The Non Pro preliminary round of the 2023 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel kicked off on Monday, June 19. Over three days of competition, the 306-entry class will be whittled down. The Top 30 in the Non Pro Levels 4-1, the top 20 in the Prime Time Non Pro and Youth Non Pro, and the top 15 in the Masters Non Pro will advance to the clean-slate finals on Friday.
The draw for the finals will be decided during the Platinum Performance Non Pro Draw and Welcome Party on Wednesday evening, now held at the Centennial Building to accommodate the expected crowd. This welcome party also features Reiners Rope, a fundraiser that benefits the Reining Horse Foundation Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund.
The preliminary round not only determines who will compete in the clean-slate finals on Friday, June 23, it also decides the champions of the $15,000-added Story Book Stables Amateur, the $10,000-added Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Non Pro Novice Horse Derby, the $50,000-added Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes, and the American Paint Horse Association Non Pro Chrome Cash.
As with the Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes, the Colston Paving Inc. Non Pro Stakes was quickly embraced, and in 2023, the NRHA supplemented the added money for the event, elevating from an already impressive $20,000 to $50,000!
The current high scores across the many divisions of the Non Pro preliminaries are:
Level 4, Prime Time, Masters – Jose Vazquez & Snow Guns Last Dream – 218.5
Magnum Chic Dream x Snow Gun
Bred by Andre De Bellefeuille, Nominated by Equine Plus, Owned by Smart Like Juice Inc.
Level 3 – Samantha Kapu & Chics Get The Chex – 218
Magnum Chic Dream x Big Gold Chex
Bred and Nominated by Casey Hinton, Owned by Samantha Kapu
Level 2 – Don Bell & Makin A Little Trash – 217
Gunnatrashya x Xtra Voodoo Dora
Bred and Nominated by Kathy Loudamy, Owned by Joetta Bell
Level 1 – Lindsay Baar & Light Me Up Joe – 216
Lil Joe Cash x Light Attack
Bred and Nominated by Devin Warren, Owned by Lorri Petersen
Youth – Mason McDowell & Xtra Fugged About It – 212.5
HF Mobster x Lenas Whizabelle
Bred and Nominated by Silver Spurs Equine, Owned by Mason McDowell
Currently leading the Story Book Stables Amateur, the Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes, and the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Non Pro Derby, which will be awarded following the second section of the preliminary round on Wednesday, are:
Story Book Stables Amateur – Samantha Kapu & Chics Get The Chex – 218
Magnum Chic Dream x Big Gold Chex
Bred and Nominated by Casey Hinton, Owned by Samantha Kapu
Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Non Pro Derby – Gina Schumacher & CS Nifty Sailor – 217.5
Gotta Nifty Gun x La Bigia Sailor
Nominated by CS Ranch Management, Owned by XCS Ranch LLC
Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes & APHA Chrome Cash – Jose Vazquez & Snow Guns Last Dream
Magnum Chic Dream x Snow Gun
Bred by Andre De Bellefeuille, Nominated by Equine Plus, Owned by Smart Like Juice Inc.
The Non Pro preliminary competition continues Tuesday. For complete results and other information, visit NRHADerby.com.