Posted on

Schmersal Slides Into NRHA’s History Books as an NRHA $5 Million Rider

When NRHA Professional Craig Schmersal pulled into Las Vegas for The Run For A Million (TRFAM), he was sitting at around $5,000 away from crossing his next NRHA milestone. When the dust settled, Schmersal had slid his way to more than three times that amount—earning the title of NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider.

In 1988, Schmersal won his first check and added $61.38 to his lifetime earnings. Since then, the NRHA Professional has built a successful reining business in Scottsdale, AZ, with his wife, Ginger, and children Chris, Nick, Brendyn, and Addisyn. Having won many of the sport’s major events, his riding experience has helped pave the way to this new milestone and maintain his status as the association’s third all-time leading rider.

No stranger to pressure, Schmersal piloted two horses to checks during TRFAM’s Open Shoot Out and surpassed the $5 million mark before the show’s final event even began. It was icing on the cake when he earned another $5,000 during the Million Dollar Competition aboard No Smoking Required (Gunner x Icing Required)—a mount the NRHA Professional has ridden to great success on his journey to this milestone.

No Smoking Required is a 2013 stallion owned by Schmersal/Thorsport Inc. and bred by Carluccio Orsi. Together, ‘Ice’ and Schmersal have earned more than $458,000 since becoming an NRHA Four Million Dollar Rider in 2018. Most notably, the pair scored an impressive 229.5 to win the inaugural 2019 TRFAM Invitational, although the $307,500 in earnings did not count toward Schmersal’s road to $5 million, making this milestone an even larger achievement.

A seasoned trainer, coach, and horse owner, Schmersal’s passion for reining and NRHA is apparent to all he meets as he continues to impact non pros, youth, and the industry as a whole.

Schmersal’s top earning performances on his way to $5 million include:

  • 2021 TRFAM Million Dollar Competition 4th Place aboard No Smoking Required, owned by Schmersal/Thorsport Inc. and bred by Carluccio Orsi, earning $65,000
  • 2019 NRHA L4 Open Derby 4th Place aboard No Smoking Required, owned by Schmersal/Thorsport Inc. and bred by Carluccio Orsi, earning $40,545
  • 2019 NRHA L4 Open Futurity 8th Place aboard Starjac Vintage, owned by Teton Ridge and bred by Petra Zeitler, earning $29,791
  • 2019 NRHA L4 Open Futurity 11th Place aboard Pale Whiz, owned by Thorsport Inc. and bred by Hickory Creek Ranch LLC, earning $20,316
Posted on

NRHA Futurity Judges Selected

As entries and added money are on the rise during summer horse shows and elite 3-year-old horses begin their futurity careers, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is eagerly looking ahead.

The NRHA Futurity Judges Final Selection Subcommittee met on August 2 to finalize the list of judges for the 2023 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC). The subcommittee unanimously voted to accept the following judges and alternates.

The non pro team in the Coliseum will include Bob Kail, Van Luse, Terry Thompson, Patrick Wickenheiser, and Buddy Fisher. The open team in the Coliseum will include Bub Poplin, Maik Bartmann, Kelly Sapp, Cathy Luse, and Mark Turner. Coliseum alternates include Ryan Kail, Rick Lemay, and Enrico Righetti.

The equipment judge will be Greg Darnall, with Tom McBeath as an alternate.

The Adequan® arena judges will be Todd Arvidson, Mack Weaver, Ryan Kail, and Jan Hay, with Rick Weaver and Jan Dublin as alternates.

“I am so pleased with the selection of judges for the 2023 NRHA Futurity,” said NRHA Sr. Director of Education & Officials Patti Carter. “The judging process is crucial to ensuring fairness and accuracy in evaluating the performances of our great equine athletes and their riders. This is a top-shelf group of judges and monitors. Kudos to the judges committee for their commitment to excellence in judge selection.”

We look forward to a successful 2023 Futurity & Adequan® NAAC.

The selection process for judges at each major NRHA event begins several months before the first horse even enters the pen. Here is how they are chosen for the NRHA Futurity and NRHA Derby:

  • Each eligible judge is contacted for their availability for the event.
  • All available judges are compiled into a list and sent to each member of the Judges Committee.
  • Judges Committee members make selections from the list to fill the allotted slots for the event.
  • These names are compiled into a shortlist and discussed on a conference call with all members of the Judges Committee. Nominations are allowed on this conference call.
  • The committee members, except for the chair, then rank their choices, and each ranking equates to a certain number of points. The points are compiled and submitted to the committee chair.
  • The committee chair reviews and makes recommendations based on the outcome of the vote and the needs of NRHA.
  • The ranked list with the Judges Committee Chair recommendations is submitted for final selection.

This process is set in place to ensure that the Futurity and Derby will be well-judged competitions with the quality and professionalism of the selected judges.

For more information, visit NRHA.com/judges

Posted on

Updates from the 2023 NRHA August Board Meeting

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) held its annual August Board Meeting virtually on August 23. The efficient meeting reviewed event conditions and other committee initiatives, and the Board also heard updates from multiple departments.

NRHA Chief Financial Officer John Foy gave an extremely positive, in-depth financial overview of the association. Not only is NRHA in its strongest financial position to date and boasting stable membership numbers, but the industry is also experiencing the highest purses in history. Additionally, reining is experiencing more media coverage than ever, adding to the good positioning. An official budget for the fiscal year was unanimously approved.

Following the Board meeting, the Judges Committee presented a review of the 2023 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. Each judge made 840 decisions during the Open Finals, 2,079 decisions during the Open go-round, 768 decisions during the non pro finals, and 2,051 decisions during the non pro go-round. Their dedication throughout the event showed impressive consistency and a wide use of the judging scale.

The following items were also discussed:

2024 NRHA Elections

Following the deadline for NRHA elections, three North American regions had only one candidate nominated. The board unanimously accepted the following candidates by acclamation for the 2024-2025 term: East Central, Margaret Fuchs; North Central, Mike Davis; and Northeast, Ed ‘Hoot’ Bricker. The remaining seats are up for election September 1-15, 2023; Director-at-Large: Paulus Beurskens and Sebastian Petroll; Northwest: Nicole Renick and Kylie Warn; South Central: Andrea Stillo and Brooke Wharton. Voting information is located at nrha.com/elections. Members will be emailed a link to the voting portal along with their information to log in to vote.

NRHA Dues and Fees Policy

In 2022, the Board approved a multi-year plan to proactively ensure member fees kept up with NRHA’s expenses of providing services to those members. Roughly, the plan set a path for small incremental increases in membership and competition license fees in 2023, 2025, and 2027. Additional fees were approved, including raising the medications fee at European events in an effort to address increased costs, as this fee has been the same for over a decade.

North American “AA” events and North American Affiliate Regional Championships will also see a medications fee increase to $35 to support increased testing and the overall program. Statistics from the past five years can be found online at nrha.com/welfare.

Additionally, there was support to enhance the fees and fines related to show approvals and results as NRHA nears the release of show approval and show results programs within ReinerSuite to improve the efficiency with which results will be available to riders, breeders, and owners, creating a more accurate picture of standings.

Eligibility Policy

The NRHA Worldwide Eligibility Policy for show year 1/1/2024–12/31/2024 was unanimously approved. The policy features Category 7 being counted toward Categories 1 & 5 eligibility and the addition of amateur eligibility as previously approved for 2024 implementation. The 2024 NRHA Mexican, Oceania, and Israeli Restricted Eligibility policies were also approved, which are all tracked and managed by each affiliate, not by ReinerSuite. Additionally, the 2024 NRHA Restricted European Eligibility Policy was approved. View all of the policies at nrha.com/eligibility.

2024 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel and NRHA North American Futurity Conditions

The Board approved conditions for both events, including fee schedules. The events will be held June 11–June 23, 2024, and November 26–December 7, 2024, respectively.

2024 Nomination Conditions

In February, the Board announced the official addition of a 4-year-old component to the North American nomination program to begin with 2023 foals. NRHA is proud to provide new and significant additional investment in the industry by committing $100,000 in added money for the next three years to elevate the 4-Year-Old Derby, grow the entire event, and add further value to horses. Approximately $285,000 in total added money based on a 3-year average of nominated weanlings will be provided to the purse once the 2023 foal crop is of derby age.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity for this specific group of horses as they progress in their show career from futurities to derbies. The support of this program will also draw more participation in the NRHA Derby, creating supplementary event success.

The existing North American weanling fee increase of $100 has been incorporated to supplement this program, which you can read more about here.

Posted on

Hinton Adds His Name to the Prestigious List of NRHA Million Dollar Riders

When NRHA Professional Casey Hinton stepped into the arena during the Million Dollar Competition at this year’s The Run For A Million (TRFAM), more was up for grabs than the half-a-million-dollar first prize. Hinton was sitting less than $15,000 away from becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Rider. In the end, he and his own Magnums Custom Dream marked an impressive 225.5 and tied for eighth place—earning $20,000 and officially making Hinton NRHA’s newest million dollar rider.

“I don’t think you ever start out with targets, but I think it is really special one that I reached because my era didn’t have the kind of money you have nowadays,” said Hinton. “I get to do something I really love, and to have it work out for you in this way is really special. Having this happen at The Run For A Million, it was so special and exciting, and the crowd felt like it does on Saturday night at the [NRHA] Futurity finals. It is the most exciting thing we do. I had a very big support group and family there that doesn’t often get to see what we do, so it made it very special.”

Hinton is no stranger to the NRHA history books. In 2021, he marked his name among the extraordinary list of NRHA Million Dollar Owners. This accolade was the natural next step for the NRHA Professional, who can often be seen riding his own horses in the show pen—a testament to the strong breeding and training program Hinton has created with his wife, Kathy. Together, the duo established Cedar Ridge Stallion Station, which they saw to great success before handing the reins over to Josh and Kelsey Crawley in 2021.

Growing up in Ohio, Hinton began showing horses through the local 4-H program. His riding career further bloomed at Findlay College where he worked with NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Wilkinson. Later, he worked with horsemen Doug Lilly and Al Dunning. Eventually, Hinton ventured out on his own and now owns Casey Hinton Reining Horses in Whitesboro, TX.

“I have to thank my wife, Kathy. It is a team thing,” he said. “It was me riding, but it has always been a team thing with us. I have passed the million dollar owner milestone, and there’s only a few of us that have crossed as both riders and owners. My next goal is to reach it as a breeder and to make it the trifecta. I plan to keep enjoying this as long as I am able to compete and keep doing it!”

There have been many horses over the years helping push Hinton to a million in earnings. If you look at the list, you’ll find several horses sired by NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream, owned by Viola Scott. In 2004, Hinton rode Magnum Chic Dream in the 2004 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Championship Show and took home the Senior Reining title.

One of Hinton’s successful Magnum Chic Dream-sired mounts is Magnums Custom Dream (by Gunna Be Custom), who he rode to the 2022 Level 3 Open NRHA Derby Championship, 6th in the Level 4 that same year, and who ended up giving him the final push across the million at this year’s TRFAM. He earned his highest paycheck to date on his own gelding (now owned by his wife, Kathy). Hinton rode Lil Magnum Jessie (Magnum Chic Dream x Lil Ruf Jessie) to the Level 4 Open Reserve Championship at the 2009 NRHA Futurity and added $117,478 to both his rider and owner earnings.

Hinton’s other top performances and paychecks on his road to the million include:

  • 2022 Level 3 NRHA Derby Champion aboard Magnums Custom Dream earning $33,250
  • 2017 Level 4 NRHA Derby 8th Place aboard Mega Mag earning $30,546
  • 2007 Level 4 Open National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) 11th Place aboard Smarty Starlight earning $21,500
  • 2017 Level 3 Open NRHA Futurity aboard Mega Mag earning $20,849
  • 2021 Level 4 Open NRBC 13th Place aboard Lil Magnum Jesse earning $20,000

Few in NRHA history have earned the right to call themselves both an NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner. Hinton’s addition to this prestigious list is a testament to his talent and passion for reining. His legacy is one that many admire and is certain to be built upon in the years to come.

Posted on

Vanlandingham Etches Name in History as NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider

With incredible performances at this year’s 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel and The Run For A Million (TRFAM), Jason Vanlandingham added his name to the prestigious list of NRHA Three Million Dollar Riders a mere three years after passing the $2 million mark.

Vanlandingham garnered his first earnings at the 2000 NRHA Derby with a $41 paycheck. From there, he worked his way up to become one of NRHA’s top professionals and has ridden many exemplary reining horses to notoriety along the way, including Vaughn Zimmerman’s Not Ruf At All. Together, the duo won the NRHA Futurity, the NRHA Derby, and the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC).

Heading into TRFAM’s Million Dollar Competition, Vanlandingham was less than $10,000 away from $3 million in earnings, so a good performance was all he would need to reach his next NRHA milestone. A merely good performance, however, was not in the cards for the NRHA Professional. Instead, as the penultimate rider in the competition, he piloted Robert Santagata’s Best Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Best Stop) to an incredible 231 score and half a million dollars in earnings.

In addition to his earnings at this year’s TRFAM, Vanlandingham’s top performances since crossing his last NRHA milestone include:

  • 2021 Level 4 Open NRBC Champion aboard A Vintage Smoke earning $62,500
  • 2021 Level 4 Open Invitational Champion aboard Excessive Rufness earning $100,000
  • 2021 TRFAM Million Dollar Competition 3rd Place aboard A Vintage Smoke earning $80,000
  • 2022 TRFAM Million Dollar Competition 6th Place aboard Best Shine earning $50,000
  • 2023 Level 4 Open NRHA Derby Reserve Champion aboard Gunnabebigtime earning $49,710

Vanlandingham has skyrocketed across the $3 million mark and is nearly halfway to his next milestone. After reaching $1 million in 15 years, $2 million in five years, and $3 million in three years, there is little doubt his name will again grace the NRHA history books with his continued dedication to the sport.