Posted on

The Run for a Million Canceled for 2020

From the producers of The Run for a Million:

The goal of THE LAST COWBOY and RUN FOR A MILLION is to celebrate and grow the sport of reining. The inaugural RUN FOR A MILLION generated an excitement that spread beyond the world of reining to all western performance horse disciplines — it could be felt at cutting events, cow horse events, and even in the world of rodeo. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not possible to produce and film THE LAST COWBOY or THE RUN FOR A MILLION in August. We have made the difficult decision to postpone the event until it can be produced with the same energy and excitement we experienced at the inaugural event.

All competitors who have qualified for the RM in the Rookie, Non Pro, and last year’s open shoot out are still qualified for the event once a date is secured. Those who have paid entry fees but not yet competed for the qualifier may either allow that entry fee to carry over or they may have their entry fee refunded and re-enter once a date and schedule is released.

THE RUN FOR A MILLION is produced by Brumley Management Group, LLC. For information regarding this event, sponsorship, vendor space, and advertising opportunities contact Brumley Management Group at brumleyevents@gmail.com

Breaking News: No Million

The National Reining Horse Association is not responsible for information contained in this press release. Please contact the author or submitting organization for further information, requests or questions.

Posted on

NRHA Suspends 2020 World Title Race

Morey Fisk and Chicks Smokingun, 2019 NRHA Open World Champions (Photo by Andrea Bonaga)

For Immediate Release – June 8, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – In a unanimous decision, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Board of Directors has suspended the 2020 NRHA World Title race.

Historically, NRHA World Titles, awarded in open, non pro, and youth divisions, are coveted recognition for horses and riders. The international race allows aged reining horses a chance in the spotlight and highlights reiners from around the globe.

However, this year, COVID-19 has led to and will continue to cause the cancellation of many events, both in the U.S. and around the world. The NRHA Board agreed that suspending the NRHA World Title Race was the only fair and equitable thing to do for the entire membership, worldwide.

“The NRHA World Champion titles have played an important part of NRHA,” said NRHA President Mike Hancock. “The titles have been won by exceptional people and horses demonstrating dedication, persistence, and talent. We wanted to be fair and uphold the integrity of the title. The uncertainty that exists today makes this the right thing to do. We look forward to the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships this year and an exciting race for World Championships in 2021!”

This decision comes just as NRHA is about to kick off the first major event of 2020: the NRHA Derby Presented by Markel, which runs June 13–21 at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. NRHA is pleased to announce that reiners are so eager to return to the show pen that this year’s entries are higher than those in 2019. Follow all the action, highlighting the best 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old horses in the industry, at nrhaderby.com and by following NRHA on Facebook.

Posted on

2020 Derby News

6.21.20 – Competition Wraps Up at NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

6.20.20 – Jason Vanlandingham and A Vintage Smoke Win Level 4 Open Championship at 2020 NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

6.20.20 – Adequan® Arena Competition Continues at NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

6.19.20 – Indy Roper Wins Level 4 Non Pro Championship on Spooks Show Time at NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

6.19.20 – Novice Horse Competition Tough at NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.18.20 – Craig Schmersal and No Smoking Required Win Open Preliminaries of NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.17.20 – Horse Show Action Continues at NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

6.17.20 – Honstetter and Vanlandingham Lead Open Prelims at NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.16.20 – Non Pros Are Finals Bound at the NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.16.20 – Palmer and Leclair Win Novice Horse Open Classes at NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.15.20 – Larcombe & McCutcheon Lead Non Pro Preliminaries of NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.15.20 – Competition Heats Up in Adequan® Arena at NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

6.14.20 – A Full Day of Horse Showing at the NRHA Derby presented by Markel

6.13.20 – Early Ancillary Wins for Colston, Bagby, and Kulmer

6.4.20 – Entries Soar for the 2020 NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

5.22.20 – Entries Strong for First Major Event of the Year

5.15.20 – Get Ready to Derby!

4.24.20 – Entry Deadline Extended for NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

Visit NRHADerby.com for more!

Posted on

Entries Soar for the 2020 NRHA Derby Presented by Markel

National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) members may have had to stay home for the past few months due to COVID-19, but as the draw nears for the NRHA Derby presented by Markel, it’s clear they’re ready to rein.

March through May brought a drought to the reining industry, with almost all events canceled or postponed. Now, as states ease and lift restrictions, opportunities to compete are growing, and the numbers for the NRHA Derby Presented by Markel have significantly increased from 2019.

“As of June 3, entries for the Open Derby are up by nearly 20%, and the Non Pro is also up substantially,” noted Cheryl Cody of the NRHA Derby management team. “We are excited to have a horse show, and it’s clear that our owners and exhibitors want that, too.”

The Open division increased from 206 horses in 2019 to 242 in 2020, while the Non Pro Derby saw a jump from 214 to 245. Entries in the ancillary classes seem to be on track to exceed 2019 numbers as well.

“We are expecting this to be a very large show,” said Gary Carpenter, NRHA Commissioner. “Besides being up in entries, we are also substantially up in stall reservations. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be some changes, but everyone is on board and ready to do what it takes to have a great event. Let’s Derby!”

The Open and Non Pro Draws will be posted on June 5 at nrhaderby.com.

Posted on

Entries Strong for First Major Event of the Year

For Immediate Release – May 22, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Following the initial deadline for entries, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby Presented by Markel reports entries are on track for a strong event. The preliminary numbers for 2020 are already at 96% of the 2019 Derby. This count does not include any late entries, which must be received in office by 10:00 am, CDT, on June 3, for the draw to be posted on June 5.

“This enthusiastic response shows the excitement reiners have to return to a major event,” said NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter. “We are thrilled to be able to welcome back our reining family to Oklahoma City.”

Exhibitors, owners, and vendors should expect this year’s event to look and feel different than those in the past due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidelines and requirements from Oklahoma State Fair Park and the city of Oklahoma City are pending, but exhibitors should expect them to be published next week so all can be prepared to comply.

In light of the situation, the NRHA team plans to provide robust digital coverage before and during the event, including the live stream, which will be available at NRHADerby.com. Look for further details for those who’ll take in all the action from home by following NRHA on Facebook and on NRHA.com. You won’t want to miss a single run from the non pro finals on June 19 or the open finals on June 20, in addition to coverage of the entire NRHA Derby Presented by Markel.