Category: History

On April 20, the reining world learned that National Reining Horse Association Professional Guy Vernon had passed.

Vernon, of Kiowa, Colo., has served the reining world in a variety of ways. He was a former NRHA Board member who was active on numerous committees, an NRHA Judge, and filled a wide range of roles. In addition to training and showing reining horses, he was known for his dedication to his non pro clients.

“Guy was kind and smart. He didn’t think exactly like everyone else, which was part of his charm. He was a champion for NRHA’s affiliate program and devoted to his wife, Valerie, and daughter, Lacey,” noted NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter. “On behalf of NRHA, I extend our most sincere condolences to Valerie, Lacey, and all of Guy’s friends and family.”

Memorial is set for May 3 with details to follow.

If you live in the Kiowa area and would like to help the family by volunteering for barn chores, please use this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4ea9ac22a3f5c52-guyvernon

We will share more information as it becomes available.

It was nearly three decades ago that Nathan Piper showed for the first time in a National Reining Horse Association-sanctioned event. He and Faith Dry Doc topped the Youth 14–18 class at a Texas Reining Horse Association show, and the scene was set for a career that would take him to the highest levels of reining competition.

In mid-March 2022, Piper surpassed a career milestone, becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Rider after a great week at the Cactus Reining Classic. On hand for the important moment? Several members of his family.

“I knew I was getting close at the end of last year, and that it would just depend on how shows went. My mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and their two kids wanted to be there. They came to the NRHA Futurity in case it happened there, and then went again to the Winter Slide in Ardmore,” Piper explained. “I won about $1,400 there, and we were counting it down.”

Piper didn’t expect his family to show up for the Cactus Reining Classic, but they traveled West for the event. “They drove all the way out to Arizona for it, so it was pretty special,” he shared.

Piper, of Whitesboro, Texas, secured the necessary earnings aboard Patriot (Smart Spook x Dunit A Lil Ruf), owned by Shannon and Hershel Reid. The pair finished third in the Run For A Million qualifier, took third in the Level 4 Open Derby, and won the Level 3 Open Derby Championship. “To finish the first million with a run like that on Patriot was just icing on the cake. He’s one of a kind,” Piper said. “Becoming a Million Dollar Rider is definitely one of the major goals I’ve had. I remember when Bill Horn first won a million, and how much I looked up to him for that.”

It was because of Piper’s sister, Lauren, that he first began riding horses. “My sister wanted a pony when I was a kid, so we got into 4-H and begin showing horses. We saw reining, and I got a ‘kind of’ reining horse, and have been hooked ever since,” Piper recalled.

As a teenager, Piper would go spend time in Marietta, Oklahoma with James Davidson and legendary horseman and NRHA Hall of Famer Dick Pieper to hone his skills. He then went to college at Texas A & M University to pursue a degree in Animal Science and continued to train horses on the side. It was at A & M that he met his future wife, Jean.

“She’s the love of my life and the one who convinced me I could do this for a living. Other people had insisted I needed to pursue a ‘real job,’ but she encouraged me to just do it,” he said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs, and it’s a hard business to break into, but the good Lord kept picking us up, and setting us on the right path. Jean never gave up on me or this dream through it all.”

Piper isn’t one to rest on his laurels, and he’s already looking forward to earning the next million. He’d also like to help a special horse become even more successful. “My next big goal is to get Patriot over $500,000 in earnings,” he said of the stallion.

When asked about the people who have helped him get to this point, Piper said, “There is not enough space to list all the people who deserve thanks. From 4-H leaders in the beginning to all the customers, there have been so many. I also have to thank the other horse trainers. I love this industry because we all help each other. There is probably not a single guy out there who hasn’t helped me become a better reiner.”

So what advice would he give to someone looking toward a career as a trainer? It’s something that has gotten him in trouble with parents. “Just quit school and go for it,” he shared with a laugh.

Piper’s Top Five Wins:

• 2012 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open 4^th Place – In Like Flinn – $65,750
• 2019 NRBC Level 4 Open Co-Championship – Patriot – $63,000
• 2020 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open Reserve Championship – Patriot – $45,193
• 2021 The Run For A Million 7^th – Patriot – $40,0000
• 2014 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open 8^th – Independencedayspook – $30,504

Follow Nathan Piper Reining Horses on Facebook here or visit his website at NathanPiper.com.

National Reining Horse Association events around the world have grown dramatically in recent years, both in size and payout. Nowhere is that more evident than on the 2021 Leading Event rankings. Sorted by total purse, the shows span the globe and give an idea of the importance of reining worldwide.

Not surprisingly, the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships Show leads the field, with a total payout of $2,636,355! The NRHA Futurity Challenge supporters helped boost the purse, as did increased added funds from the NRHA. Ultimately, those added dollars along with incredibly large entry numbers resulted in a record-setting Futurity.

Second on the list for 2021 was the Four Sixes NRHA Derby presented by Markel. The show grew dramatically in 2021 as well, thanks to new sponsorships from 6666 Ranch, Yellowstone, Bosque Ranch, Colston Paving, Tamarack Ranch, GlycoGuard and Story Book Stables.

Along with the two NRHA-produced events, The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge and the National Reining Breeders Classic also boasted payouts in excess of $1,000,000. The Run For A Million in Las Vegas featured the highest amount of added money for any event with $1.2 million added.

Making the Top 50 list for NRHA’s Leading events is an honor for any show, and a testament to show managers and committee members working hard to promote reining, worldwide. Excitingly, 10 different countries were represented in the Top 50 Events list for 2021.

“The show organizers and affiliates who conduct our events are the quiet stars of our galaxy. Their tireless and often unacknowledged work is what makes our industry go,” Gary Carpenter, NRHA Commissioner, noted.

NRHA President Rick Clark agreed, “We celebrate and reward the top riders and horses, but this segment of our industry is essential for our industry’s growth and continued success. The opportunities created by these great shows, worldwide, are amazing, and each year you can see that they are working to become even better.”

Exhibitors have shown their appreciation for those opportunities in 2021, with a five-year high of 112,929 total entries and more than 10,000 different horses shown. They competed for a record total annual purse of $19,157,953.

For the complete list of the 2021 Top 50 events, click here.

Less than four years after becoming a National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Sire, Spooks Gotta Whiz achieved Four Million Dollar Sire status.

The stunning stallion is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Gun and out of Prettywhizprettydoes. Bred by Clint Haverty, the 2007 stallion is owned by Michell Anne Kimball, who purchased the horse from Duane Hicks in 2009 after meeting him at the High Roller Reining Classic.

One of only four horses to ever win a Level 4 Championship at the three largest NRHA-approved aged events, the bay stallion accumulated NRHA Lifetime Earnings in excess of $345,000. His prominent wins include:

• 2010 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champion ridden by Jordan Larson
• 2012 NRBC L4 Open Classic Champion ridden by Shawn Flarida
• 2012 NRHA L4 Open Derby Champion ridden by Flarida
• Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) 2014 Normandy Individual and Team Gold Medalist ridden by Flarida

Spooks Gotta Whiz began his breeding career in 2011 and has sired numerous major event champions, including 2016 NRHA Futurity L4 Open Champion Spooky Whiz, 2017 NRHA L4 Non Pro Futurity Reserve Champion Night Time Spook, 2019 NRHA L4 Non Pro Futurity Reserve and L3 & L2 Champion Gotta Get Diamonds, 2016 L3 & L2 Non Pro Futurity Champion and 2017 NRHA Non Pro L4 Derby Co-Reserve Champion Gotta Twist It Up.

His biggest winner to date is Spooks Gotta Spark (out of Dolittle Lena), with lifetime earnings exceeding $210,000. Spooks Gotta Spark just recently finished second at the 2021 The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge with Shawn Flarida at the reins. Flarida and the stallion also teamed up to win the Senior Reining Championship at the 2021 American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show. 

Spooks Gotta Whiz’s Top 10 Money Earners are:

• Spooks Gotta Spark (out of Dolittle Lena) $210,585.45
• Spooky Whiz (out of Myo Starlight) $186,042.62
• Gotta Twist It Up (out of Make It With A Twist) $183,837.21
• Spooks Show Time (out of Dolittle Lena) $175,582.06
• Spooks Grand Slam (out of Shiney Diamond Lady) $150,458.28
• Spooks Gotta Crush (out of Megas Sugar Baby) $149,597.73
• Sharp Dressed Spook (out of Dolittle Lena) $120,523.22
• Thebettertohearuwith (out of Chex Out The Cowgirl) $104,822.11
• Seven On Seven (out of Anne Get Your Gunner) $97,455.46
• Gotta Get Diamonds (out of Tinker With Diamonds) $81,744.47

Spooks Gotta Whiz currently stands at Cinder Lakes Ranch, an NRHA Corporate Partner, in Valley View, Texas. For more information, visit CinderLakesRanch.com.

The National Reining Horse Association began its search for a Director of Education and Officials in late 2021. The purpose of the new position was to serve in an educator role while continuing to advance the NRHA Judges & Stewards programs, ensuring they remain the best in the western performance horse industry.

NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter announced in mid-February that the perfect candidate had been found, adding that Patti Carter will take the reins of the new position on March 7. “Patti will provide additional horsepower, insight, and experience to augment our judges’ program,” Carpenter said.

According to NRHA President Rick Clark, the leadership of the Association created the new position because of the incredible growth of the reining industry. “With all the wonderful developments in the sport of reining that are happening right in front of our eyes, the NRHA Executive Committee felt this was an opportune time to invest more resources into our judges’ program,” Clark explained. “We get tremendous reviews from those who attend our schools and seminars, but want our judging program to continually evolve and improve.”

Carter brings decades of experience to the position, both as a competitor and a judge. The former American Quarter Horse Association Professional Horsewoman of the Year has spent the last several years as AQHA’s Senior Director of Judges and Stewards, and prior to that served as AQHA’s Sr. Director of Shows and Professional Horsemen.

“I am over-the-top excited to be joining the NRHA team. I have so much respect for the NRHA and its leadership. The Association is on fire, and I’m looking forward to expanding the educational footprint for the judges and stewards at NRHA,” Carter said.

Education of judges and exhibitors is of utmost importance to Carter, which is why, during her tenure at AQHA, she helped create and implement AQH University. This platform was developed for AQHA Judges to continue their judge education and to give potential judges insight into what it takes to be an AQHA All Around Judge. Patti and her team recently launched “Behind the Clipboard.” This program offers competitors an in-depth look at how judges prepare and evaluate classes. “In addition, the program helps competitors understand not just the rules, but how judges evaluate runs during a show so they can improve their performances,” Carter explained. “I am blessed to have had the opportunity to serve AQHA, its membership, and the horses. AQHA is a part of my life and always will be. It’s great that NRHA and AQHA are Alliance Partners, and that these two incredible associations work so closely together.”

As an NRHA-accredited judge, she officiated numerous NRHA events worldwide, including the NRHA Futurity twice, the NRHA Derby, and twice for the World Equestrian Games. She has judged at every major show and multiple world championship shows for AQHA, the American Paint Horse Association, and the National Snaffle Bit Association, and held AAA status as a judge for the National Reined Cow Horse Association.

Carter currently lives in Amarillo, Texas, but plans to relocate to Oklahoma City near the NRHA headquarters. “I believe it’s important to be close to the office, and I look forward to working alongside the amazing staff in the day-to-day operations of serving NRHA members,” she said. “I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

Carter will officially start work on March 7 and will be in Oklahoma City for the Judge Applicant School on March 9–10 and the Judges School March 11–13. “I want to expand on the already excellent education process NRHA has for judges and stewards, and I look forward to continuing the education of members and exhibitors,” she explained. “I’m humbled and honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with NRHA’s Commissioner, the NRHA Executive Committee and the NRHA Judges and Steward Committees and will strive to maintain the high standards for NRHA and its membership.”

For more information about NRHA’s Judges Program, visit nrha.com/judges