(Tulsa, Okla., Sept. 3, 2017) – The Tulsa Reining Classic Open Derby took the spotlight on Sunday at The Tulsa Reining Classic, held at Expo Square. Big stops, smart maneuvers and stylish reining horses were shown in the open derby in the Ford Truck Arena where 64 entries battled for top honors.
Dan Huss rode Chics Dream to claim the Level 4 Open Derby championship with a score of 224.5.
Huss had a big day in Tulsa with the win in the Level 4 and he also dominated the Level 3 and Level 2 with his score of 224.5 aboard the 2011 gelding owned by Morris Kulmer.
Chics Dream is by Magnum Chic Dream and out of First Ex Flame and he more than proved his worth in Tulsa for both owner and rider.
“It felt great, he was really honest and real willing,” Huss said. “Usually he’s a little lazy, but today he was looking to be good.”
Huss says he was chasing the win on Sunday and his mount stepped up when he needed him.
“I always go in to win,” he said with a laugh. “Sometimes you have to make adjustments, but I wanted to mark a 75 or higher and [he made it happen today].”
Four days ago Morris rode the horse to an AQHA Select Reining World Championship. Chics Dream has a short break after the Tulsa Reining Classic then he heads to the High Roller Reining Classic in Las Vegas. Huss hopes to capitalize on the momentum going into the future.
A two-way tie in the Level 4 between Jason Vanlandingham riding two mounts – Shining In Town and Ruf Nite – took the co-reserve title in the Level 4 and the co-championship in the Whizkey N Diamonds Novice Horse Open Derby Level 4, with scores of 224.5. Vanlandingham made the decision to save his horses and not do a runoff for the Level 4 championship, which resulted in him claiming the reserve title.
Vanlandingham’s first horse shown, Shining In Town is a 2013 stallion by Hollywoodstinseltown and out of Shine Ann, and owned by Jon Sather. Sunday’s performance is the pairs’ second time to show together and each time has resulted in success.
“He was really good just did exactly what I asked him to do on every maneuver. I was really excited,” Vanlandingham said. “He’s a show horse. He has such a cool look to him whenever he’s going around there and you can just drape your reins to him and him go do his thing.”
Ruf Nite also showed up in top form, turning what Vanlandingham called an admittedly shocking performance, even still Vanlandingham said he was gunning for the win.
“He caught me off guard,” Vanlandingham said of Ruf Nite’s run on Sunday. “I wasn’t expecting him to be quite that good. He’s really green, we haven’t had him that long and my son showed him at the [NRHA] Derby and he some penalty points and I brought him here and I was trying to win it. We were going hard and he stuck with me everywhere. He’s a huge, huge stopper so he did that for us all four times.”
Ruf Nite is a 2012 stallion by Gunners Special Night and out of Dunit A Lil Ruf owned by Sather Family Partnership. The stallion will go home after the Tulsa Reining Classic and fine tune his skills with Vanlandingham, while Shining In
Vanlandingham was proud of both mounts finishing the Tulsa Reining Classic on a high.
“It was one of those things where you were asking a lot out of your horses and they both gave you everything you wanted and they both came out the same,” he said. “I was tickled for them.”
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