The Jim Norick Coliseum was rocking on Friday, Dec. 1, for the Finals of the 2023 National Reining Horse Association CINCH Non Pro Futurity. The night was filled with all the emotions one could want in a finals, with everyone from first-timers to veterans vying for a title.

NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 4 Champions – Lane Colston & Gunna Be Painted

Lane Colston asked just a little bit more of his horse in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals.

Colston scored a 217 in the first round on Gunna Be Painted. That extra oomph in the finals was good for a score of 220.5, Colston’s first Futurity Level 4 Championship, and a check for $71,250.

“My run in and stop was pretty good today,” Colston said. “My turnarounds were really strong, and I went to shut him off, and I had a bit of penalty, and I knew that. We circled each way, and he was really smooth and quiet. I ran him pretty hard, and he stayed with me and listened to me the whole time. Around the ends, he was just exceptional. I ran and stopped him, and he stopped huge for me all three times.”

Gunna Be Painted is a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite and out of Darlins Not Painted by Smokin Chic Olena.

“In the prelims, I just wanted to stay quiet and not use all my horse up, and that’s what we did,” Colston said. “He’s so much fun to ride. Every time I get on him, I smile.”

Breeder Tom McCutcheon nominated the stallion now owned by Kevin Colston, an NRHA Corporate Partner through Colston Paving. As nominator, McCutcheon will receive $3,750.

“I thank my parents, Amy and Kevin Colston, and Jake Ballard. He has done a really great job with this horse,” Colston said. “He’s had him since the first of the year. I thank him and Tom and Mandy McCutcheon. They raised (the horse) and sold him to us. I’m super thankful for that.”

Before arriving in Oklahoma City, Gunna Be Painted had $29,566 in earnings through the All American Quarter Horse Congress and the All Star Reining Stakes Non Pro Futurity.

Colston, who lives in Frankfort, Kentucky, had lifetime earnings of $491,076 prior to the Futurity. He has been showing since 2013.

“I think this is my fourth time making the Level 4 finals,” Colston said. “Any time you make the finals at the big show, it’s a great feeling.”

CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 and Level 2 Co-Champion, Level 1 Champion – Dani Latimer & Snap My Crush

Any win is exciting, but Dani Latimer’s championship in the Level 1 and co-championships in the Level 3 and 2 of the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 at the OKC Fairgrounds aboard Snap My Crush were particularly special ones for her.

Snap My Crush is a 2020 stallion by PS Mega Shine Chic out of Snapbacks—a mare Latimer has a special connection to. The fact that the stallion is homegrown was just the icing on the cake; Latimer’s father, Dean Latimer bred and nominated the horse and is still the owner.

“He’s the first baby out of the horse I made the futurity finals on for the first time,” Latimer said. “So from the time he was born, I was just automatically looking forward to the day that I rode into the Jim Norick on him.”

The stallion, who she calls Finn, came into the Futurity with $53,604 earned through the 100X Reining Classic Invitational and One Hot Reining Summer Slide Futurity. The multiple titles earned the pair an additional $75,018, with an additional $3,948 going back to the nominator.

“Every time I stepped in the showpen this year, he was right there with me,” Latimer said of Finn. “He has given me his all, and as futurity horses, they go through a lot of pressure and a lot of training to get to this point, so for it to pay off, it’s super sweet.”

Going forward, Latimer plans to show Finn in 2024 at the various aged events, but said that first, “I’m going to make sure that he’s comfortable tonight. And then I’m sure my stalls are going to be a bit of a party.”

CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 and Level 2 Co-Champions – Kelsey Price & Let Err Rip

Kelsey Price and Let Err Rip earned an impressive score of 219 to secure their spot in the tie for first place in the Level 3 and 2 and join a four-way tie for reserve champion in the Level 4 in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity at the OKC Fairgrounds.

Let Err Rip is a 2020 gelding sired by NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream and out of Gunner Be Custom. He is owned by Kelsey Price and her husband, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Kole Price, who also trained the gelding.

“My horse was there for me; he turned really good after our run-in, and then the crowd got electric, so it really pushed me,” Price said of the run that earned her the championship.

While the NRHA Futurity is the most pressure the pair has faced this year, they came into the Futurity with $13,977 in earnings from the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity, the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity, and the All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity. To prepare, Price said, “I had to chill. I just had to walk around on him and avoid looking at the crowd I knew was out there.”

This win will add $72,155 to the gelding’s lifetime earnings, with $3,607 of that going back to his breeder and nominator, Rodion Cantacuzene Jr.

From here, the gelding’s path is unclear, as Kelsey and Kole Price simply can’t agree on who should pilot the talent through his four-year-old year, but both agree that he will undoubtedly be continuing a long career in the show pen.

“All I can say is thank you to my husband Kole,” said Price. “This means that a lot of hard work paid off. We’re out there everyday riding. It was a lot of fun being with my husband and our team, but it’s tough, and we get out of bed every day to ride, and we work all year for this to be successful.”

CINCH Non Pro Futurity Level 3 Co-Champions and Level 4 Co-Reserve Champions – Allison Thorson & Froze

Allison Thorson went into her first NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity thinking she had no way to lose.

“I was super nervous,” Thorson said, “because I just don’t have experience with futurity horses in general. I was telling myself to go for it. Everything is on the line here, but I had the mentality of ‘I don’t have anything to lose and everything to gain.’”

And she did. Thorson rode her family’s stallion Froze to the co-champion title in Level 3 as well as tying for the reserve champion title in Level 4 with her score of 219. Thorson will receive a check for $34,011 for her co-reserve title in Level 4 and $26,666 for her co-champion title for a total of $57,643.

“I couldn’t think of a more special horse,” Thorson said. “The cool thing about this horse is his heart and his brain. He’s just so smart. It felt like an old soul was carrying me around.”

Froze came into the Futurity with $1,619 earned through the Arizona Reining Horse Association Best of the West Futurity. Thorson thought her trainer, NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider Craig Schmersal, was going to be competing on the stallion.

“We only have a handful of rides in,” Thorson said. “I think just being in the Schmersal program for so many years made it easier – especially with a horse like Froze. He’s just a gentle giant, good soul, good heart — it got better each ride this week.”

After the prelims, Thorson and Froze had qualified for the Level 3 Finals. She then rode Froze in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Consolation round, which gives horses a second chance to make it into the finals.

Froze, a 2020 stallion sired by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize and out of Electric Cha Ching by Jacs Electric Spark, was bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine, which will receive a check for $3,033. Thorson’s family business, ThorSport, owns the horse.

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank my family,” Thorson said. “They’re very supportive of me as well as my training team. Craig Schmersal’s team is just exceptional. They take care of the horses, top to bottom, day in and day out, and it’s just a big family. We enjoy it. We’ve had highs, and we’ve had lows, and to share it with them and my family means the most.”

CINCH Non Pro Futurity Prime Time Champions – Sandra Bentien & Gottabe Electrifying

A kind, athletic homebred stallion carried Sandra Bentien back into the saddle and into the winner’s circle at the 2023 NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals.

“I’m at a loss for words because I never expected to be here,” Bentien said Dec. 1 after claiming the championship in the Non Pro Prime Time division. “As I was walking in for my run, I was thinking it was icing on the cake. This is dessert. The fact that I made it (to the Finals) was what was most incredible.”

Bentien and her stallion Gottabe Electrifying faced obstacles on their way to scoring 221.5 (with handicap). In September, the horse was still green when he started with a new trainer, Stefano Calcagnini. Bentien herself hadn’t been on a horse in three years.

“I had two knee replacements and another knee surgery,” Bentien said. “I just wasn’t riding. I said, ‘I’m going to ride this horse, and if he makes the Futurity, he makes the Futurity, and if he doesn’t, we’ll have him for 4-year-old events. He’s a very special horse.”

Gottabe Electrifying is a 2020 stallion sired by Gotta Twist It Up and out of Lil Bit Electric. Bentien owns and showed both Gotta Twist It Up and his dam, Make It With A Twist.

“When I came to my circles, I thought, ‘I’m going to push him and think hard about how I showed his daddy,’” Bentien said. “I did that, and it was crazy how honest he was. When I went to my first rollback, he stopped and rolled back so good that I couldn’t help but smile because he reminded me of (Gotta Twist It Up).”

Bentien, who nominated her homebred to the Futurity, earned a check for $41,634 as rider and another $2,080 as nominator. That big check was due not only to her Prime Time Championship but also a top 10 placing in the Level 4, a fourth-place finish in the Level 3, and third-place in the Level 2.

“I have no doubt this horse has a long show career ahead of him,” Bentien said.

CINCH Non Pro Youth Futurity Champion – Emma Vanlandingham & Plus Me Im Shiny

The youngest competitor entered in the CINCH Non Pro Youth Futurity at the OKC Fairgrounds, Emma Vanlandingham, claimed both first and second place in the division with a score of 218.5.

To secure her championship, Vanlandingham rode Plus Me Im Shiny, a 2020 gelding by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Colonels Shining Gun out of Plus One Chex. He was nominated by Layla Choate and is owned by 2Star Investments.

About the gelding, Vanlandingham said, “He is such a sweet and kind, unbothered horse. I love his personality. He’s so goofy in the barn, just really like the class clown.”

Vanlandingham’s lifetime earnings exceed $105,000, and this championship in the youth earned them an additional $1,171.

The other horse who played a key in Vanlandingham’s success was Diamond Handz, a 2020 stallion by Dun It For Whizkey out of Princess N Pearls. This pair not only claimed the reserve in the youth but also had a top 10 placing in the Level 4, which brought another $20,840 in prize money.

“I think either me or my dad [NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Jason Vanlandingham] will show him next year,” Vanlandingham said. “I think he is talented enough to be an open horse, so I’m looking forward to watching him show.”

Vanlandingham thanked her parents, her siblings, and her friends for helping her get through her nerves and show well. She also mentioned that wearing her signature and seemingly lucky Vanlandingham-red for the finals certainly didn’t hurt anything either.

Complete results, news, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Markel Futurity Sales were the perfect example of how the sport of reining is continuing to grow while the equine industry remains strong as more than 220 horses passed through the ring. It looked like the high-seller came early when the fourth horse out sold for $150,000, but as the last ten horses went through the pen, a new leader topped the charts at $189,000. This helped the annual event accumulate a total ring sales of $5,765,500, which averaged $25,739.

They say never go to the grocery store hungry, but it was clear that bidders came to the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds on November 30 with empty trailers for the annual sale. After filling their plates at the sale breakfast sponsored by Q Stallions, bidders got to work supporting the next generation of reiners during the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) Stallion Breeding Auction.

The NRHyA auction, the group’s main fundraiser, brought in just over $30,000. A breeding to NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz (Spooks Gotta Gun x Prettywhizprettydoes) was the high seller with a bid of $6,900 from Alan D. Chappell of Collinsville, Texas. NRHyA appreciates the support of Spooks Gotta Whiz’s owner, Michell Kimball of Collinsville, who donated the breeding, as well as the other stallion owners who donated and the buyers who made those breeding purchases.

With fewer than ten horses left to sell for the day, the event topped out at $189,000 during the Premier Sale thanks to Hip No. 517 – Trick R Treat (Tricked Out Spook x Dontquestionthischic) – who sold to Anne Tournay of Vieux-Genappe, Belgium. Consigned by Cooper Smith of Whitesboro, Texas, the striking, dappled gray colt was the high-seller on a day when 120 head passed by the auction block in the Premier Sale. Tournay and Smith are tied together from the 2022 sale as they were both the buyer and consigner on the 2022 high seller. Numbers were strong through the last horse. The sale brought a ring total of $2,540,000 for an average of $21,167. Total sales accumulated on 105 sold totaled $2,228,500 for an average of $21,224.

It was a day for loud colors as two of the top four sellers were their own shade of palomino. The top seller in the Performance Horse Sale came early when Hip No. 104 – Dunit With An Iceman (SG Frozen Enterpize x Pale Dancer Nic) – sold for $150,000 to NRHA Million Dollar Owner Robert Santagata of Campbell Hill, New York. The 2021 colt was consigned by the Chappell-Mathison Partnership of Tioga, Texas. A total of six head sold during the Performance Horse Sale, which is less than in previous years but clearly the quality of the offering was outstanding. The six horses brought a total of $365,000 for a ring average of $60,833. Of the four horses sold, the sale grossed $315,000 for an average of $78,750, which is a 200 percent increase above 2022 even with fewer head.

Out of the 30 horses that ran through the ring during the Preferred Breeders Sale, it was a palomino weanling that turned the most heads. One of the youngest colts in the sale, Hip No. 316 brought a slow but steady stream of bidding until the gavel fell at $110,000 to Haras Bellini Inc. of Rancho Santa Fe, California. Consigned by M13 Equine of Ogden, Utah, the 2023 colt is by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Pale Face Dunnit and out of Electric Cha Ching by Jacs Electric Spark.

Thirty horses sold during the Preferred Breeders Sale, including NRHA Million Dollar Sire Electric Code (Jacs Electric Spark x Hot Coded Candy), who brought $69,000 for consignor Jared LeClair. The ring total in the Preferred Breeders Sale came to $735,000 for an average of $24,500. Twenty-three horses sold to accumulate $579,000 for an average of $25,196.

Jamie Walters from Laguna Beach, California, purchased back-to-back prospects during the Elite Yearling Sale. Hip No. 212 led the yearlings in the sale when the 2022 colt sold for $82,000 for consignor Cooper Smith of Whitesboro, Texas. The buckskin colt – Chex Shining – is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Colonels Shining Gun and out of Snip O Chex by Nu Chex To Cash. Walters also purchased Satrdaynitecentrfold (Gunnatrashya x SDP A Lasting Step) for $75,000 from consignor Adh Mor Ranch of Alberta, Canada. The 68 elite yearlings brought in $2,125,500 in total ring sales for an average of $31,257. The sale grossed $1,807,500 on 57 sold horses for an average of $31,711.

All prices and totals reflected are unofficial. Final prices will be posted on nrha.com at a later date.

Mason McDowell took strong confidence in himself and his mare to the top of the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships in the Novice Horse Non Pro Levels 1 and 2. The event was held at the 2023 National Reining Horse Association Futurity in Oklahoma City.

McDowell scored a 220 on Xtra Fugged About It in the Adequan® Arena to also win the ancillary Novice Horse Non Pro in Levels 1, 2, and 3. For winning the five classes, McDowell earned a check for $5,626.

“The run was pattern 9, and so I ran her in really hard and stopped,” McDowell said. “She stopped big, and she got back really hard. She always turns great, and then I loped off on that small slow, and she floated so strong going slow. So I pitched a bunch of rein out there. After that, I just went for it, and she was with me every step of the way.”

Xtra Fugged About It is a 2018 mare sired by newly-minted NRHA Million Dollar Sire HF Mobster and out of Lenas Whizabelle by West Coast Whiz. She has more than $19,500 in earnings.

“She’s been a great mare for me all year long,” McDowell said. “She just keeps getting a little bit better and better, and she’s a sweetheart. She’s never thrown me a curve ball, and that’s a real confidence booster going into show pen with her.”

McDowell, 18, purchased the mare about a year ago.

“She has steadily improved the whole time that I’ve had her,” he said. “She’s always been so easy to get along with. She’s a sweetheart, and she’ll never say no. If anything, it’s just making sure that she’s confident and happy doing the maneuvers, and she just keeps getting better and better.”

McDowell and his family are hoping to get some embryos from the kind, athletic mare before gearing up for the 2024 show season.

Complete draws, results, schedules, and more can be found at NRHAFuturity.com.

Equine graduates of the National Reining Horse Association Markel Futurity Sales are making a splash at the 2023 NRHA Futurity.

NRHA Million Dollar Rider on NRHA Markel Futurity Sales graduate and 2023 CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finalist Greytest Showman. Photo courtesy of Chelsesa Schneider Media.

Six Open finalists and three Non Pro finalists are riding horses that went through the Premier Sale, the Elite Yearling Sale, the Performance Horse Sale, or the Select Breeder Sale.

Non Pro

Three sale graduates are competing in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals.

Greytest Showman, ridden by Gina-Marie Schumacher and owned by XCS Ranch LLC. Sired by Lil Ruf Peppy out of the mare Dun Its Enterprise. Nominated by Green Valley Ranch. Consigned through the 2021 Elite Yearling Sale by Heritage Farms, agent for Green Valley Ranch.

Got Strawberry Wine, ridden and owned by Steven M. Allen Jr. Sired by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Red Berry Wine. Nominated by Green Valley Ranch. Consigned through the 2021 Elite Yearling Sale by Heritage Farms, agent for Green Valley Ranch. Consigned through the 2022 Performance Horse Sale by Justin Mathison

Im Chillin The Most, ridden and owned by Chalyce D. Head. Sired by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Im Dun Chillin. Nominated by Rhodes River Ranch. Consigned through the 2020 Select Breeders Sale by Cooper Smith.

Open

Nine horses that have gone through the NRHA Markel Sales advanced to the Open Futurity Semi-Finals. Of those, six have advanced to Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals.

SS ET Fone Home, ridden by Trevor Elliot Dare and owned by Hotel Boulevard Gestin Inc. Sired by Epic Titan and out of Electric Cha Ching. Nominated by Silver Spurs Equine. Consigned to the 2021 Elite Yearling Sale by Siver Spurs Equine.

Hollywood Gunn, ridden by Todd Sommers and owned by John R. White. Sired by Gunnatrashya and out of Dun It Queen. Nominated by Marc Gordon. Consigned to the 2022 Performance Horse Sale by Marc and Kathy Gordon.

Loaded With Spirit, ridden and owned by Raphael Bourdeau. Sired by Gunnatrashya and out of Ima Sailors Gal. Nominated by Linda Campbell. Consigned through the 2021 Premier Sale by Randle Tune.

SS Whatcha Gun Doo, ridden by Gabriel Diano and owned by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC. Sired by Tinker With Guns and out of Xtra Black Magic. Nominated by Silver Spurs Equine. Consigned by Silver Spurs Equine through the 2021 Elite Yearling Sale.

Rock It Whiz, ridden by Gabriel Diano and owned by St-Onge Reining Horses LLC. Sired by Topsail Whiz and out of A Bueno Poco Dunit. Nominated by Roxanne Koepsell. Consigned by agent Roger Daly through the 2021 Elite Yearling Sale.

Spookatrashya, ridden by Nate Burchell and owned by Jamie Walters. Sired by Gunnatrashya and out of Ebony Spook. Nominated by Rosanne Sternberg. Consigned by Rosanne Sternberg through the 2021 Elite Yearling Sale.

The 2023 NRHA Markel Futurity Sales wrapped up Wednesday, Nov. 30, and was the second-highest gross Sale in the last decade. The high seller, Trick R Treat, sold in the Premier Sale for $189,000.

Complete results from the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales can be found here.

Held in conjunction with the National Reining Horse Association Futurity, the Adequan ® North American Affiliate Championships at the OKC Fairgrounds are an opportunity for horses who have aged out of the futurities and derbies to compete, while also offering competitors of all ages and capabilities take a spin through the pen. While the NAAC classes are the main focus, the show offers ancillary classes as well for those who did not qualify.

Adequan® NAAC 13 & Under Champions – Isabella Sobral & Frame Draggin

Isabella Sobral and Frame Draggin claimed the Adequan® NAAC 13 & Under Championship with an impressive score of 217.5.

“I’m really excited. This is my first time to show at the Futurity,” Sobral said excitedly.

Frame Draggin is an 11-year-old gelding by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Einsteins Revolution and out of Coronas Major. Sobral owns the gelding herself, and he was bred by Jackspar Enterprises.

When she grows up, Sobral wants to be an equine lameness veterinarian, so the opportunity to show and learn more about horses is something she thinks is great.

“My goal wasn’t to win the class; it was just to do good for our own sake,” said Sobral. “So my next goal is just to make it back to this point of showing and winning.”

Sobral thanked her parents, who run Sobral Performance Horses.

Ancillary Youth 13 & Under Champions – Heidi Flint & Bulletproof Shiner

It was just the third time in the showpen when Heidi Flint and Bulletproof Shiner walked into Arena 6. Since the pair had only been together a short time, they hadn’t qualified for the NAAC classes but were able to enter the concurrently-run ancillary classes.

The duo shined, putting together an impressive run that garnered a score of 218 from the judges.

“I just got him, so he’s pretty new. This is very exciting that I got such a good score,” she shared following the awards ceremony.

Bulletproof Shiner is an 8-year-old gelding by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr out of Smart N Bulletproof.

Flint has big plans for her new mount. “I hope to win a bunch, like everybody does, but I also want to learn a bunch on him so I can get better and keep progressing,” she said. “Hopefully, I’ll get to bring him back to the Derby and win something there.”

Flint thanked her mother, Josianne Gauthier, for allowing her to show her new horse in Oklahoma City. “I begged to bring him, and she agreed. We’re from North Carolina, so it takes a lot to get her,” Flint said.

While she’s contemplating a career in cosmetology, making a big decision like that is still a ways off. “Mostly, what I think about is being exactly like my mom – a trainer and NRHA Professional,” she said.

Short Stirrup Champions – Bryndle Sveen & Revvin My Motor

In the class that is consistently the most difficult to score, as the judges must focus only on the execution of the maneuvers and not how charming the horse and rider may be, Bryndle Sveen claimed the championship.

But not before having to complete Pattern A twice.

The competition in the Short Stirrup class was so fierce that there had to be a run-off to determine the winner. Sveen and Harlyn Heule tied for first with a score of 213 and had to run it off in order to see who could come out on top. Heule was a fierce competitor, scoring a 212, but Sveen managed to earn just one more point, making her the champion with another 213.

“It was my last time in the short stirrups, so I’m really excited,” Sveen said.

The win was claimed aboard Revvin My Motor, an 8-year-old gelding by Wimpys Littlecolonel out of Miss Daisy Solano.

Sveen had plans to head back to the stalls and let Revvin My Motor enjoy some apple slices and special treats but first thanked her parents, her step-dad, Brandon Freiheit, and the gelding’s owner, Jennifer L Beyl-Lee.

Update from the Adequan® NAAC Novice Horse Non Pro

The Adequan® Arena hosted the first section of the Adequan® NAAC Novice Horse Non Pro classes, which featured 119 entries, including those in the ancillary divisions. Awards for all classes will be presented Friday at the conclusion of Section 2, but Mason McDowell currently leads all divisions. He piloted Xtra Fugged About It to a 220 to take the lead, securing the Adequan® NAAC Championships for the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 and Level 2.

Xtra Fugged About It, owned by McDowell, is a five-year-old mare by NRHA Million Dollar Sire HF Mobster out of Lenas Whizabelle.