Less than 18 months after signing his professional card, Luca Fappani has flown to the top of the ranks and is now an NRHA Million Dollar Rider.
Possessing a surname synonymous with reining excellence, Fappani grew up with a front row seat to the journeys of two reining greats. His mother, Tish, is consistently at the top of non pro competition at major events and is an NRHA Million Dollar Owner, and his father, Andrea, is an NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee and the association’s All Time Leading Rider with nearly $9 million in lifetime earnings (LTE). Their tutelage fostered a love of reining that grew within their son over the years.
“This accomplishment means a lot to me. It is what most every reining fan dreams of as they grow in the sport,” said Luca. “I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by the men in the [NRHA] Million Dollar Rider club, so to now join them in that is a huge accomplishment and symbolic moment for me. I am thankful that this success was in God’s plan for me, and I am beyond thankful for the great horses, owners, family, teammates, and mentors that got me here.”
Luca began his reining career in 2015 at the DRHA Summer Spectacular and earned his first paycheck the following year at the Wild Card Reining Challenge in the Youth 13 & Under class. From there, he continued to show in youth and non pro competition through 2021, earning top finishes in shows across North America.
His show career continued to flourish once Luca began his professional reining endeavor. He officially signed his NRHA Professional Card in 2023 and made the move to Texas to begin working under NRHA $4 Million Rider Casey Deary. Since then, he has garnered more than $600,000 in NRHA LTE.
Luca’s push over the million-dollar mark came during the Million Dollar Competition at the 2024 The Run For A Million. He and the Misty Valley Performance Horses LLC-bred stallion Mr Abracadabra (Gunnatrashya x Nu Magic Cash) ran in the pen as the 14th draw and came out with a 228.5, capturing the reserve championship. The duo earned $100,000 for owner Justine Leedom and etched Luca’s name in the NRHA history books with the outstanding performance.
Other top-earning finishes include:
- 2024 100X Cowtown Classic L4 Open 3rd place aboard Playing With Da Boys, earning $50,000 in NRHA LTE
- 2023 National Reining Breeders Classic L3 Open Champion aboard Dream On Whiz, earning $40,000 in NRHA LTE
- 2023 NRHA L2 Open Futurity Co-Champion/3rd place L3 Open/9th place L4 Open aboard Playing With Da Boys earning $99,052 in NRHA LTE
- 2023 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel L3 Open Derby Champion aboard Dream On Whiz earning $33,250 in NRHA LTE
- 100X Reining Classic L2 Open Stakes Champion aboard Gunna Chic Dream, earning $32,000 in NRHA LTE
Read the November issue of NRHA Reiner for more on Luca’s journey to becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Rider.