Category: Members

When Ten Thirty and Casey Deary claimed the 2021 National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity Championship, it was a dream come true for Brooke Wharton, who bred the colt by Gunnatrashya out of Dainty Little Step.

That win – and accompanying check for $350,000 – no doubt sparked dreams and aspirations for countless breeders around the world, and one of the first steps to that dream’s fruition is the NRHA Nomination program.

The opportunity to nominate weanling foals into the NRHA Nomination program at the lowest rate ends on January 10. These nominations must be received in the office by Monday, January 10, so the best way to ensure nominations are received by the deadline is to complete the process online through ReinerSuite.

The NRHA’s Nomination Program was created to grow its North American and European Futurities and Derbies to new heights through enhanced payouts. It has done that by allocating 60 percent of all the fees to the Futurities and 40 percent to the Derbies after a 10 percent retainage. Simply put, the enrollment of foals creates additional added money to the purses at the Futurities and Derbies which saw a 42% increase in the North American Open Futurity in the very first year.

Horses can be nominated to both the European and North American program or nominators may select one or the other. If only one is selected initially, the other can be added at a later date.

When a horse competes and wins money at one of the Futurities or Derbies, the nominator receives 5% of the earnings! It does not matter if the nominator still owns the horse or not. For example, at the 2021 NRHA Futurity, although Wharton had sold Ten Thirty during the 2019 NRHA Markel Futurity Sales, she still received $17,500 of the winner’s $350,000 purse.

Any horse can be nominated, and the original nominator can never be changed. NRHA Member and Show Services/Nomination Representative Emily Rush said, “We are so fortunate to have ReinerSuite available to us now because it really is the fastest and most economical way to nominate a horse. The $10 handling fee is waived when you do it online, and you receive an instant digital confirmation.”

When members log in to ReinerSuite, they can get guidance on how to complete nominations in the Resources Library.

Although NRHA staff is always available to help you with the online nomination process, they compiled a trouble-shooting page that can be found here.

The deadline for 2021 foals is approaching quickly! After January 10, the fees double until January 31, after which date the foal is considered a yearling and the fees adjust appropriately. Horses foaled in the Southern Hemisphere July 1^st through December 31^st will still be considered weanlings during the next calendar year. They will be considered yearlings during the subsequent year.

More information, including nomination forms, can be found at nrha.com/nomination.

Paulus Beurskens and Ann Anderman were elected by the National Reining Horse Association Board of Directors in its December meeting to fill two Director-at-Large positions on the NRHA Executive Committee. Beurskens and Anderman, who will each serve a one-year term in 2022, bring a diverse perspective to the Executive Committee.

Beurskens, of the Netherlands, returns to the NRHA Executive Committee where he has been a member since 2020. He has been involved in reining since the ‘90s and rides as a Non Pro. He and his wife Gisela Haas own Galaxy Quarter Horse, where they breed and raise reining horses.

His company, Galaxy Executive Management Solutions, focuses on connecting people and businesses based on equality and inclusive leadership. He is also Partner/Managing Director at Energyprofs, a consultancy agency specialized in the Dutch energy market.

A former President of the Dutch Reining Horse Association and member of the NRHA European Affiliate Council and Executive Board, he has served on the NRHA Board of Directors and various NRHA committees.

Ann Salmon Anderman, alongside her husband Monte, is involved with teaching riders and horses of all levels, hosting clinics and is currently based out of Cinder Lakes Ranch in Valley View, Texas. She serves on the NRHA Board of Directors, as well various committees. Additionally, she is a past chair of the NRHA Judges Committee, Policy Review Task Force and Judges Work Environment Task Force. She served on the Southwest Reining Horse Association Board of Directors for eight years and was president for three years.

In addition to competing, Anderman has traveled around the world judging and teaching and has officiated at two NRHA European Futurities. She was previously awarded the NRHA Volunteer of the Year for her dedication and service to the Association.

Beurskens and Anderman will serve on the Executive Committee alongside President Rick Clark, Vice-President Mark Blake, Director-At-Large Shane Brown, and Director-At-Large John Tague.

For more information concerning how representatives are elected, refer to the NRHA Bylaws page and the NRHA Elections page.

Just weeks ago, the National Reining Horse Association paid out more than $118,000 to exhibitors competing in the Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championships in Oklahoma City. With nearly 1,000 entries, the NAAC classes provided fun, excitement, camaraderie, and some lucrative payouts and prizes.

At the December 2021 NRHA Board of Directors meeting, the Board announced the qualification criteria for the 2022 NAAC and Affiliate Regional Championships will be identical to 2021.

The first step to earning a spot in Oklahoma City is to compete at one of the 10 ARCs held across North America in late fall. To do so, a rider must be an NRHA member and a member of an NRHA affiliate. “There is no need to designate an affiliate, and riders can show at any ARC,” explained Sara Honegger, Manager of Youth, Professional, and Affiliate Programs. “We are so encouraged by the number of riders who came to Oklahoma City and the increased enthusiasm for the affiliates, ARCs and NAAC. The members of the Affiliate Committee are passionate about continuing to grow these programs and look forward to what 2022 will bring.”

Any exhibitor who receives a score higher than a zero at an ARC will be able to enter that class, on that specific horse, at the NAAC in Oklahoma City. There are no requirements to compete at an ARC other than the rider must be a member of an NRHA affiliate. Riders are encouraged to join beforehand but can also join at the ARC if they need assistance with that process, or they can always call the NRHA office to have guidance as well.

As in 2021, riders will be allowed to participate in multiple ARCs with one exception; if they win a class, they cannot compete on the same horse in the same class at another ARC.

The Board of Directors also approved a change for renewing Affiliates, who now only need to host one full slate of ancillary classes in 2022, down from three.

“The Affiliate Committee knows what a financial burden it can be to host a horse show for any affiliate, and during these times especially,” Honegger explained. “They want to find the balance of allowing our members a place to show across the country while realizing our affiliates know their region best and will host what they feel like will be most supported by their membership. This solution seemed to fit the best for 2022.”

For more information about NRHA membership, the NRHA Affiliate program, or to find a local Affiliate, visit nrha.com/affiliate.

Anderman and Fuchs Elected Incoming Regional Directors

The elections for the 2022-2023 South Central and East Central Regional Directors concluded on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. The votes were counted and the winners named. Ann Salmon Anderman will represent the South Central Region and Margaret Fuchs, the East Central Region.

Margaret Fuchs, from Canfield, Ohio, has had a lifelong passion for reiners having become hooked on the sport while she attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. There, she was taught by NRHA Professional and Judge Larry Kasten who was one of her professors. Her love for the event never waned, and she has enjoyed great success both in and out of the show pen.

She has served on the NRHA Judges Committee and various Affiliate Boards. She is currently an NRHA Professional, an AQHA and NRHA Judge and head of human resources at SCF Bedding, Inc, and the incoming East Central Regional Director. With her new position, she looks forward to implementing programs to encourage greater participation at the affiliate level and trying to improve communications.

“I was really excited to get the call to hear that I had won the position of East Central Regional Director. I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone that took the time to vote for me. I am looking forward to the opportunity of being a part of the Board of Directors of NRHA,” Fuchs said. “[With my position,] I hope to create an informational round robin within our region where owners, trainers, exhibitors, breeders and sponsors can communicate their questions, concerns or suggestions to me so that they can be then relayed effectively to the rest of the board. Ultimately, the growth of our great sport of reining is the goal for all of us, and I’m really glad that I get to be part of it at this level.”

With over 15 years of experience as a horse trainer, Ann Salmon Anderman is heavily involved in serving the reining industry. The Pilot Point, Texas resident is a lifetime NRHA member who currently serves on the NRHA Board of Directors as well as the Judges, Nominating/Governance, and Stewards Committees. Additionally, she has served as a past chair of the NRHA Judges Policy Review Task Force and Judges Work Environment Task Force.

“I have had the honor of serving on the NRHA Board for the past few years, and I look forward to continuing to serve the reining industry,” Anderman commented.

She is also a member of the NRHA Judges Teaching Panel, which includes the preparation and evaluation of judges’ teaching and testing materials. She also served on the Southwest Reining Horse Association

(SWRHA) Board of Directors for over eight years and was the president of the NRHA Affiliate for three years.

With a focus on grass-roots members, Anderman was among the first to advocate for Green and Ride & Slide riders adding year-end buckles to ensure that all levels of competitors have a place to show and be recognized for their accomplishments. She firmly believes that it takes all levels of competitors to create a healthy NRHA environment.

Anderman has traveled around the world as a judge and clinician and has officiated two NRHA European Futurities. As a matter of fact, she was chosen as an NRHA Volunteer of the Year for her dedication and service to NRHA.

The new Regional Directors will serve two-year terms commencing on January 1, 2022. For more information, visit NRHA.com/elections.

The National Reining Horse Association Board of Directors reviewed and unanimously approved two of the proposed rule changes presented by the Non Pro Committee during their August meeting.

The proposals addressed issues related to working student allowances for Youth as well as sponsorship endorsements for Non Pros and Youth Non Pros.

An FAQ has been created to explain some commonly asked questions on NRHA Non Pro Conditions, as well as the changes made for the allowance of sponsorships.

FAQ – NON PRO MEMBERSHIP CONDITIONS – Starting 1/1/2022

For more information, read the previous news story on this topic: Recent NRHA Rule Changes Create Opportunities for Non Pros and Youth