2020 NRHA European Futurity: May 15-22, 2021 (Daily Updates)

The oval arena in CremonaFiere is set to welcome European riders vying for the 2020 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) European Futurity titles.

Open to horses born in 2016 named and nominated in the NRHA European Nomination Program, the 2020 edition counts 111 horses entered in the €160,623,14-added Open division and 60 in the €135.810,00-added Non Pro.

Visit NRHAEuropeanFuturity.com to keep up with the action!

5.13.21 – The Stage is Set for the 2020 NRHA European Futurity

5.14.21 – Europe’s Best Horses and Riders Saddle Up in Cremona

5.15.21 – 2020 NRHA European Non Pro Futurity and IRHA 4-year-old Non Pro Futurity Finalists are Determined

5.16.21 – Ann Fonck and Manuel Cortesi Slide to the Top Spot of the 2020 NRHA European Open Futurity and 2020 IRHA 4-year-old Open Futurity

5.18.21 – 2020 NRHA European Futurity Consolation Tuesday

5.20.21 – 2020 NRHA European Non Pro Futurity: One Mr JJ Slides Gina Schumacher To The Win

5.21.21 – 2020 NRHA European Open Futurity: And the Winners are Manuel Cortesi and AR Vintage Dream!

CINCH NRHyA Speaking Contest Returns to 2021 NRHA Derby presented by Markel

At the 2021 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel, reining will not be the only competition occurring at the prestigious event. The CINCH National Reining Horse Youth Association Speaking Contest will return this year, cultivating and encouraging leadership and life skills amongst reining’s talented youth.

In the CINCH NRHyA Speaking Contest, participants will be divided into two age groups, 13 & Under and 14-18, and have the option to compete for $500 scholarships in three different categories: Delivering A:General, Prepared Public Speaking and Community Service Presentation. In the Delivering A:General, contestants recite A:General from the NRHA Handbook, which is a guide to judging reining horses. Prepared Public Speaking involves contestants delivering a five-to-eight-minute speech on either a leadership or equestrian topic. Lastly, the Community Service Presentation allows participants to create an eight-to-10-minute presentation that showcases a community service project they have completed.

“I am excited for this scholarship opportunity for youth members to return to the 2021 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. I encourage NRHyA members to grab a friend, get out of their comfort zone, and try this contest. It’s a great way to practice a life skill around people who want you to succeed, all while having the potential to win a scholarship,” NRHyA Youth Programs Manager Sara Honegger said. “First place in each category of each age group will receive a $500 scholarship, which is such a fun way for youth at any age to start stacking up scholarship dollars. Youth members and their parents would be amazed at how much they can accumulate if they start early in their NRHyA careers.”

Youth members interested in competing in this year’s CINCH NRHyA Speaking Contest can find more information, including the entry form at NRHyA.com. Entry deadline has been extended to June 9 at 5 P.M. CDT. Please email entries to youth@nrha.com.

2021 NRHA Markel Futurity Sales Update

The National Reining Horse Association Markel Futurity Sales have long been recognized for leading the industry and providing the annual value benchmark for top reining horses. The 2020 edition continued that successful tradition, with averages and gross sales up across the board.

The Futurity Sales Task Force is not resting on those laurels. Early this year, its members began firming up details for the 2021 event with twin goals of increasing convenience for consignors and expanding the avenues of purchase for buyers.

The group simplified consignment requirements and selection criteria for yearlings:

  • Video and photograph requirements will not be compulsory as part of the yearling consignment application procedure. Please note that videos, photographs, and radiographs will still be required prior to the NRHA Markel Futurity Sales for marketing materials and to be available for buyers.
  • New guidelines will now govern yearling placement. Foals of dams with $25,000 or more in progeny and/or lifetime earnings will be placed in the Select Yearling Sale, while those not meeting that threshold will sell in the Marketplace Sale.

The Task Force will continue the all-on-one-day concept begun in 2020, so all the Markel Futurity Sales will be held on Thursday, December 2.  Also in 2021, look for modified two-year-old preview opportunities. Those have expanded into two-hour sessions in Arena 6. To provide ample time for consignors to present their horses in a controlled environment, these sessions will be held on November 30 and December 1 at the conclusion of each day’s Futurity Semi-Finals.

Other important announcements from the Task Force were the return to Barns 3 and 4 where the Sales have been traditionally held, and continuation and enhancement of online bidding through DVAuction.com.

Capitalizing on its success in introducing broodmares, the Task Force will continue to include embryos and weanlings. Those have enjoyed tremendous success with weanlings selling as high as $40,000 and embryos as high as $45,000.

The Sales will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, December 2 with the Futurity Prospect Sale, followed by the Select Yearling Sale and the Select Breeders Sale. The Marketplace Sale will finish out the day.

The consignment deadline for all Markel Futurity Sales is August 31. For more information, visit NRHAFuturity.com/Sales or contact NRHA Senior Manager of ReinerSuite and Futurity Sales Angie Honeywell at ahoneywell@nrha.com.

2021 NRHA Futurity Open Champion to Win $350,000!

National Reining Horse Association Announces Massive Futurity Payout Increase

Andrea Fappani’s victory at the 2020 National Reining Horse Association Futurity on All Bettss Are Off was more than memorable; it was historic. Dedication and generosity from a committed group of NRHA members determined to raise the stakes at the world’s biggest reining resulted in the largest championship payments in the event’s history.

Not only did the Open Level 4 Champion receive $250,000, the CINCH Non Pro Champion took home $60,000, and added money for the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships was doubled.

With that accomplished, the Futurity Challenge task force members did not rest on their laurels and began working to raise the bar even higher. At the May 2021 NRHA Board of Directors meeting, their proposal to increase the 2021 MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Championship payout to $350,000 was unanimously approved. That will make the NRHA’s Futurity Open Championship the highest paying aged event title in the western performance horse world!

The additional money earmarked for the Level 4 Open Championship is fully funded by private investors. Rick Clark, NRHA President and member of the Futurity Challenge Task Force is proud of those people who “believe in the future of the reining industry and have pledged their support.” Initially the brainchild of the late Doug Carpenter and former NRHA President Frank Costantini, the Futurity Challenge concept grew quickly. Initial seedstock funding came from Clark along with John and Nancy Tague, Tim Anderson and Kim Niven, and Bob and Arlene Santagata, who were joined by Mark and Julie Blake, Craig and Ginger Schmersal, Mike Hancock, Joao Marcos, Rosanne Sternberg, and Shane Brown. Other investors came on board in the ensuing months and additional commitments are still being received.

Clark said, “I am proud to be President of the NRHA during this time of amazing growth. I applaud the members of the Futurity Challenge group for their commitment of both time and money. Our goal continues to be to increase earning capabilities for both professionals and owners, which will ultimately raise the value of reining horses and create a great future for our industry.”

Because the Futurity Challenge investors have pledged a five-year commitment, the Level 4 Open Champion payout is ensured to not decrease over that time. “The members of the Task Force aspire to enhance participation at all levels of reining by building the NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC to the show of a lifetime,” Clark concluded.

The guaranteed payouts in the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals have been further expanded. In 2021, the Level 4 Open Reserve Champion will take home $150,000, while the third-place winner will receive a check for $100,000. There will also be substantial increases in the payout for fourth through tenth places in the Level 4 Open Finals.

Those boosts, as well as the doubled added money for Adequan® NAACs and the secured $60,000 for the L4 Non Pro Champion that will continue in 2021, are funded by NRHA’s monetary commitment.

For more information on the NRHA Futurity Challenge, email Sammi Miller, NRHA Senior Director of Corporate Relations and Communications at  smiller@nrha.com. For information on the 2021 NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC visit NRHAFuturity.com.

NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations Due June 1

Named for the man known as the “father of modern-day reining,” the National Reining Horse Association Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award is a prestigious accolade.

Dale Wilkinson stood out among his peers as his technique and willingness to teach transformed the sport of reining into the model of collection and finesse that we know today. Wilkinson was one of the founding members of the NRHA and the first Hall of Fame inductee. During his lifetime, he was an educator, promoter, and mentor to all reiners. He set an example of how riders should conduct themselves, train and exhibit a horse. Due to his unmatched lifetime of accomplishment in reining, the NRHA Hall of Fame Committee created the NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award, supported by the Reining Horse Foundation.

Each year, the NRHA Board of Directors and past Hall of Fame inductees vote to approve a worthy candidate for recognition. Unique among its counterparts, the criteria for the award is not centered around NRHA membership, competition/earning records or even status as a breeder or owner. It is solely based on the person’s positive impact on the sport of reining.

In keeping with the culture that Wilkinson helped to form, the NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award nominee must have an inherent passion for the industry. They must have contributed to or changed the course of reining in a positive way irrespective of personal gain. Additionally, the recipient will have demonstrated the ability and desire to attract new people to the sport.

“To be nominated for and receive the Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award is one of NRHA’s highest honors,” says NRHA Executive Assistant & Governance Coordinator Liz Kelsey, who also serves as the staff liaison to the NRHA Hall of Fame Committee. “When you look at who else has received the award, you will see some of reining’s most notable contributors.”

Any NRHA member can submit a nomination which is due on June 1, 2021. All nominations should be sent to Liz Kelsey at lkelsey@nrha.com.

This year’s recipient will be formally recognized during Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch held on December 1 during the NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships in Oklahoma City.

Click here for the NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award nomination form.