Category: Members

For Immediate Release – August 20, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Board of Directors met via video conference to conduct association business. The agenda included 2021 rule change proposals, review of the proposed 2021 fees policy and a financial report among other items of business.

“I commend our Board members from around the globe and our staff team for adapting to global conditions and making this such a productive meeting,” said Mike Hancock, NRHA President. “We appreciate their dedication to leading our association under any conditions and value members who provide input and take an active role in NRHA.”

Hancock also thanked for their service Board members whose terms will end December 31: Peter DeFreitas, Southeast Regional Director, and Bub Poplin, Mountain Regional Director. This also marked the final full Board meeting led by President Hancock, who completes his two-year term December 31. A respected businessman from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Hancock has been a lifelong reiner, respected for his historical and contemporary knowledge of the sport and NRHA.

Rule changes formed a large portion of business for the August meeting. Complete details are available in ReinerSuite, the web-based portal for NRHA members, where members can find association business under the Library menu heading. Rules will be published in the 2021 NRHA Handbook.

Action items included:

• Approving NRHA Board candidates by acclamation: Vice President Mark Blake, Director-At-Large John Tague; Southwest Regional Ginger Schmersal, Mountain Regional Director Drake Johnson, and Southeast Regional Director Karen Shedlauskas. All are to serve two-year terms that commence January 1, 2021
• Moving the deadline to fill remaining NRHA Board of Directors seats to October 1 to improve the timeliness of filling vacant executive committee seats and appointing committees for the following year
• Establishing two task forces: one to help identify additional opportunities to streamline NRHA programs and procedures and another to explore opportunities for international competition.
• Approving the 2021 fees policy, with a move toward more digital options
• Approving the 2021 worldwide eligibility policy with no changes from the 2020 policy
• Changing NRHyA officer elections to include a scored interview in addition to member votes
• Approving 2021 Adequan North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) conditions
• Confirming the 2020 NRHA Futurity schedule
• Approving the 2021 NRHA Derby and Futurity conditions and 2021 Nomination conditions
• Adding judges to the officials list
• Approving the election of Andrea Stillo to the Reining Horse Foundation Board of Directors

Informational items covered included:

• Financial update from Chief Financial Officer John Foy
• Commissioner’s report from Gary Carpenter
• Reining Horse Foundation update
• Discussion of the 2021 NRHA Winter meeting
• Update on the Oceania Council
• Usage statistics for the new ReinerSuite member software
• Futurity Challenge update
• Corporate Partner update
• NRHA Reiner update

Look for continued communication about NRHA news in the NRHA Reiner magazine and at nrha.com.

For Immediate Release – June 29, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has added a new feature to its popular ReinerSuite™ member software with the debut of the Eligibility Checker. The handy feature appears on the member dashboard after logging in and allows for simple checking of a horse/rider/class/date combination. More detailed searches are available to check eligibility for worldwide events or those specific to Europe and Mexico.

“We are very happy to announce this new offering,” said Angie Honeywell, senior manager of ReinerSuite and Futurity Sales. “Member service is our top priority, and this tool is a way to offer eligibility information quickly and accurately. If members have questions about eligibility or using  ReinerSuite, please contact us at memberships@nrha.com.”

Eligibility for various levels of competition is determined for the beginning of each calendar year. NRHA exhibitors are responsible for verifying eligibility for each class they enter to make sure their placings and earnings count, and this new tool streamlines the process considerably.

“The response to ReinerSuite has been overwhelmingly positive,” said NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter. “We know this eligibility tool will provide added convenience for our members and is something they can use from any device connected to the internet.”

ReinerSuite was unveiled to NRHA members in late February 2020, providing advanced, online member services. The web-based software has innovated association records management for the equine industry.

Beginning with its August issue, the National Reining Horse Association’s Reiner magazine will have a new but familiar face at its helm. Kelsey Pecsek Hruska, former editor of Quarter Horse News, will bring her years of experience to the magazine.

“Moving into this new role as editor of the Reiner feels a lot like coming home,” Pecsek Hruska said. “The sport of reining ignited my passion for the Western performance horse world many years ago. I look forward to working closely with the industry’s players and with the NRHA to make the magazine the best it can be.”

There’s no question that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far-reaching, changing the way business is done. As the NRHA continued to streamline its fiscal and staffing profile, an opportunity presented itself and resulted in a joint venture between the association and its longtime Corporate Partner Quarter Horse News. Morris Equine Group, parent company of Quarter Horse News, Western Horseman, and Barrel Horse News, will take over the production and publishing duties of Reiner magazine, with Pecsek Hruska as editor.

NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter said, “The goal of this transition is for NRHA members to have a magazine that they enjoy, share, and consider a true reflection of NRHA. Since NRHA and Quarter Horse News serve many of the same people, it is a logical fit. The Morris Equine Group staff has a strong familiarity both with reining and with the unique and specific needs of association publications, as they already publish the NCHA’s Cutting Horse Chatter and the NRCHA’s Reined Cow Horse News.”

Pecsek Hruska is looking forward to working with NRHA and creating content that features, entertains, and educates the association’s 15,000 members. “It’s an exciting time to be part of the reining community. Reconnecting with our friends during the NRHA Derby presented by Markel and watching some of the sport’s best horses compete for the biggest purse in Derby history has me and the rest of the staff at Morris Equine Group more enthusiastic than ever,” she said.

Carpenter is confident that Pecsek Hrushka and her group will be carrying on in important legacy, thanks to the dedication and commitment of the previous Reiner team. “I appreciate their hard work, professionalism, and devotion to their craft. A lot of behind-the-scenes hours went into developing this publication and they were always too busy working to take credit,” he said.

Morris Equine Group will also handle Reiner advertising sales, with Karen Barnhart (karen.barnhart@morris.com, 620-951-4026)  handling commercial and breeder accounts. Pecsek Hruska can be reached by phone at 817-569-7170  or by e-mail at reiner@nrha.com.

Have you ever read a Reiner article, wanted to refer back to it, but couldn’t remember which issue to find it in? Or struggled with a training or horsekeeping question and wished you had a search function for all your Reiner magazines? We have a solution!

We’re excited to launch the brand-new Reiner web presence found at reiner.nrha.com. Here you can find articles by section in the magazine—Member, Rider, Competitor, and Horsekeeper—as well as search topics and authors to find the information you need, when you need it. We’ll also be adding a blog, called The Rundown, where we’ll post timely, fun content generated by the Reiner team and outside resources.

Take a spin around reiner.nrha.com, and let us know what you think by emailing reiner@nrha.com. The site presently hosts the January, February, and March 2020 articles, but look for more in the weeks to come. We’re excited to offer you Reiner content—and more—at your fingertips wherever you might need it.

For Immediate Release – March 3, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) hosted its annual winter meeting in Denton, Texas, February 5–8, 2020. NRHA committees met to discuss plans for 2020 and beyond for the sport.

“The NRHA Board and the committees continue to produce good results for NRHA,” said NRHA President Mike Hancock. “Groundbreaking news about the added money for the 2020 NRHA Open and Non Pro Futurities along with the Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championships was announced by a new task force. In addition, the judges’ ranking system was presented. This is a result of many years of hard work by several people. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when we all work together.”

Aged Events

The Aged Events Committee reviewed the 2021 rule change proposals and provided its official feedback for the NRHA Board. The committee discussed the 2019 NRHA Futurity and NRHA Derby presented by Markel, including improvements the management team will implement in 2020, which include, but are not limited to, cleaning up traffic in the super barn, managing dogs on the grounds, freestyle performance selection, drags during the go rounds, and the addition of a third steward at each major event. The committee also reviewed the schedules for the 2020 events, allowing the events management team time to work with the Futurity schedule in terms of fluidity. The group covered the Novice Horse Derby conditions and payout structure, recommending the NRHA Board approve the addition of the Novice Horse Open Level (L) 3 and Non Pro L3 to the 2020 NRHA Derby. Also, they’ll allow Prime Time Open to include L4 riders at both the NRHA Futurity and NRHA Derby. 

Eligibility

The Eligibility Committee met in conjunction with the Non Pro Committee. They discussed, in detail, amateur conditions and recommended their proposed changes to the Executive Committee. The committee also considered the Run for a Million, recommending the NRHA Board place the event in a category they deem appropriate once they receive the official conditions. Last year, the Run for a Million fell in the newly created Category 13.

Judges 

Discussions in the Judges Committee meeting began with plans to develop educational videos about specific penalties that may occur and how they are assessed. These videos will be on the NRHA website and social media platforms. The group discussed the official monthly schedule of shows from which the Judges Committee would review videos in conjunction with the chair judges for each event. This review system is an educational tool for the live judges to evaluate themselves and their scores against those of the committee. 

Professionals

The Professionals Committee focused much of its discussion on the importance of the 2020 Code of Ethics and how to streamline communication among the committee, NRHA Professionals, and the affiliates. The committee also shared that professionals who are reported to have violated the code of ethics will be brought to the attention of a subcommittee and the NRHA Executive Committee may approve that a violation letter be sent to them. This letter will then become part of their permanent file. The committee also made recommendations for the NRHA Board for which patterns to use at the 2020 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. 

Non Pro

The newly created amateur division and the 2020 Run for a Million were discussed during the Non Pro Committee meeting. The group emphasized ways to bring more people to the sport of reining, including opportunities for youth to compete on horses not owned by themselves or their family as a means to accomplish that goal. Programs like Interscholastic Equestrian Association, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, and the National Collegiate Equestrian Association were identified as potential areas for outreach. The committee also reviewed current non pro conditions and if they should be adapted to allow professional English trainers to show in the non pro, and if so, what levels might be appropriate. The committee discussed the NRHA Non Pro Futurity Consolation structure in regard to the needs of the horses and exhibitors competing at the event.

Stewards

The Stewards Committee discussed developing Emergency Preparedness Guidelines to assist NRHA-approved events in avoiding equine disease outbreaks and responding in the event of a natural disaster. The group also discussed increasing information and education provided to NRHA members about the steward’s program, including the scope of the work and ways stewards can assist members. To help stewards expand skills and knowledge, all NRHA stewards will be encouraged to take online courses in emergency procedures, Safe Sport, etc. The group also explored a plan to increase opportunities for international steward certification. 

Youth 

The Youth Committee focused its attention on NRHyA delegates. Primarily, the committee brainstormed ways to enhance the delegate experience and pique interest for more youth to get involved in the program. The committee also discussed ways to entice youth to enter USA Reining and FEI Young Riders classes. The new structure of these classes makes them affordable for show management and participants. The committee also looked into changing the election process for the NRHyA officers.

Wrap-Up  

Along with the committee discussions, several other monumental changes were implemented during the 2020 winter meeting. A task force increased the purse for the NRHA Futurity and Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) in the coming years. The group will also work to improve the format of the event itself. Get the details here.

NRHA will now require North American Affiliate Regional Championships (ARCs) to host the 10 & Under Short Stirrup class with awards provided by NRHA. More information on this topic will be available soon.

The NRHA Board moved forward with establishing an Oceana Council for the Oceana Region, which currently consists of Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Japan.

A new rating system for judges will have a trial run in 2020, and in the coming months, a show standards committee will be formed. More details will be available at a later time.

The next Board of Directors meeting will be April 27­–28, 2020, at NRHA headquarters in Oklahoma City.