Category: History

For Immediate Release – January 12, 2021 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – During the 2020 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) Show, Shine Chic Shine became one of the association’s newest Million Dollar Sires. Owned by Amabile & Strusiner of Grandview, Texas, Shine Chic Shine is by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Smart Chic Olena and out of the NRHA’s first Million Dollar Dam, Ebony Shines.

Shine Chic Shine, bred by Manntana LLC, was purchased through the NRHA Select Yearling Sale. “His full brother that year (Shiners Chic) was showing in the Futurity and doing fantastic. That horse is still showing now at 15 years old, and is still amazing, so that was a good tell,” John Amabile explained. “I also really liked his (Shine Chic Shine’s) breeding and confirmation.”

He had impressive looks and lineage, and the next step was to pair him with a great trainer, NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame Inductee Shawn Flarida. Shine Chic Shine was set for success. In 2010, the flashy palomino stallion took a commanding lead in the first go at the NRHA Futurity. The stallion and the NRHA’s top earning rider Flarida seemed poised to win it all, but a bit of bad luck kept them out of Championship contention.

“During the Finals, he slipped over by the gate and fell out of lead,” Amabile recalled.

Although disappointing, Shine Chic Shine and Flarida rebounded impressively, winning the 2011 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in spectacular fashion. During the Finals, the pair marked a 229.5 to tie for the lead with Todd Sommers and Whiz It A Chic. With so much money up for grabs, the riders decided to run-off, and Flarida and Shine Chic Shine upped their performance to a 231 to take the win.

“He was awesome for me,” Flarida recalled. “Personality-wise, he was kind of a clown and enjoyed life, but when it was time to be serious, he came to the party.”

Shine Chic Shine was only shown at six events, but in that time amassed more than $150,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). “Shawn Flarida was instrumental in his success, and a did a great job with him,” Amabile said. “We retired Shine early because we wanted to get him to the breeding shed, and we were very protective of him.”

Shine Chic Shine’s first foals arrived in 2012. His top earner is PS Mega Shine Chic with $219,655 in NRHA LTE, including an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Championship in 2020, as well as the Run For a Million Shootout Championship.

Shine Chic Shine also sired Shine Colt Shine, who, with Flarida at the reins, took the NRHA Futurity Reserve Championship in 2019. Shine Colt Shine was the 2018 Markel Insurance Prospect Sale high seller, and to date has won $113,248. Flarida noted that Shine Colt Shine, like many of his siblings, share similarities with their sire. “Shine Chic Shine’s sons and daughters are doing really well. Every one of his babies can run and stop a country mile,” he shared.

Beginning in 2021, Shine Chic Shine will be standing at Toyon Ranch, a move about which Amabile is excited. “They have some of the best mares, and they’re going to be breeding some to Shine. They have a great program, too, and I know this will make reaching the next million dollars a lot easier,” Amabile shared.

For Immediate Release – January 8, 2021 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – Thanks to a record-setting event, three National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) sires reached new million-dollar milestones. Wimpys Little Step is now the third sire in reining history to become an NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire and both Gunners Special Nite and Gunnatrashya joined the elite NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire club.

Wimpys Little Step

It was less than two years ago that Wimpys Little Step became an eleven-million-dollar sire just behind Topsail Whiz and Gunner. Out of NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Famer Nu Chex To Cash, Wimpys Little Step was bred by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Hilldale Farm. The 21-year-old stallion is out of Leolita Step and standing for owner Silver Spurs Equine, LLC in Purcell, Oklahoma.

Wimpys Little Step boasts a short but decorated show career with NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame Inductee Shawn Flarida. The pair won the All-American Quarter Horse Congress Open Level (L) 4 Futurity followed almost immediately by the 2002 NRHA Open L4 Futurity Championship. Wimpys Little Step has $185,756 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE).

During the 2020 NRHA Futurity, Wimpys Little Step had three offspring make the open finals and four in the non pro finals. Combined, the seven entries earned over $67,000, and Wimpys Little Step sailed across the $12 million mark.

Step N Past Ya (out of ARC Sail Past Ya) was his top earner in the Non Pro L4 finals under the guidance of Gina-Marie Schumacher. With a score of 218, the duo earned a cool $19,573.

Earning $15,388 in the Open L3 finals and another $8,718 in the Open L2 finals was Blonde Addy Tude (out of Miss Lil Addy Tude). At the reins was NRHA Professional Patrick Flaherty piloting for owner Tim Ruckman.

Wimpys Little Step’s top offspring include:

• NRHA Million Dollar Dam and Hall of Famer Wimpys Little Chic (out of NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee Collena Chic Olena): $516,555 NRHA LTE
• RC Fancy Step (out of Sonita Wilson): $364,454 NRHA LTE
• Wimpys Little Buddy (out of All Thats Dun): $285,358 NRHA LTE
• Wimpyneedsacocktail (out of Seven S Mimosa): $280,379 NRHA LTE
• CFR Centenario Wimpy (out of Miss Hollywood Whiz): $173,740 NRHA LTE

Photo by John Brasseaux

Gunners Special Nite

Gunners Special Nite is making quick work of reaching new NRHA Million Dollar milestones. In the last four years, he’s climbed the ladder of success from one to now four million. As one of the newest NRHA Four Million Dollar Sires, ‘Bailey’ reached this achievement before the 2020 NRHA Futurity and Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show began.

Just after reaching $3 Million in September 2019, Bailey’s offspring wasted no time chipping away at $4 million. In the 2019 NRHA Open Futurity Finals, Guns And Dynamite (out of Chic Olena Starbuck) was reserve champion in levels 4-2 with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Cade McCutcheon in the saddle.

Gunners Special Nite has always paired well with the name McCutcheon. In 2010, NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner Tom McCutcheon reined the 2004 stallion to an individual and team gold medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) for team USA. The McCutcheon family continues riding horses out of this show-stopping stallion.

Bailey’s offspring kept up their winning streak from the fall at the 2020 NRHA Futurity. NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon rode Shining At Nite (out of A Shining Sidekick) to the Non Pro L4 Futurity Championship. Thanks to the generosity of the NRHA Futurity Challenge Donors, McCutcheon added $60,000 to her NRHA LTE and that of Gunners Special Nite.

Bred by Kim and Deborah Sloan and raised by Tim and Colleen McQuay, Bailey was later purchased by Turnabout Farm, Inc. He is now standing at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses in Aubrey, Texas.

Turnabout Farm, Inc. is quickly becoming a household name when it comes to breeding top reining horses. The Aubrey, Texas, based operation was the leading breeder in 2018 and 2019 according to Equistat. They also listed Turnabout Farm as a “Reining Up-&-Comer” in early 2020.

Gunners Special Nite’s top offspring include:

• Modern Gun (out of Taris Modern Design): $221,043 NRHA LTE
• Guns And Dynamite (out of Chic Olena Starbuck): $180,606 NRHA LTE
• Baileys Not Painted (out of Darlins Not Painted): $140,984 NRHA LTE
• Lenas Shining Gun (out of SL Lenas Chick): $106,184 NRHA LTE
• Special Made Whiskey (out of Starlight Acres): $93,916 NRHA LTE

Photo by John Brasseaux

Gunnatrashya

With 35 foals in the 2020 NRHA Open Futurity alone, it was nearly impossible for Gunnatrashya to miss the $4 million dollar mark. When the dust settled, the 2006 stallion far surpassed that milestone after Gunnabebigtime (out of Big Time Jazzy) earned the Open L4 Reserve Champion title. NRHA Million Dollar Rider Brian Bell piloted the stallion to a 224.5 to earn $118,982.

Bred by Katarina Dorminy, Gunnatrashya now stands at Oswood Stallion Station in Weatherford, Texas, for Arcese Quarter Horses USA. He’s by NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame Inductee Gunner and out of Natrasha.

As a 3-year-old, Gunnatrashya found significant success in the show pen. Under the direction of NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame Inductee Shawn Flarida, Gunnatrashya was the 2009 All-American Quarter Horse Open L4 Futurity Champion and immediately followed that up with the NRHA Open L4 Futurity Championship.

The pair came back to the Jim Norick Arena in June to win the NRHA Open L4 Derby title. Gunnatrashya harbors $218,046 in NRHA LTE to date.

Gunnatrashya has produced several futurity and derby champions during his breeding tenure. At the 2019 NRHA Open L4 Futurity Finals, one of Gunnatrashya’s colts helped Cade McCutcheon become an NRHA Million Dollar Rider. Super Marioo (out of HA Chic A Tune) topped the Open L4 and L3 finals to add $172,358 to his NRHA LTE and pushed Cade over the $1 million mark.

Gunnatrashya’s top offspring include:

• ARC Gunnabeabigstar (out of NRHA Million Dollar Dam Wimpys Little Chic): $298,999 NRHA LTE
• Super Marioo (out of HA Chic A Tune): $254,528 NRHA LTE
• Inferno Sixty Six (out of NRHA Million Dollar Dam and Hall of Fame Inductee Snip O Gun): $205,690 NRHA LTE
• ARC Gunna Mark Ya (out of Shiney Miss Marker): $163,877 NRHA LTE
• Gunnabebigtime (out of Big Time Jazzy): $134,714 NRHA LTE

Photo by Cam Essick

Congratulations to Wimpys Little Step, Gunners Special Nite, and Gunnatrashya on their outstanding accomplishments!

For Immediate Release – December 31, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – It was a night chock full of million-dollar accomplishments during the 2020 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals on Friday, Dec. 4. With a first-place finish in the CINCH Non Pro Level (L) 3 Futurity, Tish Fappani solidified her NRHA Million Dollar Owner status aboard Joes Genes (Lil Joe Cash x Electric Genes).

Hailing from Scottsdale, Arizona, Fappani is no stranger to million-dollar milestones. She’s the wife of NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani. Partners when it comes to the business of horses and reining, the couple shares the workload at home and the limelight when it shines in their direction.

The team dynamic has been a longstanding strategy for Tish, but it first began with her parents, Bob and the late Sue Wood.

“My mom had me on horses before I could even walk,” Tish said. “My mom used to do a lot of the American Horse Show Association (AHSA) and stock horse events. When I was 6, I went to ride with Glenn Gimple. It was cool because my mom rode with him, and he was ‘The Man’ when it came to equitation and stock horses.”

From Covina, California, Tish’s family always had around 10 horses at home. Tish remembers feeding and cleaning stalls every morning before school, and she would help her mom get horses ready for lessons in the afternoon. Those hours in the barn funded Tish’s time in the saddle in Arizona where her affinity for reining blossomed.

“When I was 15, I was lucky enough to start riding with Brett Stone and John Slack in Arizona,” Tish remembered about her official entrance into the world of reining. “That was the year Boomernic won the Futurity.”

It was those long, sliding stops that initially caught Tish and Sue’s attention for reining. The style and finesse sealed the deal for Tish and is perhaps the reason she’s now an NRHA Million Dollar Owner.

“My mom was a huge part of my life with horses; she always made sure I had the best opportunities and she put me with the best trainers,” Tish said. “I was very lucky to have both of my parents in my corner.”

Today, Tish finds partners in Andrea and their oldest son Luca. The three have been swapping horses in the show pen for the past few years. Titles in the open, non pro, and youth, all on the same horses, speak volumes about the caliber of horses in the Fappani reining program.

“I’m really proud of raising horses that we can all ride and compete on,” Tish said. “I remember the first horse Andrea and I bought together–Lean With Peppy Chex–we bought him as a 2-year-old before we were even married. Andrea showed him at the 2002 Futurity and then we sold him as a 4-year-old.”

Eight years later, the Fappanis bought that gelding back, and now ‘Scooter’ is a permanent resident in the retirement pasture. If it were up to Tish, she’d keep them all.

“I get sentimental and think we need to keep all of them,” she said with a laugh. “Andrea isn’t a huge fan of all these geldings in our backyard, but we’ve had a lot of special horses together: Premier Diamond, Spooks N Jewels, Ice Cube, and Joes Genes, the mare I showed at the Futurity, just to name a few.”

Tish is excited to breed her mare and see what kind of foals she can throw for the Fappanis to show in all three levels in a few years.

“I always want all of our horses to do their best, but there’s something special when we own one and are able to get it shown,” Tish said. “I’m super shocked by this accomplishment. It’s huge. I’m proud to have raised and shown these horses, it’s super rewarding but it also takes a team to get it done.”

Photo by Carolyn Simancik

For Immediate Release – December 28, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – When Andrea Fappani won the 2020 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Open Level (L) 4 Futurity on All Bettss Are Off (Gunner x Wimpys Little Chic), the historic $250,000 first place check catapulted legendary sire Gunner to the top spot of both the NRHA All-Time Leading Sire and 2020 NRHA Leading Sire lists. Seven years after his death, the NRHA Hall of Fame inductee’s move to over $12.6 million in sire earnings exemplifies total domination in the reining world.

It was twenty-four years ago when Gunner, then an unknown floppy-eared sorrel with a white tail, was guided into the Jim Norick Coliseum in Oklahoma City by NRHA Professional Clint Haverty to compete at the 1996 NRHA Futurity. By the time the go-rounds were over, he had grabbed everyone’s attention by claiming the Open L 4 Futurity Reserve title and the hearts of reining fans everywhere.

By Colonelfourfreckle and out of Katie Gun, Gunner’s excessive white spots kept him from registering with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). He was initially registered Colonels Smokingun with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA). Bred by Eric Storey, Gunner was purchased by Pam and Paul Rohus, who took the colt to Haverty. With Haverty at the reins, he also won the Open Reining Futurity at the APHA World Championships. Gunner was then sold to Kim and Debra Sloan, and won another APHA World Championship, finished as Reserve Champion at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), and won a gold medal for the United States Equestrian Team with the late Bryant Pace.

In a time before live-streamed video, it was easy to tell when Gunner was about to go. The stands would fill, a buzz would build, and the anticipation became palpable. The cheering started as he moved into sight–long before he ever reached the arena gate. Haverty, in typical understated fashion, noted then, “They love Gunner, don’t they?”

He was right. Horsemen and horsewomen everywhere loved Gunner and they exalted in the charisma and excitement he brought to the show pen. All totaled, Gunner earned $173,000 and was immortalized as a Breyer model horse in the early 2000s, but that was only a small part of the legacy he was beginning to create.

His impact upon the APHA world was landmark, not only in his exemplary performance in APHA competition but in how he carried the paint horse name, presence and look to other venues and agendas. APHA Executive Director Billy Smith said, “The APHA would not have had the high-quality reining horses we have today if not for Gunner. His impact and legacy are incalculable at this point because he is that once-in-a-lifetime individual that was not only able to produce great performers, but also to produce sons that throw great performers. That has created an exponential impact that literally changed the industry.”

Ultimately his footprint grew even larger. When the AQHA changed their registration requirements in 2004, Gunner registered as Colonels Smoking Gun and began to rewrite the record books for yet another association.

Gunner was purchased by NRHA Hall of Famers Tim and Colleen McQuay in 2005, following the passing of their stallion NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Hollywood Dun It. The McQuays had followed Gunner’s career and even hoped to buy him as a 3-year-old. Tim had ridden several Gunner colts, which cemented his decision to buy the horse. “I loved him when he was showing, but what got me going was that we had some colts of his to ride, and I liked them a lot. Stopping was easy for them and they did it with style. They always let you train them, and then they got better and better and better,” McQuay said.

Although Gunner was laid to rest in 2013, his legacy continues to grow. First becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Sire in 2007, he became a Two Million Dollar Sire just three years later. Since then, his offspring have earned a million dollars annually, subsequently moving Gunner to a new milestone each year. He crossed the $12 Million Dollar threshold in September of 2020 and his 959 foals now have average earnings of $13,183.

Gunner’s topearning offspring include:

• • Tinker With Guns (out of Tinker Nic): $344,000 NRHA LTE
  • Gunners Tinseltown (out of Miss Tinseltown): $305,000 NRHA LTE
  • Americasnextgunmodel (out of Cee Dun It Do It) $289,486 NRHA LTE
  • All Betts Are Off (out of Wimpys Little Chic): $281,000 NRHA LTE
  • NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite (out of Mifs Doll): $219,000 NRHA LTE
  • NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya (out of Natrasha): $218,000 NRHA LTE
  • No Smoking Required (out of Icing Required): $185,000 NRHA LTE

NRHA incoming President Rick Clark has owned both sons and daughters of Gunner and is quick to credit his impact on the industry and to applaud the management of his breeding career by the McQuays. “We may never have a sire like him come along again for many, many years. They guided his path so well. Losing him was a setback but we are all thankful they had the foresight to make it so that he’s still part of the industry. It’s amazing, really. Gunner has made a lot of people happy. Everyone’s happy when they have a Gunner baby!”

For Immediate Release – Dec. 7, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – In the last 54 years of National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) history, only 11 owners have surpassed the million-dollar mark in earnings. Such a momentous achievement is only possible because of teamwork, dedication, and, of course, incredible horsepower, all of which Tammye Hutton’s Hilldale Farm has in spades.

In early November, Hilldale Farm unofficially became the Association’s twelfth million dollar owner, after Hutton’s daughter, Jessicah Keller, piloted Its Snippin Time (Shine Big Time x Snip O Satellite), to a third place finish in the Amateur Reining at the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Championship Show.

“This is really great. It’s nice that NRHA recognizes the owners along with the riders, breeders, sires, and dams,” Hutton shared. “I think it’s amazing that there is that much money in the sport we can win, and that it’s tracked. I never thought we would reach this milestone.”

Hutton and her family first became involved with reining in the late 1990s, and Hilldale Farm, still family-owned and operated, became official NRHA members in 1997.

“The first year we just did some local NRHA shows, and 2001 was when Jessicah hauled for the youth world titles,” Hutton recalled. “I remember the first significantly larger NRHA event we went to was the Illinois State Fair, and when we were done for the day we got a check. I thought, ‘Wow, we won $4,200! Holy smokes, we need to do this more!’”

The winning continued in 2002, when Keller and Nu Chex To Cash won World Championships in the Intermediate and Limited Open, and also took reserve World Championships in the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro. That same year, Nu Chex To Cash burst onto the scene as a major sire for Hilldale Farm, when his son Wimpys Little Step (out of Leolita Step), won the NRHA Futurity Open Championship.

In addition to Wimpys Little Step, Nu Chex To Cash sired several other major earners, including Lil Joe Cash (out of RS Lilly Starlight) and NRHA Million Dollar Sire Big Chex To Cash (out of Snip O Gun). Nu Chex To Cash is now an NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire, while Wimpys Little Step is an NRHA Eleven Million Dollar Sire.

Nu Chex To Cash, an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee in 2010, would also sire Hilldale Farm’s biggest money earner, Heavy Duty Chex, who won back-to-back National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) Non Pro Classic Championships with Hutton’s younger daughter Sarah Locker.

“Nu Chex [To Cash] is the one that really got us where we are,” Hutton said. “It was pretty amazing, and it just exploded our business.”

A year ago, Hilldale Farm’s blue hen mare, Snip O Gun, became only the third NRHA Million Dollar Dam during the NRHA Futurity. It was a fitting accomplishment, as the gorgeous bay mare was also inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame as part of the 2019 class.

“There have been so many people who have helped us over the years, and gone above and beyond for me, my daughters, and our program,” she shared. “I know if I tried to list each one individually, I would accidently leave someone off the list.”

To learn more about Hilldale Farm, visit HilldaleFarm.com.