With a record payout exceeding $2.8 million, the National Reining Horse Association Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships made history. Thanks to that historic payout, it also unofficially pushed multiple horses and individuals into new tiers of earnings, including sires Smart Spook and Shiners Voodoo Dr.
Smart Spook – Seven Million Dollar Sire
With Daniel Schloemer and Tracy Burmley’s earnings in the first section of the NRHA Futurity Open Finals, Smart Spook unofficially became NRHA’s newest Seven Million Dollar Sire. Prior to the Open Futurity Finals, Smart Spook was approximately $5,000 away from that achievement, then Schloemer and Bar Hoppin Spook (out Gunners Bar Fly) and Brumley and Spy Games (out of Little Lectric Spark) won more than $10,000 across three Levels.
Smart Spook, a 20-year-old stallion, is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame inductee Smart Chic Olena and out of Sugarplum Spook. Owned and bred by Rosanne Sternberg, the sorrel stallion was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2015.
Before entering his career in the breeding shed, Smart Spook enjoyed a successful career within the show pen, earning more than $403,149 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. The stallion’s top finishes include:
2004 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champion ridden by Shawn Flarida
2005 NRHA L4 Open Derby Champion ridden by Flarida
2005 AQHA Junior Reining World Champion ridden by Flarida
2007 & 2009 FEI World Reining Masters Gold Medalist ridden by Rudi Kronsteiner
The stallion’s first class of money-earning offspring was foaled in 2006. Since then, the sire has produced 15 foals with more than $100,000 in NRHA LTE including five NRHA Futurity Champions and one NRHA Derby Champion. Smart Spook’s top-performing offspring include:
Custom Spook (Custom Spinderella) $235,749
Patriot (Dunit A Lil Ruf) $232,998
Shine N Spook (Ebony Shines) $219,826
Spooks N Jewels (Whiz Jewels) $200,115
Red Stripe Spook (Ms Red Capri) $179,766
Shiners Voodoo Dr – Two Million Dollar Sire
Shiners Voodoo Dr became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire during the 2019 NRHA Futurity, and his offspring have continued to perform and win in reining competition. Prior to the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Futurity Finals, the flashy palomino stallion was $36,000 from reaching the next rung on the Million Dollar Sire ladder.
While four Shiners Voodoo Dr offspring competed in the first section, there was only one who would compete in the Level 4 Finals – but it was a good one.
The foal, Shiner On My Eye (out of Flashy Lil Step), was trained and shown by NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida. The pair had already earned more than $31,000 for the year, including the All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity Reserve Championship. When the results were tallied, Flarida and Shiner On My Eye (owned by Robert Santagata) had tied for fourth in the Level 4 and took reserve in the Prime Time for total earnings of $72,205. The pair’s success secured Shiners Voodoo Dr’s spot on the Two Million Dollar Sire list.
By NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark and out of Voodoo Chic, Shiners Voodoo Dr, fondly referred to as “Voodoo,” earned more than $85,900 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings during his show career. The stallion, bred by Rogers Heaven Sent Ranch, is owned by Silver Spurs Equine.
The National Reining Horse Association’s newest All Time Leading Rider, Andrea Fappani, said recently, “My father always felt that if we were going to do something, we were going to do it all the way. It wasn’t only for fun; it was about work and responsibility, but with that came a lot of reward.”
With recorded NRHA earnings well into the millions, it’s apparent the work has paid off. Prior to the 2021 NRHA Futurity, Fappani was just $207,000 from passing the $7 million mark and was close behind NRHA All-Time Leading Rider Shawn Flarida.
On Saturday, December 4, Fappani showed three horses in the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals, tying himself for the Reserve Championship on Winding Inferno (Inferno Sixty Six x Wind Her Up Chic, owned by Teton Ridge) and Mr Farenheit (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimpy Little Girl, owned by Morin/Vandorp).
With each reserve title paying $125,000, plus an additional $9,906 won on his third entry, Fappani unseated Flarida to become only the fourth All Time Leading Rider. That accomplishment has only been achieved by three NRHA Hall of Famers – Bill Horn, Tim McQuay, and Flarida.
NRHA President Rick Clark said, “Andrea is an amazing horseman who has worked so hard at it. Who would have thought seven million dollars would ever be achievable? I think he is showing us all that the sky is the limit. On behalf of NRHA’s Board of Directors and Staff, I congratulate Andrea and his incredible family.”
For Fappani, the moments following the completion of the Futurity L4 finals were emotional. He said, “This means so much. It’s what I have been working on all my career. It wasn’t so much the number, seven million, it was more the accomplishment of coming from another country, setting my mind to it, and becoming the best I could be. It’s a great feeling. It’s been a long way and a lot of hard work, and both my family and my help have sacrificed a lot to help me get here.”
The Shaping of a Champion
The intensity, drive, dedication, and commitment all began in the late 1970s on a dairy farm in Bergamo, Italy. Fappani’s parents, Sergio and Maddalisa, were fourth-generation dairy farmers. It would have been the natural step for the young man to follow in the well-worn and successful footprints of his parents, but a different desire drove him.
Tinker With Guns
“My dad introduced me to horses when I was about four years old, and I began taking lessons. He wanted me to have a hobby that we could share together,” Fappani recalled.
At the time, western performance equine events were almost non-existent in Europe. “Most everything in Europe was English riding, and jumping in particular. I took to it pretty fast. That’s how I started and what I did for the first two or three years before a friend introduced us to reining,” he said. “He told us there was something amazing that we needed to check out. I took my first reining lesson at eight years old, and never looked back.”
For Fappani, who says he was a small and skinny kid, the demeanor, training, and athleticism of the American Quarter Horse was the perfect fit. “That first lesson on a reining horse gave me a lot more confidence than what I had with the horses I was riding at the time. I was a bit timid, so those big warmbloods were intimidating to me,” he admitted. “I was comfortable with the reining horses and was able to create a whole new personal relationship with them. That’s why I stuck with it.”
Fappani experimented with different sports but never found anything that gave him the same feeling as being horseback. “I never thought I was that good at anything else. Horses gave me confidence to get past my shyness. It was easy for me, even at an early age, to communicate with them, and teach them a trick or a maneuver, or whatever it was,” he said. “That sparked my interest in training and eventually showing.”
His parents, particularly Sergio, instilled a sense of responsibility and work ethic. That mindset fostered a drive for greatness, and as long as Fappani put in the effort and did well in school, Sergio promised he would have the opportunities to learn as much as he could.
He took lessons with Alberto Serena, NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Guy Gauthier, Gaethan Gauthier, and two-time NRHA Futurity Champion Craig Johnson.
RR Star – 2001 NRHA Futurity
When he was 14 years old, Fappani began to spend summers in the United States and Canada to learn from different trainers. “I wanted and needed to learn as much as I could and to be better all the time. I think that was a big part of my success later on…it’s not that I can’t look back and be happy with what I’ve done, but I never want to get complacent. I want to always strive for more both with the horse, with my personal life, and everything else,” he said.
By the time Fappani was in his late teens, he was getting help from several trainers spending time in Italy, including Jim Kiser, Don Boyd, and Mike Davis. “There were a lot of Americans in Italy at the time training for Italian owners, and I was fortunate to learn from them,” he said. “Their help played a big part in my upbringing and were the basis of what I developed later in my own program. I learned a lot of pieces from different people, and I feel lucky that I had those opportunities.”
A turning point in Fappani’s career came when he met Todd Bergen, a young reining trainer who would eventually garner more than two million dollars in earnings in both the NRHA and the National Reined Cow Horse Association.
“Todd came to the Italian Futurity; it must have been around 1995. He saw me riding, and said he would give me a job if I ever wanted to come work in the United States. I felt he saw something in me, and maybe there was something more in the back of my mind,” he said.
Bergen, of Eagle Point, Oregon, recalled, “Andrea was so focused, and reining was all he thought about. He was very serious about what he was doing. It doesn’t surprise me at all he has gone on to be so successful. He is one of the most driven people I have ever been around.”
Fappani soon found himself on the West Coast, riding with Bergen and NRHA Futurity Champion John Slack. “I took a chance and came to the United States as a Non Pro. I also rode with Brett Stone at the Stone Ranch for a few months,” he shared.
RR Star
In 1998, Fappani returned to Italy to complete the military service required of all Italians. When that was completed, he surrendered his non pro status and returned to Oregon to work with Bergen full time.
“Andrea was already very talented on a horse, but just like any young trainer, he had to find a way and find a program. Once he got ahold of that and understood that part of it, the possibilities were endless with him,” Bergen shared.
“Those five years in Oregon changed everything for me. Todd showed me so much about what needed to happen on a horse to be successful and he is the person I would say has had the biggest impact on who I am,” Fappani said.
It was while at Bergen’s that Fappani got his first big chance at success. A young American Paint Horse Association registered colt named RR Star (Like A Diamond x RL Miss Kitty) was in the barn, and Fappani was handed the reins. At the 2001 NRHA Futurity, Fappani piloted RR Star to the Open title, becoming one of the youngest Open Futurity Champions ever at just 24 years old, just two years after becoming an NRHA Professional. “That was the peak of my career as an assistant trainer,” he said.
In 2003, Fappani and his wife Tish set out on their own. “The big question to me had always been was I good enough to win the Futurity. Then when I reached that goal, I thought I should just put my head down and see if I could get to the top. It’s been a process ever since, and what has pushed me to keep going,” he said. “You know, winning a year-end deal was never enough for me. For me it was always the big picture of getting better, having better clients, developing consistent show horses for my clients, and creating a business that represented excellence. I wanted to connect my name and my brand to a real professional way of doing things.”
Fappani became an NRHA Million Dollar Rider in 2006, less than eight years after becoming an NRHA Professional.
A student of the game, Fappani has spent his life studying horses, the work of others, learning what makes a legend, and what combination would prove to have the greatest long-term benefit for the horse. “The ones who have been competitive at the highest level for a long time are the ones that have everything in place to be successful at every aspect of the business.” His gold standard? Shawn Flarida.
“Shawn has always been a person I looked up to, because he wants to win so much, and has been able to stay competitive for so long. There’s just something special about him and his program, and I have talked to him about it, studied it, and learned as much as I could,” he said. “He has won so much that it’s obvious he has something figured out that I feel like I myself don’t have yet. He can deal with pressure; he can get the best out of his horses and get them to peak at the right time. Those are all special qualities.”
Big Chex To Cash – 2005
So how does it feel to surpass Shawn on the leading rider list? “It’s something that I never thought could be done. I am happy I achieved it. I told my family that if I only get past Shawn for a year, or even just a month can be in that same league, because I know him and how hard he’s worked to get where he’s at,” Fappani said.
The Owners
“I feel lucky because when I started on my own, there were two or three customers of Todd’s who kept their main horses with him, but gave me the opportunity right away to train some of their second string,” he recalled.
Capitalizing on those opportunities, Fappani finished second and third at the 2003 NRHA Futurity with NQH Little Jac and Command With Me.
There are a few owners whose names are almost synonymous with Fappani’s, one being NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner and Hall of Fame inductee Eleuterio Arcese of Italy. In 2011, Fappani piloted Arcese’s Spook Off Sparks (Smart Spook x Setting Off Sparks) to the Open Futurity Reserve Championship, then in 2020, Fappani piloted All Bettss Are Off (Gunner x Wimpys Little Chic) to the NRHA Open Futurity Championship. “Mr. Arcese saw me growing up in Italy and has always been a part of my career. His remarkable breeding program has given me some amazing horses to ride,” Fappani said. “I’m proud that over the years I have been able to win on some of his really good ones.”
Fappani also credits Two Million Dollar Owner Pat Warren of Rancho Oso Rio, the Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters of Fappani Performance Horses, for his success. “Twelve years ago, I came to Arizona to manage this ranch, and I think, together, we have won more than a million dollars on horses that were born and raised here,” he said. Standout Rancho Oso Rio-owned horses include NRHA Open Derby Champion Tinker With Guns and Custom Spook, earner of more than $235,000.
Custom Spook
Other notable owners and horses include Manuel Bonzano and Big Chex To Cash (Nu Chex To Cash x Snip O Gun, LTE $194,260), Steve Simon and Custom Legend (Custom Crome x Dry Doc Bobbie, LTE $228,364), and Michael and Michelle Miola’s Platinum Vintage (A Sparkling Vintage x Starjac Miss, LTE $249,908), SG Frozen Enterprize (Frozen Sailor x RS Rose SJ, LTE $274,083), Chic Dreamin (Magnum Chic Dream x Skeets Red Dunit, LTE $247,272), Epic Titan (Gunner x Princess In Diamonds, LTE $82,298), and Custom Cash Advance (Custom Crome x Cash In Roan, LTE $228,607).
For Fappani, his owners have become like family, and they trust him explicitly with the care and training of their horses. “They’ve always understood that I put the horse first and not myself, and they trust me to make the decisions. That means a lot because I don’t have that weight on my back. I do things the way I want them done, and it’s paying off. I believe that’s what has allowed my program to succeed,” he said.
The Horses
With hundreds of horses he has ridden to NRHA earnings over the years, there are a few that stand out.
There is one horse that Fappani says is the quintessential “Fappani” horse, and that’s NRHA Million Dollar Sire Lil Joe Cash, on whom Fappani won the 2011 NRHA Open Futurity Championship. “I always use Lil Joe as the example of what I want. He clicked with my program from day one, and we just melted together at the beginning,” he remembered.
It’s Fappani’s desire to never stop learning from the horses and honing his horsemanship skills that have made each and every one that has stepped foot into his arena significant. “The ones that are more challenging, that I might not have won as much on…those are the ones who made me a better trainer and horseman. Those are the ones that made my program stronger, made me change my approach, and gave me a much different perspective.” He added, “I’m going to remember them because they made me better.”
The Support
NQH Little Jac – 2003 NRHA Futurity
There is no part of Fappani’s program that hasn’t been subject to his intense scrutiny, and that includes the people who he works with daily, his assistant trainers. “I’ve had some great ones over the years. The first few years aren’t as much fun, but you do it for the passion of the horses and because you want to learn. It’s a lot of hours and not much exposure,” he said. “Even though they aren’t in the arena making it happen, they’re a big part of the program.”
Professionals that have passed through his barn include Marco Ricotta, Arno Honstetter, Luke Gagnon, and Adam Hendrickson. NRCHA Professional Nick Dowers also spent some time at the Scottsdale ranch. “He only worked for me for a little bit, but I learned more from him than he learned from me,” Fappani said.
In fact, Fappani says he’s learned from almost every assistant trainer he’s had. “One thing I tell people is that you can learn something from everybody. I truly believe that anyone who has a passion for a horse has something that they’re good at. They may not be great at everything, but there is something you can learn from them,” he said.
Fappani listed his veterinarian, Dr. John Newcomb, farriers Randy Toon and Arek Boulding, and marketing manager Cam Essick and her husband Jim, as valuable team members who have been with him for 19 years. Another long-time team member at 15 years is equine dentist and veterinarian Dr. Roy Mausling.
The most important person to his career is even closer, and that’s his wife, Tish. “She takes care of everything so I can concentrate on what I like to do, which is training horses and spending all day in the arena. She organizes everything and raised our two great boys. I wouldn’t want her job; she does so much,” he said.
Custom Legend
In fact, their two sons, Jeremy and Luca, are the accomplishments he is most proud of. “They are our greatest achievements. We told them it didn’t matter what they wanted to do, if it was horses or not. All that mattered was that they put their mind to it,” he said. “I am proud of how committed they are.”
Luca, now 17 years old, is following in his father’s footsteps and has already won more than $388,000 in competition. Jeremy, 15, is a successful motocross racer. “Luca puts horses in front of everything else. He keeps great grades in school, but he will ride a couple before he goes to school, then comes back, rides more, and then does his homework at night. Jeremy is the same way,” he said. “Watching them, I know they are going to be successful in life, no matter what they decide to do. I never pushed them to pick something early on. I just told them to put everything they’ve got into it. It’s fine if they change their mind and want to do something else; I just want them to learn how to do things the right way.”
NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter congratulated Fappani on the momentous achievement. “Undoubtedly, this milestone has great meaning for Andrea and his family,” he said. “In addition to his personal sense of achievement, it tells us so much about the trajectory of our sport. The momentum, excitement, and our visibility continue to grow. A milestone of this magnitude is something the entire industry can celebrate.”
Leaving a Legacy
The Fappani legacy of hard work has been passed down through generations. “I remember when my father would tell me stories about his dad and his grandpa. They started with five cows, three generations before, and by the time I left Italy, my father had the biggest dairy farm in Europe. He built a huge legacy. I wanted one of my own,” Fappani said.
The 2021 National Reining Horse Association Futurity made history on several levels, boasting the highest number of entries, the most robust purse, and the largest Open Championship check in history
NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Casey Deary and Ten Thirty claimed the Championship and an incredible $350,000 Championship check from draw #1 of the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals. The pair had been solid all week, topping the first round of the competition with a 225, and marking a 216 in the second round to earn a spot in the clean-slate finals.
In the Finals, the pair put together a flawless run, marking a 223.5 and winning an incredible $350,000. “You know, that horse has so much feel and so much ability that my job is just to stay out of his way and make sure I put him in the right spot. I thought he was exceptional tonight,” noted Deary, who’s won the Open Futurity twice before. “He really came together in the finals; he just kept getting better all week.”
Ten Thirty was bred and nominated by Brooke Wharton, who consigned the colt, by NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya and out of Dainty Little Step, to the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales. “Brooke tried to hide him from me. The first time I saw him was when he walked out of the stall to go to the sale ring, and I asked her why I hadn’t seen him,” Deary joked. “My friends Dany and Fred Tremblay bought him from the sale and took him home.”
Deary gave credit to Dany Tremblay, a fellow NRHA Million Dollar Rider, for the colt’s solid foundation. “Basically, Dany did all the work on him. I bought him on the way home from the NRHA Derby as a 2-year-old. Dany had him doing all the parts already, so there really was no guesswork. I knew he was capable of doing all the stuff,” he said. “Dany has been awesome to follow and did a fantastic job on this horse.”
Ten Thirty is now owned by Rancho El Fortin of Coahuila, Mexico. “We started this with my father, and I wish he could have been here to witness this,” Aldo Ramon said. “It’s really special. I just don’t have any words to express how this feels. It’s not easy. It’s a long way to get here, and we’re really happy.”
Aldo and his brothers Marco and Claudio were present to watch this historic win, but they admitted that the first position draw was discouraging. “It didn’t feel good, but Casey was confident. He said we would have fresh ground and that we’d set the bar high, and he did,” Marco shared.
“This was amazing, spectacular, overwhelming,” Claudio added.
The brothers have set their sights on the major derbies in 2022, naming the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel and the National Reining Breeders Classic as the next stops for Ten Thirty. “He’ll definitely be staying with Casey,” Marco shared.
Deary qualified three horses to the finals and finished 10th with Live N On A Prayer (In Like Flinn x Americasnextgunmodel), owned by Neiberger Performance Horses, and 11th with Gunna Be Flintastic (In Like Flinn x ARC Gunna Mark Ya), owned by Donald Dieser/Justice PH. All totaled, Deary won $403,422, plus a year’s use of a trailer from Kyle Zanetti Trailers, a Bob’s Custom Saddle, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, Anderson Bean Boots, a hat from Shorty’s Hattery, Platinum Performance, Anderson Bean boots, product from SmartPak, GlycoGuard, Brandt Blankets, Bluebonnet Feed, Dr. Joe Carter, and Classic Equine.
Tying himself for second, and unofficially becoming NRHA’s leading rider and only Seven Million Dollar Rider, was Andrea Fappani. Fappani rode Winding Inferno (Inferno Sixty Six x Wind Her Up Chic) and Mr Farenheit (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimpy Little Girl) to identical scores of 223. Winding Inferno, owned by Teton Ridge, was nominated by Giorgia Codeluppi, while Mr Farenheit, owned by the partnership of Morin and Vandorp, was nominated by Peter Morgan.
Canadian Jesse Beckley has come short of making the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Finals several times. “I’ve missed it numerous times by a half point, so this one got the monkey off my back,” Beckley said.
Beckley made his Finals debut count, piloting Trashinyurdreams to a 222.5 to win the Levels 2 and 3, and place fifth in the Level 4 Open, pocketing a cool $120,652 for owner Norma Siebert.
When asked about this moment, Beckley acknowledged its significance. “Oh, yeah, being in the top of the Level 4 and taking the 3 and the 2 is a dream come true for anybody,” he said.
After scoring a 220 in both the first go round and the Semi-Finals, Beckley and Trashinyurdreams became a team to watch. The crowd was already full of adrenaline, but the Jim Norick trembled as Beckley ran in for his first stop. “I mean, I knew this horse was kind of a crowd favorite because he has been so good in the go rounds. Plus, he just has that lovable look about him. I knew it was going to be loud, but nothing can prepare you for that,” he shared.
After reaching out to friends looking for the “special horse,” Beckley finally had a lead. “My good friend Adam Hendrickson works for Judy Box. I was looking for a yearling/coming two-year-old a couple years ago, and Adam phoned me and said ‘We’ve got a bunch of nice ones this year, and I think I have the one that you’re looking for,’ and it ended up being a perfect match,” Beckley explained. That colt, Trashinyurdreams, is by NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya out of This Chicsdundreamin, and was nominated by Rhodes River Ranch.
“I thank all the guys that helped me. I mean, there are so many people that I can’t even list everybody at this point. Thank you to all of them,” he said.
Dakin Allred gave Beckley a run for the money, piloting Ice Face to a 222, taking the Level 3 Reserve Championship and tying for sixth in the Level 4 for total earnings of $79,707. Ice Face, owned by Bettina Bellini Geno/Joy Ghiselli, is by SG Frozen Enterprize out of Dun Painting My Face. The colt was nominated by Ginger Schmersal.
There was a two-way tie for second in the Level 2 Open between Josh Lyons and Eduardo Salgado, who both marked a 215.5. Salgado rode Toca Lil Vintage, by Two Million Dollar Sire A Sparkling Vintage out of Lil Dreamer, owned and nominated by Renata Lemann. Salgado won $10,082.
Lyons rode I Shine At Nite, by NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite out of Shiney Enterprise, to not only tie for the Level 2 Reserve Championship, but also finish in a tie for 10th in the Level 3, earning $19,688. I Shine At Nite, bred by McQuay Stables and nominated by Kevin Colston, is owned by Josh and his wife Jana.
Prime Time Open Champion – Dan Huss & This Joe Got A Gun
Dan Huss and This Joe Got A Gun snagged the Prime Time Open Futurity Championship title Saturday night in the Jim Norick arena, cashing in with a score of 221.5. That’s because the pair not only topped the Prime Time, they finished third in the Level 3 and tied for eighth in the Level 4 to win more than $62,440.
Huss is no stranger to success in the arena during the Futurity, riding This Joe Got A Gun to a 223 during the first round of the Open Futurity to top the Level 3. “You know, I’ve been at this for quite a few years and I wanted to step up there and show everybody that we can still do it,” Huss said.
As Huss and This Joe Got a Gun, sired by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Lil Joe Cash out of This Girls Got A Gun, stood at the Gateway of Champions before entering the Norick Coliseum, Huss chose to think of his maneuvers instead of a number to mark.
“I try to think of the steps I need to do that maneuver as good as my horse can,” Huss said. “I wanted to be aggressive on my first maneuver, and I wanted to make the judges sit up in their chairs and score me.”
Started by Max Sloan, Huss found This Joe Got a Gun on a reining horse shopping trip in Texas. Bob Sheer, a customer of Huss’s, bought him but was told to take a year off from riding by his doctors and had Huss sell the horse to Jamie Walters, another customer of Huss’ and a Non Pro rider.
“We sold him to Jamie with the idea that he is going to be her derby horse,” Huss shared. “So he is going to go on to be a non pro horse.”
While the score didn’t quite reflect what Huss had hoped to accomplish, he added he is very proud of This Joe Got a Gun and the team that got him here. When asked who he would like to thank, Huff shared, “It’s a whole team effort!”
NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida took reserve honors in the Prime Time Open and finished tied for fourth in the Level 4 to win more than $75,000 on Shiner On My Eye. The colt, by Shiners Voodoo Dr out of Flashy Lil Step, is owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Robert Santagata. The pair’s success in the Norick Coliseum helped Shiners Voodoo Dr become, unofficially, an NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire.
Level 1 Open Champion – Abby Kampmann & Sparklins Last Dream
The Level 1 Open Futurity Championship was decided during the first section of the Open Finals, and it was Abby Kampmann and Sparklins Last Dream, owned by Viola Scott, who emerged victorious.
The path to the championship was a bit of a rollercoaster, with a solid first round 212.5-point run, followed by a 204 in the semi-finals. The two came back strong to mark their personal best – a 214.5 – and take the title. Kampmann won $5,707 and took home awards including a saddle from Bob’s Custom Saddles, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a hat from Shorty’s Hattery, Platinum Performance, Anderson Bean boots, product from SmartPak, GlycoGuard, Brandt Blankets, Bluebonnet Feed, Dr. Joe Carter, and Classic Equine.
“The first go we had a clean run, but I didn’t actually push her hard enough to get the credit I needed. The second go I pushed her harder, but we had some bobbles,” Kampmann shared. “For the Finals, I knew I needed to speed her up but slow myself down.”
The formula worked. “I’m still in shock. This is not something I thought would happen when we backed off the trailer. I was just hoping for the best run we could have, so I am thrilled things worked out the way they did,” she said. “This filly means so much to Viola and Jack Scott. To have her be successful means so much.”
Sparklins Last Dream is indeed special. She is by Magnum Chic Dream, the Scott’s NRHA Six Million Dollar Stallion, and out of Still Sparklin, who was a full sister to NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark.
“When Carol Rose had her dispersal sale, she owned Still Sparklin. She didn’t want to sell her, and she told me, ‘I’d like to give her to you,’” Scott recalled. “That mare gave us five babies – four boys, and then this little girl. She’s the last one, and that’s how she got her name. Her mother was such a nice mare, and a gift to us from Carol.”
Scott added, “Abby did such a super job with our special girl. I am so proud of them both.”
Riding Reyzed On Crush, Raphael Bourdeau took the Level 1 Reserve Championship with a 214, winning $4,326. Reyzed On Crush is by PS Mega Shine Chic out of Dual Rey Olena Play. The colt, bred by Sandy Corriveau, was nominated and is owned by Adh-Mor Ranch.
The Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships, held during the National Reining Horse Association Futurity, culminated Saturday afternoon. The Bob’s Custom Saddles Rookie 2 and Toyon Ranch Rookie of the Year Showdowns in the Coliseum, and the NAAC Youth 14-18 competition being held in the Adequan® Arena.
The final day of the 2021 National Reining Horse Association Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships kicked off with intense competition in the Jim Norick Coliseum.
The inaugural Toyon Ranch Rookie of the Year Showdown and Bob’s Custom Saddles Rookie Level 2 Show were run concurrently, and after the last horse had cleared the pen, only one entry remained at the top of both divisions – Rita Clausen.
The 15-year-old competitor was teamed up with veteran reiner Smart Tinseltown, and the duo marked a 214, winning the $5,000 bonus for both divisions. “This was so much fun, I just had so much fun with it,” Clausen said. “We turned ok, and had a turn penalty the second way, but he circled really good and easy. Then he stopped good, and he was really honest,” she said.
With a $10,000 purse up for grabs in both the Toyon Ranch and Bob’s Custom Saddles Showdowns, Clausen had to battle a bit of nervousness. “I was a little nervous, and was even feeling kind of sick this morning,” Clausen admitted. “I decided I just needed to deal with it, get on, and go show.”
She added, “Thank you so much to both of the sponsors. This was such a fun class and opportunity, and I really enjoyed it.”
Smart Tinseltown is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook out of Tinseltown Lil Step. The 11-year-old gelding has won more than $124,000 in his career, including big wins with both of Rita’s sisters, Anna and Shelby. “He has been in our family forever. Both of my sisters have shown him and done well on him, and now it’s my turn,” Rita said. “Next year I get to show him in the Non Pro classes.”
Clausen thanked her parents, Marie Kleiner, and the whole Schmersal barn.
With a score of 214, Mazie Petelski won the Adequan® NAAC Youth 14-18 Championship. Her partner for the event was Chexalicious, by Busy Winin Chex out of Gunnaliciuos. The duo won a saddle from Continental Saddlery, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, product from Dr. Joe Carter, Platinum Performance and Classic Equine, and a gift certificate for Bluebonnet Feed.
“I’ve had him about seven months now, and have been to about six shows,” Petelski said. “Today he was super honest in the show pen. We just walked in, he put his game face on, and we went for it. He was there for me the whole time and never had any bobbles. Everything I asked him to do, he did, and he just felt really nice and honest.”
Next up for the pair? “This coming year will be his last derby year. We will probably just go to the derbies until he’s not eligible anymore,” Petelski said of the 6-year-old gelding. “To win this means so much, and that all of the hard work I have put in these past few months has finally paid off. Hopefully, we can just continue to grow from here.”
Petelski thanked her trainer, Logan Brumfield, and her parents.
Jennifer Gilliam and Surprizing Sixty Six dominated the National Reining Horse Association CINCH Non Pro Futurity, first topping the preliminary round, and then putting together a 222.5-point run to win the CINCH Level 4 Non Pro Championship!
The pair also won the Non Pro Level 3 Championship, bringing their Friday night paycheck to $82,593! “Today, I mean, there are no words. I knew I would have to go for it tonight because everyone else had laid down runs earlier. I knew I had to control my nerves because I knew it was going to be loud,” Gilliam shared. “I credit Jordan McBurney with preparing me and my horse. She told me to be ready for the loud. You know, your friends cheer for you in the go rounds, but in the finals, everyone cheers for you.”
As Gilliam and Surprizing Sixty Six, by Inferno Sixty Six out of Dun With Surprizes, executed an impressive pattern. “I knew I had put a run together, but you never know if it’s enough,” she said. “I knew I had to go for it, and the mare was just there for me.”
Gilliam started the mare, owned by her mother Janiene Borror and nominated by Valentin Rascon, and rode her through October of her 2-year-old year before handing the reins to McBurney. “Jordan kind of brought her along from there,” she said.
Gilliam and Surprizing Sixty Six went to four pre-futurities, winning three and splitting the win at the fourth. “I came in here feeling confident but feeling some pressure. Then, to win the go round was an amazing feeling. I have made the finals, but never even placed in the go round. I always just seem to be the last one in, so that was huge,” she said. “Then last year I missed the finals by a half-point, and then the two years before that I zeroed in the finals.”
So what does it mean to win the CINCH Non Pro Futurity? “Honestly, you look at goals and dreams, and this has always been one, but I don’t know that I actually thought it could happen,” Gilliam admitted. “This was the first time I felt like I actually had enough horse to do it but to actually win it is just an amazing feeling.”
Gilliam plans to flush a few embryos from Suprizing Sixty Six before showing her in derby competition.
Jana Simons and Raisinthebar Win CINCH Non Pro Level 2 Championship
With a score of 216.5, Jana Simons took the CINCH Non Pro Level 2 Championship. Her partner for the event was Raisinthebar, a mare by PS Mega Shine Chic out of Chic In The Bar.
“The run today was awesome. She was super easy to show, and I have no complaints about it at all. It was lots and lots of fun,” Simons said following the finals, where she was presented with a check for $13,488.
Simons purchased Raisinthebar, nominated by Adh-Mor Ranch, as a 2-year-old. “Dany and Fred Tremblay found her for me, and she’s just been a lot of fun. She did well at the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity, and she’s just gotten better since then. That’s what you want. She’s matured mentally and takes the pressure and my shenanigans,” she said.
Simons and Raisinthebar marked a 211 in the go round. “She was really good. We had a little bit of a bobble, but she is awesome every time I showed her. She’s a lot of fun,” she explained.
Although she has had plenty of success in the Jim Norick Coliseum, winning the Level 2 twice before, Simons says competing in the Finals never gets old. “I would run into that first stop five more times if I could. It’s so fun,” she said. “The NRHA has done a super job of creating a platform where it’s a lot of fun for the exhibitor and the spectator. It’s great.”
Simons rides with Dany and Fred Tremblay. “Dany and Fred have done a great job for me, and the people who work for Dany and Fred have helped me a ton. Everyone there has just been awesome,” she said. “Also I thank my sister, Sarah, and my mom, Andrea, who are always hanging out with me at horse shows. They’re always up for being at the shows with me.”
Kindel Walter and My Best Friends Girl Win CINCH L1 Non Pro Co-Championship
Weatherford, Texas, competitor Kindel Walter qualified for the CINCH Non Pro Finals in Levels 3-1, tying for the win of the Level 1 and placing in Levels 2 and 3 with a score of 215.5. Walters and her horse, My Best Friends Girl, collected more than $22,229 for their efforts in the Jim Norick Coliseum.
It was Walter’s first time to show at the NRHA Futurity. “It was special. I’ve never really shown in NRHA competition before, and I haven’t really shown horses in more than 10 years. My sister, Kelsey Price, and my husband, Jason, talked me into it, and now I’m kind of hooked,” she said with a laugh.
Walter purchased My Best Friends Girl, by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Diva Dual, from Diane Beckmann, who had bred and nominated the mare. “I bought her in April this year, and she’s really sweet. I loved her temperament. She was quiet and willing when I tried her,” Walter said.
So what did it feel like to run into the arena for her very first Finals? “Thankfully I was really calm. I had prayed a lot about it, so I wasn’t nervous at all. I was able to enjoy it and it was really awesome. I had never done a run in pattern, ever, so I felt a lot of pressure, but it was still fun,” she said. “I thank my brother-in-law, Kole Price, who trained my horse and put all the hours into her, and my sister, Kelsey, because she was there to push me along the way. I also thank my husband, Jason Walters, because this was his idea.”
Emma Vanlandingham Wins CINCH L1 Non Pro Co-Championship on Ruf Rider
With a 215.5, Emma Vanlandingham and Ruf Rider claimed the CINCH Level 1 Non Pro Co-Championship, as well as third in the Youth Non Pro. All totaled, Vanlandingham is returning to Whitesboro, Texas, $6,112 richer. “My horse was awesome tonight. I had a really big bobble in the go rounds, but I was so happy with him tonight. It was my fault in the go-rounds, so I can’t blame him for anything,” she said.
Ruf Rider is by NRHA’s newest Million Dollar Sire Not Ruf At All and out of Dun Pretty Nifty. The gelding was bred and nominated by NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner Vaughn Zimmerman, who sold the colt to the Vanlandinghams a few months ago.
Vanlandingham’s father, NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Jason Vanlandingham, gave his daughter some sage advice prior to the Finals. “He said, ‘Go show him off and show what you have been working for this whole time,’” she shared.
It’s only the 13-year-old’s second year to show a futurity horse, and her first time to earn a spot in the finals. “I had one last year that I got about two weeks before the finals, and I was really nervous, but this was pretty cool. I was a little disappointed because I knew my horse was good enough to make the Level 4, but my bobbles didn’t let him. I was still really excited, though,” she explained.
Did Vanlandingham feel much pressure as one of the youngest riders in the Futurity? “No, I have been preparing for this since I was very young, so I felt ready,” she said. “I thank my mom and dad, and of course Vaughn Zimmerman who sold us the horse.”
Kelle Smith Takes CINCH Prime Time Non Pro Championship on Spookified
Riding one of the smallest horses in the competition, Kelle Smith marked one of the biggest scores of the finals – a 220.5. That not only topped the Prime Time Non Pro, it was also good enough to take the Level 3 Reserve Championship and tie for third in the Level 4. At the end of the night, Smith, of Marietta, Okla., had won more than $47,000, pushing her lifetime earnings over $925,000.
“This never gets old, but showing in the Finals makes me more nervous now. I had trouble getting ready because I couldn’t focus. Then I went through the gate and she stopped so hard, everyone starting screaming, and I was right where I needed to be,” Smith said.
Spookified, by NRHA Two Million Dollar Spooks Gotta Whiz out of JDS Shining Image, was bred and nominated by Troop Quarter Horses. “We got her from Dr. and Dr. Troop as a yearling, and she’s been with us the whole time. Morgan Moser rode her most of her 2-year-old year, and then I took over this year. It sounds cliché, but she’s always had something special,” Smith said. “I hope I never have to ride anything but a Spooks Gotta Whiz. They’re pretty, great stoppers, and I just bond with them.”
Next up for Smith and Spookified? “I’d love to take her home, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m not ready to talk about that. Right now, I’m just going to enjoy her,” she said. “I have so many people to thank, and I am so sorry if I forget someone. I thank Sam, Morgan Moser, Brian Bell, Patrice St-Onge, Arno Ferret…There is just a plethora of people, and everyone is always so nice to me. It’s greatly appreciated.”
Luca Fappani and Talladega Ice Win CINCH Youth Non Pro Championship
Marking a 219, Luca Fappani and Talladega Ice not only won the CINCH Youth Non Pro Championship, they also finished fourth in the Level 4, winning $26,493.
While the Scottsdale, Arizona, Non Pro was happy with his run, he’s sure his horse will have more to give in the future. “I know that he’s an incredible horse, and I think he has a lot more than a 219 in him. We will keep working, and hopefully he reaches his full potential because he’s a big-time horse,” the 17-year-old shared. “I still thought he was really good everywhere, and I was happy with him.”
Luca’s parents, Andrea and Tish Fappani, purchased the colt, by SG Frozen Enterprize out of Skeets Chexy Nic, from nominator Gabrielle Solum. “We’ve had him a long time, and we think he is pretty special,” Fappani said. “Now he’s going to go home, get some time off, and we will do what is best for him. We now have four derby years, so we don’t have to rush. Of course, if he feels good and ready, we will show him.”
Fappani gave much of the credit for his success to his father, NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani. “I thank my dad. He’s my greatest help and my greatest friend, and we have been working on this horse together. He’s ridden him for me some to help me out and put him back where he needs to be when I kind of veer off a little bit,” he said. “He’s the greatest coach.”
It looks like Fappani will eventually be following in his father’s footsteps. “I definitely want to be a horse trainer,” he said.
