Posted on

Ancillary Action Continues at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel


Another exciting day of competition drew to a close in the Adequan® Arena Saturday evening, June 18, with three open champions crowned.

The taste of Open reining competition was an exciting reminder of what’s to come as the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel inches closer to the Open Derby preliminaries next week.

$6,000 Open & $1,000 Intermediate Open Champion – Lil Dreamin Magnum & Jeremy Gates

With a score of 148, Lil Dreamin Magnum and Jeremy Gates brought home the win of the first slate of the ancillary $6,000 Open and $1,000 Intermediate Open for owner Kathy Biesecker, pocketing $2,795.

“He’s 11 and overcame a lot of things to be here today,” Gates said. “He’s had two colic surgeries, the first one was exploratory and the second one was a bypass.”

Lil Dreamin Magnum (Magnum Chic Dream x Myo Starlight) was bred by Spence Bell of Maysville, Oklahoma, and was purchased out of the NRHA Markel Futurity Marketplace Sale as a yearling by current owner Biesecker.

“He’s a huge turner and a big stopper,” Gates said. “I’d like to take him to Vegas and qualify for The Run For A Million.”

Gates works for Tom McCutcheon in Aubrey, Texas, and said his list of people to thank is long.

“We could be here for a while,” Gates said good-humoredly.

$500 Limited Open Champion – Light Me Up Joe & Nick Valentine

For Nick Valentine, the Ancillary $500 Limited Open class Saturday, June 18, in the Adequan® Arena was an opportunity to prepare Light Me Up Joe for the Open Derby Preliminaries taking place next week.

“I go on the last day [of the prelims] so I just wanted to make sure he connected all the dots and relaxed in there,” Valentine said.

The trip got a little sweeter with a score of 142.5, a championship title, and a payday of $286.

“He’s really good-minded—he’s physically talented, too, but he’s good-minded. He’s a little green and he’s getting show broke now,” Valentine said.

Light Me Up Joe (Lil Joe Cash x Light Attack) was bred by Devin Warren and is owned by Valentine. The team has been working together since late last year and is set to show in section three of the Open Derby on Wednesday, June 22.

“He’s a big stopper, pretty mover,” Valentine said of the gelding. “He minds the heat a little bit so I just try to work him early and put him by the portacool.”

$500 Rookie Professional Champion – CBK A Nu Kinda Spark & Eric Grondin

Canadian Eric Grondin is getting a feel for the show pen aboard CBK A Nu Kinda Spark (Jacs Electric Spark x HR Wright On Cash). On Saturday, June 18, the pair nabbed the win of the ancillary $500 Rookie Professional with a score of 141, winning $275.

“I’ve showed him four times. He’s a good horse—he’s not very complicated. I think he has lots of experience, lots more than me,” Grondin said.

With more than 10 years of riding reining horses, Grondin is no stranger to the industry but has mostly worked behind the scenes.

“I need practice in the show pen. I’ve trained horses for many years but have not had lots of opportunities to go show. My friend Luke Gagnon, I work [for] him, and he’s shown me lots of things,” Grondin said.

Luckily CBK A Nu Kinda Spark is willing to show Grondin the ropes. The 11-year-old gelding was bred by William & Corliss Kellogg and is owned by Patricia Ann Jackson.

“I think his best maneuver is the stop. In the run down he waits [the whole time] and focuses on you. When you say whoa, he stops,” Grondin said.

Classic Equine Green Reiner Level 1 Champion – Joetta Bell & Silver Gunn

Joetta Bell and Silver Gunn navigated their way to a score of 141 in the Adequan® Arena Friday, June 17, in the Classic Equine Green Reiner Level 1, earning the championship by half a point.

The Millsap, Texas, resident got into reining this year and competes with daughter Trinity under the guidance of Casey Deary and Josh Tishman.

“It’s my first Derby to show,” Bell said. “My biggest goal is to just stay on pattern, be clean and be safe. [Friday] was really just practice for me for the Derby.”

Bell and the 2017 gelding are slated to compete in Section three of the Non Pro at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel on Sunday, June 19.

“I didn’t run him as hard as I will in the Derby for the circles,” Bell said. “I wanted him to be confident and work on where I needed to be in the arena, which is always something Casey and Josh teach. I want to get past those markers.”

According to Bell, Silver Gunn (Gunnatrashya x Silvernbluestarbuck) got plenty of rest in preparation for the show.

“He’s not one that requires a lot of training. He’s really my kid’s horse, and I just wanted him to rest his legs and body before all of this heat and concrete,” Bell said.

Find the latest news, draws, results, and more at NRHADerby.com.

Posted on

Inferno Sixty Six Is Newest NRHA Million Dollar Sire

In 2020, Inferno Sixty Six’s first foals hit the show pen. Now, less than two years later, he has become the latest stallion to become a National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Sire.

The flashy stallion, by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya out of Hall of Fame mare and Million Dollar Dam Snip O Gun, has been poised for success from the beginning.

When Inferno Sixty Six was born in 2012, owner Domenico Lomuto posted the newborn’s photo on social media with the caption “First step last night for the Futurity Champion 2015!”

That prediction was pretty accurate, as Inferno Sixty Six, piloted by Million Dollar Rider Franco Bertolani, tied for the high score of the 2015 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Finals. The pair were edged out of the championship in the run-off by a scant half-point, but that didn’t matter. Bertolani and the stallion accumulated lifetime earnings of more than $205,000 in just three years of competition.

Inferno Sixty Six’s highest-earning foal is 4-year-old Winding Inferno (out of Wind Her Up Chic), owned by Teton Ridge. The stallion has won more than $191,000, including a co-reserve championship at the 2021 NRHA Futurity and a reserve championship at the inaugural Invitational.

His second high-money earner is the 2021 NRHA Futurity Level 4 and Level 3 Non Pro Champion Surprizing Sixty Six (out of Dun With Surprizes) with $101,610. Rounding out the top three is Starfire Sixty Six (out of Wind Her Up Chic), who was ridden to a top-five finish at the 2020 NRHA Futurity.

According to Lomuto, this milestone is one of the most important steps of the stallion’s career. “To me, reaching one million so fast is something exceptional, and is an achievement that is unbelievable,” he said. “Since the beginning, I have worked together with Franco on the training side and Giorgia (Codeluppi) on the breeding side to create something special with him. I think he’s the only horse with a fashion brand under his name—it’s a worldwide sportswear brand.”

Lomuto had just gotten his start in reining when he decided he needed to purchase another horse. His first horse was a Nu Chex To Cash, so he began perusing Tammye Hutton’s Hilldale Farm website when a mare caught his eye.

“I contacted her to try to buy a mare I picked out from her website—Snip O Gun—but I didn’t know anything about the mare. Everything was a blank screen,” he recalled with a laugh. “She asked me, ‘Are you serious?’ and then explained to me what kind of mare Snip O Gun was.”

Hutton did, however, have an embryo out of Snip O Gun by Gunnatrashya, the 2009 NRHA Futurity Champion. “I didn’t even know who Gunnatrashya really was, but I knew that he was owned by Arcese and he’s an Italian guy. I said I would buy the embryo and that would become my reining horse,” he shared.

He laughed, and added, “I’ve ridden him a couple times, but Giorgia has not allowed me to show him.”

Inferno Sixty Six now stands at NRHA Global Event Partner Toyon Ranch, owned by John Tague, in Pilot Point, Texas. “I think they are great with him and are doing a fantastic job. John is a super person, and he handles things as I like from a managerial style,” he said.

Lomuto thanked his wife and co-owner of Inferno Sixty Six, Cristiana, and daughter, Giulia, for their support and patience, and Franco and Georgia for everything they’ve done for Inferno. He added a special thank you to Inferno Sixty Six’s vet, Marcelo Grilo, who has been with the stallion from the beginning.

“I also thank all the people who have believed in this horse and have trusted him. A global thank you to all of them is a must,” he said.

Inferno Sixty Six’s Top 10 money-earners are:

  • Winding Inferno (Wind Her Up Chic) – $191,256
  • Surprizing Sixty Six (Dun With Surprizes) – $101,610
  • Starfire Sixtysix (Wind Her Up Chic) – $58,297
  • Girlz On Fire (Gotta Git Ya Dun) – $53,331
  • Simple The Best 66 (ARC Yellow N Lime) – $41,757
  • Blue Inferno (Showtimes Lil Step) – $39,885
  • Heza Frozen Inferno (Sailor Will Win) – $36,630
  • Gunna Whoa (Whoawhiz) – $36,323
  • Gangsta Sixtysix (Rush N Cat) – $36,212
  • Smokin 66 (Nuthin Chic) – $35,466
Andrea Fappani & Winding Inferno
Jennifer Gilliam & Surprizing Sixty Six

There may be some movement in that list in the coming week as the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel has 15 Inferno Sixty Six’s in the Open preliminaries and 13 in the Non Pro.

For more information about Inferno Sixty Six, visit Inferno66.com or toyonranchllc.com/infernosixtysix

Posted on

First Ancillary Winners Crowned at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel

A productive day of competition drew to a close in the Adequan® Arena Friday evening, June 17, with four new champions crowned.

The smiles and enthusiastic horse pats were just a sampling of the action unfolding at the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel, which is gathering steam as it moves into the weekend.

Non Pro, Intermediate and Limited Non Pro (1) Champion – Rita Clausen & Smart Tinseltown

Rita Clausen swept the ancillary non pro divisions Friday, June 17, in the Adequan® Arena. With a score of 145.5, Clausen and Smart Tinseltown won the first slate of the Non Pro, Intermediate Non Pro and Limited Non Pro ancillary classes for a total of $1,697.

“I can trust my horse so much, so I was pretty confident coming in. I was looking for a clean run, wanted to work on the run downs and make it pretty,” Clausen said.

To date, Smart Tinseltown has earned $162,762 in the NRHA. The 2010 gelding is sired by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook out of Tinseltown Lil Step, was bred by Charles Vaughn and is owned by Clay Clausen.

According to Clausen, of Scottsdale, Ariz., her teammate Smart Tinseltown is a powerful circler. “I like how much I can rely on him and he’s so fun to show. His circling is his best maneuver. I can really lay my hand on his neck and slow down really pretty,” Clausen said.

Prime Time Non Pro (1) Champion – Cady Shaw & Faceit Sheza Digger

Cady Shaw was a little misty-eyed at the conclusion of the first slate of the ancillary Prime Time Non Pro astride Faceit Sheza Digger (Pale Face Dunnit x TC West Coast Wendi) Friday, June 17, in the Adequan® Arena. Scoring a 143.5, Shaw earned $244 for the title.

“She’s a new horse to me. I’m figuring her out, we’ve been together 90 days. She just fits me,” Shaw said. “She’s really sweet and likes to be treated nice. The nicer you treat her the better she is.”

The pair finished third in the Non Pro and second in the Intermediate Non Pro for an additional $1,010 in winnings.

The Washington, Okla., resident unexpectedly lost her competition horse last year and had been searching for a new partner. She purchased Faceit Sheza Digger off the internet after trying the mare in person.

“I wanted to find a horse I could go have fun on,” Shaw said.

TRFAM Non Pro Qualifiers

Two riders advanced from the first slate of Non Pro The Run For A Million Qualifier Friday morning in the Adequan® Arena. Long rosettes in hand, the riders joined the ranks of non pros vying for the $50,000 TRFAM Non Pro purse, which will be held in August at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Robert Peterson

Jacksonville, Florida – Always A Specialnite (Gunners Special Nite x Always A Dunit)

Barbara Hanaghan

Sulfur Springs, Texas – Revolvingwithmagnum (Einsteins Revolution x Magnum Done It)

Qualification for TRFAM is based on rider, not horse. Riders do not have to compete on the horse they qualified on but more are required to lease or own their TRFAM the horse based on NRHA rules.

Classic Equine Green Reiner Level 2 Champion – Taylor Overmier & Wimpy Code Red

Taylor Overmier and Wimpy Code Red got their Derby jitters out of the way Friday afternoon, June 17, in the Adequan® Arena, winning the Classic Equine Green Reiner Level 2 Championship in the process.

“We’re showing [Saturday] in section two of the Non Pro Derby, and this was actually my first time in the show pen this show,” Overmier said. “I went in trying to be smart and see what I had underneath me, push him where I was able to, check him where I needed to, and make sure I had enough horse left in his heat.”

Scoring a 143.5, Overmier and Wimpy Code Red (Electric Code x Wimpys Little Play) topped the field of more than 30 riders. The gelding was bred by Kjersten Davis and is owned by Overmier.

“He’s a huge spinner. He’s about 14.1 hands and we joke that he’s about 13 hands when he spins because he crunches down and gets into it,” Overmier said.

Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Overmier made the 900-mile trek to Oklahoma City with boyfriend Matt in tow.

“This is his first time to Oklahoma, he’s not a horse person so this is a lot for him. I thank him for [his help],” Overmier said.

Hart Trailers Para Reining Champion – Elizabeth “Beth” Kelley & Nite At The Roxbury

Elizabeth “Beth” Kelley and Nite At The Roxbury (Gunners Special Nite x Lulus Freckles) brought home the Hart Trailers Para Reining Championship Friday afternoon in the Adequan® Arena.

“We’ve only been riding together for three months. He’s so much fun. We’re still learning, but every day I get on him I just have a blast,” Kelley said. “He is such a trier. I ask him to go and he goes. He never gives up.”

Under the watchful eyes of trainer Brice Briggs and service dog “Wookie,” Kelley cruised through her pattern with precision.

“Today we wanted to go clean, get my lead change, get my circles. I wanted to do a little bit better on the stops, but we’ll work on it,” Kelley said.

Kelley and Briggs have been working together for six weeks, and according to Kelley, Briggs’ instruction has her and Nite At The Roxbury, or “Ham Bone,” dialed in.

For complete results and a competition live stream, visit NRHADerby.com.

Posted on

Flarida & Hollywooddirtysecret Lead Non Pro Preliminaries at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel

The first day of the preliminaries of the Non Pro at the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel is in the books. The round began Friday, June 17, and the record-breaking 305 entries are spread across three full days of competition in the Jim Norick Arena at Oklahoma State Fair Park.

The preliminary round not only determines who will advance to the clean-slate Finals on Friday, June 24, it also decides the champions of the Story Book Stables Amateur, the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Derby, and the Colston Paving Inc. Non Pro Stakes.

The current high scores across the many divisions of the Non Pro preliminaries are:

  • Level 4, Youth – Samuel Flarida & Hollywooddirtysecret (Hollywoodstinseltown x Maximum RPM) – 220
  • L3, L2, & PT – Rodion Cantacuzene & Pale Dun Star (Pale Face Dunnit x Get Ya Some Stars) – 218.5
  • L1 (tie) – Jenn Kasper & A Cool Back Story (SG Frozen Enterprize x Skeets Chexy Nic) – 215
  • L1 (tie) – Megan Waldron & Nosmokinintinseltown (Hollywoodstinseltown x Smokin On Wednesday) – 215
  • Masters (tie) – Jose Vazquez & SLJ Corazon Valiente (Smart Like Juice x Wind Her Up Shiner) – 215
  • Masters (tie) – Anita Horn & Rambowhizz (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Rose Electric Step) – 215

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 third section of the preliminary round on Sunday, are:

  • Story Book Stables Amateur – Maria Danieli-Krueger & Fridee Spook (Smart Spook x Dun It Fri Dee Nite) – 217
  • Colston Paving Inc. Non Pro Stakes – Steven Borgia & HA Blondes Nite (Gunners Special Nite x Smart Blonde Chic) – 217.5
  • Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Derby – Lane Colston & My Favorite Nite (Gunners Special Nite x Darlins Not Painted) – 215

The Non Pro preliminaries continue through the weekend and wrap up Sunday evening. The top 30 in the Non Pro Levels 4-1, the top 20 in the Prime Time Non Pro and Youth Non Pro, as well as 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, June 22. This welcome party also features Reiners Rope, a fundraiser that benefits the Reining Horse Foundation Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund.

The awards for the Story Book Stables Amateur, the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Non Pro Derby, and the Colston Paving, Inc. Non Pro Stakes will be presented immediately at the conclusion of the Non Pro preliminaries on Sunday.

For complete results and other information, visit NRHADerby.com.