Dany Tremblay Hits NRHA Million Dollar Rider Milestone

Dany & Tinker With Dreams

When Dany Tremblay marked a 224.5 on Tinker With Dreams in The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge Open Shootout, he not only guaranteed a spot in the 2022 Million Dollar Event but also secured his place in National Reining Horse Association history.

When Tremblay, of Overbrook, Oklahoma, traveled to Las Vegas for the event, he was less than $5,000 away from achieving NRHA Million Dollar Rider status. The tie for fifth place in the Shootout paid $9,991, more than enough to (unofficially) push the NRHA Professional past the career milestone.

Dany shared he was excited about the win but was adamant about crediting his brother, Fred, for his success.

Dany & Fred

“I remember when I was a kid and I had won my first $100,000, and it was just before I had to pick if I wanted to be a Non Pro or an Open rider. Fred told me, ‘Don’t worry. You got the $100,000, and the next party we are going to have will be for a million,’” Dany recalled. “Honestly, I never believed my brother until today. The reason I am here is because of him; he made everything happen, I was just the rider.”

He added, “We have been a team from the beginning, and are the best team. Fred has taught me so much in life as far as business and has been there and believed in me since day one. He always told people, ‘You’re going to see what my brother can do someday.’”

For Fred, seeing his younger brother reach one million in earnings was the culmination of a dream. “I have wanted this for him ever since he was a kid,” Fred shared following the Shootout.

Dany and Fred’s father, Christian Tremblay, won the 1981 NRHA Futurity Non Pro Championship, so while he grew up riding different types of horses and disciplines, reining was always special.

The Tremblays relocated from Canada to the United States in 2014. Expanding upon their Canadian experience, Tremblay Performance Horses has become a premier reining horse training, coaching, and marketing programs in the industry.

Dany & Tinker With Dreams

“It was a little hard living in Canada because I always wanted to compete in the United States, so I traveled a lot,” Dany explained. “I used to come a month before the NRHA Futurity to learn more and work with great trainers. Then it was two months earlier, and soon I was splitting my time between the two countries almost equally.”

Dany has trained and worked with some of the industry’s best horsemen, including Mike Flarida, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Dell Hendricks and Two Million Dollar Rider Duane Latimer.

When asked what he credits most for his success, his answer was spending time in the show ring.

“I showed on as many horses as I could. I learned a lot from the good horses, but I think I learned even more from the bad and average ones,” he said. “Showing is probably the key to success. A lot of people can ride good horses but getting them shown is another story. Going into the show pen was where I learned the most. I can tell you that, in reining, I have figured out that you never lose: either you win, or you learn.”

Tremblay’s 10 most lucrative wins include:

  • 2021 National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open Co-Champion – Tinker With Dreams – $62,500
  • 2017 National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open Reserve Champion – PS Mega Shine Chic – $41,000
  • 2015 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open 8th – Spooksgottachicolena – $32,110
  • 2019 TRFAM Open Shootout Champion – PS Mega Shine Chic – $26,337
  • 2013 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open 11th – The Wizster – $22,800
  • 2013 NRHA Futurity Level 3 Open Reserve Champion – The Wizster – $21,899
  • 2019 National Reining Breeders Classic Level 3 Open Champion – PS Mega Shine Chic – $21,370
  • 2017 National Reining Breeders Classic Level 3 Open Champion – PS Mega Shine Chic – $20,589
  • 2018 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open 12th – Thug Life – $20,392
  • 2017 NRHA Derby Level 3 Open Champion – Magnums Guns R Reddy – $18,586

Reining Horse Foundation Receives $50,000 Gift From the Teton Ridge Foundation

Newly formed brand’s contribution will help improve programs which support and honor the reining community, while celebrating the sport’s history

(August 20, 2021) OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – The Reining Horse Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National Reining Horse Association, recently received a generous gift of $50,000 from the Teton Ridge Foundation. The donation will help fund programs designed to support youth leadership development, members who are enduring hardships, and both individuals and horses who have made valuable contributions to the sport of reining.

The Teton Ridge Foundation serves as the philanthropic wing of the newly created western brand, Teton Ridge.

The brainchild of visionary entrepreneur Thomas Tull, Teton Ridge was formed to help preserve the values and traditions of America’s iconic western culture, by investing in western performance sports, sponsoring riders, trainers, and events, strategically breeding Quarter Horses, and focusing on long-term land conservation.

Thomas Tull’s appreciation for western culture’s core values — integrity, hard work, and respect, inspired his support of the Reining Horse Foundation, an organization dedicated to hard-working individuals whose livelihoods depend on the western way of life.

According to RHF President Tim Anderson, “The mission of Teton Ridge aligns with ours in many important ways. Certainly, the Reining Horse Foundation shares an interest in preserving the history of reining, which is widely recognized as one of the most exciting disciplines in all of western performance sports.”

The contribution will strengthen multiple programs, including the Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund, which provides relief to NRHA Members experiencing hardships caused by injury, illness, and even natural disaster.

Additionally, Teton Ridge’s donation will support youth leadership development programs and educational scholarships for members of the National Reining Horse Youth Association.

Contacts:
Leslie Baker
Reining Horse Foundation
(405) 946-7400 x 106
rhf@nrha.com

Katie Harvey                          
KGBTexas Communications             
(210) 410-1139                                              
katie@kgbtexas.com 

Generous Donors Pledge Match for RHF Raise A Million Auctions at TRFAM

If you’re in Vegas for TRFAM, stop by the RHF booth to bid in the Silent Auction. The proceeds from the Silent and Live Run For A Million Auctions will benefit the Reining Horse Foundation.

Excitement for The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge is growing, and while the high-stakes event is drawing reining enthusiasts from around the globe to Las Vegas, it’s also sparked a philanthropic push.

Recently the Reining Horse Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Reining Horse Association, and TRFAM event management announced the creation of the Raise A Million Auctions to Benefit the Reining Community. Donations for incredible items – ranging from a breeding to 2019 TRFAM Co-Champion No Smoking Required to awe-inspiring jewelry – flowed in, and expectations are high for the event, which will feature live and silent auctions.

Then a generous group of donors elected to up the ante even more.

“A group of donors stepped forward to contribute funds to match the first $15,000 raised through the auctions, and gifts were pledged from $500 to $2,500,” noted RHF Executive Director Leslie Baker. “We have the best odds in Vegas because the auction is already a winner from the start.”

Baker added that, as more RHF supporters heard of the pledge, more donations rolled in, and currently there is $16,500 pledged.

“These are unrestricted gifts, and all will be accordingly recognized through the RHF Reiners Club. If someone wants to contribute to growing the match even more, that’s possible,” Baker said, noting that the best way to reach her during the event is by calling 405-946-7400 ext. 106, or e-mailing rhf@nrha.com.

Current Donors Include:  
$2,500
Tim Anderson & Kim Niven
Rick Clark
Jennifer Greenleaf
John & Nancy Tague
Jamie Walters

$500
Gary & Marian Carpenter
John & Dawn Foy
John & Terri Mainey
Santa Hill Ranch
Andrea & Mirjam Stillo
Frank & Susan Costantini
Pro Management Inc./Cheryl Cody
Joe & Emmy Wolfe

While both the Live and Silent Raise A Million Auctions will be open to in-person bidding only, Baker and the RHF team offer a proxy bid service. That way, even if a person is unable to travel to Las Vegas, they can still participate from afar. A link to the proxy bid form can be found here.

The Live Auction will be held Friday, August 20, at 3 p.m. at the start of the Million Dollar Draw Party.

The Silent Auction, featuring approximately three dozen quality items, will be set up near the VIP Pavilion inside the South Point Arena, beginning Wednesday, August 18. It will wrap up at 4 p.m. Saturday, August 21, just prior to the million-dollar competition.

For the most up-to-date list of donated items, visit ReiningFoundation.com/auctions.

“Thank you to TRFAM Show Manager Amanda Brumley for facilitating The Run For A Million Auctions, which sparked the idea for donor matching from some incredible benefactors,” Baker said. “We look forward to the auctions and are excited about the positive impact the funds raised will have on our reining community.” 

The mission of the Reining Horse Foundation is to care for and honor the reining community. Core programs include the Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund to benefit reiners enduring hardships such as major illness, accidents and disasters; youth leadership development and scholarships for members of the National Reining Horse Youth Association; and perpetuation of the sport’s history through the NRHA Hall of Fame. For more information about the Reining Horse Foundation, visit ReiningFoundation.com.

Hosted by the prestigious South Point Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, the 2021 The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge takes place August 18 through 21. Fifteen riders, including some of the most accomplished NRHA Professionals in the history of reining, will compete for a purse of $1,000,000. In addition to the Million Dollar Competition, The Run For A Million event also includes the $150,000 Teton Ridge Invitational Fence Work Challenge; $100,000 Platinum Performance Open Shoot Out; $50,000 Farnam Invitational Freestyle; $50,000 Non Pro Championships; and Bloomer Trailers Rookie Championships.

Performances can be watched live at horseshowglobal.com. For more information, go to the event’s website or contact brumleyevents@gmail.com.

ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill and a Reining Horse Named Codie

Known for their heart pounding music, beards, hats, and sunglasses, ZZ Top is a legendary rock band that was formed in Houston, Texas, more than 50 years ago. On July 28, 2021, the unexpected passing of the band’s bass player, Dusty Hill, shook fans around the globe.

A native Texan, Hill joined Lewis and Chown at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Lewis)

Hill was a true rock and roll icon, and was honored for his career when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 with the rest of his band.

What might come as a surprise, though, is that the Texan co-owned a reining horse named Hot Lil Codie.

It all started when Hill’s 13-year-old daughter, Codie, wanted a horse. Hill and his friend, Jeff Lewis, first purchased a white half-Arabian, but another followed soon after. “Dusty went to some horse shows with me and knew that I showed reiners. He became interested in getting more involved,” Lewis recalled. “I was at the NRHA Futurity Breeders Sale, and a filly came into the ring that was named Hot Lil Codie (The Hot Express X Candid Cody). Her name was spelled the same way as Dusty’s daughter Codie, so it seemed like fate. She was just young, but with her breeding we decided it was worth the chance, so we bought her together. She turned out to be a really nice horse.”  

Hill and Lewis sent the mare to trainer Robert Chown, a multiple World Champion in both reining and reined cow horse events. The mare competed in many regional events, as well as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In Houston, Hot Lil Codie pulled double-duty, with Chown taking the Open title and Lewis claiming a victory in the Non Pro. “We won quite a few of the regional shows, and Houston was quite a big deal at the time,” Chown recalled. “We also showed quite a bit at the Texas Reining Horse Association and Southwest Reining Horse Association shows.”

Dusty Hill of ZZ Top.

Although Chown mostly worked with Lewis, he still recalled Hill’s down-to-earth demeanor. “I remember him more as quiet to be around. Every time I was around him, he was gracious and very nice,” Chown shared. “I went to a ZZ Top concert in Dallas and after watching them play, we went backstage with him and it was really cool. He didn’t have the big rockstar attitude that you would expect – loud and boisterous and everything else. He was just a really nice guy to be around.”

After her show career, Hot Lil Codie (a full sister to Hot Coded Candy, the dam of standout show horse and sire Electric Code) became a broodmare and is now retired at Lewis’s ranch in Texas. “She’s getting a little swaybacked, but she’s a sweetie. We have had a couple foals from her that Shelli Ries put time on and did well with,” Lewis said.

Hill enjoyed attending many reining events with Lewis throughout the years, including the National Reining Breeders Classic. Lewis also was able to spend time in Hill’s rock and roll world, but laughed when he added, “It could be hard to keep up with Dusty. I always said he was on rock and roll time.”

Although Hill never rode competitively, he could be found in the saddle from time to time. “He never really had any ambitions to show. I would have to classify him as an owner with an appreciation of the reining industry,” Lewis said.

NRHA Million Dollar Rider Matt Mills Will Compete at Road to the Horse 2022

The competition for Road to the Horse 2022 is heating up, and National Reining Horse Association Professional and Million Dollar Rider Matt Mills has been announced as one of the four selected trainers invited to compete in the elite competition.

Mills, of Scottsdale, Arizona, will join fellow competitors Brandi Lyons and Cole Cameron March 24-27, 2022, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, to compete for a purse exceeding $100,000.

“I feel honored to have been chosen and am excited to compete at the Road to the Horse. Starting colts is an aspect of training that most people don’t get to see. The thing about training reining horses, or any high-level horse, is that they all have to start somewhere,” Mills shared. “Training and showing top reining horses from start to finish has been my focus for years and making it a competition is right up my alley. I believe I will be a better horseman because of it.”

Consistently ranked among the top NRHA Professionals, Mills’ accomplishments include earning the NRHA Level 3 Open Futurity Reserve Championship and numerous titles at the National Reining Breeders Classic. He has also claimed several large futurity and derby wins at events including the Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association Summer Slide, the High Roller Reining Classic, the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity and NRHA Cowtown Classic.

One of his most significant achievements entailed winning the 2006 USEF Open Reining Championship in Lexington, Kentucky on Easy Otie Whiz with a career-high score of 231.5. This feat earned him a spot on the U.S. Reining Team that claimed a gold medal at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

While his list of achievements is long, Mills is aware he’ll be competing in a brand-new arena and has already reached out to several accomplished colt starters for advice on navigating the competition’s three-day format. “I’m very green at colt starting competitions. I have never done anything like this before, and I am excited to do it. It is going to be a fun and new challenge, and I look forward to carrying the flag for fellow NRHA members,” he said.

To give himself even more practice, Mills recently purchased an un-started and untrained 7-year-old mustang. “His name is Raven, and I purchased him for a whopping $170,” Mills laughed. “He has quite the story, and it was quite the ruckus to even get him back to the ranch. My plan is to train him in the exact format as the Road to the Horse. This is just one of the ways I’ll be preparing for the event. I’m definitely not just going to show up and wing it; I’m putting in the work beforehand.”  

Mills’ horsemanship journey began when he was introduced to horses at eight years of age by a pony named Dizzy while taking lessons in a small round pen at the Lakewood Equestrian Center in Long Beach, California. As a youth rider, he earned multiple championships throughout California in a variety of disciplines including Western Pleasure, Horsemanship and Trail.

Mills switched his focus to reining in 1996, establishing his own training operation in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to training and showing futurity and derby horses, he also coaches several successful Non Pro and Youth riders, and has also hosted clinics in Europe and Mexico.

Mills likens training horses to being a doctor or a lawyer; no matter how good you are at it, there are always ways to improve. “Anything you can do to make the job easier for the horse and make you more competitive is important to learn. When you visit with top riders – regardless of their event – you start to see some constants,” he explained. “I am a student of the game and believe you can learn from almost everyone. I enjoy horses and know that every new experience I have can help me improve. I hope that by jumping out and doing this competition I can encourage other people to try something new.”

“We’re excited to welcome NRHA professional horseman Matt Mills to our Championship Competitor lineup,” Tina Battock, Morris Equine Group President, noted. “Road to the Horse strives to bring together the industry’s most elite colt starters who are not only stand-outs in their disciplines but most importantly, shining ambassadors of the horse.” 

Road to the Horse 2022 takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 24-27, 2022. Tickets are available at www.RoadtotheHorse.com or by calling 800-514-3849. Follow Road to the Horse on Facebook for the latest information and stay tuned to find out who will be revealed as the next Road to the Horse 2022 competitor. 

About Road to the Horse

Founded in 2003, Road to the Horse strives to inspire people to reach a higher level of horsemanship and develop unity with a horse based on trust and not fear. The goal is, through education and entertainment, to can change people’s ideas and create a better world for the horse. The purpose of Road to the Horse is to identify the superior colt starter who accumulates the highest score throughout the competition. Judging focuses on the competitor and the effectiveness of their horsemanship methodology to communicate, educate, and build a partnership with their colt based on trust. Fans witness the entire journey, from colt selection to the final obstacle challenge. Purchase tickets and see the event schedule at www.RoadtotheHorse.com.

About Morris Equine Group

Morris Equine Group consists of some of the industry’s most recognized brands, including Western Horseman, Quarter Horse News and Barrel Horse News. The group also includes business-to-business publication Western Lifestyle Retailer and EquiStat, a statistical service offering detailed information and earnings for the performance horse industry. Morris Equine Group is also home to the National Barrel Horse Association, the West Coast Barrel Racing Association and the World Championship of Colt Starting, Road to the Horse.

The National Reining Horse Association is not responsible for the information contained in this press release. Please contact the author or submitting organization for further information, requests, or questions.