champion and Intermediate Open Champion with Starr
• 2009 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) Level (L)4 Open Derby Finalist with Starr
• 2010 NRBC L4 Open Derby top-10 finisher with Starr
• 2010 World Equestrian Games Individual and Team Gold Medalist with McCutcheon

This sire has produced foals that have become NRBC champions as well as NRHA Futurity and NRHA Derby finalists.

His most notable offspring include:

• Modern Gun (out of Taris Modern Design): NRHA LTE more than $175,400
• Baileys Not Painted (out of Darlins Not Painted): NRHA LTE more than $107,840
• Lenas Shining Gun (out of SL Lenas Chick): NRHA LTE more than $90,440
• Gunners Brite Nite (out of Stiletto Tag): NRHA LTE more than $86,650
• Hollywood Nites (out of NRHA Hall of Fame inductee and Million Dollar Dam Dun It For Chex): NRHA LTE more than $83,750

Congratulations to Gunners Special Nite and Turnabout Farm, Inc., on this outstanding achievement!

 Photo by Brasseaux

For Immediate Release – August 5, 2019 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Thanks to the recent success of his offspring in both the U.S. and Europe, National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) 2011 Hall of Fame Inductee Wimpys Little Step is unofficially the newest NRHA Eleven Million Dollar Sire. He’s only the third sire to reach this milestone, joining Topsail Whiz and Gunner.

Bred by Hilldale Farm, Wimpys Little Step is by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame Inductee Nu Chex To Cash and out of Leolita Step. The 20-year-old stallion is owned by Silver Spurs Equine, LLC, and stands at Silver Spurs Equine-Oklahoma in Purcell.

Although he only competed for one year with NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida in the saddle, “Wimpy” earned great success in the show pen and boasts NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of more than $185,756. In 2002, the palomino stallion took reserve honors in The Tradition Open Futurity in Lexington, Virginia. The pair went on to claim the All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity and the NRHA Open Futurity Championships later that year.

Wimpy continues to further his legacy in the breeding barn. The stallion has produced 18 NRHA Open and Non Pro Futurity Champions and six NRHA Open Derby Champions. He also sired NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee Wimpys Little Chic—currently NRHA’s all-time leading money earner, boasting $516,555 in NRHA LTE. In the 2019 show season, Wimpy’s offspring have already earned more than $40,000, helping to push the legendary stallion over the NRHA Eleven Million Dollar Sire mark.

His most notable offspring include:

• Wimpys Little Chic (out of NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee Collena Chic Olena): NRHA LTE over $516,555
• RC Fancy Step (out of Sonita Wilson): NRHA LTE over $364,454
• Wimpys Little Buddy (out of All Thats Dun): NRHA LTE over $285,340
• Wimpyneedsacocktail (out of Seven S Mimosa): NRHA LTE over $280,379
• CFR Centenario Wimpy (out of Miss Hollywood Whiz): NRHA LTE over $173,740

Congratulations to Wimpys Little Step and Silver Spurs Equine, LLC, on this outstanding achievement!

Photo by Cappy Jackson

For Immediate Release – July 25, 2019 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – In 2007, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fame Committee initiated the NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award, supported by the Reining Horse Foundation (RHF). Each year, the NRHA Board of Directors and past Hall of Fame inductees vote to approve a worthy candidate for recognition. This year’s recipient is David Silva.

David Silva and his wife, Bonnie, have both supported NRHA for well over 30 years as exhibitors, breeder, sponsors, and owners. Silva’s loyalty to the sport has encompassed all levels of reining, from grassroots all the way to elite competition. Silva has been a major donor to the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) as well as RHF. He’s also sponsored a variety of shows throughout the Northeast Region. Together, the Silvas have served as leaders for both the Connecticut Reining Horse Association (CRHA) and the Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association (EPRHA), hosting meetings at their home, donating equipment, funding programs, and dedicating time to running the shows.

During his years in the industry, Silva has cultivated and provided support for several well-known and respected reining trainers including Tim McQuay, Randy Cutbirth, Luke Gagnon, Sam Schaffhauser, Roger Brazeau, Borak Gibori, Lars Mortenson, Barbara Williams, Debbie Brown, Melanie Petroll, and Brad Giesbrecht.

In 2012, David Silva was the sixth person to join the NRHA Million Dollar Owners list. Some of his more notable horses include Hollywoodstinseltown, an NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire, and NRHA Hall of Famer Miss Tinseltown. Silva has bred, raised, and shown several other top reining horses including Gunners Tinseltown, Footworks Finest, Hollywood Downtown, Shiney Workboots, Great Footwork, and Reminic N Dunit.

David Silva is a prime example of the dedication to and support of reining and its continued growth that NRHA’s Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award embodies.

SPIRIT OF THE AWARD

This award is named after the legendary reining horse trainer known as the “father of reining,” Dale Wilkinson, the first inductee into the NRHA Hall of Fame. Wilkinson is a multiple NRHA Futurity champion and one of the founding members of NRHA. Wilkinson was an educator, promoter, and mentor to all reiners—professional and non pro—exemplifying how riders should conduct themselves and train and exhibit their horses. Because of his unmatched lifetime of accomplishment in reining, it’s entirely appropriate that the NRHA Lifetime Achievement Award is named for Dale Wilkinson.

David Silva will be recognized with this year’s class of NRHA Hall of Fame inductees at Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch on December 4 at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City during the NRHA Futurity. RHF is creating a special night, recognizing new and previous NRHA Hall of Fame inductees. For details on how to become a hall of fame table host or major event donor, contact RHF Executive Director Leslie Baker at lbaker@nrha.com, (405) 946-7400.

For Immediate Release – July 24, 2019 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Following the presentation of the Hall of Fame Committee’s recommended nominees, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Board of Directors and past Hall of Fame inductees voted to approve Snip O Gun, Roberto Cuoghi, and Claudio Risso for induction into the NRHA Hall of Fame, a project of the Reining Horse Foundation (RHF).

Snip O Gun
Snip O Gun, by One Gun and out of Miss Kim O Lena, was purchased by her current owner, Tammye Hutton of Hilldale Farm in Brashear, Texas, as a 4-year-old from Hill and Dollie Clements. While she has never shown in the arena, this exceptional mare has proven herself as a star dam from her first foal, producing some of today’s most recognizable reining horses.

This 1993 mare’s 17 money-earning offspring have placed her fourth on the NRHA Leading Dams list, with a total of more than $930,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). Snip O Gun’s first offspring, by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Nu Chex To Cash, was Flash Me A Chex who was a 2013 NRHA Limited Non Pro Futurity finalist. She’s produced 13 additional foals by Nu Chex To Cash, nine of which were NRHA money earners. Some of the pair’s most successful offspring include:

• Big Chex To Cash ($194,260 LTE) who holds the titles of 2005 NRHA Open Futurity Reserve Champion and 2007 NRHA Open Derby Reserve Champion. He’s also a prolific sire of reining horses with offspring approaching the million-dollar mark in NRHA competition.
• Hot Smokin Chex ($186,598 LTE) who won the 2004 All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity and placed in the top 5 at the 2004 NRHA Open Futurity, 2005 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) Open, and 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games.
• Chexmaster ($103,911 LTE) who was the 2014 NRHA Second Go Open Futurity finalist, 2015 Reining By The Bay Open Derby Reserve Champion, and two-time NRBC Classic finalist.
• Snip O Satellite ($52,057 LTE) who was the 2015 NRHA Novice Horse Non Pro Level One Futurity Champion, a 2016 NRHA Derby L3 Non Pro finalist, and the 2018 NRHA Intermediate Non Pro World Champion.
• Snip O Chex ($50,648 LTE) who was a 2006 NRHA Non Pro Futurity finalist and a 2008 NRHA Open Derby finalist.

Snip O Gun has also been matched with several other well-known NRHA stallions, delivering high achievers. Her most successful son in the arena is Inferno Sixty Six ($205,690 LTE) by Gunnatrashya, an NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire. She also produced Snip O One ($32,261 LTE) by A Sparkling Vintage, an NRHA Million Dollar Sire.
She had three offspring who were NRBC open finalists in 2019 and continues to produce quality offspring that leave their marks in NRHA history.

Roberto Cuoghi
Roberto Cuoghi has been involved in the reining world for more than 30 years. Today, he’s one of NRHA’s most successful European owners, breeders, and nominators with offspring both on the top and bottom side of well-known, performing reiners. Cuoghi was the first owner to enter an Italian-bred horse, Master Snapper, in the NRHA Derby. Master Snapper went on to win all three divisions of the 2006 NRHA Open Derby with Kelly Zweifel. Cuoghi paved the road for many European breeders who’ve followed in his footsteps.

Cuoghi established Europe’s successful Italian Reining Horse Breeders Association (IRHBA). He has an ongoing partnership with Eleuterio Arcese to purchase reining horses from the United States to use in the program. The IRHBA has played a vital role in the Italian Reining Horse Association (IRHA) through consistent sponsorships.

Beyond his success in the European breeding industry, Cuoghi has influenced other realms of the sport. He has served as an NRHA and IRHA board member, held the title of IRHA President since 2007, and been President of the NRHA European Council since its inception.

Additionally, Cuoghi supports and sponsors youth reining programs. His involvement spans the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) European Championships for Seniors, Juniors and Young Riders, the NRHA World Reining Championship, and his latest contribution hosting the inaugural NRHA/RHF/IRHA Global Youth Reining Cup in Cremona, Italy.

Cuoghi continues to be fundamental in serving as an intermediary between European members and NRHA leadership on important matters regarding the reining industry.

Claudio Risso
Claudio Risso’s name is synonymous with reining all over the world. His NRHA membership dates back to the early 90s and spans many categories—owner, exhibitor, breeder, nominator, and mentor.

Risso is 14th on NRHA’s Leading Owner list by breeding money-earning offspring that have accumulated more than $912,000 in LTE. Most recently, his horse Spat Olena made history as the first European horse to make NRHA’s Million Dollar Sire list.

Not only has he supplied reining horses to almost all of Europe, but Risso is a big promoter of reining throughout Western Europe. He’s mentored many well-known European reining trainers’ careers including Maurizio Tonini, Mike Davis, Jim Kiser, Stefano Massignan, Martin Gamper, Nicoli Bruneli, Peirlugi Chioldo, Matteo Cunillo, and Matteo Nadalina. Risso is also an IRHA Past President and Board Member.

Risso has earned many accolades in the arena. Some of his top triumphs include 2002 NRHA European Championship Show Non Pro Champion, 2008 IRHA Non Pro Closed Futurity Reserve Champion, 2009 and 2011 IRHA Non Pro Futurity Champion, 2010 NRHA Breeder’s Non Pro Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, and 2009, 2013, and 2014 NRHA European Non Pro Futurity Champion. In the race for NRHA World Championships, Risso is the 2010 Non Pro World Reserve Champion, 2011 Non Pro World Champion, and 2012 Non Pro World Reserve Champion.

He has also been instrumental in the promotion of the FEI Reining Championships in Manerbio and worked very closely with Ceasare’ Croce, the Italian Equestrian Federation, and the FEI to promote youth events around the world.

Hall of Fame Inductions
The inductees and soon-to-be-announced NRHA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be honored at Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch on December 4 at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City during the NRHA Futurity. RHF is creating a special night recognizing new and previous NRHA Hall of Fame inductees. For details on how to become a Hall of Fame table host or major event donor, contact RHF Executive Director Leslie Baker at lbaker@nrha.com or (405) 946-7400.