Category: History

In what might be one of the quickest jumps to the next tier on the National Reining Horse Association’s Million Dollar Sire roster, Gunnatrashya sailed past the Six Million Dollar mark during the NRHA Futurity. As the year comes to a close, the stallion, by NRHA 13 Million Dollar Sire Gunner and out of Natrasha, sits at No. 7 on NRHA’s Leading Sire list with $6,788,072 in offspring earnings.

Gunnatrashya, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, first became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire in 2017, less than three years after his first foal crop entered the show pen. In every subsequent year, the stallion, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, has passed another million-dollar milestone. Thanks to major event championships, Gunnatrashya actually surpassed two in 2021.

The stallion, a former Open Futurity Champion himself, sired Ten Thirty, who won the historic $350,000 Level 4 Open Futurity Championship check with Casey Deary at the reins.

Gunnatrashya also sired Trashinyurdreams, who won Open Levels 3 and 2 and finished fourth in the Open Level 4 with Jesse Beckley, worth $120,652.

There were 18 Gunnatrashya offspring competing in the Open Futurity Finals, for total earnings of $671,856. The stallion was also well-represented in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals, with eight entries earning $93,690. All totaled, Gunnatrashya foals were responsible for more than $765,545 in the aged event alone.

Gunnatrashya offspring also made waves at The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge. Kole Price piloted Gunna Stop (Stop Little Sister) to the $500,000 championship check, making Gunna Stop the highest-earning reining horse in history.

Gunnatrashya, bred by Katarina Dorminy, had just as successful a show pen career as he has had in the breeding shed. With NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame Inductee Shawn Flarida at the reins, Gunnatrashya was the 2009 NRHA Open Futurity Champion, the 2010 NRHA Open Derby Champion and the 2009 All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity Champion. Even with limited showing, he accumulated more than $218,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings.  

Gunnatrashya’s top-earning offspring are:

• Ten Thirty (out of Dainty Little Step): $369,059
• ARC Gunnabeabigstar (out of Wimpys Little Chic): $298,999
• Super Marioo (out of HA Chic A Tune): $290,267
• Inferno Sixty Six (out of Snip O Gun): $205,690
• Gunna Stop (out of Stop Little Sister): $172,762
• ARC Gunna Mark Ya (out of Shiney Miss Marker): $163,877
• Gunnabebigtime (out of Big Time Jazzy): $147,486
• Gunnarickashay (out of Rondas Tio): $147,229
• Loveya (out of Love Em N Lena): $131,861
• Trashinyurdreams (out of This Chicsdundreamin): $124,986

Gunnatrashya now stands at NRHA Corporate Partner Oswood Stallion Station in Weatherford, Texas. You can learn more about Gunnatrashya at ArceseQuarterHorses.com, or at OswoodStallionStation.com/Gunnatrashya

Congratulations to Gunnatrashya and Arcese Quarter Horses USA.

Photo (first) by Cam Essick 
Photo (second) by Waltenberry

With earnings of $23,014 at this year’s National Reining Horse Association Futurity, Mandy McCutcheon became only the fifth rider in reining history to earn more than $3 million in the show pen.

McCutcheon, of Aubrey, Texas, joins a very small group of riders, including Seven Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani, Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame inductee Shawn Flarida, Four Million Dollar Rider Craig Schmersal, and her father, NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame inductee Tim McQuay.

“I didn’t realize there were only four others to win that much. That’s pretty cool,” she said. “It’s so special to be there with my dad. I can say, 100 percent, that’s the most important part to me.”

McCutcheon, also an NRHA Million Dollar Owner, is the glue that holds one of reining’s dynasties together. Her husband, Tom McCutcheon, is an NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner. Their children are following in their parents’ well-worn footsteps. Cade McCutcheon is now an NRHA Million Dollar Rider with an NRHA Futurity Championship and a The Run For A Million Co-Championship under his belt. Carlee McCutcheon competes in both English and reining, where, at just 16 years old, she’s won more than $125,000.

McCutcheon is quick to thank those who helped her reach this new level. “The list of people to thank is so long. I obviously thank my parents, Tom, and Cade, and all our help. My team is so big and large, and we have great people that work for us. There have been people who have been in and out of our program over the years who are longtime friends and supporters, and they’ve all had a hand in this,” she said.

When asked what, aside from her incredible support staff, has made her career so incredible, McCutcheon recalled something her father once told her. “My dad always says that the good Lord just blessed him with the ability to do this, and I think that there is something to be said for that,” she shared.

McCutcheon was born into the quintessential horse show family. Her parents, NRHA Hall of Fame members Tim and Colleen McQuay, both excelled in different arenas. Colleen focused on the hunter/jumper world, while Tim concentrated on reining.

“The best advice I ever received was from my parents, they’ve always said that the main thing is to just show the horse you have under you. That horse might not have the ability to win it that day, but if you show that horse to the best of its ability, you’ll get the best results that day.” She added, “You might just get the best ride out of that horse, and sometimes you might even win because you rode the horse the way it needed.”

For years, McCutcheon split her time between the two disciplines. In the English arena, she won championships at some of the most elite hunter and jumper shows in that world. She was the reserve junior hunter champion at the Harrisburg National Horse Show, and also won the Winners Stakes there. She won the United States Equestrian Team Youth Talent Derby at Gladstone, New Jersey, and came back a few years later to win the USET Futures Championship there. She also won two AQHA jumping world championships.

Eventually, McCutcheon decided to focus on reining, an event in which she began to compete at just 10 years old.

She won her first NRHA Futurity Non Pro Championship in 1993 on Hollywood Striker (Hollywood Dun It x Strike Zone), and to date has won 10 Non Pro Futurity championships.

She’s also won the National Reining Breeders Classic Non Pro Championship eight times and has five NRHA Derby titles to her name.

She became the first non pro and first female Million Dollar Rider in 2007 and passed $2 million in 2014.

With more than three decades of reining in the books, McCutcheon added there are a few runs that stand out above the others. “I can’t forget when I won the (2012) NRBC on Always Gotyer Gunsup up. We marked a 231 or something crazy like that. Also, my run on JLosa at this year’s NRBC stands out, not because it was out of this world, but because that mare tried to be so good for me and it was so much fun,” she said. “There are all different runs and horses that are memorable. This year I was riding one of Cade’s horses, and he showed so good for me after having a bad day before. It’s the little things like that that are special. It’s not always about the win – sometimes it’s the small, personal victory that means the most.”

Even with a lifetime of world-class competition under her belt, McCutcheon admits to still feeling the nerves when it’s time to ride into the arena. “Why would I do this if I didn’t get nervous and excited about it?” she asked. “The adrenaline rush and the thrill of it are two of the things that keep me coming back every year.”

What else drives McCutcheon? “It’s the horses. The love of those horses is the main thing, but so are the people. This is what we do. This is our life,” she said.

McCutcheon’s next goal? “I guess four million,” she quipped. “Actually, now the more important and most fun thing to me is to watch my kids be successful. Whatever I can do to help them be successful in either arena – Cade in reining and Carlee in reining and jumping – that’s my priority in life. When Tom and I do well, that’s just icing on the cake,” she said.

With a record payout exceeding $2.8 million, the National Reining Horse Association Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships made history. Thanks to that historic payout, it also unofficially pushed multiple horses and individuals into new tiers of earnings, including sires Smart Spook and Shiners Voodoo Dr.


Smart Spook – Seven Million Dollar Sire

With Daniel Schloemer and Tracy Burmley’s earnings in the first section of the NRHA Futurity Open Finals, Smart Spook unofficially became NRHA’s newest Seven Million Dollar Sire. Prior to the Open Futurity Finals, Smart Spook was approximately $5,000 away from that achievement, then Schloemer and Bar Hoppin Spook (out Gunners Bar Fly) and Brumley and Spy Games (out of Little Lectric Spark) won more than $10,000 across three Levels.

Smart Spook, a 20-year-old stallion, is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame inductee Smart Chic Olena and out of Sugarplum Spook. Owned and bred by Rosanne Sternberg, the sorrel stallion was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2015.

Before entering his career in the breeding shed, Smart Spook enjoyed a successful career within the show pen, earning more than $403,149 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. The stallion’s top finishes include:

• 2004 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champion ridden by Shawn Flarida
• 2005 NRHA L4 Open Derby Champion ridden by Flarida
• 2005 AQHA Junior Reining World Champion ridden by Flarida
• 2007 & 2009 FEI World Reining Masters Gold Medalist ridden by Rudi Kronsteiner

The stallion’s first class of money-earning offspring was foaled in 2006. Since then, the sire has produced 15 foals with more than $100,000 in NRHA LTE including five NRHA Futurity Champions and one NRHA Derby Champion.
Smart Spook’s top-performing offspring include:

• Custom Spook (Custom Spinderella) $235,749
• Patriot (Dunit A Lil Ruf) $232,998
• Shine N Spook (Ebony Shines) $219,826
• Spooks N Jewels (Whiz Jewels) $200,115
• Red Stripe Spook (Ms Red Capri) $179,766

Shiners Voodoo Dr – Two Million Dollar Sire

Shiners Voodoo Dr became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire during the 2019 NRHA Futurity, and his offspring have continued to perform and win in reining competition. Prior to the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Futurity Finals, the flashy palomino stallion was $36,000 from reaching the next rung on the Million Dollar Sire ladder.

While four Shiners Voodoo Dr offspring competed in the first section, there was only one who would compete in the Level 4 Finals – but it was a good one.

The foal, Shiner On My Eye (out of Flashy Lil Step), was trained and shown by NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida. The pair had already earned more than $31,000 for the year, including the All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity Reserve Championship. When the results were tallied, Flarida and Shiner On My Eye (owned by Robert Santagata) had tied for fourth in the Level 4 and took reserve in the Prime Time for total earnings of $72,205. The pair’s success secured Shiners Voodoo Dr’s spot on the Two Million Dollar Sire list.

By NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark and out of Voodoo Chic, Shiners Voodoo Dr, fondly referred to as “Voodoo,” earned more than $85,900 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings during his show career. The stallion, bred by Rogers Heaven Sent Ranch, is owned by Silver Spurs Equine.

Shiners Voodoo Dr’s top-performing offspring include:

• Shiner On My Eye (Flashy Lil Step) $106,609
• Xtra New Pal Voodoo (Wimpys New Pal) $81,893
• Warlocks Last Step (SDP A Lasting Step) $81,432
• Shiners Voodoo (BR China Rose) $75,354
• Smart Voodoo Doctor (Smart As Sister) $62,376

Researching sire records is easy, just go to ReinerSuite.NRHA.com to sign up or log in.

The reining industry lost a legend Nov. 24, 2021, when National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame member Jack Brainard passed just a few months after celebrating his 100^th birthday. Jack passed peacefully with his wife Kathy at his side.

Jack was inducted to NRHA’s Hall of Fame in 2009, but his connection to NRHA has spanned the Association’s life. He attended the NRHA foundation meeting, served as a director its first year, and proudly sported member number 19.

He gave back to the industry in many ways, authoring three training books, and holding judge’s cards for NHRA, the National Cutting Horse Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, and various other breed associations.

“Legendary seems too small of a word for a horseman like Jack Brainard. He is very much a part of the foundation of the sport of reining,” shared NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter. “Generations of horsemen and women have learned, directly or indirectly from Jack, and he has made an impact on a countless number of careers. Our industry would not be what it is without him. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Read more about Jack’s storied career here => https://westernhorseman.com/culture/flashbacks/jack-brainard-a-horseman-at-heart/?fbclid=IwAR1iJeJcb3S9KLArQSJbGCRqY4VwckAUuQCUmUV3ZsjCuonDGCzf8dtcufo

Gennaro Lendi recorded his first earnings in the National Reining Horse Association in May 2004, when he won the Non Pro class at the Italian Reining Horse Association Derby on OT Taris High. Less than two decades later, Lendi joined the elite list of riders who have won more than one million dollars in competition.

Recent wins at the 2020 European Futurity, the Austrian Futurity, the German Breeders Futurity, the IRHA Maturity, and ARTA Futurity propelled him past that milestone.

“As I got closer to the million, it became all the more stressful as I wanted to surpass that mark as fast as I could. I put pressure on myself – especially after the pandemic stopped our shows – and it affected my performance in the show pen,” Lendi admitted.

Lendi was less than $8,000 from achieving that goal prior to the NRHA European Derby and the NRHA Germany Breeders Derby. “My focus was mainly to show my horses to the best of my ability,” he said. “I finally made it in Germany, and on top of it being a hugely emotional moment, I was thrilled I had managed to show my two 3-year-olds well and allowed them to demonstrate their talent. They gave me all they had.”

What made the moment even sweeter was that Lendi had made the breeding decisions that resulted in the two talented reiners. “Both OT Taris Yankee (Yankee Gun x OT Tarisme), owned by Cornelia Valentin, and OT Dont Miss To Wish (Dont Miss My Guns x OT Taris Wish Miss), owned by Dominico Giannitti, were also both trained by me,” he explained.

Lendi’s love for horses was fostered by his father, Rino, who bought him his first pony. “My parents simply have always had a passion for animals, even though they were not involved with horses. I decided when I was a child that I wanted to be a horse trainer,” he recalled.

He was still in single digits when he first saw a reining horse. Lendi’s father took him for lessons every weekend, and at the end of each lesson, he would go home to train his pony. “I taught him all the reining maneuvers, except for sliding stops because, of course, he didn’t have sliders. I would wait for it to rain so that, when the ground was slick, I could say ‘whoa’ and get him to stop and slide,” he said.

The first professionals to truly impact Lendi and his career were Cliff Jayhall and Dario Carmignani, and he now regularly works with leading NRHA riders Shawn Flarida and Andrea Fappani. “I truly believe that all those who have helped me along the way managed to have an impact on me because I am passionate about what I do, and I put the passion into every single moment. I think that is the secret to my success,” he shared.

Lendi was quick to give credit to the equine athletes that he’s ridden throughout his career, specifically a few special ones. “My Showbiz Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Hollywood Stunt Girl), owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA at the time, was the 2009 IRHA Open Futurity Champion, and Piccolo Spanish (Spanish Snapper x Jokin Peppy), owned by Sabatino Quarter Horses, was the Open Reserve Champion that year. They left an indescribable mark,” he said. “In this list, I have to add Spatatino and Colonels Dancing Gun, two stallions that allowed me to express reining the way I saw it in my head. I like to see the class and finesse and style in the maneuvers; these are the characteristics I look for in horses I train and ride.”

“The fact that I accomplished this without coming from a horse-oriented family makes me even prouder. I had no one in my family to help in this profession I chose. Even though my family has always supported my passion and my choices, I never had any help. That’s probably the best thing that could have ever happened. They left me free to make my choices and mistakes,” he said. “Of course, they are super happy since this is such an important achievement in Europe, and particularly Italy.”

Lendi added there are several people who have helped him throughout his career. “I have always been very fortunate to have owners that trusted me with their horses and my program. This list is long, and I thank all of them,” he said. “I thank my family, including my father Rino, mother Marianna, my brother Francesco, and my girlfriend, Steffi, who have always been close to me in good and bad times.”

Not resting on his laurels, Lendi is looking ahead to the next career milestone. “In celebrating this million, my aim is now for two million. One goal I have is to qualify for The Run For A Million,” he shared.