NRHA Monthly Service Report—March
NRHyA Members Can Become Working Students Beginning in 2022
Young riders in the National Reining Horse Youth Association enjoy being part of the reining world. It’s all about competition, camaraderie, and the fun of reining. They develop a love for reining and create friendships and long-lasting ties. Most plan to continue competing as they attend college and embark on their careers. Others dream of reining fulltime as an NRHA professional.
The NRHA Non Pro Committee has worked to provide opportunities for youth riders on a variety of levels. One that began in 2022 was a rule change to allow youth to work for professional reining trainers.
Relaxing the restriction to allow youth riders to work for NRHA Professionals provides multiple benefits. It creates a pathway for young riders who want to hone their horsemanship skills, plus they can offset the financial obstacles of showing or pursuing a career in training while learning more about the industry without sacrificing their Non Pro status. When youths reach the age of 19, they can make the decision to retain their Non Pro status and abide by the Non Pro conditions or become an NRHA Professional.
NRHA Non Pro Committee Chair Ginger Schmersal shared, “Horses and horse shows are expensive, which means that reining might not be an option for some youth. By relaxing these restrictions, we can welcome even more youth into the industry who want to ride or learn to ride without having to worry about losing their Non Pro status.”
The lack of available assistant trainers and barn help is another aspect the Non Pro Committee hopes to address with the change. Many professionals experience difficulty finding training assistants, especially those with show experience. It is hoped that this program will create more riders with the skills necessary to go on to that next level and eventually have careers of their own.
Although this rule is new to the reining industry, it is common practice in other disciplines. For example, in the English industry, many people would not be where they are today if they had not had the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge as working students.
Any rider who is a current youth member of NRHA is eligible to reside with and/or work for any NRHA Professional in good standing. Remuneration can include housing and food. Youth riders are allowed to have their personal horse or horses with the trainer, and details of board and training shall be decided between those parties.
Youth riders are allowed to ride any horses both at home and at horse shows while working for the trainer. Youth riders are allowed to compete in the youth and non pro based on current NRHA ownership rules. In classes that do not have ownership restrictions (Rookie 1 & 2, Green Reiner 1 & 2, Youth Rookie, Unrestricted Youth, and all open classes, except Rookie Professional), youth riders may compete on any horse regardless of ownership.
For more information, please contact the NRHA Member & Show Services Department at (405) 946-7400 or cmorris@nrha.com. Complete rules can be found in the NRHA Handbook under the “Non Pro Membership Conditions” in the Allowances section.
Judges Chosen for 2022 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel
As the temperatures rise and summer approaches, the excitement for the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel begins to build. Preparations have begun on all fronts and NRHA has announced the officials who will evaluate the performances at the show that will pay out more than one million dollars.
Chosen for the Jim Norick Coliseum classes are Chele McGauly, Kim Myers, Ann Anderman, Kelly Sapp and Terry Thompson, with Ed Cridge serving as equipment judge. In the Adequan® Arena, Brenda Brown, John Tuckey and Pete Kyle will officiate. The Judges Monitors will be Nick Baar and Bob Kail.
“I am proud of the roster of outstanding NRHA judges selected for this year’s NRHA Derby. These judges will arrive in Oklahoma City prepared, focused, and will score each run with the utmost professionalism,” Patti Carter, NRHA Sr. Director of Education & Officials, said.
As a former NRHA Derby judge, Carter has first-hand knowledge of how the men and women selected for this year feel. “The NRHA Derby is one of the pinnacle events of the industry. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to officiate the Derby, and a privilege to have the best seat in the house for this great reining,” she said.
The selection process for judges at each major NRHA event begins several months before the first horse ever enters the pen. Here’s 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 to be made 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 Derby will be a well-judged competition with the quality and professionalism of the selected judges.
For more information, visit NRHA.com/judges
NRHA Sr. Director of Corporate Relations Search to be Conducted by MJM Global Search
The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Executive Committee has hired Jim Harlan, President and CEO of MJM Global Search, Inc., to support its efforts in filling the full-time position of Sr. Director of Corporate Relations. MJM Global’s search will begin immediately with analysis of the position and identification of candidates. The primary purpose of this hands-on position is to retain current sponsors by supporting their needs while continuously working to enhance the relationship between both parties.
Additionally, they are responsible for cultivating new relationships to grow our family of sponsors to ensure NRHA remains a premier partner in the western performance horse industry.
NRHA, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., is the standard-setting body for the sport of Reining with more than 15,000 members worldwide. “MJM Global Search was extremely successful in placing Patti Carter as our new Sr. Director of Education & Officials and I have full confidence that they will once again find us the perfect candidate for this position,” said Rick Clark, NRHA President.
Harlan, an avid horseman in his own right, is responsible for the strategic leadership necessary to ensure the achievement of MJM Global Search’s performance goals and preservation of the core values established more than 25 years ago.
MJM Global Search, Inc. and its executive search specialists have decades of hands-on experience as senior managers, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to small fast-growing start-up companies. The firm has completed placements with more than 12 equine industry associations.
The detailed position description can be viewed here.
Persons interested in the position may contact:
Jim Harlan
MJM Global Search, Inc.
P.O. Box 883
Franktown, CO 80116
(303) 660-0766
jim@mjmglobalsearch.com
NRHA Apprentice Program Lets Potential Trainers Test the Professional Waters
It’s long been a tough decision for any Non Pro rider who contemplates a career as a horse trainer. In the past, if they tested the waters, so to speak, they would be ineligible to go back to being a Non Pro for three years. The National Reining Horse Association’s Apprentice program was put in place years ago to give reiners the opportunity to be more confident about their choices for the future.
The program allows current NRHA Non Pros who are at least 18 years of age to learn, train, and show under an NRHA Professional as an Open rider. This gives Non Pros the opportunity to decide if becoming an NRHA Professional is a fit. If it turns out to not be the right career path, the Non Pro can return to Non Pro status without facing the three to five-year wait.
An apprentice can do so under one or more members of the NRHA Professionals concurrently or consecutively during a 12-month period. All earnings that an individual has on record will be used to determine his or her eligibility while participating in the Apprentice Program. At any time during the 12 months should an individual decide not to continue with his or her apprenticeship, he or she must continue to sit out of Non Pro competition until the end of the 12 months. At the end of the year of apprenticeship, individuals can do one of two things:
- Choose to remain an Open rider and completely relinquish Non Pro status. If this is the case, all previous Non Pro earnings will be backed out and any Open earnings accumulated during the apprenticeship will be used to determine eligibility.
- Re-apply for Non Pro status. In this instance, all earnings accumulated during the apprenticeship will be used to determine eligibility.
During the apprenticeship, individuals may not show in Non Pro classes. For more details about the Apprentice Program, please contact the NRHA Member & Show Services Department at (405)946-7400 or memberships@nrha.com. Complete rules can be found in the NRHA Handbook under the “NRHA Apprentice Program” section.