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Reining Horse Foundation Announces Major Scholarship Expansion

For Immediate Release – January 3, 2022 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The Reining Horse Foundation set a record for fundraising at its major annual gala, Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch on December 1, and announced a significant expansion of its scholarship program benefiting youth reiners

According to Mike Hancock, chair of the RHF Scholarship Committee, the RHF Board of Directors recently approved growing the number of RHF Scholarships from eight to 10 and increasing annual funding support for these awards from $13,000 to $28,000 per year for the next three years. In addition, several scholarship amounts are rising, including the three top awards, which will increase from $2,500 to $5,000 each effective this year.

“Our national youth officers, delegates and members get involved with fundraising through programs such as the annual NRHyA Stallion Auction and the Buy-A-Pro Auction, so they learn organizational skills and help keep the youth programs funded,” said Hancock. “These efforts are going well, and the reining community has dramatically increased support of the Reining Horse Foundation in recent years. This enables the RHF to make a greater impact on its core programs. Scholarships are one of the best ways to help support young reiners for bright futures.”

In addition to the RHF Scholarships, the RHF makes possible another $32,000 per year in NRHA affiliate and Varsity Reining Club scholarships. This expansion will make the total commitment $60,000 per year.

The 2022 applications are available now at nrhya.com/scholarships. To be eligible to apply, students must be members of the National Reining Horse Youth Association for at least 24 months prior to applying and be a senior in high school pursuing an undergraduate degree in a two- or four-year institution, trade or technical school. A previous recipient of an RHF Scholarship may reapply for a second scholarship if she or he meets all other criteria.

The 10 RHF Scholarships will be structured as three at $5,000; three at $2,500; three at $1,500 and one at $1,000. Selection is based on financial need, academic record, involvement in the school and community, a special essay, and references. Applications must be postmarked by March 1.

Leslie Baker, executive director of the RHF, said, “Donors are a big part of this announcement. There are those who are specifically interested in the leadership development and scholarships available through the NRHyA, and we appreciate and welcome their support.”

For details on contributing toward youth programs, contact Baker at (405) 946-7400, ext. 106 or email rhf@nrha.com.

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Beurskens and Anderman Elected to NRHA Executive Committee

Paulus Beurskens

Paulus Beurskens and Ann Anderman were elected by the National Reining Horse Association Board of Directors in its December meeting to fill two Director-at-Large positions on the NRHA Executive Committee. Beurskens and Anderman, who will each serve a one-year term in 2022, bring a diverse perspective to the Executive Committee.

Beurskens, of the Netherlands, returns to the NRHA Executive Committee where he has been a member since 2020. He has been involved in reining since the ‘90s and rides as a Non Pro. He and his wife Gisela Haas own Galaxy Quarter Horse, where they breed and raise reining horses.

His company, Galaxy Executive Management Solutions, focuses on connecting people and businesses based on equality and inclusive leadership. He is also Partner/Managing Director at Energyprofs, a consultancy agency specialized in the Dutch energy market.

A former President of the Dutch Reining Horse Association and member of the NRHA European Affiliate Council and Executive Board, he has served on the NRHA Board of Directors and various NRHA committees.

Ann Salmon Anderman

Ann Salmon Anderman, alongside her husband Monte, is involved with teaching riders and horses of all levels, hosting clinics and is currently based out of Cinder Lakes Ranch in Valley View, Texas. She serves on the NRHA Board of Directors, as well various committees. Additionally, she is a past chair of the NRHA Judges Committee, Policy Review Task Force and Judges Work Environment Task Force. She served on the Southwest Reining Horse Association Board of Directors for eight years and was president for three years.

In addition to competing, Anderman has traveled around the world judging and teaching and has officiated at two NRHA European Futurities. She was previously awarded the NRHA Volunteer of the Year for her dedication and service to the Association.

Beurskens and Anderman will serve on the Executive Committee alongside President Rick Clark, Vice-President Mark Blake, Director-At-Large Shane Brown, and Director-At-Large John Tague.

For more information concerning how representatives are elected, refer to the NRHA Bylaws page and the NRHA Elections page.

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Kole Price Officially Announced as NRHA’s Newest Million Dollar Rider

With the airing of the December 17, 2021 episode of The Last Cowboy on the Paramount Network, reining fans around the globe were able to watch history be made at The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge. Although the event was held August 21, a media embargo meant fans had to wait to learn who the winner was until the final episode of The Last Cowboy aired.

In a run-off for the Championship, Kole Price bested NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida for his first premier event win and accompanying check for $500,000.

That historic paycheck pushed Price to more than one million dollars in lifetime earnings. “Being a million-dollar rider has always been one of my biggest goals. The way I see it, that achievement puts you in an elite class of trainers,” he said. “It’s a blessing to have it happen so fast. My mentality has always been that if I thought I could do something, I’d just go as hard as I can to see if I could get it done quicker.”

So what was it like for Price to watch the most pivotal moment of his career play out on the hit show? “It was very incredible because I knew there were a lot of people outside the horse world who now know how special that event is. I think I was so caught up in the moment while I was there that I didn’t get to fully enjoy it because I was so worn out, so getting to watch it and relive it was really special,” he shared.

It was a rapid rise to the top for Price, whose first reining earnings were recorded in 2009, when he piloted SLJ Hope Hes Smart (Smart Like Juice x Navahope) to a fourth-place finish in the Limited Open at Minnesota’s Winona Horse Show. The check was less than $38, but it was the building block for a career that now includes titles at several major events, including the NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby, and the National Reining Breeders Classic.

Price, who grew up in Illinois, showed Percherons until he was around 10 years old, and began training outside horses at 13. It was when he saw a video of NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire and earner of more than $185,000, Wimpys Little Step (who had been trained and shown by Flarida) that Price became a fan of reining.

In his drive to learn more about the sport, Price secured an internship during his high school and college years with NRHA Professionals Brent Loseke and Mike Davis. He then spent five years with NRHA Professional Gabe Hutchins before starting his own business in 2015.

It was at the 2018 NRHA Futurity that Price qualified all three of his entries back to the Level 4 Finals. Capitalizing on that success, he finished as the L4 Open Reserve Champion on Isnt She Perfect (Walla Walla Whiz x Miss SIlvergun) for total earnings of $130,352.

Then came Gunna Stop (Gunnatrashya x Stop Little Sister), owned by Amber Gokey. With fellow NRHA Professional Austin Roush at the reins, the talented colt had won more than $70,000 at the 2018 NRHA Futurity across Open Levels 1–4.

Price began showing the stallion in 2019, earning an L4 Open Reserve Championship at the High Roller Reining Classic. In 2020, the pair continued their winning ways, taking the L3 Open Championship at the NRHA Derby for $22,303. In 2021, the pair qualified for The Run For A Million at the Cactus Reining Classic.

The Run For A Million Championship earned Gunna Stop a place in the history books as the highest-earning horse of all time at $672,762.

“Growing up I would watch horses like Wimpys Little Step and Wimpys Little Chic, and it was just a dream that I’d get to ride horses like that and have a horse win that much. To have it happen … that hasn’t really set in yet,” he said. “The way everything happened, all together, it’s like I checked off a lot of items on the checklist all at once.”

Price’s lifetime earnings as 2021 draws to a close are $1,111,343, and he’s already looking ahead to the next million. “Long-term, I would love to be NRHA’s Leading Rider. I always want to be the best at whatever I do,” he said. “From day one, winning the NRHA Futurity has always been my main goal. I wake up at 5 a.m. each morning, and my ringtone is ‘Run for the Roses.’ That’s my inspiration every day – even those that I’m tired, worn out, and sore. I feel like if I can get an extra hour on everyone else, it will add up eventually.”

Price thanked his wife Kelsey, the Gokey family, Gunna Stop, and Taylor Sheridan. He added a special thank you to the multitude of friends and family that traveled to Las Vegas to cheer him on. “I probably had 40 people from my hometown in Illinois who came out to support me. That was so special to me,” he said.

Price’s top 10 wins include:

  • 2021 The Run For A Million Championship (Gunna Stop) – $500,000
  • 2018 NRHA Futurity L4 Open Reserve Championship (Isnt She Perfect) – $130,352
  • 2020 NRHA Derby L3 Open Championship (Gunna Stop) – $22,303
  • 2021 NRBC L4 Open 6th (Gunna Stop) – $21,000
  • 2018 NRHA Futurity L4 Open 12th (KR Ima Trashya) – $20,392
  • 2014 NRHA Futurity L3 Open Reserve Championship (FM Shine N Tag Chex) – $20,330
  • 2021 NRBC L4 Open 9th (Trendsettter) – $15,500
  • 2020 NRHA Futurity L3 Open Reserve Championship (Four Oh One K) – $14,619
  • 2021 NRHA Derby Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes (Trendsettter) – $14,004
  • 2020 NRBC L3 Open Reserve Championship (Gunna Stop) – $12,978
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NRHA Board Approves Qualification Criteria for ARC and Adequan® NAAC

Just weeks ago, the National Reining Horse Association paid out more than $118,000 to exhibitors competing in the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships in Oklahoma City. With nearly 1,000 entries, the NAAC classes provided fun, excitement, camaraderie, and some lucrative payouts and prizes.

At the December 2021 NRHA Board of Directors meeting, the Board announced the qualification criteria for the 2022 NAAC and Affiliate Regional Championships will be identical to 2021.

The first step to earning a spot in Oklahoma City is to compete at one of the 10 ARCs held across North America in late fall. To do so, a rider must be an NRHA member and a member of an NRHA affiliate. “There is no need to designate an affiliate, and riders can show at any ARC,” explained Sara Honegger, Manager of Youth, Professional, and Affiliate Programs. “We are so encouraged by the number of riders who came to Oklahoma City and the increased enthusiasm for the affiliates, ARCs and NAAC. The members of the Affiliate Committee are passionate about continuing to grow these programs and look forward to what 2022 will bring.”

Any exhibitor who receives a score higher than a zero at an ARC will be able to enter that class, on that specific horse, at the NAAC in Oklahoma City. There are no requirements to compete at an ARC other than the rider must be a member of an NRHA affiliate. Riders are encouraged to join beforehand but can also join at the ARC if they need assistance with that process, or they can always call the NRHA office to have guidance as well.

As in 2021, riders will be allowed to participate in multiple ARCs with one exception; if they win a class, they cannot compete on the same horse in the same class at another ARC.

The Board of Directors also approved a change for renewing Affiliates, who now only need to host one full slate of ancillary classes in 2022, down from three.

“The Affiliate Committee knows what a financial burden it can be to host a horse show for any affiliate, and during these times especially,” Honegger explained. “They want to find the balance of allowing our members a place to show across the country while realizing our affiliates know their region best and will host what they feel like will be most supported by their membership. This solution seemed to fit the best for 2022.”

For more information about NRHA membership, the NRHA Affiliate program, or to find a local Affiliate, visit nrha.com/affiliate.

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Gunners Special Nite is Now an NRHA $5 Million Sire

Less than a year after his offspring passed four million dollars in earnings, Gunners Special Nite has made it to the next level of National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar milestones. That makes the flashy sorrel one of only nine sires in history to cross the $5 Million threshold.

Bred by Kim and Debra Sloan and raised by Tim and Colleen McQuay, the son of NRHA 13 Million Dollar Sire out of Mifs Doll (by Mifillena) was later purchased by Turnabout Farm, Inc. NRHA Professional Marcy Starr and NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner Tom McCutcheon rode him to over $219,000 in earnings by way of an NRHA Futurity Reserve Championship and top finishes at other major events. In 2010, McCutcheon piloted the 2004 stallion to Individual and Team gold medals for Team USA at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

With such a show presence and pedigree, his strength as a sire was predictable and he has delivered a pattern of excellence. McCutcheon noted, “Great mindedness and consistency are what he passes on to his foals – along with the physical ability. With top open horses like NRBC Champion Modern Gun and NRHA Futurity Reserve Champion Guns And Dynamite leading the way, his foals have carried him to this incredible siring level.”

Gunners Special Nite’s 462 foals have average earnings of $10,854. His leading performers are: 

  • Modern Gun (Taris Modern Design) $272,025
  • Guns And Dynamite (Chic Olena Starbuck) $209,565
  • Baileys Not Painted (Darlins Not Painted ) $142,640
  • Lenas Shining Gun (SL Lenas Chick) $131,010
  • Gunnersrufride (Lil Ruf Showgirl) $102,205
  • Special Made Whiskey (Starlight Acres) $96,566
  • Into The Nite (Chexy Dun It) $94,355
  • Gunners Specialolena (Dolly Jac Olena) $94,095
  • Hollywood Nites (Dun It For Chex) $93,034
  • Gunners Brite Nite (Stiletto Tag) $86,650

Gunners Special Nite stands at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses in Aubrey, Texas. Learn more about him at GunnersSpecialNite.com.