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NRHA Holds 2023 Judges Applicant Seminar March 15–16

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is excited to announce the invitation to members interested in becoming NRHA judges to join the Judges Applicant Seminar. This unique, once-a-year opportunity will take place March 15–16, 2023, at the NRHA office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

NRHA Judges serve an essential role in the reining industry by providing their time and expertise when judging NRHA events, which drives the future of how reining horses are trained and presented.

“Consistent and fair judging promotes a healthy association, and it’s exciting to have new talent coming into the reining industry,” noted Patti Carter, NRHA’s Sr. Director of Education and Officials.

Those seeking to be an NRHA judge will have the opportunity to receive proper guidance in this exclusive applicant seminar as the first step in becoming an NRHA Judge. Seminar attendees must pass testing requirements, and once accomplished, they will be eligible to attend an NRHA Judging School. At this event, they will complete testing and be able to apply for their official card.

Requirements include being at least 25 years of age and must have been an NRHA member in good standing for 24 months prior to the date of application.

Aspiring attendees must submit the mentioned application by December 31, 2022.

To check to see if you meet the applicant criteria and to apply, visit nrha.com/judges.

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NRHA Futurity Challenge Donor Program Earns Another Contributor—Robert and Linda Rosenfeld

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has challenged its members over the last few years to grow the purse at the NRHA Futurity. Many members came forward to do just this, the most recent being Robert and Linda Rosenfeld from London, Ohio.

“My reason for sponsoring Level 1 Open is that NRHA has more than 14,000 members, and not everyone can participate in the higher levels due to the cost of horses at those levels or finding the right trainer that can compete at those levels,” says Bob. “We all pay the same entry fees, so I thought I would help richen the pot for those riders and owners in Level 1.”

Bob got into the sport back in 2000 because of his son’s love of horses, and now it has become a family affair with him and his wife, Lin, both riding and showing. They have 15+ horses, the majority at home in Ohio with their in-house trainer Bill McGuire and others with Brandon Brant and Shawn Flarida.

“When Bob called me to ask, ‘why does Level 1 Open Futurity not have a guaranteed payout?’ I explained we did not have a Futurity Challenge Sponsor for Level 1,” said NRHA President Rick Clark. “Bob immediately stepped up as a Challenge Sponsor, and all the money goes into the Level 1 Open Futurity. I am extremely grateful to Bob and Lin Rosenfeld for their Futurity Challenge Sponsorship. This will help to grow our reining industry even more.”

“The best thing about NRHA is the friendships that we have developed over the years,” says Bob. “Some of our very best friends have come through NRHA, and those friendships make it easy to want to help and contribute to a great sport and a great organization.”

To see the list of current NRHA Futurity Challenge Donors, visit nrhafuturity.com/sponsors, and to find out more about donating, contact NRHA Sr. Director of Corporate Relations, Christy Landwehr, at clandwehr@nrha.com

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NRHA Debuts Online Steward Recertification Series

In early fall, the Stewards Committee of the National Reining Horse Association hosted the first two Online Steward Recertification programs. This change has meant that NRHA Stewards, who previously had to travel for recertification, can now conveniently do so online.

The idea to change the recertification process was initiated by the Stewards Committee Chair Ed “Hoot” Bricker.

“One of our main goals was to move some of our programs to an online format,” noted Patti Carter, NRHA Director of Education and Officials. “We are very proud of the online recertification program that was launched. As a team, we have effectively saved everyone time, money, and perhaps most importantly, everyone worldwide is receiving the same, updated information to service the NRHA membership and the entire reining industry.”

Carter gave special accolades to the three individuals who led the recertification course. “Ed (Hoot) Bricker, Van Luse, and Ann Salmon-Anderman did an outstanding job teaching the content while engaging the online participants,” she said. “Well done!”

NRHA Show Steward Walt Larson, who went through the program, agreed. “I thought it was excellent. It was a three-hour meeting, and the instructors really went through and highlighted things in the [rule] book that they’re looking for. I thought the time we spent in the meeting was very valuable. We were able to bounce ideas off each other and learn from everyone’s experiences,” he said.

Stewards who participated in the online recertification process were Ed Cridge, Alberto Ferara, Margaret Fuchs, Walter Larson, Marilyn Randall, Maura Moraglione, Mauro Fungo, Enrico Giaretta, Mark Guynn, Marlin Holroyd, Lyle Jackson, Careena Laney, Manuela Maiocchi, Shawn McClurg, Susan Moore, Christian Rammerstorfer, Christina Serra, Andrea Stillo, Alberto Villani, Larry Gleeson, Travis Chapman, Alessandro Fossa, Jamie Solberg, Eleonora Malerba, Giovanni Fano Pagani, Mauro Vittorelli, Sandy Jirkovsky, and Drake Johnson.

“I enjoyed the seminar and now have the tools to better perform in the field. The seminar was a truckload of information, guidance, and tools. I feel all of you have elevated the Stewards program to the next level of excellence,” noted NRHA Show Steward Larry Gleeson. “It certainly is my goal to meet these expectations as a representative of the Stewards program.”

Although recertification can be done online, anyone who is interested in becoming an NRHA Steward is still required to attend an in-person Steward Applicant school.

More information about the Stewards program can be found at NRHA.com/stewards or by contacting Carter at pcarter@nrha.com

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Arcese Quarter Horses Becomes NRHA’s Newest Corporate Partner

A reining legacy began in the 1980s when the Arcese family of Italy was introduced to reining through a family friend. “He had a quarter horse gelding he didn’t want anymore. The horse was supposed to be a reining horse, so we started to learn about reining horses and then moved on to better reining prospects,” recalled Leonardo Arcese, who, with his father Eleuterio and sister Paola, own and operate Arcese Quarter Horses.

Photo by Gabriele Semenzato

In typical Arcese family fashion, they spent a great deal of time studying the horses and sport, pouring over results and standings. “We wanted to have the best horses and believed in investing in excellent pedigrees, performance records, and people,” Leonardo explained.

Arcese Quarter Horses USA is in Weatherford, Texas, and is managed by Jeff Oswood. “I was lucky to meet and get to know Jeff Oswood at the end of the last century. He has always been a leader in everything he does. When the opportunity came up to partner on our ranch in 2006, I didn’t think twice. With Jeff’s expert experience and guidance, along with a handful of top trainers, we have been able to develop a small but highly successful breeding program by concentrating on a couple of very special mares. We love to breed, raise, and show our own exceptional show horses,” he said.

The game plan worked, and now Arcese Quarter Horses is a Two Million Dollar Owner of the National Reining Horse Association, while patriarch Eleuterio is in the NRHA Hall of Fame. The business has owned and produced countless winners, including NRHA Eight Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya, Four Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz, Hall of Famer and Million Dollar Dam Wimpys Little Chic, and countless NRHA Futurity and Derby champions.

Recently, the Arceses elected to increase their support of the reining industry, elevating their sponsorship level from an Event Sponsorship to an NRHA Corporate Partnership.

“Continuous growth and new development are extremely important. That is why we have been extremely involved with the Italian Reining Horse Association and reining in general within Europe for many years. My father has served several terms as a Board member or President of the IRHA and is President of that Association now,” Leonardo explained. “The majority of our horse businesses are in the United States, primarily with our stallions Gunnatrashya and Walla Walla Whiz. We believe it is important to support the NRHA.”

NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter was excited to welcome the Arceses to NRHA’s Corporate Partner lineup. “The Arcese family has been a stalwart of the reining community both in Europe and North America for many years. Their success in the show arena and the breeding barn is a hallmark of countless accomplishments,” he said. “Personally, it is gratifying to have them join NRHA as Corporate Partners. This is an extension of years and years of their support and success.”

The Corporate Partnership is just another indicator that the Arcese name will be written in the history books for years to come. “’The desire to win never sleeps’ is a motto of ours that references our sincere commitment to excellence in everything we do. We never give up after defeats and always stay focused on what’s important to us. Our desire to have the next champion will always be there,” Leonardo said. “We have a group of people that we work with that are as committed as we are. They are like our family, and we are very grateful to all who share a never-ending passion about our vision.”

For more information about Arcese Quarter Horses, visit ArceseQuarterHorses.com.

Photos by Cam Essick

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Event Sponsor Mental Athletics Offers Workshops Tailored to International NRHyA Members

The National Reining Horse Youth Association is proud to offer its final mindset coaching sessions of 2022 to international NRHyA members through a partnership with NRHA Professional Gil Friedman of Mental Athletics. Mental Athletics became an NRHA event sponsor in 2021 to impact the lives of NRHyA members, in and out of the show pen.

Mental Athletics is a mindset coaching program practiced around the globe, and Friedman will be a three-part online workshop. These sessions will be the fourth round provided to NRHyA members free of charge.

“My experience joining the mental athletics workshops has been amazing! I have enjoyed learning something new every year as Gil does a great job catering to all aspects of mindset,” said NRHyA President Haley Turner. “I continue to use strategies and concepts taken from Gil’s sessions in and out of the show pen. I recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to grow your frame and mind!”

After the success of the first sessions, feedback was given regarding the time zones in which they were featured. After taking this into consideration, this final round will be offered to cater to international members. The workshops will be on November 6, 13, and 20 at 12 p.m. IST (UTC +2).

The three-session workshops will provide knowledge, techniques, and training tools for the personal development of every competitive rider leading up to the NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships.

The scheduled dates for the Mental Athletics Online Workshop are:

  • Sunday, November 6 at 12 p.m. 
  • Sunday, November 13 at 12 p.m. 
  • Sunday, November 20 at 12 p.m. 

To sign up for the workshop, email youth@nrha.com

For more information about Mental Athletics, visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/mentalathletics.il or the website at Mental-Athletics.com.