Category: History

For Immediate Release – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – November 2, 2020 – Two million is the lucky number for many National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) riders, owners, and horses as 2020 winds down. Pale Face Dunnit is unofficially the newest NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire.

Fondly referred to as “Gold Digger,” this 2007 palomino stallion is by NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire Gunner and out of Lena Dun It. Bred by NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner Rancho Oso Rio, LLC, this prolific stallion is now owned by Schmersal Reining Horses and Silver Spurs Equine of Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Gold Digger is a big part of our family and we couldn’t be more excited for this monumental achievement at such a young age,” said owner Ginger Schmersal. “I have loved that horse since the first time I saw him. For Craig to get to show him and win and then go on to win the Futurity on one of his babies [Face The Attitude] is just phenomenal. And now Addi is showing that mare as a non pro.”

Boasting over $70,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE), Pale Face Dunnit was an open Level (L) 4 finalist at major NRHA events across the country. He also finished in the top ten at the AQHA World Championship Show in Junior Reining and is a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Open Reserve Champion.

After a star-studded reining career, first under the guidance of NRHA Million Dollar Rider Randy Paul and later NRHA Four Million Dollar Rider Craig Schmersal, Pale Face Dunnit retired to the breeding shed. He’s sired 628 foals to date and 170 of those are competing, but his top-earning offspring is Face The Attitude (out of Miss Lil Addy Tude).

The 2014 mare was the Open L4 champion at the 2017 NRHA Futurity with Craig Schmersal at the reins. And her hot streak has continued in the non pro arena with Craig and Ginger’s daughter, Addisyn Schmersal. During the 2020 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), Addisyn reined Face The Attitude to a $25,500 payday after winning the Non Pro L3 and taking reserve in L4. The NRBC proved pivotal for Pale Face Dunnit’s two-million-dollar status when his offspring earned more than $60,000 combined.

The trend continued for Pale Face Dunnit’s progeny at both the High Roller Reining Classic (HRRC) and the Arizona Reining Horse Association (AzRHA) Best of the West show.

“His foals won a lot in Arizona, well over $20,000,” Ginger Schmersal said. “I knew we were close to the two million after the NRBC and High Roller.”

First named an NRHA Million Dollar Sire in late 2018, Pale Face Dunnit reached his two-million-dollar milestone in just two short years. Pale Face Dunnit’s top-earning offspring include:

• Face The Attitude (out of Miss Lil Addy Tude) – $197,390 NRHA LTE
• Phantom Face (out of Gorgeous Like A Star) – $140,198 NRHA LTE
• Pale Face Whiz (out of Lady Naskiia Whiz) – $106,159 NRHA LTE
• Pale Black Gun (out of Blazing In Black) $99,010 NRHA LTE
• Gold Digging Dunnit (out of Dun It Reining) – $92,012 NRHA LTE

For Immediate Release – October 22, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Amidst a fall show schedule packed to the brim, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is proud to announce NRHA Professional Matt Mills is unofficially the newest NRHA Million Dollar Rider. This accomplishment comes after top-tier finishes at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) and the High Roller Reining Classic (HRRC).

This Scottsdale, Arizona, native was introduced to horses by a Shetland pony named Dizzy in a small round pen at the Lakewood Equestrian Center in Long Beach, California.

“My mom had horses as a kid and, for whatever reason, she took me for a riding lesson when I was 8 years old,” Mills said. “I showed in almost every discipline except for reining until I was about 18.”

Growing up, the hour-long trip via city bus was never a deterrent for Mills when it came to attending riding lessons. He headed to the barn every day after school and usually finished his homework on the bus ride.

The day after high school graduation, Mills was Arizona bound for what was supposed to be only a summer internship with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Dell Hendricks. That summer of 1997 internship stretched out for five years and essentially launched Mills’ career as a reining horse trainer.

“Easy Otie Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Miss Poco Easy) really improved the trajectory of my career,” Mills said of the late 1999 stallion who stood at Out West Stallion Station. “I made a lot of open level 4 finals on him and also attained my all-time highest score under five judges.”

Together, Mills and Easy helped win a gold medal for Team USA at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany. Easy is just one of many horses who helped carry Mills to his latest monumental accomplishment.

“I’m going out in the arena as an individual, but this is a team sport,” Mills said. “I can’t stress enough how important the horses, owners, my family, and everyone on my team is to me. My team is really the key to my success.”

Although Mills is savoring reaching a goal he set for himself when he was just 21 years old, his competitive spirit compels him to begin focusing on his next million.

“I always stress the importance of setting goals,” Mills said. “But I also want to enjoy the journey along the way.”

For Immediate Release – October 4, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The 2020 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) proved to be a pivotal event for riders, owners, and equine athletes. The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is pleased to announce that both a rider and owner unofficially crossed the two-million-dollar mark after the dust settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Casey Deary

When NRHA Professional Casey Deary scored a 226.5 on Americasnexttopgun (Walla Walla Whiz x Americasnextgunmodel), his four kids cheered extra loud for the “puppy dog” horse affectionately known as Maverick. Winning the 2020 NRBC Open Level (L)4 finals clinched Deary’s status as an NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider.

“I knew I was close, but I wasn’t exactly sure how close,” Deary said. “I had three horses that could all potentially win the deal. It wasn’t stressful, it was exciting. That’s what we all work for at a show. I did the best that I could to get them shown and keep them out of trouble, let them do what they do best, and I just stayed out of their way.”

Deary also tied for second with a 224.5 riding Americas Supermodel (Walla Walla Whiz x Americasnextgunmodel). Both scores propelled Deary well over the two-million-dollar mark. His reining career hasn’t always been the one-two punch that it was recently, but this Weatherford, Texas, trainer has seen his fair share of the winner’s circle.

“It seemed like it took a lifetime to earn the first million,” Deary said. “Americasnextgunmodel was kind of my first elite athlete, not that I didn’t have good ones before that, but she got me to the level that I wanted to be at.”

By Gunner and out Cee Dun It Do It, Americasnextgunmodel and Deary won the 2012 NRHA Futurity Open L4 Championship together. This talented mare proved herself in the show pen and is now showing her stripes as a broodmare.

At the 2015 NRHA Futurity, Deary sealed his first NRHA million when he won the Open L4 on Shesouttayourleague (Walla Walla Whiz x Wimpys Little Chic). Deary was again at the reins when this mare became the 2017 NRHA Derby Open L4 Champion.

“The team of people around me is what’s made all this possible, with my assistants at home, down to my farrier and vet,” Deary said. “And, of course, my wife pulls more than her share of the weight to keep the business going and taking care of the kids. It’s certainly a group effort to reach these milestones.”

After unloading from Tulsa, Deary took those same three horses to Las Vegas. He again rode Americas Supermodel to a 224.5 to tie with NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani for the 2020 High Roller Reining Classic Open L4 Championship.

Lance Griffin

“Any cowboy can make a horse go fast, but it takes a horseman to get a horse to go slow,” said the newest NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner Lance Griffin. “I’m not a cowboy. I don’t look after cows. I’m a horseman. I look after horses. There’s a big difference between the two.”

Every employee who set foot on the Griffin operation heard those words. Not only does Griffin credit the horses for his recent milestone, but he also has an unending list of team members who helped propel the Griffin legacy to this point.

“To say I was gifted at picking a horse would be a huge exaggeration,” Griffin said. “Certain people, like Duane Latimer and Bob Loomis, got us started on this path. I’ve always had a fondness for quality mares, and I’ve believed that from the very beginning.”

Back in 2007, Griffin became the first NRHA Million Dollar Owner thanks to an unrelenting breeding program he built with his wife, Terry, and their daughter, Samantha Smith. Griffin Quarter Horses dispersed in 2013, but the legacy lives on as Griffin becomes the fourth NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner.

Leading up to the NRBC, Griffin was only $4,000 short of hitting the two-million-dollar mark. His daughter won more than $5,000 in the Non Pro finals between two horses: Drinkin Moonshin (Shine Chic Shine x Wimpy Little Girl) and Neverthoughtiwould (Pale Face Dunnit x Shine Tini).

Something Griffin might not divulge about his success as an owner is that he’s played a big part in it as a non pro competitor. He’s earned more than $400,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE).

“This isn’t a blind man’s game, but there’s enough luck to it that it plays a part and we took advantage of that luck when we got it,” Griffin said. “You get lucky and sometimes you get unlucky.”

Griffin found a majority of his luck in his mares. One of those was Pines BH (Great Pine x Ms Enterprise), also known as Shirlys Folly with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). One of her first foals to hit the ground running was The Great Whiz by NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire Topsail Whiz.

“I walked into the futurity prospect sale and bought that mare [Pines BH] without knowing anything about her,” Griffin said. “Her first foal [The Great Whiz] that I bred and raised out of her won the Open Level 4 at the 2003 NRHA Futurity. Many horses don’t work out, but in strange ways, they do. Our biggest reason for success has been consistently trying to have good stock and good help.”

Congratulations to Deary and Griffin for joining an elite group of riders and owners!

For Immediate Release – September 4, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – After a slow start to the 2020 show season, it was unclear if any sires or dams would cross milestones this year. As COVID-19 restrictions were reduced in certain regions of the U.S. earlier this summer, shows resumed and entry numbers skyrocketed. As a result, sires and dams are making moves up the NRHA million-dollar ranks. The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is pleased to announce two top NRHA sires have recently crossed major milestones.

Gunner

Commonly known as Gunner by the Western performance horse industry, the influential sire is registered as Colonels Smoking Gun with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and Colonels Smokinggun with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA). Gunner recently made history when he became only the second NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire, just on the heels of Topsail Whiz who reached this accomplishment in 2018.

This legendary sire is by Colonelfourfreckle and out of Katie Gun. Before becoming a top sire for Tioga, Texas, owners Tim and Colleen McQuay of McQuay Stables Inc., Gunner saw his name in lights in the show pen. He was the 1996 NRHA Open Futurity Reserve Champion, the 1998 NRBC Open Reserve Champion, and the 2001 United States Equestrian Team (USET) Festival of Champions National Reining Champion.

First becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Sire in 2007, the snowball effect took over for Gunner in 2010 when he earned his two-million-dollar title. His offspring have annually earned a million dollars, subsequently moving Gunner to a new milestone each year.

Although Gunner boasts $173,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of his own, he’s also the sire of more than 1,500 reiners. Many of Gunner’s offspring join him in the NRHA Hall of Fame and in the ranks as million-dollar sires themselves.

Gunner’s top-earning offspring are:

Walla Walla Whiz

Walla Walla Whiz’s reputation precedes him in the simple fact that he’s by NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire Topsail Whiz and out of Shiney Walla Wanda. Walla Walla Whiz is building his own legacy as he recently became an NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire. He crossed his first million-dollar milestone in 2015.

The 2003 stallion boasts an impressive show record that puts his NRHA LTE just over $187,000.  Ridden by NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida, Walla Walla Whiz raked in several top-notch finishes in a short amount of time. His show career started when he was 3 years old and wrapped by 2008.

Some of the most noteworthy placings Walla Walla Whiz earned include being crowned the 2007 NRHA Level (L)4 Open Derby Champion, the 2006 Tulsa Reining Classic L4 Open Futurity Champion, and taking third place in the 2007 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) L4 Open Derby.

Owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, Walla Walla Whiz is the sire of more than 600 NRHA offspring. He’s still standing in Weatherford, Texas, at Oswood Stallion Station alongside many other influential NRHA sires.

Walla Walla Whiz’s top-earning offspring are:

• Shesouttayourleague (out of Wimpys Little Chic): $252,470 NRHA LTE
• Isnt She Perfect (out of Miss Silver Gun): $170,109 NRHA LTE
• Americas Supermodel (out of Americasnextgunmodel): $135,755 NRHA LTE
• Made In Walla (out of Hollywood Made): $133,077 NRHA LTE
• ARC Walla Dun Did It (out of Dainty Dunit): $114,180 NRHA LTE

Congratulations to Walla Walla Whiz and Gunner on these outstanding achievements!

OKC CVB head to receive honor from equine sport’s Oklahoma City-based organization

Following the presentation of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fame Committee’s recommended nominees, the Board of Directors and past Hall of Fame inductees voted to approve the late Sally Brown and the late Jerry Kimmel for induction into the NRHA Hall of Fame, a project of the Reining Horse Foundation (RHF). Also announced was selection of Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau President Mike Carrier as the 2020 NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

The Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes people and horses who have contributed significantly to the sport or the NRHA. Nominees also must have a personal passion for the sport and have impacted reining in a positive way. They do not need to be NRHA members, active or former competitors, owners or breeders.

The award is named in honor of Dale Wilkinson, a multiple NRHA Futurity champion remembered as the “father of reining.” He was of the NRHA’s founding members, and an educator, promoter of the sport and mentor to reiners – professional and non pro – on how competitors should conduct themselves, and train and exhibit a horse.

The honorees will be recognized during the 2020 NRHA Futurity and then formally celebrated at a future banquet after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Mike Carrier

Impact on reining, passion for the sport, and a record for drawing people to the industry are all selection criteria for the NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2020 recipient, Mike Carrier, checks all the boxes. It’s hard to imagine where NRHA would be in recent years had he not been an advocate for the sport.

Mike is not a reiner, doesn’t own horses, and only recently got a really great hat, but he has been a champion of the association as a whole. As President of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Mike promoted both NRHA and the reining horse. Over the years his face has become familiar to reiners from around the world and his ebullient spirit and engaging personality have endeared him to those who have come to know him.

Mike’s retirement in the fall of 2020 marks the end of an era, and he will long be remembered for understanding the importance and impact of reining, not only to Oklahoma City, but to the entire equine industry throughout his 13 years with the Oklahoma City CVB. Whether through a corporate partnership, the NRHA Futurity Freestyle sponsorship, assisting with the NRHA Convention, or simply advocating for the association and its members at the government level, Mike has always been loyal to the association.

He was instrumental in helping secure the new Coliseum to be built at State Fair Park, and several years ago, recognized NRHA as a “Hometown Hero,” an award proudly displayed in the NRHA Office. Most recently, Mike was vital in conversations with the city and Mayor David Holt regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing for NRHA to be able to hold the 2020 NRHA Derby. That was not unusual – he has consistently been a resource to the association by sharing introductions and contacts to help position NRHA as a pillar of the business community.

On a personal level, Mike has supported the nonprofit RHF and is a member of its Reiners Club recognizing unrestricted gifts. He regularly attends reining meetings and events and loves introducing his staff, friends, and family to the sport.

His contributions will have a long-lasting impact after he steps away at the professional level.