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2023 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAAC: Daily Updates

Nov 21–Dec 2, 2023, in Oklahoma City, OK. Visit nrhafuturity.com for more!

12.2.23: Brian Bell & Crystalized Whizkey Win 2023 NRHA Open Futurity Championship

12.2.23: Ava Welman and Mcspangled Win Runoff to Take NRHA Adequan® NAAC and Ancillary Youth 14-18 Championship

12.1.23: Lane Colston Wins First NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity Championship on Gunna Be Painted

12.1.23: More Than 200 Head Sold During 2023 NRHA Markel Futurity Sale

12.1.23: Mason McDowell Wins Adequan® NAAC Novice Horse Non Pro Titles at NRHA Futurity

12.1.23: NRHA Markel Sales Graduates Succeed at the 2023 NRHA Futurity

11.30.23: Isabel Sobral Wins NRHA Adequan® NAAC 13 & Under Championship; Flint and Sveen Earn Ancillary Titles

11.30.23: Mathieu Buton and Quinns A Tricky Chic Win NRHA Honorable Mention Futurity

11.30.23: Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch Honors Inductees and Raises $300k for Reining Horse Foundation

11.30.23: Bob’s Custom Saddles & Toyon Ranch Rookie Showdown Winners Crowned at NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAAC

11.29.23: The Stage is Set for Record-Breaking NRHA Futurity Finals!

11.28.23: Marco Ricotta Claims Adequan® NAAC Novice Horse Open Titles at NRHA Futurity

11.27.23: Yeager and Smith Nab NRHA Adequan® NAAC Limited Open and Rookie Professional Titles

11.27.23: Kelsey Price and Let Err Rip Top NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity First Round

11.26.23: NRHA Adequan® NAAC Rookie and Toyon Ranch Rookie of the Year Champions Crowned

11.26.23: Gina Schumacher & Reining Royalty Take First Round Lead of NRHA CINCH Non Pro Futurity 

11.25.23: Schumacher, Latimer, and Butler Tied for Lead After First Section of First Round of CINCH Non Pro Futurity

11.24.23: Open Semi-Finalists Decided at NRHA Futurity

11.24.23: Neudorf and Donahue Take Adequan® NAAC Championships in Non Pro Classes

11.23.23: Dany Tremblay & Pawn Stars Lead NRHA Futurity Open First Round Following Third Section

11.22.23: Dana Pastorino Takes NRHA Limited Non Pro Adequan® NAAC Title on Hesa Rockin Whiz

11.22.23: Dany Tremblay & Pawn Stars Lead NRHA Open Futurity First Round Following Second Section

11.21.23: Brian Bell and Clemerson Barbalho Win Adequan® NAAC Titles on First Day of NRHA Futurity

11.21.23: Dany Tremblay & Pawn Stars Lead NRHA Open Futurity First Round Following First Section

11.20.23: The Road to a $2 Million Payout Starts Now: NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAAC Set to Kick Off World-Class Competition at OKC Fairgrounds

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The Road to a $2 Million Payout Starts Now: NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAAC Set to Kick Off World-Class Competition at OKC Fairgrounds

The countdown to the world’s most eagerly awaited reining event has begun, and the fervor is tangible at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, the best horses and riders in the world will vie for incredible prizes, impressive purses, and prestige at the National Reining Horse Association’s premier event, the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships.

The adrenaline-packed competition extends through Dec. 2 and boasts a staggering payout that exceeds $2 million, enticing participants from around the globe.

In the Adequan® Arena, top riders and horses of all ages from across North America will vie for coveted titles, aiming to secure a championship and make significant strides toward year-end honors. Simultaneously, talented 3-year-old reining horses will be tested on the arena floor of the iconic Jim Norick Coliseum as they navigate through the signature circles, spins, and sliding stops the event is known for.

Known simply as “The Futurity,” this event, evolving since its inception in 1966 in Columbus, Ohio, has transformed into a colossal showcase featuring more than 640 entries in the Futurity competition alone. The payout has seen significant expansion, with the Level 4 Champion guaranteed a substantial $350,000, the Reserve Champion securing $150,000, and the third-place winner taking home $100,000.

The journey to the Level 4 Open Championship involves three crucial steps. All Open entries compete in the first round, which runs Nov. 21–24. The top 75 (plus ties) advance to the L4 Open Semi-Finals sponsored by Not Ruf At All on Nov. 29. There, the top 30 (plus ties) move on to the clean-slate MS Diamonds TX L4 Open Futurity Finals on Dec. 2.

Also competing for big purses and prizes on Dec. 2 will be those riders in Open Levels 1, 2, and 3. The L3 Open Champion will receive $70,000, and the Reserve Champion will take home $50,000. The guaranteed payouts continue in Levels 2 and 1, with the L2 Champion pocketing $50,000 and the Reserve Champion claiming a cool $25,000. The L1 Open winner will win $13,000, and the L1 Reserve will receive $7,000.

Open riders in Levels 1, 2, and 3 who are in the top 75 of their levels (but not in the top 75 of Level 4) will compete in the Semi-Finals rounds held Nov. 27–28. The top 30 in each of those levels (plus ties) will earn a spot in the first section of the Open Finals on Dec. 2.

Non-professional riders will also win big, with the CINCH L4 Non Pro title being accompanied by a check for $75,000, the Reserve Champion securing $45,000, and the third-place winner taking $35,000! The L3 Non Pro division promises substantial payouts of $40,000, $25,000, and $15,000 for the top three, respectively. The CINCH Non Pro Finals will be held Friday, Dec. 1, beginning at 9 a.m. with Levels 1, 2, 3, Youth, and Prime Time, and the CINCH Non Pro L4 Finals beginning at 4 p.m.

In addition to the riveting competition, the Futurity offers an expansive trade show showcasing vendors from diverse sectors, including clothing, furniture, western tack, and décor. Despite spatial constraints, this year’s Trade Show is the largest in recent years. Free admission from November 22 to 24 will facilitate Christmas shopping and give a peak at the top-notch competition.

One of the best, largest, and most exciting shopping opportunities will be Nov. 30. That’s because the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales in the Sale Arena offers an excellent opportunity to see and purchase some of the best horses the industry has to offer from prospects to producers and everything in between. Find more information about the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales at NRHA.com/sales

Tickets for the 2023 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAACs are on sale now and can be purchased here.

For comprehensive event details, including draws and results, visit NRHAFuturity.com.

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Spooks Gotta Gun Leaves a Legacy

On Friday, November 10, Michael and Michelle Miola announced on their joint Facebook page that Spooks Gotta Gun had passed the day before. The stallion by Grays Starlight and out of Katie Gun had just crossed the NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire mark the same week.

“It is with great sadness and tears that I have to announce that our precious Spooks Gotta Gun passed away yesterday morning. He was so loved and cared for by everyone at Silver Spurs; it will not be the same without him,” the Facebook post stated.

Bred by Eric Storey, the stallion traded hands a few times before being purchased by current owner Silver Spurs Equine in 2010.

Andrea Fappani rode him to a third-place finish in the Derby Level 4 Open at the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby during his show career, earning $31,864. The next month, the pair won the Derby Level 4 Open at Reining By The Bay, winning $10,000. Spooks Gotta Gun earned a total of $79,603 in the show pen between four NRHA Professionals: Clint Haverty, Shawn Flarida, Abigayle Mixon, and Fappani.

With nearly 300 offspring with NRHA lifetime earnings (LTE), Spooks Gotta Gun’s progeny record is stacked. Most notably, he is the sire to recent NRHA Hall of Fame inductee and Six Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz. ‘Baby’ was pivotal to Spooks Gotta Gun’s journey to his first million—garnering nearly $350,000 toward the sire’s offspring earnings.

Since crossing the $2 million mark in 2018, one horse has risen above the rest in ushering Spooks Gotta Gun to his next NRHA milestone: Spooks Gotta Tinsel (Tinsel Tiara). The 2018 stallion bred by Domingo Alvarado is owned by Lance Griffin. Since his show career began in 2021, Spooks Gotta Tinsel has $120,960 in NRHA LTE. His biggest win came this year during The Run For A Million, where Francesco Martinotti piloted the stallion to a 6th place finish in the Million Dollar Competition and earned a check for $45,000.

Spooks Gotta Gun’s top-earning offspring are:

  • Spooks Gotta Whiz (out of Prettywhizprettydoes), owned by Michell Anne Kimball, bred by Clint Haverty, earning $345,138
  • Spooksgottachicolena (out of Braz Us), owned by Harper Lawson, bred by Reinbow Ridge Equestrian, earning $152,949
  • Oops Itsa Spooks (out of Tejons Finally Dunit), owned by AC Quarter Horses LLC, bred by Silver Spurs Equine, earning $125,427
  • Spooks Gotta Tinsel (out of Tinsel Tiara), owned by Lance Griffin, bred by Domingo Alvarado, earning $120,960
  • Ifwhizswereguns (out of Ifwhizsweredollars), owned by Silver Spurs Equine, bred by Tanya Jenkins, earning $118,578

NRHA offers our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Spooks Gotta Gun. His influence on the reining community will be forever remembered, and we are thrilled to honor his life with the announcement of his accomplishment as an NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire.

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NRHA Futurity Boasts Record Entries in Open Divisions

The start of the 2023 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) is just days away, and the event is shaping up to be a memory maker. Slated for Nov. 21 – Dec. 2 at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, the event annually draws thousands of visitors from not only across the country but around the globe!

When the draw for the Open Futurity, which will once again award the Level 4 Open Champion a check for $350,000, was posted with 436 entries, it shattered the previous record of 410 set in 2022. As of this press release, there have been four additional late entries, boosting the total to 440. Since books don’t close to late entries until Sunday, Nov. 19, that number will likely grow.

The CINCH Non Pro Futurity entry numbers also hold steady with a total of 195 (including late entries), just slightly below the previous high, also set in 2022.

The NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC is the highest-paying event in reining each year. With the consistent growth the show has experienced, it was necessary to increase the number of days of competition to make it easier on equine and human athletes, judges, stewards, show staff, and more. In early 2023, NRHA and the American Quarter Horse Association reached an agreement to do just that, adding a much-needed two days to the event schedule. Not only will the Futurity begin on Nov. 21 with the Open Futurity preliminary round, but it will also kick off the Adequan® NAAC competition with the Open and Intermediate Open classes.

While the footprint of the Fairgrounds has shrunk over the past several months due to construction on the new Coliseum, the Futurity has experienced an incredible increase in the number of vendors planning to attend the event. That means holiday shopping will be a breeze, and vendors are located on both the East and West concourses of the Jim Norick Arena, in the Super Barn, in Barn 3, Barn 4, and on Barn Row. A complete map of all vendors will be published on NRHAFuturity.com. Join us on November 22, 23, and 30 to enjoy free admission while you shop!

If someone wants a big-ticket item – perhaps a horse to enter in a future NRHA Futurity – they need to plan to be at the OKC Fairgrounds on Thursday, Nov. 30, for the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales. The NRHA Markel Futurity Sales will have more than 250 excellent prospects and producers up for grabs, and the event will feature free admission. Find more information at nrha.com/sales.

Can’t make it to Oklahoma City? There are plenty of ways to keep up with the action. Once again, the NRHA Futurity and the Adequan® NAACs will be available via the live webcast on NRHAFuturity.com. The NRHA Media Team is incredibly active on social media, so make sure to follow NRHA on Facebook and Instagram @nrhareining and on TikTok @nrhareiningofficial. In addition, the latest news is always posted on NRHAFuturity.com, along with the schedule, draws, results, and even videos of the winning runs.

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NRHA Introduces New Lawson Trophy

Riders will surely see many new faces at the 2023 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships. One of those will be in the form of bronze as NRHA introduces the newest edition of the coveted Lawson Trophy.

Mehl Lawson, the original creator of the Lawson Trophy, is a world-renowned artist and a horse trainer, making him the obvious choice to create a new version of his depiction of reining. Lawson worked with photos sent by NRHA to update the look of the Lawson Trophy to reflect the current reining horse aesthetic and celebrate the sport’s progress.

“Our brand really means a lot to our members,” NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter said. “They’re passionate about what we do. That passion is what puts the fuel in our tank and keeps us moving. It has built and improved our horses as well as their training and breeding. That passion runs everything we do. I hope this new trophy is one more piece of that passion and meaning.”

Although the first NRHA bronze was awarded in 1969, Mehl created his first bronze for the association in 1979 and made updates in 1982 and 2004. After months of work and collaboration, the anticipation is high for members to see the newest version in the flesh.

“I hope people will think, ‘Holy cow, why didn’t we do this sooner?’” NRHA President Mark Blake said. “You can’t buy one of these trophies. They’re museum quality, and earning one is an honor all on its own.”

To learn more about the updated Lawson Trophy, read the article in the November issue of the Reiner Magazine.