When reiners gather, great things happen, and it happened in spades in Vegas.
The 2022 Raise A Million Auctions, held during The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge in Las Vegas, Nevada, brought in more than $190,000 through both the live and silent auctions. The proceeds benefit the reining community through the Reining Horse Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Reining Horse Association.
It was the second year for the Raise A Million Auctions to be held in conjunction with TRFAM, and although expectations were high, they were exceeded.
“It was an incredibly successful event, and between the two years that the Reining Horse Foundation has been invited to The Run For A Million, nearly a million dollars has been raised,” shared Tim Anderson, president of the Reining Horse Foundation. “On behalf of the RHF Board of Directors, I thank Taylor Sheridan and Amanda Brumley who have been incredibly supportive of the Foundation. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to pull something like this off.”
Anderson added that fundraisers – whether large like the Raise A Million Auctions or on a smaller scale – all contribute to the RHF’s mission. “Because of fundraising activities like this, we have been able to expand and increase our scholarship program as well as increase the amount of the grants we distribute through the Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund,” he said. “The Foundation is not like a bank. We’re not trying to save this money; we are going to give it out to the people who need it and use it in ways that best support the Foundation’s mission.”
The Reining Horse Foundation received 37 lots for the Silent Auction from generous donors, including art, décor, tack, apparel, jewelry, autographed memorabilia, equine products, services, breedings, and unique experiences such as events and travel. The Silent Auction was held over several days and closed just prior to the Million Dollar Invitational competition. When the bids were tallied, the Silent Auction had brought in more than $42,000.
“In addition, NRHA member Diana Duffey pledged to match the donation made from Elite Equine for their equine spa services. Elite Equine donated 10 percent of their service proceeds to the RHF during The Run For A Million,” shared Reining Horse Foundation Executive Director Leslie Baker.
The generous spirit of the reining family continued to be on full display during the Live Auction, which was held just prior to the Million Dollar Competition Draw Party. There, seven incredible and unique items were auctioned off, raising $147,000.
There was a tie for the high-selling lots in the live auction. The first was a Supreme Breeding Package that was donated by Amber Gokey, Schmersal/ThorSport Inc., and NRHA Corporate Partner Toyon Ranch. The impressive lot included breedings to 2021 TRFAM Champion Gunna Stop, a breeding to 2019 TRFAM Co-Champion No Smoking Required, and an embryo from Icing Required. It was purchased by NRHA Corporate Partner Santa Hill Ranch.
The other high seller was a NASCAR Truck Series Primary Partnership Package to Daytona International Speedway, which was donated by ThorSport and purchased by NRHA Corporate Partner Clark’s Pump-N-Shop.
“Thank you to the generous donors to both the live and silent auction and of course to the purchasers of those items. We are grateful for everything they have done,” Anderson said. “Thank you also to Leslie Baker for her efforts in making this a success, and also to the volunteers who were there day after day helping. We have a tremendous Board of Directors for the Foundation, and it’s a great group of people who truly have the reining community in mind.”
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 information on the RHF, visit ReiningFoundation.com
Photos by Leslie Baker