Category: History

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.

The National Reining Horse Association’s newest Million Dollar Sire Not Ruf At All’s career started with a bang when he won the 2013 NRHA Futurity. The following year “Ruf” claimed the NRHA Derby Championship. Just two years later, he added the National Reining Breeders Classic Open title to become one of only a few horses to win the three major events.

By NRHA $2 Million Sire A Sparkling Vintage and out of All Ruffed Up, the sorrel stallion is owned by NRHA Hall of Famer Vaughn Zimmerman. Always ridden by NRHA $2 Million Rider Jason Vanlandingham, he would become one of NRHA’s highest money-earning stallions, with $456,437 in lifetime earnings.

Vanlandingham vividly remembers the day when he realized just what he had in Not Ruf At All. “It was June of his 3-year-old year. My wife, Adrienne, came out, and I asked her to video him stopping. I ran down and stopped, and she just started laughing and said, ‘Oh my goodness, you’ve got to look at this.’ When I looked at the video, I knew we had something special!” he recalled.

That talent was coupled with the stallion’s monstrous heart. “Over the course of his entire career, he never missed a stop in competition. I can’t say that about any other horse I’ve had or ever seen go,” Vanlandingham shared.

He recounted the story of the NRHA Derby when, as a 5-year-old, Ruf stopped just like every time he had been shown. But after he rode the stallion from the Coliseum, Vanlandingham found his slider in the warmup pen! With a shoe or without, he never missed a stop.

For Zimmerman, watching Ruf throughout his career was pure excitement. “He was so dynamic, and I couldn’t wait until the next show,” he said.

The titles – and the purchase offers – rolled in, but there was never a question of parting with Ruf, all because of a discussion Zimmerman and Vanlandingham had early on. “Jason asked me to promise I wouldn’t sell Ruf out from under him. I told him I wouldn’t.” He laughed, then added, “The prices of the offers kept growing, and I asked him if he was sure we shouldn’t sell him. Jason said, ‘No I want to show him!’”

Multiple historic achievements and many magical moments followed, proving the decision sound, but ultimately, it was time for the next stage of Ruf’s career. “We hated to see him quit showing. He’s the best show horse we’ve ever owned,” Zimmerman admitted.

Ruf soon displayed his prepotency as a breeding stallion. “The first crops were small because we weren’t standing him to an open book. But soon we were seeing strong support from people around the globe – even Europe. People have a lot of choices because they can breed to established studs – so when you’re in the proving stages and they support you, it means a lot,” Zimmerman explained.

In the beginning, Zimmerman bred his own set of broodmares to the young stallion. When the first foals came of age in 2018, the journey of becoming a successful sire began.

Not Ruf At All’s highest money earner is Excessive Rufness (Smokin Lady Gunner), a 3-year-old this year owned by Zimmerman. Winning the inaugural Invitational Futurity with Vanlandingham boosted his earnings over the $100,000 mark.

Other notable offspring include Ruf Style Of Play (UB Stylin With Me) owned by Axel Bouchner, who was ridden to the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Non Pro title by Jesse Asmussen and has gone on to earn more than $92,000. Another Zimmerman-owned standout is Its All About Ruff (Dun Pretty Nifty), with $73,715 in lifetime earnings.

NRHA President Rick Clark noted, “Not Ruf At All was a great horse as a show horse and fun to watch. He won the three major events and so many titles, and it’s not a surprise that he has gone over a million already. Vaughn Zimmerman is an asset to the industry, and this is a huge accomplishment. On behalf of the Board and staff of NRHA, congratulations to Vaughn and all the connections of this great stallion.”

The National Reining Horse Association’s newest Million Dollar Rider Ruben Vandorp loves his life. Career-wise he loves reining, reiners, the reining community, and most of all, the horses. He’s equally passionate about his family – wife Melissa, kids Skylar and Peyton – and his church.

In fact, there are very few topics that this Netherlands import isn’t enthusiastic about, and that’s been his mindset since he came to the United States with a duffle bag and a dream. “I started in youth competition, then out of high school got a job with Nedpoint in the Netherlands,” Vandorp recalled.

After a few years, he moved to Pauls Valley, Okla., to continue working for the international exporting company that purchased horses in the U.S., then shipped them overseas. “That got me into it and made me want to buy horses and sell them and put them on airplanes,” he explained.

Indoctrination into this aspect of the reining world shaped Vandorp’s future indelibly and throughout his career, his model has been to get horses started, and then sell them. He also placed other trainers on the talented athletes when he felt that was the right direction. It has been a very successful formula but did make it harder for him to amass his own earnings in the show pen.

One of Vandorp’s friends mused that he’s probably the only rider who has won a million that didn’t set out to win a million – just to sell horses. “I’ve always taken that route of selling them when they started working,” he admitted with a laugh. “Well, with just a few exceptions.”   

Einsteins Revolution (Einstein x Fly Flashy Jac) was the first of those exceptions and the horse that put Vandorp on the reining radar screen. The now $2 Million NRHA Sire was a standout. At the 2007 National Reining Breeders Classic, Ruben won the Level(L) 3 and after a tie was second in the L4, earning more than $80,000.

Another top money earner was Legacy In Lights (Hit The Lights x Doc Berry Miss), which Vandorp rode to earnings exceeding $159,000 as a 3-year-old.  In 2020 it was Spooks Gotta Crush (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Megas Sugar Baby) that headlined with Vandorp when he rode him at the NRBC to win the Level 3 Championship and tie for fourth in the Level 4, earning $46,321.

Ruben passed the million-dollar mile marker in October at the 2021 Best of the West Show in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Mr Farenheit (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimpy Little Girl), a horse he co-owns with Max Morin. “What I’m super excited about in hitting the million is the honor of being in a group with so many trainers I respect and admire – it’s very humbling. So many of them have been so helpful – overall the whole reining community has been encouraging and helpful,” he said.

NRHA President Rick Clark was quick to note, “Ruben has been in the industry a long time. He’s an excellent showman who has worked very hard over the years to achieve this milestone. This achievement is a testament to his dedication.”

What does the future hold for Ruben? “There’s really nothing I want to change. I love what I do and love the customers I have so I want to just keep going and enjoying life.”

Photos are courtesy of Ruben Vandorp