The Official Publication of the National Reining Horse Association | July 2026
Back to Back NRBC Open Championship
The Offi cial Publication of the NATIONAL REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION
July 2026 Vol. 51, Issue 5
nrha.com
2026 NRHA Board of Directors
EXECUTIVE
Billy Smith Commissioner Alisson Antunez Executive Assistant
ext. 108 ext. 129
ACCOUNTING
John Foy Chief Financial Officer Chris Mossman Senior Director of Accounting Debbie Shupe Senior Accounting Supervisor Casey Lofton Senior Accounting Coordinator
ext. 109 ext. 104 ext. 107
Mike Hancock President (252) 903-3516 mikehancock@boddienoell.com
Casey Hinton Vice President (903) 821-9742 hintonreining@gmail.com
Karen Shedlauskas Director-At-Large (330) 565-0762 ksheds63@gmail.com
John Tague Director-At-Large (903) 821-9742 jptague@yahoo.com
Tom McCutcheon Director-At-Large (940) 390-7433 TMRHoffice@gmail.com
Ed Bricker Director-At-Large 412-551-7943 hootbricker@hotmail.com
Andrea Stillo Director-At-Large (817) 403-1630 andreastillo@hotmail.com
ext. 133
CORPORATE RELATIONS
Christy Landwehr Senior Director of Corporate Relations
ext. 122
EDUCATION & OFFICIALS
Patti Carter Senior Director of Education & Officials
ext. 103
Board of Directors
ext. 123
Jenny Ricotta Southwest (903) 267-5224 ricottaperformancehorses@ gmail.com
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Angie Honeywell Senior Director of ReinerSuite & Sales
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Maddie Weber Senior Director of Marketing Haley Carmen Senior Director of Communications
ext. 204 ext. 102
MEMBER & SHOW SERVICES
Christa Morris-Stone Assistant Commissioner Samantha Oldfi eld Senior Director of International Affairs & Development Kristen Liesman Senior Manager of Award & Show Services Krissy Colbath Director of Member & Show Services Kiely Larson Member & Show Services Coordinator Lauren Dushay Manager of Affiliate & Events
ext. 105 ext. 110 ext. 113 ext. 117 ext. 119 ext. 115
REINING HORSE FOUNDATION
Leslie Baker RHF Executive Director
ext. 106
Lisé Bulik RHF Sr. Coordinator of Development & NRHyA
ext. 138
NRHA REINER PUBLISHED BY 614 MEDIA GROUP Jack McLaughlin Editor-In-Chief
jack@614mediagroup.com
Maggie Valentine Associate Editor
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Mary McCarthy Associate Editor
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andrew@614mediagroup.com Andrew Thomas Creative Director Dan Sileargy (614) 886-1320 National Sales Director anna@614mediagroup.com Anna Gerhard 614 Media Group Account Representative Lindsay Press lindsay@614mediagroup.com CEO, 614 Media Group
4 | NRHA REINER
Executive Committee
Bundy Lane Southeast (252) 938-7705 bundylane68@gmail.com Mike Davis North Central (319) 404-2270 mdreiners@gmail.com Matt Murphy Northeast (703) 930-2760 safetymurph13@aol.com Kylie Warn Northwest (503) 703-8587 kyliewarn@yahoo.com
Travis Chapman Mountain (303) 518-3163 tmmedic@yahoo.com
Rudi Kronsteiner Europe 43-676-745-476-0 info@kronsteiner.de
Margaret Fuchs East Central (330) 717-8193 magmfuchs@aol.com
João Marcos South America 55-011-468-800-05 joaomarcos@arrudapires.com.br
Andre De Bellefeuille Canada (514) 578-5757 andre@versapro.ca
Jose Soto Soberanes Mexico 524-423-143-026 jsoto@cnn-law.com.mx
Rick Clark RHF (606) 232-7423 rick.clark@clarkspns.com
Pam Watson Oceania 61-042-422-949-7
Maik Bartmann Europe 49-172-624-801-6 info@vineyardranch.com
Andrea Stillo South Central (817) 403-1630 andreastillo@hotmail.com
pamela_watson17@hotmail.com
The NRHA REINER is published by the National Reining Horse Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of the sport of reining. The NRHA REINER is the copyrighted property of the National Reining Horse Association. No information may be reproduced or used without the express written permission of the National Reining Horse Association. We welcome manuscripts pertaining to the reining horse, relevant to the performance horse industry and of interest to reiners. Manuscripts and pictures sent to the address below will be handled with care. Please enclose a SASE. The NRHA REINER is not responsible for incorrect information that may appear in any vendor advertisement. Persons or entities suspended for any reason are denied advertising privileges in the NRHA REINER until suspension is lifted. The NRHA REINER (ISSN0199-6762) is published by the National Reining Horse Association, 3021 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6125. Periodical postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK 73107 and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40028657 POSTMASTER: Send change of address to NRHA REINER, 3021 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6125. Please mail all advertising copy to NRHA REINER, 3021 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6125.
JULY 2026
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Table of Contents ON THE COVER: Kole Price riding Golden Coins en route to an NRBC Open Championship. Photography courtesy of PMG.
July Spotlight
38
2026 NRBC Open Championship Reinings best head to Tulsa to determine the winner of the 2026 National Reining Breeders Classic.
Features 32 EUROPEAN REIN MILLION DOLLAR MILESTONES
40, 56, 86
46 DIGITAL REINING
In Every Issue
52 CORPORATE PARTNER SPOLIGHT: GENETECH TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS
60
CORPORATE PARTNER SPOLIGHT: OKLAHOMA STUD
68
REINER INSIGHTS
72
NRHA KNOWLEDGE
80
Event Coverage
From the President
14
Reining Horse Foundation
20
NRHyA
24
NRHA Event Calendar
123
Advertiser/ Stallion Indexes THE GREAT WESTERN REINING 90
126
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JULY 2026
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From the President
A Little Innovation Goes a Long Way
I
nnovation is rarely a straight line. Some ideas work exactly as planned. Others require adjustments along the way. Some take years to develop, while others seem to fall into place almost overnight. A measure of luck seems to play a role, as well. Regardless of the path, progress depends on a willingness to think differently, take calculated risks, and embrace change. By the time this magazine reaches your mailbox, the 2026 6666 NRHA Derby® presented by Markel will be in the books. Looking back, this year’s event serves as a powerful reminder of what can happen when an organization commits to growth, remains open to new ideas, and continually seeks ways to better serve its members. This year’s Derby was remarkable in many ways. It was a record-setting event, surpassing $2 million in payouts while also achieving record stall numbers and entries. Those accomplishments do not happen by accident. They are the result of years of planning, investment, and the collective efforts of owners, breeders, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff who believe in the future of our sport. One of the most exciting developments was the addition of more than $150,000 to the 4-yearold stakes. This significant investment reinforces NRHA’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for exhibitors while ensuring the Derby continues to evolve alongside the needs of our industry. We are incredibly grateful to Gabe and Susi Hutchins of Tamarack Ranch and Amy, Kevin, and Lane Colston of Colston Paving for their generosity and partnership in helping make that vision a reality. This year’s event also highlighted the resilience and adaptability of our membership. When the unexpected EHV-1 outbreak disrupted plans surrounding the 2025 Futurity, NRHA was faced with difficult decisions. Those decisions required flexibility from everyone involved and challenged us to think creatively about how to preserve opportunities for our members. One result was the relocation of the
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North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) to the NRHA Derby. Change is not always easy, but the success of the NAAC at the Derby demonstrated what is possible when a community comes together with a shared commitment to moving forward. The Derby’s success also reflects a broader trend we are seeing throughout the reining industry. Across the country, participation is strong, purses are growing, and enthusiasm for the sport continues to build. Events such as the National Reining Breeders Classic also shattered previous records, further reinforcing the momentum our industry is experiencing. It is exciting to celebrate these accomplishments, but success should never lead to complacency. Too often, organizations become comfortable when things are going well. The most successful organizations understand that growth requires continual evaluation, investment, and innovation. NRHA continues to lead the western performance horse industry because we are fortunate to have leaders, staff, volunteers, sponsors, and members who are willing to challenge assumptions, embrace new ideas, and put in the hard work necessary to turn vision into reality.
Mike Hancock NRHA President We want to hear from you! Please send your feedback on this issue to reiner@nrha.com.
JULY 2026
Reining Horse Foundation
RHF is at Work Globally
T
he Reining Horse Foundation (RHF) has become one of the most influential charitable organizations within the global reining community, supporting the sport through education, scholarships, historic preservation, and assistance programs that reach far beyond the United States. Established as the philanthropic arm of the National Reining Horse Association, the Foundation has helped strengthen the future of reining by investing in people, preserving the sport’s heritage, and encouraging community on an international scale. One of the Foundation’s greatest contributions to the industry is its commitment to education. Through scholarships and leadership development opportunities, RHF helps young riders, horsemen, and industry professionals pursue higher education and career advancement. These programs create opportunities for future leaders. The Foundation also plays a critical role in preserving the history of reining. By documenting significant milestones, honoring influential horsemen and horses, and supporting historical archives, RHF ensures that the traditions and achievements of the sport are protected for future generations. This preservation effort is especially important as reining continues to expand globally, allowing newer international associations and riders to connect with the roots and values of the sport. Another important aspect of the Foundation’s work is its support programs for individuals facing hardship. RHF provides assistance to members of the reining community during times of serious medical crisis and natural disasters. These programs reflect the strong sense of unity within the industry and demonstrate that reining is more than a competition—it is a worldwide family that supports one another. Internationally, the impact of the Foundation can be seen through youth involvement across Europe, South America, Asia, and other emerging markets. One of the most visible examples is support for the World Youth Reining Cup, which fosters global sharing through a group of young reining competitors every year. RHF has become a symbol of stability, generosity, and long-term vision within the equine industry. Its influence extends far beyond charitable giving, helping shape the future of reining around the world. Through education, preservation, and humanitarian support, the Foundation continues to elevate the sport and unite the global reining community under a shared passion for excellence.
Andrea Stillo RHF Vice President To donate, visit reiningfoundation.com or contact RHF at (405) 946-7400, ext. 106, rhf@nrha.com.
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Board of Directors RICK CLARK, PRESIDENT (606) 232-7423 rick.clark@clarkspns.com ANDREA STILLO, VICE PRESIDENT (817) 403-1630 andreastillo@hotmail.com DEBBIE CONWAY, SECRETARY/ TREASURER (281) 687-0724 debbiejconway14@gmail.com TERRI MAINEY, OFFICER (919) 623-6054 gameangel65@aol.com MIKE MCFARLIN, OFFICER (615) 293-4044 mmcfarlin@mwlginc.com JESSE BOYD (281) 979-9632 jesse.boy@icloud.com DIANA DUFFEY (970) 710-1244 diana.trftgllc@gmail.com PATRICK FLAHERTY (480) 220-6025 Flaherty.performance@gmail.com MIKE HANCOCK, EX OFFICIO (252) 903-3516 mhh@boddienoell.com AMY KIRBY (614) 203-0643 abkirby15@gmail.com JANICE LANEY (205) 639-7878 janiceflaney@gmail.com MORGAN MCCLURE (480) 789-9337 morgan@holdfast.me.uk ALLISON THORSON (419) 357-1488 athorson@thorsportfarm.com CHRISTY TRAUTMAN (608) 215-9542 cmtrautman@gmail.com KEVIN TRUAX (515) 314-0704 kevin.truax@lpl.com BROOKE WHARTON (940) 357-1998 bmw@bmwquarterhorses.com BILLY WILLIAMS (503) 887-7171 billwilliams1330@gmail.com
JULY 2026
From the Show Pen to Capitol Hill NRHyA leadership hits the nation’s Capitol to learn about the future of America’s equine and agriculture sectors By Lisé Bulik Photos courtesy of NRHyA
↑ Youth leaders gather during a tour of Washington, D.C. monuments and memorials as part of the AQHyA Capitol Hill experience.
A
t the invitation of the American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA), the NRHyA Executive Committee members were among 19 youth leaders from across North America in Washington, D.C. for a leadership and advocacy experience focused on the future of agriculture and the equine industry. Throughout the trip, participants met with dozens of lawmakers and industry leaders to discuss important issues affecting horse owners, ranchers, veterinarians, and rural communities. Topics included the Farm Bill, the Horse Protection Improvement Act, the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, and concerns surrounding the New World Screwworm infestation and livestock health protections. The experience gave NRHyA officers the opportunity to gain experience firsthand in how participating in the democratic process can help shape the future of the horse industry beyond the show pen.
↑ Youth leaders from NRHyA and AQHYA spent time building friendships and civic skills throughout the Washington, D.C. experience.
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JULY 2026
Youth Reining (NRHyA) One important topic discussed during the trip was the Horse Protection Improvement Act. Participants learned how the legislation is intended to strengthen horse welfare protections while helping ensure most responsible horse owners and trainers are not negatively affected by the actions of a small percentage involved in illegal soring practices. The group also learned about the importance of the Farm Bill and how it affects agriculture research, animal health programs, food systems, and livestock protections across the country. Discussions surrounding the New World Screwworm highlighted the importance of disease prevention and accurate livestock tracking to help
protect the agriculture industry in the U.S. While the trip focused heavily on connecting with elected officials and staff, it also created friendships among youth leaders from across North America. From touring monuments and museums to sharing meals and conversations together, participants built connections that extend beyond the arena. The Washington, D.C. experience reminded participants that success in the horse industry is not measured only by accomplishments in the show pen. Leadership, friendship, and service all play an important role in shaping the future of the equine community.
DID YOU KNOW? • • • •
•
↑ NRHyA Officers alongside AQHyA members meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss issues affecting agriculture, horse welfare, and the future of the equine industry.
The U.S. horse industry supports more than 1 million jobs nationwide. Agriculture contributes more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy annually. The horse industry has an economic impact of more than $177 billion in the United States. More than 38 million acres of land in the U.S. are preserved as open space through horserelated land use. Youth leadership programs like the NRHyA help students develop communication, scholarship, teamwork, and advocacy skills that prepare them for future careers.
↑ NRHyA officers visit the United States Capitol during their leadership and advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. Left to right: are RHF chaperone Leslie Baker; Ava Smedley; Kynley Bell; Bella Beck; MK Hardin; Kendall Wigen; Emma Klug, and chaperone Lisé Bulik.
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 25
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News
What’s New in the World of Reining NRHA Announces $150,000 Increase To 2026 NRHA Derby® 4-Year-Old Stakes
T
he National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has announced a significant expansion to the 2026 NRHA Derby 4-Year-Old Stakes, adding $150,000 in new added money to the program. The Stakes will once again run concurrently with the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel. A huge thank you to Gabe and Susi Hutchins of Tamarack Ranch and Amy, Kevin and Lane Colston of Colston Paving for being long time and continued sponsors of these Stakes. With this increase, total added money for the 4-Year-Old Stakes now exceeds $300,000. Previously limited to the Level 4 Open and Level 4 Non Pro divisions, the Stakes will expand in 2026 to include Levels 1, 2, and 3 in both Open and Non Pro competition. “This investment reflects NRHA’s continued commitment to the growth of the Derby and to
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creating meaningful opportunities for reiners at every level,” said Billy Smith, NRHA Commissioner. The 4-Year-Old Stakes has quickly become an important platform for showcasing the next generation of reining athletes. The addition of Levels 1 through 3 ensures that more owners, breeders, and competitors can participate in a high-value, high-visibility environment, while also enhancing the depth and competitiveness of the event. This expansion aligns with NRHA’s broader initiative to create more inclusive and progressive opportunities across all levels of the sport. By increasing accessibility and potential return on investment, the Stakes continues to grow as a key component of the Derby experience. Updated entry forms will be available soon at nrhaderby.com.
JULY 2026
News
Foals R Us owned by Lorenzo Lotti Named Title Sponsor of the NRHA Futurity®
T
he National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is proud to welcome NRHA Corporate Partner Foals R Us as the title sponsor of the NRHA Futurity®, marking a significant and exciting milestone for one of the sport’s most celebrated events. While the NRHA Futurity has long been supported by a strong network of partners, it has not featured a dedicated title sponsor. This title partnership with Foals R Us represents a meaningful evolution for the event and a shared investment in its future. Today, Foals R Us is recognized as a leading breeding and reproduction program, known for its commitment to quality, care, and the future of the industry. But for Lotti, success has never been
JULY 2026
just about business, it’s about the people, the horses, and the journey that brought him here. “Reining shows and events come and go,” owner Lorenzo Lotti said, “but the NRHA Futurity is built to last. As the National Reining Horse Association and the NRHA Futurity celebrates 60 years, it’s clear this event isn’t going anywhere. Foals R Us is proud to be part of that momentum and the future it represents.” As the NRHA continues to grow, this partnership serves as a reminder that the heart of the sport remains the same rooted in opportunity, community, and shared love of the horse. For more information about NRHA partnerships and sponsorships, visit nrha.com/sponsor.
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2026 NRHA European Futurity
European Rein Competitors from across Europe competed at the 18th annual European Futurity; longstanding pro surpasses $3 million LTE By NRHA Corporate Media Partner International Horse Press/Marie Klímová Photos by Bonaga Communication
Visitors filled the stands to watch the 18th edition of the NRHA European Futurity. ↑
Million Dollar Run The 18th edition of the NRHA European Futurity presented by DeNiroBoot Co., the only $1 Million-Added NRHA event outside the U.S., crowned its champions at the 39th edition of the International Salone del Cavallo Americano, held in Cremona, Italy, which attracted over
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36,000 visitors. A record-breaking number of 229 entries in the $700,000-Added Open and 159 in the $300,000-Added Non Pro Futurity— across the four levels—competed in the Futurity open to 4-year-old horses enrolled in the NRHA Nomination Program. Riders representing 14 countries made their way to the city of Stradivari.
JULY 2026
2026 NRHA European Futurity
Bernard Fonck pilots DG Andy Crush. ↑
Level 4 On Saturday night, the top 20 qualified finalists rode for the $420,000-Added MS Diamonds TX Open Level (L)4 Championship which offered a guaranteed $100,000 paycheck to the Champion, as well as the MS Diamonds TX Championship rings. The stands were full, and loud cheers echoed in the building when NRHA Professional Bernard Fonck of Belgium piloted his strong mount, DG Andy Crush (NRHA $1 Million Sire PS Mega Shine Chic x Gunners Specialolena), to an impressive score of 230 taking the highest title of the show and surpassing yet another milestone in his career by becoming the first European-based NRHA rider to surpass $3 Million in lifetime earnings. It was all or nothing for the newly crowned L4 Open Champion: Fonck needed more than
JULY 2026
$97,000 to go over and his goal was to bring home the check for the win, once again making history. His ride was none other than the sorrel stallion with a history related to the Fonck family. “My wife, [NRHA $1 Million Rider] Ann, rode his dam and earned over $100,000 on her, so it is a special moment to cross another million on him,” he said of the stallion owned, bred, and nominated by Diego Dalla Gassa whom he won the 2025 IRHA/ IRHBA Futurity L4 Open Championship with. “I always try to ride my horses to their maximum potential: I knew that he was great in his circles and spins, so I focused on that and it worked out. He gave me everything, he was just phenomenal and on fire tonight.” In addition to his L4 earnings, he added $13,949 for 10th place tie on Sweet Little Diamond with whom he also placed second in the APHA Chrome Cash earning an additional $550.
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2026 NRHA European Futurity
Sebastiano Valtorta on In Like Flinnstone. →
Level 3 It was a big night for Sebastiano Valtorta of Italy and his trusted companion In Like Flinnstone (NRHA $1 Million Sire In Like Flinn x Shyawhiz), a stallion owned, bred, and nominated by Piergiuseppe Guidetti. When the combination entered the arena, the crowd was on fire; as they went on to circle around the show pen, the ovation increased. After the last slide, Valtorta stopped in the arena, and a 227 appeared on the scoreboard, earning them the L4 Reserve Championship as well as the $154,000-Added L3 title, along with checks for $63,550 and $32,999 respectively. “I love this horse. I think he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden in my life,” said Valtorta. “I am thrilled about our run today because last year we missed the 3-year-old Italian Futurity L4 Open Finals by half a point, so this is a big satisfaction for us. I’m really happy for my family, my assistant, and of course the owner. We sell a lot of horses after the Futurity, but thankfully Piergiuseppe doesn’t want to sell this one, so we will continue our way to the derbies next year. I really hope this horse can stay in my barn forever. The level of competition was really high throughout the whole week and you have to have a strong run to make it to the Finals. A lot of people did, so it was a great night,” he said, adding a big thank you to the organizers for such a smooth show. Valtorta piloted his second mount, CD Lucifer Made 66, to a tie for 10th place tie in the L4, earning another $13,949, and added another $8,351 with a tie for eighth place tie in the L3, capping off a profitable evening. Luca Piccolo and MC Spatagun, L4 and L3 go round leaders, claimed the L3 Reserve Championship with a 223 score.
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JULY 2026
2026 NRHA European Futurity
OPEN GO ROUND LEADERS Luca Piccolo of Italy and his trusted companion MC Spatagun (Spatatino x Sheza Smoken CD) performed to a 223 in the qualifier, topping both the L4 and L3 divisions. “She’s been with us since she was a youngster, having been trained at Torello Quarter Horses. We competed in the Italian 3-yearold Futurity last year, and I’ve always believed in her because she has consistently shown what a special horse she is. She’s incredibly talented, honest, and has so much heart. No matter the situation, she always gives her best, and that’s something you can’t teach. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved together so far, and I’m confident we can be competitive in the finals. We will go in, stay focused on our job, and give it everything we have.” The double-registered APHA/AQHA mare is owned by Maria Pia Sassone and was bred and nominated by Azienda Agricola Pegaso. MARKEL GRADS Qualifying for the Open Finals was Markel Grad Trick R Treat (Tricked Out Spook x Dontquestionthischic) ridden by Jolien Rottiers of Belgium. The stallion, owned and nominated by AT Reining Dream, closed in 17th place in the L3 earning $2,911, and 11th in the L2 bringing home $2,600. They also placed seventh in the Chrome Cash L3 and third in the L2, earning an extra $475.
APHA CHROME CASH OPEN This year, the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Chrome Cash incentive program offered $1,000-added to each level in the Open and Non Pro Futurity divisions. •
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$1,000-Added Chrome Cash Level 4 & $1,000-Added Level 3 tie: Matyas Gobert and This Biz (NRHA $13 Million Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz x Diva Dual), a stallion owned and nominated by AT Reining Dream (score 219.5).
•
•
$1,000-Added Chrome Cash Level 3 tie & $1,000-Added Level 2: Matteo Cuniglio and Voodoo Gotta Whiz (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Voodoo Sister), owned by Rosanne Sternberg and nominated by Francesco Groppelli (score 219.5). $1,000-Added Chrome Cash Level 1: Danilo Ruscetta and KB Kiss Me Again (Gunner Dun It Again x Smart Whizzin Jenny), owned by Lighthill Ranch GMBH and nominated by Koen Brutsaert (score 212.5).
NRHA REINER | 35
2026 NRHA European Futurity
Jayden Feichter rides Katie Blues. ↑
Level 2 Young Jayden Feichter performed one of the strongest runs in the first section of the Open Finals aboard Edith Zenouda’s owned, bred, and nominated mare Katie Blues (NRHA $5 Million Sire Colonels Shining Gun x Blues At The Bar). The pair received a 220 score for their run, taking home the $91,000-Added L2 Championship together with a check worth $18,993. Feichter praised the mare for her performance. “Honestly, I did not expect to do so well here. We came to try, and she was just perfect for me in the pen,” he said about his homebred mount. “My mom rode her dam, and I always wanted to ride her, but she was getting older, so we bred her and now I get to ride her
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offspring, so it is pretty special. I have watched this mare grow up and have been a part of her journey since the beginning, so I am happy she’s in my program and that we did so well today. I hope the next shows will go just as well.” The French rider was quick to thank his parents for giving him the opportunity to show the mare, and Bernard Fonck who helped him prepare during the show. Half a point behind, taking the L2 Reserve Championship, was Italy’s Matteo Cuniglio riding Voodoo Gotta Whiz (NRHA $13 Million Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz x Voodoo Sister), a mare owned by NRHA Hall of Famer and $2 Million Owner Rosanne Sternberg, and bred and nominated by Francesco Groppelli.
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2026 NRHA European Futurity Danilo Ruscetta with KB Kiss Me Again. →
Level 1 The $35,000-Added L1 Open Championship was determined after the first section of the Finals where three riders closed with a score of 212.5 and decided to share the title, each adding $5,856 to their lifetime earnings. First to post the high score was Italy’s Danilo Ruscetta with KB Kiss Me Again (NRHA $1 Million Sire Gunner Dun It Again x Smart Whizzin Jenny), a stallion owned by Lighthill Ranch GMBH, bred and nominated by Koen Brutsaert. “My horse was phenomenal today, I feel so good about our run. He is special and I think he can do so much more in the future. We plan to take him to the German Breeders Futurity and Italian Futurity, so I’m excited to show him more this year and then start preparing for the derbies next year,” he said, thanking the owners for giving him such a great opportunity. The pair also topped the Chrome Cash L1 adding another $720 to their earnings. Maximilian Georg Engelhardt of Germany and Luisa Fieting’s Coffee And Gun TB (NRHA $8 Million Sire Gunners Special Nite x Coffee Whiz Milk Tb), a stallion bred and nominated by Irmgard Brendgens, tied the winning score. “I was so happy with my horse today; he tried really hard and gave me all his heart even though he was a bit tired because of the heat. I bought him when he was two, and I now own him with my girlfriend, who also successfully showed him last year. I trained him myself with the help of [NRHA Professional] Stephan Rohde, who helped me here a lot, and I’m really thankful for his support,” said Engelhardt who also collected a $5,241 check for seventh place finish in the L2. Joining the winning trio was Germany’s Fabienne Steiger aboard Arnelswallawhizcrome (Walla Whiz Crome x RS Arnels Feo Jac), a stallion owned, bred, and nominated by Sabrina Adam. Last in the Section 1 draw, and
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loudly supported by the public, Steiger was emotional after her run. “He was amazing, a little tired, but gave me everything, as he always does in the arena. He was very brave and easy, so I’m very happy with him. I would like to thank the Fonck family for their help at the show and my family at home, in particular my husband.” ■
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Million Dollar Milestones
A Run for Their Money Monica Watson’s Double Run Farm in Leland, North Carolina, earns NRHA $1 Million Owner status By Blanche Schaefer
↑ Double Run horses One Right Chic and her colt. Photo courtesy of Double Run Farm
“I
’m still the little 10-year-old girl who just got her first horse, sitting in the middle of rural North Carolina, out in the country on property that’s been in my family for seven generations and always had horses on it. Now it’s got more horses on it, but I’m still that little 10-yearold girl,” said Monica Watson, owner of Double Run Farm, an NRHA $2 Million Breeder who recently crossed the mark as a $1 Million Owner. A sincere love for horses of all kinds has always fueled Watson’s passion, which makes sense, as she was raised in a farming family that utilized horses, mules, and ponies for both work and enjoyment. “My mother used to say I was just horse crazy.
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There’s something about equine anything that just makes my heart melt. I’ve been on a horse since I could walk, but I’ve never shown in my life, and I never will. I never had the desire to do it. I just love horses,” Watson said. “I got my very first horse of my own when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and it was a perfect time, because I had the chicken pox so I was out of school, and I wasn’t allowed to go back to school. My daddy brought my horse home to me, and I got on him and rode him for a whole week. Back then, you could ride down the road. It was a main highway, but we’re talking 70 years ago, not like it is today—you could just ride. I’ve just always loved horses.” JULY 2026
Million Dollar Milestones
Watson dove into reining in a big way nearly 30 years ago when she bred and raised the nowlegendary 1999 palomino stallion Wimpys Little Step (Nu Chex to Cash x Leolita Step), an NRHA Hall of Famer, $14 million sire and 2002 NRHA Open Futurity Champion with NRHA $7 Million Rider Shawn Flarida under the ownership of Mark Schols. Double Run Farm also bred 2007 NRHA Futurity Champion Wimpys Little Chic (Wimpys Little Step x Collena Chic Olena) who was ridden by Flarida, among a long list of champions such as Dust Off Ya Gunns, Wimpys Littlecolonel and Collenas Finest Tafy, to name only a few. “I had absolutely no idea what reining was, that isolated type of competition, until I sold Wimpys Little Step—his baby name was ‘Andy,’ and I still call him Andy—to a client (Schols) who needed a futurity horse,” Watson recalled. “That’s when I discovered that you don’t have to go out and do other stuff too, you can just do reining. That was the beginning of it with Shawn and Wimpys Little Step when I really fell in love with the sport.” Discovering reining set Watson’s life on a course she never could have predicted. She says it was the beauty of the sport, and the seemingly effortless teamwork between horse and rider, that drew her in. “To explain to people who know nothing about it, when you first see it, it’s like watching figure skating in the Olympics. The synchronized work of that team together, and the beautiful, smooth, awe-inspiring movements that they make as one. That’s reining. You cannot help but fall in love with it,” she said. In-house trainer Peter DeFreitas joined the team in 2009 after working for $1.4 Million Rider Mike McEntire and has played a monumental
role in getting Double Run Farm to $1 Million Owner status. Now himself an NRHA $1 Million Rider, DeFreitas rode Double Run Farm-owned horses such as Dust Off Ya Gunns, Warrior Mask, and One Mighty Gunner to more than $108,000 in 2025 and over $31,000 so far in 2026 to push Watson’s program over the $1 million mark as owner. “I’ve had different trainers here off and on, but whenever I finally settled in on Pete, that’s when things really started to click. Mike McEntire, being a North Carolina guy, had some of my horses, and Pete usually rode them for Mike,” Watson explained. “When Pete got to the point that Mike thought he should be on his own, he thought we’d make a good match, and he was right. We did, and we still are.” More importantly to Watson than any accomplishments in the arena, however, is DeFreitas’ character and integrity as a trainer, horseman, and person. “Pete is a good, honest guy and a very hard worker. I’ve never trained a horse and don’t pretend to know anything about it. But I watch the trainers and the way they treat the animal. Pete has ethics not only with people but with the animals he trains. That means a lot to me,” Watson said. “He and his family have become an extended part of my family. We respect each other and he has respect for the animals, and that’s important to me.” Getting a program to elite status in the horse industry doesn’t happen without the right team paired with the right horses. Watson says her belief in mare power when making breeding decisions has been of paramount importance to Double Run Farm’s success.
“MY MOTHER USED TO SAY I WAS JUST HORSE CRAZY. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT EQUINE ANYTHING THAT JUST MAKES MY HEART MELT.”
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Million Dollar Milestones
↑ NRHA million dollar trainer Peter DeFreitas joined Double Run Farm in 2009. Photo courtesy of Waltenberry.
“The best breeding does not mean you have the best horse. It’s a crap shoot sometimes,” Watson said. “When I first started 25-30 years ago, you’d hear people talking about how the stud was so important and had to be a winner. They were breeding the studs to any old mare that came along and not paying attention to the mare side of the breeding program. I had this epiphany, and all of a sudden things started clicking. If you want mares to have records, show the mares and get the records on the mares and improve the mares. I concentrated on the mares a bit more and breeding good mares to good studs. It’s become more prevalent now in the industry, and I’m glad to be on that side of it.” The most rewarding part for Watson is seeing the horses she’s bred, raised, or own go into the show pen and do well, regardless of if they win first place or not. “When my horses do good, I’m ecstatic beyond words. They might not win, but they have done their best, and not all horses are made for the top 42 | NRHA REINER
score. Just to watch them and know they have done their very best, you can’t not have a grin on your face,” Watson said. “Being new in the show industry compared to everybody else, you realize being in the top 20, top 10, top five when they started out with over 1,000 horses, that’s really good. In this world we’re all tuned to that if you’re not the winner you’re the loser, but it’s not like that in the horse industry. That top 10, top 20, that really means something.” The love of the horse before the sport has always been the driving force behind Double Run Farm, and Watson wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m very naive when it comes to a whole lot of this stuff,” Watson laughed regarding scores, levels, and showing. “I just love it, watching my babies when they’re born, watching them grow out in the pasture. It just makes your heart feel good. I remind people a lot that God made the animals first, so we need to take care of them. You bet your money that He wonders every once in a while why He ever put a person on the face of the Earth.” ■ JULY 2026
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Digital Reining
Digital Reining In an increasingly technology-driven era, training video subscriptions are offering a way for reiners around the country—and the world—to tap into professional insight, even if they’re nowhere near an arena By Blanche Schaefer | Photography courtesy of Purple Media Group ← NRHA Pro Luca Fappani.
N
ot so long ago, if you lived far f rom the big reining barns or major equine arenas, landing lessons f rom a seasoned pro was a tall order. Maybe, if you were lucky, you could send a quick video to a respected trainer for a bit of feedback. Not anymore. Training video subscriptions and lessons are heating up in the reining industry. Where else can you have the experience and insight of million-dollar riders and trainers, like Casey Deary and Luca Fappani, on demand? “I have a handful of [subscribers] in Louisiana that are hours from a covered arena,” Deary said. And Fappani’s had the same experience. “People in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona don’t realize how lucky we are to have such a densely populated reining community,” Fappani said. “I get a lot of questions f rom New York, Mississippi, like, ‘Reining is just not really a thing here.’”
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Digital Reining And, just as personalities and training approaches differ, so do video subscriptions. Deary, who has over 1,400 entries in his current and past subscription records, is quick to admit that his approach is organic and off-the-cuff. He said, “Don’t expect it to be Paramount. This is going to be raw, unedited information for you to learn from. You’re seeing me school horses that I’m going to be counting on the paycheck for. I’m gonna do what needs to be done to make sure that horse gets trained. I’m not worried about whether or not my video is cute.” “My wife [Nicole] has wanted me to do this for a hundred years, and I have been against it the whole time,” he continued. “I don’t have my own email. I am not a techie kind of a person. She just wore me down and wore me down and wore me down. And then she said one day, ‘Casey, you know, your kids all want to ride. If something happens to you, all of that information’s gone.’ And I said,
‘That’s a pretty dirty blow to pull the kids into it.’” But, he admitted with a laugh, he relented. His videographer is Cassie Hacking, a TCU college student and family friend. “As I’m building my 3 year-olds, I go, ‘Hey, turn the camera on. This is something we catch.’ Literally I slap the mic on, I do exactly what I would be doing anyway, and she films it. We don’t do any editing on it. You get the whole episode. And the funny thing is, I always have non pros here, and they start chiming in questions as I’m talking.” By contrast, Fappani (who started making training videos when he was working for Deary) has over 500 current subscribers and a more polished, planned approach. Many of his subscribers are recreational riders who enjoy riding and don’t have access to a trainer, and he also offers subscribers video lessons and consultations over Zoom. He has a custom-built video platform and a team that he admits “puts a lot of effort” into his video series.
Fappani is just one NRHA Pro offering virtual training video series. ↓
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NRHA REINER | 47
Digital Reining ← Fappani’s training video subscription service currently has more than 500 subscribers.
MORE PROS OFFERING VIDEO LESSONS: Matt Mills Reining: A library of over 200 videos with a wide variety of competition skill drills
“It’s a big time investment, and I think that that’s why there’s not a million trainers out there doing it,” he said. “Every six months or less, we will schedule like three days in a row where we compile all the topics that people have wanted to hear about, as well as some of my own ideas that I think would benefit the subscribers. And we’ll film all day for at least two days, just trying to make as many videos as we can with a broad spectrum of horses.” Then, his team prepares three videos per month, posts them to the website, and collects feedback. Both trainers’ videos usually end up in the 10 to 25 range. “I want to make my videos concise enough that people can absorb all the information without all the fluff. What’s valuable is, every time that I see a mistake and I correct it and explain it, that’s what the people want to see,” Fappani said. Deary includes videos from other trainers, his assistants, and even his kids. As a result, his subscribers come from all corners of the sport. I have had countless numbers of open level four riders that have called and said, ‘Man, that’s good stuff.’ And I got a five page text message [from a rider] with tears talking about how it’s changed his life; I’m thinking, ‘Okay, that, maybe, is a little extreme, but I’m glad you enjoy it.’” And reining’s digital platform will continue to grow. “This is one of the few ways that [riders] can get actual professional advice and professional knowledge without having to pay training, without having to haul across the country, or even hours across state lines, to go and get help,” Fappani said. “I would encourage that also, of course. But this is something that’s pretty easy and that I think can truly help someone’s program.” ■
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Valentine Riding Horses: NRHA competitor offering a free video series teaching lead changes, sliding and much more Larry Trocha Horse Training: Longstanding quarter horse trainer offering videos and accompanying cheat sheets Jim Greendyk Performance Horses: NRHA pro Jim Greendyk offers hours of free tutorials across more than a dozen videos on his YouTube channel, including videos on steering, lead changes and more.
For more, check out YouTube channels like Virtual Horse Help and Horse Training Pro which offer free training content.
JULY 2026
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Corporate Partner Spotlight
GeneTech: The Future of Reproduction Ovum pick-up (OPU) is transforming the world of elite sport horse breeding; here’s what you need to know about it By Bethani Bishop
What is OPU?
OPU in Sport Mares
Ovum pick-up, or oocyte aspiration, is a minimally invasive procedure used to collect immature oocytes (eggs) from ovarian follicles. Unlike traditional embryo flushing and transfer, OPU does not require ovulation. Using ultrasound guidance, a veterinarian aspirates follicles transvaginally to recover oocytes from the ovaries. These oocytes are then sent to the laboratory, where they are matured and fertilized through ICSI, in which a single sperm is injected directly into each oocyte. Embryos are then cultured and either transferred into recipients or frozen for later. This technology is especially valuable for mares balancing reproduction with demanding sport careers.
In the world of equine sports, timing is everything. Elite mares are expected to maintain demanding training and competition schedules during their prime sport years. In the past, this presented challenges for owners who wished to preserve valuable genetics without hindering performance. Today, however, ovum pick-up (OPU) combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has transformed equine reproduction. With this approach, mares do not require repeated estrus checks, interruptions in training or competition, or cycle-related reproductive management that may affect performance. This allows them to continue competing while contributing genetically to future generations. For sport mares, OPU offers an opportunity to continue competing while producing embryos to preserve bloodlines.
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JULY 2026
Corporate Partner Spotlight Why OPU is Especially Valuable For Sport Mares?
Considerations and Expectations
One of the greatest advantages of OPU is minimal disruption to training and competition. Unlike conventional embryo transfer, which relies on precise hormonal timing and management, OPU can be performed regardless of cycle stage. In most cases, mares return to performance within two days following the procedure, with little to no noticeable impact on athletic performance. OPU also allows genetics to be preserved during a mare’s prime athletic years rather than waiting until retirement, when fertility may decline.
While OPU has changed reproductive management in sport mares, outcomes vary between individuals. Age, ovarian function, reproductive history, health, and genetics all influence oocyte number and quality, meaning embryo production may vary between sessions—even within the same mare. For this reason, success should not be judged by a single collection. Consistency over time and individual response are more meaningful indicators. Effective programs rely on planning, realistic expectations, and an experienced reproductive team.
Cases Where OPU May Be Recommended Sport mares are common candidates for OPU, but many other situations also benefit from this approach. Mares with injuries or conditions that make pregnancy difficult still produce viable oocytes. Likewise, older mares or those with uterine conditions that limit embryo transfer success can often still contribute genetically through OPU and ICSI. Another advantage is the use of limited or challenging semen. Because ICSI requires only one sperm per oocyte, frozen semen with low motility, sexed semen, or semen from deceased or distant stallions may still be viable options. Across the industry there has been a shift toward ICSI as more breeders prioritize cost-effectiveness and production efficiency. With fewer mare-side procedures and efficient semen use, many programs are increasingly incorporating ICSI into their breeding strategies. For breeders focused on preserving bloodlines, this significantly expands reproductive possibilities.
OPU vs Traditional Flushing When comparing OPU/ICSI to traditional embryo flushing, the difference in mare involvement is substantial. With OPU/ICSI, mares typically require zero to one reproductive examination and a single aspiration, after which they can return to perform within two days—often involving only one to two procedures per cycle. Traditional embryo flushing, however, requires repeated estrus monitoring, typically three to four reproductive checks, hormonal induction of ovulation, timed insemination, and follow-up evaluations to confirm ovulation and embryo flushing. With fresh semen, this process involves approximately 11–12 mare-side procedures per cycle, and often more when frozen semen is used due to additional handling and timing requirements.
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Planning Around Competition Schedules For actively competing mares, communication between owners, trainers, and reproductive specialists is important. Because OPU is not dependent on ovulation, sessions can often be scheduled around travel, training, and competition, minimizing disruption while maximizing efficiency.
The Future of Reproduction in Elite Sport Horses As reproductive technologies continue to evolve, OPU has become a key tool in modern equine breeding. For sport mares, it offers a practical solution to what was once a difficult choice: performance or reproduction. By allowing mares to remain in training while producing embryos, OPU preserves genetics, improves flexibility, and supports long-term reproductive planning without compromising future reproductive potential. Because aspirations can be performed as often as every 21 days, genetic progress can be accelerated through repeated collection opportunities. In addition, embryos created through ICSI can be frozen long-term, creating a genetic bank for generations. In elite equine sports, where genetics and performance are equally important, OPU has become more than a reproductive procedure; it is now a strategy for protecting the future of exceptional mares.
To learn more about OPU and other equine reproductive services, visit genetechvet.com.
NRHA REINER | 53
Million Dollar Milestones
All in the Family Amy and Jeff Medows’ journey to NRHA $1 Million Owner status has truly been a family effort By Blanche Schaefer
↑ The Medows family. Photo courtesy of Amy Medows.
J
eff and Amy Medows’ introduction to reining began as a way to help their then-12-year-old son, Jack Medows, grow as a horseman and explore a new discipline. The family had previously competed in Western Pleasure and all-around events, but their first experience with reining sparked a passion that eventually grew into a fullscale breeding operation based in Cuba, Missouri. Now, 13 years after Jack earned his first reining paycheck in 2013, Amy has officially reached
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NRHA $1 Million Owner status—an achievement she proudly shares with her husband Jeff, son Jack, daughter Giorgia Medows, and Jack’s wife, Olivia Medows. “We never openly said this was our goal, but we knew we were getting close before NRBC,” Amy said. “To have Jack go there and have such a successful show made it incredibly rewarding because we realized we had finally crossed that milestone.” JULY 2026
Million Dollar Milestones
At the National Reining Breeders Classic, held April 14-25 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jack earned more than $45,000 aboard three Medows-owned and bred horses in the Non Pro Derby. He tied to win the Level 3 on Perfect On Ice (SG Frozen Enterprize x Isnt She Perfect) and Time Inn A Bottle (In Like Flinn x Surprizentheprincess), while also placing in the Level 4 and Level 3 aboard Fire N Rein (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Chicsdreamofdiamonds). The family’s breeding program began with youth horses before expanding into aged-event prospects and broodmares. “We purchased Surprizentheprincess (Jerry Lees Surprise x Princess In Diamonds) in 2013 for Jack to show and as the foundation of our breeding program. Then in 2015, we added Chicsdreamofdiamonds f rom Fernando Salgado’s program for Jack, followed by Isnt She Perfect from Kole Price’s program in 2018 for Giorgia,” Amy said. “We originally bought these mares for Jack and Giorgia to compete on in the aged events, and now everything we show is homebred from those mares.” “There’s something special about raising them, training them, and watching them succeed,” she continued. “It’s definitely not easy, so we never take it for granted. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to build together as a family.” Although the $1 Million Owner recognition is officially listed under Amy’s name, the accomplishment reflects the contributions of the entire family. Jack, an NRHA earner of more than $725,000, maintains and shows the majority of the horses responsible for the family’s earnings. These include top performers Time Inn A Bottle ($171,132), Isnt She Perfect ($166,544), Fire N Rein ($163,808), and Chicsdreamofdiamonds ($124,433). Giorgia and Olivia have made the transition from the American Quarter Horse Association all-around events to the NRHA Non Pro aged events in the past few years with great success. Amy also emphasized Jeff’s role in the operation. “Jeff plays a huge part in everything we do,” she said tearfully. “Whether it’s staying up all night helping mares foal, working countless hours as an engineer and still finding
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“WE TRULY DO THIS TOGETHER AS A FAMILY... EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN CAREER, BUT MEDOWS QUARTER HORSES IS OUR FAMILY BUSINESS, AND EVERY PERSON’S OPINION MATTERS.” time to help me with the horses whenever needed, or coaching and supporting the kids, he’s always there for us.” Over the years, several of NRHA’s top professionals have also helped shape the Medows’ program and Jack’s growth as a horseman. “When we got into reining, we wanted to make sure we were doing things the right way for both Jack and the horses,” Amy explained. “Shawn Flarida sold us our first horse and connected us with Corey Hendrickson, who remains an important mentor and friend to our family.” “Casey Deary has coached Jack, Giorgia, and Olivia throughout the last several years and has been a significant contributor to our owner earnings as well as having multiple young prospects in training for us,” she continued. “Kole Price has also been incredibly influential through training and showing our horses. We bought Isnt She Perfect from his program, and he went on to be the 2018 Level 4 Open Reserve Futurity® Champion on her. Fernando Salgado trained Chicsdreamofdiamonds, on whom Jack went on to win Level 4 Non Pro at the 2016 NRHA Futurity® and 2017 NRBC Level 4 Non Pro Derby. We’ve been fortunate to work with so many talented professionals, and we deeply value their advice and support.” Amy believes placing horses in the right programs and with the right trainers has been a major factor in the family’s success.
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Million Dollar Milestones
↑ Jack Medows rides Time Inn a Bottle. Photo courtesy of Purple Media Group.
“Each horse has something that makes them unique,” Amy said. “We take a lot of pride in working alongside great trainers who help us determine which horses fit best in each program and where they’ll have the greatest opportunity to succeed. The records of those top trainers speak for themselves—they’re incredibly talented, and we’re grateful for their guidance. As a family, we spend a lot of time discussing where each horse belongs and what’s best for them, just like we do with our breeding decisions.” Outside of horses, the family balances demanding and successful careers. Amy is a retired clinical pharmacist, while Jeff and Jack both work as civil engineers. Olivia is completing her final year of physician assistant school, and Giorgia recently finished her first year of law school. For Jeff and Amy, watching their family thrive both professionally and within the horse industry has been especially meaningful. “We truly do this together as a family,” Amy said. “Everyone has their own career, but Medows 58 | NRHA REINER
Quarter Horses is our family business, and every person’s opinion matters. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the horses we originally bought for the kids now producing successful offspring of their own.” “Jack works full-time as a civil engineer during the day and still comes to the barn every evening without fail,” she added. “Now Olivia is right there beside him with the same work ethic. Jeff and I are very proud of them.” Above all, Amy says the greatest blessing has been building a life around horses together as a family. “We all fell in love with NRHA and the family atmosphere that comes with it,” Amy said. “NRHA gave us the opportunity to turn our passion into a business and achieve something that means so much to us. At the end of the day, the horses have given us everything. They’ve brought generations of our family together, introduced us to lifelong f riends, and allowed us to wake up every day doing what we love.” ■ JULY 2026
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Triple Crown Winners Jason Vanlandingham on A Vintage Smoke. Vanlandingham is the only rider to have won the NRHA Triple Crown twice. Photo courtesy of Waltenberry. ↓
Once in a Lifetime A deep dive into reining’s elusive Triple Crown winners, and what it would take to see another repeat By Megan Arszman
I
f you ask $7 Million NRHA Rider Shawn Flarida what the most important trait in a horse is, he would tell you “grit.” And a gritty horse is something Flarida should know quite well. As he was the pilot for what most might call the only true Reining Triple Crown Winner, Hall of Fame mare Wimpy’s Little Chic (Wimpy’s Little Step x Collena Chic Olena), who won the NRHA Futurity® in 2007, and the NRHA Derby® and National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in 2008. The illustrious reining Triple Crown is an unofficial designation for a horse who can win all
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three events within their aged show career. Other horses have accomplished this feat, including A Vintage Smoke (A Sparkling Vintage x Lady Smoke Peppy), Not Ruf At All (A Sparkling Vintage x All Ruffed Up), and Spooks Gotta Whiz (Spooks Gotta Gun x Prettywhizprettydoes), but not in consecutive years. “We’ve only seen one do [that back-to-backto-back] because it’s really hard to do, and I don’t think we’ll see that again,” said NRHA’s All-Time Money Earning Rider, Andrea Fappani. Why is it so hard to win three major events in a short time, let alone within the span of one year?
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Triple Crown Winners Part of it comes from the sheer number of variables. There’s the constant challenge of planning, breeding, and raising a horse, and then partnering that horse with the right trainer team. “To win a major event, there are so many things that have to line up,” multiple NRHA Futurity winner Casey Deary explained. “It’s so challenging to get those all lined up once, then doing it twice and for sure three times is nearly impossible.” Reining at its highest, toughest level, is a game of just a half-point: a slight bobble in a lead change or simply hitting a bad spot in the dirt on a stop. As Deary noted, it’s not for lack of preparation, or even if you’re riding a good or bad horse. But to overcome those obstacles and to have a horse that is ready and willing to do it again, over and over, it takes that grit that Flarida was talking about. “Horses like Wimpy’s Little Chic and Spooks Gotta Whiz have that grit and adaptability, but it also helps that they were in a great training program,” he said. “Training programs that are taking quality care of those horses and putting them in a great position to be successful and stay healthy are what will help those horses.” Jason Vanlandingham also knows the challenge
Photo courtesy of Waltenberry. ↓
Triple Crown winning horse Spookz Gotta Whiz. Photo courtesy of NRHA Archive. ↓
of the Triple Crown— he’s achieved it twice, with Not Ruf At All in 2016 and A Vintage Smoke in 2020. “I think it’s the hardest thing that we can do in our sport,” he admitted. You have to have a horse that is physically talented enough to do it. You have to have a horse that mentally matures early. If they don’t get it done at the Futurity, then none of the rest of it even matters. The ones that I had matured early and were able to win the Futurity and then turn around and have great careers.” Vanlandingham credits exceptional soundness for some of his horses’ success, but it also takes a focused trainer to both stay out of the way in the show pen. “It takes a smart approach in your training, not to overdo things. Making sure you’re properly prepared and not overriding the horses. It’s hard, when you’ve got a specially talented horse, to not be playing with that stuff at the house.”
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Triple Crown Winners For Fappani, he looks for mares who have great dispositions and longevity in the show pen with a stallion that produces a lot of power (not to mention, breeding to compliment the mare’s attributes with the stallion’s). He points out to two particular mares who are making a big impact on the sport in their second careers as broodmares. Along with the aforementioned Wimpy’s Little Chic, there’s the dam of the two-time NRBC winner Golden Coins, Electric Cha Ching (Jacs Electric Spark x Kipper Lady Nic). “I had her here for four years when Michelle Miola used to show her in the Non Pro, after we bought her from Jordan Larson,” Fappani recalled. “She was just a great, great-minded mare who kept going in and marking 73s and 74s.” He continued by saying that the mares don’t need to have won everything like Wimpy’s Little Chic, but they need to be consistent as show mares. “I think the right combination is a mare who was a consistent show horse and a stallion who produces a lot of power, like Gunnatrashya (Colonels Smoking Gun x Natrasha). I think the reason why you see so many Gunnatrashyas in the open ring is because they have a lot of that grit to where it takes a little longer to get them settled in, but once they’re in it, they’ll keep going
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for you. They don’t have any quit.” So, are we breeding out the potential for more “Reining Triple Crown” winners? Maybe, or maybe not. The truth is, the sport of reining has grown, and the industry has received extensive support from not only the association, but from sponsors and groups, meanings there’s now more choice for owners and trainers to look at for their horses. “There’s so much money to win, as horsemen we plan differently, and we plan to put those horses in better positions,” said Flarida. “Twentyfive to 30 years ago, the events weren’t there and maybe we didn’t plan as well. Now we have the ability to plan our schooling and training programs to put those horses in a better position.” “You have to go back and thank the association and the people who do the sponsorships. There’s so much money in our industry now, that you can skip one show to aim for another, and plan to get it next year, because the money is so good and our industry is so strong.” he added. “We’re in a great position for competitions and owners, so kudos to all of those behind the scenes putting those shows on.” Photo courtesy of Waltenberry. ↓
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Corporate Partner Spotlight
A Winning Season Oklahoma Stud reflects on the successful 2026 breeding season while looking ahead to next year
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s we approach the conclusion of the 2026 breeding season, everyone at Oklahoma Stud is taking a moment to reflect on what has been a rewarding and productive year. Breeding season is a time of anticipation, careful planning, and constant attention to detail, and we are proud of the progress achieved throughout the months leading up to this point. Through the beginning of June, Oklahoma Stud has achieved a 77% positive embryo transfer acceptance rate. This milestone reflects the effectiveness of our reproductive program, the quality of the mares entrusted to our care, and the expertise of the professionals who work diligently behind the scenes every day. Success in equine reproduction is never the result of a single factor. It is the product of sound management, consistent protocols, experienced veterinary oversight, and a team committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients.
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Our mission has always been straightforward: provide exceptional care while delivering reliable results. Every horse on the property benefits from a comprehensive approach that includes daily management, nutrition, reproductive monitoring, and veterinary care. Each stage of the process plays an important role in creating the conditions necessary for a successful breeding season. The positive results we have seen this year are a reflection of that approach and reinforce our commitment to continuous improvement. One of the strengths of Oklahoma Stud is our ability to provide multiple services within a single operation. As a reproduction center, training facility, and quarantine facility, we are able to support horse owners and breeders through every stage of their program. Having these services available in one location creates efficiency, consistency, and convenience while allowing us to maintain close oversight of each horse’s individual needs. Our
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Corporate Partner Spotlight goal is to simplify the process for clients without compromising the quality of care and attention each horse receives. While performance metrics provide valuable insight, the true measure of success is the success of our clients. Every breeding program has unique objectives. Some clients are focused on producing future performance horses, while others are preserving proven bloodlines or investing in the long-term development of their breeding operations. Regardless of the goal, we are honored to be part of that journey and to contribute our experience and resources to help make those objectives a reality. This season has also highlighted the importance of collaboration. The achievements of our program would not be possible without the combined efforts of our veterinarians, breeding specialists, farm staff, trainers, and support personnel. Their professionalism, knowledge, and attention to detail are evident in every aspect of our operation. From monitoring recipients and coordinating breeding schedules to caring for horses on a daily basis, each team member plays an important role in the success of the program. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to our clients. The trust placed in us is something we value deeply and never take for granted. Every mare that arrives at our facility represents an investment, a vision, and a set of expectations. We recognize the responsibility that comes with that trust and remain committed to providing transparent communication, professional service, and the highest level of care throughout the breeding process.
As the season progresses toward its conclusion, our focus remains unchanged. We continue to prioritize the health and well-being of every horse, maintain open communication with our clients, and pursue the highest standards in reproductive management. Although we are proud of the results achieved so far, we view every season as an opportunity to learn, refine our processes, and build upon previous successes. The months ahead will bring the excitement of following pregnancies, welcoming new foals, and watching the next generation of horses begin their journey. Those moments are a reminder of why we are passionate about this industry and why we remain dedicated to helping breeders achieve their goals year after year. From all of us at Oklahoma Stud, thank you for your continued confidence, support, and partnership throughout the 2026 breeding season. We are proud of what has been accomplished together and look forward to serving our clients and supporting the future of the equine industry for many years to come. To learn more, visit oklahomastud.com.
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s i e r u t u The f
BRIGHT HONSTETTER PERFORMANCE
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Reiner Insights
Bit by Bit NRHA Professional Mirjam Stillo discusses her method of transitioning between snaffle, bosal, and curb bits. Story and Photos by Abigail Boatwright A D-ring snaffle is usually the next stage after a bosal. →
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einer headgear serves specific purposes— categories of bits or hackamores are tools for certain stages in a horse’s training. Every trainer has their own philosophy, often based on how they learned to train and who mentored them, as well as what works best for their program. But there are similarities to the steps, for good reason. NRHA Professional Mirjam Stillo shares how she moves from one bit to another throughout a horse’s training, with tips to help you do the same with your own horse.
The Process Stillo starts horses their 2 year-old year in a sidepull, which is a variation of a hackamore, but without any leverage like a bosal. “When they steer well in that, and they’re ready to step up, I will step them into a regular hackamore,” Stillo said. She keeps horses in a bosal for 60-90 days, until they’re able to walk, jog, lope, circle, stop, and back up, as well as move laterally and can break at the poll.
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Reiner Insights
Then she’ll move to a snaffle bit—starting with a rubber mouthpiece worn while they’re tied in a stall to get used to the sensation, then a thick D-ring snaffle for riding in the early stages, then a thinner snaffle moving forward. But it’s not a linear process. “That doesn’t mean I abandon the hackamore completely after that stage,” Stillo said. “I transition them into a smooth snaffle, but depending on the horse I may go back to the hackamore and go back and forth for a while.” Later on, in the summer, she’ll transition to a twisted snaffle if a little more leverage is needed. By late fall or early winter, she’ll introduce a shanked bit, starting with a short shank, solid, low port bit with a leather chin strap, or a regular chin strap depending on the horse. “From there, depending on the horse, I’ll put them in a bit with a little longer shank, or a little higher port, or a correctional port, if the horse tells me that a solid port isn’t doing the job,” Stillo said. “From there, I’ll go back and forth.”
Stillo often goes back to a snaffle, because she prefers to show in a snaffle bit for the first prefuturities. That is, unless the horse doesn’t seem suited for showing in a snaffle bit. When Stillo wants to address something in training by riding two-handed, she’ll go back to a twisted snaffle bit. “Most of the time I’ll ride in a [shanked] bit, but switch back to a snaffle here and there,” Stillo said. “I always want to make sure that they’re super familiar with that.” Some riders don’t show in a snaffle at all, and once they transition to a curb bit at the end of the horse’s 2 year-old year, they don’t go back to it. “For my program, this is how I learned it, and how it works for me,” Stillo said. Some horses don’t work well in a hackamore, so they may do better moving into a snaffle sooner. “There are some horses that can be in a snaffle for a longer period of time and still stay on track, while others might not progress fast enough, so you might have to transition into a bridle a little bit sooner,” Stillo said.
A large collection of Stillo’s bits on display. ↓
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Reiner Insights When to Progress A horse that starts a training program on time, doesn’t miss any time due to injury or other causes, and is right on track will progress through bits on a different timeline than one that started later, or lost time, or didn’t grow at the same pace, Stillo said. “Progressing from a hackamore into the snaffle, mostly for me it’s when I feel they’re steering really well, they know where their body needs to be, they have decent transitions, and I feel they’re really comfortable executing the basics,” Stillo said. “Then I feel like they’re ready to do that in a snaffle, and get a little more lateral flexion than you would get in a hackamore.” Stillo has had some horses who felt too stiff in the hackamore, struggling to achieve the right feel in her hands. “When you realize there’s more resistance than progress, you have to change your approach,” Stillo said. “You might switch them to a snaffle a little sooner and address that, see if you’re getting less resistance and more progress, and the horses will tell you.” On the other hand, Stillo has had horses
transition on time, and then ended up too bendy and flexible, losing a bit of shoulder control. “I stay in a thicker, smooth snaffle with those horses, and I may go back to my hackamore here or there so they can get a bit straighter again,” Stillo said. “I think there’s a lot of playing around with phases, and evaluating the responses you’re getting from your horse.” From the snaffle to the bit, some riders switch earlier in the 2 year-old year, but Stillo prefers waiting, unless there’s a reason or some deadline requiring it. “I am more comfortable taking my time, and not rushing through the steps,” Stillo said. “I don’t put regular long shanks or any type of [curb] bits on my 3 year-olds because I feel it doesn’t serve my program. It gets a little bit too much front-end weight. It’s too much bridle.”
Curb Straps The choice of curb strap can also change. Stillo starts with a leather chin strap, paired with a short shank snaffle (broken mouthpiece) as the first shanked bit combination.
Once a horse has progressed through a bosal and a snaffle, the shanked bit is the final stage. ↓
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Reiner Insights
Meet the Expert Mirjam Stillo is an NRHA Professional located at Toyon Ranch in Pilot Point, Texas. She’s been training for 16 years, and has won multiple NRHA aged even championships, AQHA world championships and APHA world championships. She was an NRHA Professional Horsewoman of the Year, she’s been an open finalist at theNRHA Futurity® and the NRHA Derby®, she is an NRHA Adequan® Open Affiliate Champion and placed in the FEI World Equestrian Games Individual top ten.
“I keep them in that for at least three to four weeks and see where we are,” Stillo said. “Some stay in it for way longer, because it’s enough bit for them. Others I may feel it’s not really the bit that fits the horse, and I’ll go with a little port, or some may need to learn to give their chin better, and I’m not getting enough leverage, so I may switch to a regular chin strap sooner. The individual horse will tell you what they need.”
A tack room of bits is like a fully-stocked toolbox, you just need to find the bit that works best for your horse’s needs. ↓
Nosebands While nosebands are not allowed in the show pen, they have uses during training. But Stillo doesn’t use them during the transition f rom hackamore to snaffle. She only uses a leather noseband, fitted loosely. “I feel like there’s a lot going on as far as changes for the horse—there are different pressure points on the tongue and different leverage, and I don’t think putting a noseband on at the same time helps because they range of motion in their mouth is limited,” Stillo said. “I would wait a couple of weeks or a month.”
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Reiner Insights Stillo starts with a leather chin strap versus one with a chain, depending on the horse. ↓
Challenges Stillo feels the biggest challenge at the beginning is going from a hackamore into a snaffle bit, getting the horse comfortable with a snaffle in their mouth. “Sometimes I like to put a rubber snaffle bit in their mouth, and they’ll be in their stall with a halter on in the snaffle to get used to the feel of the bit,” Stillo said. “I put a smooth snaffle on them and spend a lot of time flexing them at the walk and jog, not necessarily doing maneuvers in a snaffle until I feel they’re comfortable with it, and know what to do with a snaffle in their mouth until they stop being chewy on the bit or having resistance, then I’ll work on lateral flexion.” She’s seen some mistakes happening through rushing through the steps, going directly from 30 days in a hackamore into a snaffle bit, switching to a twisted snaffle bit early in the year, or trying to do all the maneuvers early on with a snaffle bit. “I think you’re skipping some stages that are pretty vital down the road,” Stillo said. The ongoing challenge is knowing when to switch, and then knowing when to switch back and forth between bits when you need to. “We’ve got a whole tack room full of tools, so you also want to try to find what fits your horse best,” Stillo said.
Advice If you feel like you’re not making progress with a specific snaffle or curb bit, or whichever headgear you’re using at your horse’s stage of training, first, make sure you’re doing everything correctly on your end. Stillo recommends asking for help from an experienced horseman or trainer, and then look at transitioning out of that specific bit. “Nothing has to be set in stone—you can always go back to a snaffle bit to address a specific maneuver, and then go back into a bit, or with a two-year-old in a snaffle, I may need to ride it in a hackamore again for a couple of weeks and then go back.” Stillo says it’s a good idea to have the following bits in your toolbox: a hackamore, a D-ring snaffle, a low port short shank bit, and a correctional bit. Don’t rush the stages—switching f rom 30 days in a hackamore to a snaffle, and quickly into a twisted snaffle, and in a bit by July—Stillo cautions against that approach. “You have to find what fits your horse and what your horse needs,” Stillo said. ■ 74 | NRHA REINER
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NRHA Knowledge
The Backbone of Reining The NRHA Affiliate program facilitates participation at the local level, with the shared goal of letting everyone ride Sarah Prather | Photos courtesy of NRHA affiliate programs
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or many members, the first introduction to reining is not under the bright lights of the OG&E Coliseum in Oklahoma City, but rather at a local affiliate show. The National Reining Horse Association affiliate program is divided into 11 regions across North America. NRHA developed the affiliate championship program to grow the membership at a grassroots level.
Affiliates are powered by NRHA member volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to growing the sport—often while balancing full-time jobs, training operations, and family responsibilities. There are many people working behind the scenes to promote the sport and ensure shows run as smoothly as possible for competitors. For many members, affiliates become a community centered around education, mentorship, and a shared passion for the reining horse.
What Are Affiliates?
Qualifying for NAAC
NRHA affiliates are independent, localized reining clubs. They allow riders to compete at a local level, host shows, clinics, and offer a pathway to qualify for regional and international championship events. This is the best way for members to become involved and find likeminded individuals within their region that serve as the backbone of the sport. Through the affiliate program, members are able to receive discounts with NRHA corporate sponsors, and youth members are able to apply for and obtain scholarships through their designated region.
Through a local affiliate members obtain a membership with a designated affiliate as well as with NRHA. Through this membership, competitors are able to try for an ARC title, qualify to compete in the North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC), or compete only at a local level. There are two ways for members to qualify to compete in the NAAC. First, riders qualify by placing in the Top 10 in a designated ARC class; or second riders qualify by competing in three affiliate events within their region, including the ARC. Qualification is determined on a rider and horse combination per class, and exhibitors must receive a score.
REGIONS EASTERN CANADA The associations of the Eastern Canada region include: Association Quebecoise de Reining (AQR), and New Brunswick Codiac Reining Association (NBCRA), Ontario Reining Horse Association (ORHA). This year the AQR will be celebrating its 50-year anniversary. The NBCRA began as a small club hosting evening events and has since grown into an organization that now hosts two NRHA events annually. The ORHA hosts several events throughout the year.
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NRHA Knowledge
EAST CENTRAL Ohio is the original location of the NRHA, with over 160 years combined across the region of hosting reining events. There are 8 associations to make up the East Central region, with many shows offered throughout the year. The associations include: Central Ohio Reining Horse Association (CORHA), Illinois Reining Horse Association, Indiana Reining Horse Association, Kentucky Reining Horse Association, Michigan Reining Horse Association, Ohio Valley Reining Horse Association, Tennessee Reining Horse Association, and Tri-State Reining Horse Association. Since 1976, Illinois Reining Horse Association has been hosting reining horse shows and clinics. Wanting to expand the reach of the sport, CORHA developed the Green Reiner program that is used today at so many of the affiliate level shows to introduce reining to newcomers.
MEXICO The Mexico region continues to experience tremendous growth and excitement within the reining community. With three approved affiliates: ANECR NRHA Mexico, Mexican Reining Horse Association, and Reining Horse Breeders Mexico, the region provides opportunities for Reiners across the country to connect, compete, and promote the sport. In recent years, reining in Mexico has expanded significantly, with more than five A & AA level events planned so far in 2026.
MOUNTAIN The Mountain region offers competitors picturesque venues and favorable summer conditions. The associations making up this region include: Cowboy States Reining Horse Association, Intermountain Reining Horse Association, Montana Reining Horse Association, Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association, Western Slope Reining Horse Association, and Yellowstone Reining Horse Association.
NORTH CENTRAL Central Plains Reining Horse Association, Midwest Reining Horse Association, and North Central Reining Horse Association (NCRHA) affiliates make up the North Central region. The NCRHA stallion service auction awards its members 1st and 2nd place sires Purse Money in Open and Non Pro. The NCRHA Stallion Auction is one of the richest Sire enrollment programs in the country.
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NRHA Knowledge
NORTHEAST There are four associations that make up the Northeast region: Central New York Reining Horse Association, East Coast Reiners Association (ECRA), Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association, Yankee Reining Horse Association (YRHA). The Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association (EPRHA) is one of the oldest and largest of the NRHA affiliates formed in 1986. Original members included NRHA luminaries Bob Anthony, Dick Pieper, Bob Loomis, and first president, Brian Dygert. Founded in 1975, the ECRA is one of the first affiliates of the NRHA. Long Island was the place for reining where major NRHA milestones took place and even more professionals had their starts.
NORTHWEST The Northwest region consists of seven affiliates: Columbia River Reining Horse Association, Great Western Reining Horse Association (GWRHA), Idaho Reining Horse Association, Reining Horse Association of the Northwest, Snake River Reining Alliance, Washington Reining Horse Association, and West Coast Reining Horse Association. Wellknown events like The Best Little Derby in the West the Low Roller Reining Classic are put on by the GWRHA. The organization also offers a Crisis Fund for members, standing as a powerful testament to the community’s commitment to each another.
SOUTH CENTRAL Seven associations make up the South Central region and cover several states. The associations include: 4 States Reining Horse Association, Kansas Reining Horse Association, Oklahoma Reining Horse Association, South Texas Reining Horse Association, Southwest Missouri Reining Horse Association, Southwest Reining Horse Association (SWRHA), Texas Reining Horse Association (TRHA). Thirty years ago, the reining industry in the north-Texas, southern-Oklahoma area was in its infancy, but some dedicated reiners had been making their way to the area. One of them was Wayne Laske, who moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma. He became the SWRHA first president and would serve in that capacity for the first 10 years. As more trainers relocated to Texas and Oklahoma, the need for a regional affiliate became increasingly apparent, thus SWRHA was born.
ARC DATES AND LOCATION
While all dates are subject to change, the 2026 Affiliate Regional Championships for each region are to be held during the dates following:
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EAST CENTRAL: Murfreesboro, TN: August 1216, 2026
SOUTH CENTRAL: Tulsa, OK: August 29September 6, 2026
WESTERN CANADA: Red Deer, AB, CAN: September 1-6, 2026
SOUTHEAST: Jacksonville, FL: September 1013, 2026
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NRHA Knowledge
SOUTHEAST The Southeast region is made up of the: Florida Reining Horse Association, Heart of Dixie Reining Horse Association, South Florida Reining Horse Association, and Southeastern Reining Horse Association (SERHA). The SERHA Carolina Classic is a prestigious event held on the east coast that offers a derby in the spring. While in July the SERHA partners with the North American Reining Stakes Futurity and Derby that has $415,000 added in prize money. Many NRHA legends began their careers in the Southeast region, including Hall of Fame Inductees such as Dale Wilkinson, Guy Gauthier, Bill Horn, Charlie Smith, and others.
SOUTHWEST The California Reining Horse Association (CRHA) has been advancing the sport of reining in Southern California since 1993, and does so for the love of the horse. With multiple shows annually, fundraisers, and year-end awards, the CRHA builds community by bringing reiners together for fun events and healthy competition. Founded in 1984 as an affiliate of the NRHA, the Arizona Reining Horse Association (AZRHA) is a family-oriented club for horse lovers and competitors who are interested in sharing their love of the reining performance horse with like-minded people.
WESTERN CANADA The Western Canada region consists of Central Canada Reining Horse Association, Reining Alberta, Saskatchewan Reining Horse Association, and Western Canadian Reining Association. Since its establishment in 1993, Reining Alberta has been dedicated to promoting, developing, and enhancing the sport of Reining across the province. With a mission to provide reiners with a platform to showcase their talents, learn new skills, and compete in high-quality events, the organization has become a cornerstone of the Alberta reining community. From first-time riders to seasoned competitors, NRHA affiliates continue to play a vital role in preserving and growing the sport of reining at the grassroots level across North America and beyond. To find more information regarding affiliates, log into ReinerSuite at nrha.com and on the menu on the left side of the webpage click on “affiliates.”
NORTHEAST: Logan Township, NJ: September 1013, 2026
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MOUNTAIN: Loveland, CO: September 2327, 2026
SOUTHWEST: Scottsdale, AZ: October 5-11, 2026
NORTHWEST: Nampa, ID: October 3-10, 2026
NORTH CENTRAL: Lincoln, NE: October 9-11, 2026
MEXICO: Cadereyta, MEX: October 30-November 1, 2026
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Million Dollar Milestone
From the Ground Up Janice Laney created 7 Lakes Ranch from scratch, the same way she aims to build up the next generation of reining champions By Abigail Boatwright ← Hesacraftydevil as a foal. Photo courtesy of Bee Silva.
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n her younger years, it seemed like Janice Laney would have to set aside her passion when life got in the way. Laney grew up in Alabama riding hunter jumpers f rom age 5, and continued through college. “Through most of junior high and high school, I was at the barn five days a week and shows all the time,” Laney recalled. After school, a career as a financial analyst, a marriage and a family took center stage in her life, and Laney put horses on the back burner. Until a single event 10 years ago rekindled her passion. “I’d gone on a trail ride in Montana, and suddenly, all the smells of the horses, and being around them brought it all back,” she said.
Diving Into Reining Home f rom the trail ride, Laney was motivated to research Quarter Horses. She met Brazilian trainer Thiago Boechat at Silver Spurs Equine in Purcell, Oklahoma, and he helped her buy her first Quarter Horse yearling. She’s worked with him ever since.
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Million Dollar Milestone
“IT’S NOT JUST A BREEDING OPERATION FOR US. WE WANT TO SELL TO OTHER PEOPLE, AND HAVE OUTSIDE SLOTS HERE FOR THE TRAINERS TO BRING THEIR OWN CLIENTS AS WELL.”
That first yearling snowballed into buying a 3 year-old from the program of another trainer at Silver Spurs, Trevor Dare, and a trip to her first Legacy Sale in 2017. It was there that she spotted a yearling named Jerseys Baby Driver (Yellow Jersey x Wind Her Up Chic), nicknamed “Hercules.” “I really kind of became obsessed with him,” Laney said. “Thiago knew the mom, Wind Her Up Chic, and had ridden one of her babies. He said she was a really good mare.” Hercules has lifetime earnings over $250,000, and was the 2021 NRHA L4 Open Derby Champion, and 2022 NRBC Open L4 Champion, as well as AQHA World Champion in Junior Reining.
7 Lakes Ranch After a move to Denver and with her children grown, Laney also needed to find a new place for her horses, as Boechat was leaving Silver Spurs. Not finding anything that quite fit the bill of what she wanted, she decided to build it herself. Laney purchased her property in Purcell in 2021, and spent three years building a top-notch equine facility spread out across the 235 acres and featuring seven bodies of water they refer to as lakes. While the operation is primarily designed with horses at the forefront, it’s also a great place for people. “We have an office, but it’s more like an entertainment room with huge windows, including windows that look out into the arena so you can always be watching the horses,” Laney said. “If you come to a ranch, you want to see horses all the time.” Boechat and Laney founded the ranch, and Boechat mentors the ranch’s resident trainers
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Mirko Midili and Leonardo Kellerman, with several assistant trainers. Laney appreciates both their contributions to the program. “They hit the ground running, and had just a great, stellar year,” Laney said. “They’re just very dedicated, hardworking and passionate. They’re two huge assets to the ranch.”
The Program 7 Lakes Ranch centers on buying horses young and building them into champions, as well as breeding its own. “We’re more of the build program,” Laney said. “We built the ranch from scratch. And we’ve kind of done the same for the horses.” Laney focused on mares early on. Many of the young horses she’s purchased were fillies with good pedigrees. A number of her horses came f rom a dispersal sale in Brazil, including Hollywood Starburst (Hollywood Dun it x Chic Olena Starbuck) and Prettywhizprettygun (Gunner x prettywhizprettydoes). Those two mares have been a key part of her program, and their offspring are making waves. “Starburst’s” producer earnings top $263,000, and Pretty Whiz Pretty Gun has $147,000, with more foals coming from them. Frozen Starburst (SG Frozen Enterprize x Hollywood Starburst) who Laney also owns, has won $194,000, as well as winning the L1 and L2 at the 2024 NRHA Futurity®. “He’s one of the main ones that helped me get to the Million Dollar marker,” Laney said. “That mare [Starburst] just continues to have babies that are not just beautiful, but very talented. She’s helped us building from scratch, raising our babies to train.”
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Million Dollar Milestone
The 2025 7 Lakes team. From left: Eduardo Christians, Janice Laney, Wilton Araujo and Thiago Boechat. Photo courtesy of 7 Lakes. ↓
The ranch bought Mark My Word (Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Little Chic) as a yearling. He has won $211,000 and this is his first year standing at stud. He is 5 years old, and still showing. Laney also raises horses to sell—one of the ranch’s foals Hollywood Chill (Hollywood Starburst x SG Frozen Enterprise) was the co-high seller last year at the 2025 Legacy Sale at $100,000. From their first foal crop of home-bred horses, Hesacraftydevil (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Prettywhizprettygun) is a 2022 stallion who was sixth in the L4 Futurity in 2025, and has won $85,000 at 4 years old. “I did sell him to someone who's keeping him at the barn because sadly you can't keep them all, which is the part that I struggle with, but he’s an example of what we want to hopefully breed in the future, really strong quality horses for people to be able to buy.”
Looking Ahead 7 Lakes Ranch strives to raise 20-30 horses each year. Laney breeds to outside studs as well as her own, with her band of carefully chosen broodmares.
86 | NRHA REINER
“We’re really trying to make the best horse possible,” Laney said. “It’s not just a breeding operation for us. We want to sell to other people, and have outside slots here for the trainers to bring their own clients as well.” The atmosphere at the barn is important to Laney as well as the quality of the facility. She aims to foster an environment where everyone gets along and are there longterm, from the trainers and staff on through the farrier and veterinarian. “We get a lot of comments about how it always looks like we’re having so much fun at the shows, and we are—even though it’s a lot of hard work—but when somebody goes into the showpen, we’re all in there for them. Everybody is working for each other to get that person ready and into the show ring.” Kellerman added that Laney’s clear passion for the horses permeates the culture around the barn, and appreciates her desire for each person to succeed—with her horses and their own clients. “Before showing, or the property, or anything, is the love that she has for the horses,” Kellerman said. “She’s a lovely person, and her passion and love for the horses is what makes it special.” ■
JULY 2026
#
T W E N T Y
T W E N T Y
F I V E
OWNER AMERICAS MVP ANDREA FAPPANI
BEST IS YET TOO COME ANDREA FAPPANI
GUNNERS SMOKIN CHEX ANDREA FAPPANI
HF LIVIN THE DREAM SHAWN FLARIDA
ADDYS LIL DREAM SEAN MCBURNEY
THANK YOU TO ALL RIDERS AND HORSES!
Best Little Derby in the West
Best of the West The Great Western Reining Horse Association’s Best Little Derby in the West hosted reiners May 1–9 at the Ford Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, Idaho By Blanche Schaefer | Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Knight Photography
LEVEL 4 OPEN DERBY, LEVEL 4 OPEN 4-YEAROLD DERBY, LEVEL 4 NOVICE HORSE OPEN DERBY AND TKO OPEN CHAMPIONS Walla Deja Cricket and Fernando Salgado 2022S (Walla Walla Whiz x Gunners Deja Girl) Owner: Rancho Los Palominos, Coral Gables, FL Breeder: Pedro Pastor Hernandez, San Juan De Los Lagos, JA, MX Score: 225 Level 4 Open Derby: $7,204 Level 4 Open 4-Year-Old Derby: $2,487 Level 4 Novice Horse Open Derby: $2,552 TKO Open: $6,163
↑ Fernando Salgado on Walla Deja Cricket.
“[Walla Deja Cricket] is special for us because his owner, Pedro Hernandez of Rancho Los Palominos, we have a really good relationship, and that goes back when I picked [Walla Deja Cricket’s] mom as a yearling. We trained and showed his mom, and I picked this stud and we got that baby, and I trained him. “He is really laidback and mentally the same every day. You don’t need to warm him up, he can have the weekend off, he comes out quiet. I believe eventually he’s going to be a Non Pro
horse, but if he keeps marking 225s, I’m going to keep showing him for a while. “It was my first time at this show. George [King] and the whole crew there, they were so nice to us, really welcoming and made it worth going all the way up there. I thank my whole team and customers. Everybody supported me for six months without being able to ride. It can hurt your business a lot, but mine was very smooth, everybody really took care of me. I feel really blessed, and I’m happy to give it back to them and prove that I’m back at it.”
LEVEL 4 OPEN DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
She Dreams Of Guns
(Magnum Chic Dream x This Chic Guns It)
Ryan Rushing
Amy Rushing
Judy Box
224.5
$4,385
3
Two Million Kilates
(Shining Spark x Twomilliondollarchex)
Thomas Beget
Rancho Los Palominos
Rancho Los Palominos
223.5
$3,289
4
SS Tricky Step
(Wimpys Little Step x Xtra Black Magic)
Matt McAuslan
Full Circle Ranch, LLC
Silver Spurs Equine
222.5
$2,819
5
Ice Face
(SG Frozen Enterprize x Dun Painting My Face)
Daniel Schloemer
Haras Bellini Inc
Hickory Creek Ranch LLC
222
$2,206
88 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 4 OPEN 4-YEAR-OLD DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Two Million Kilates
(Shining Spark x Twomilliondollarchex)
Thomas Beget
Rancho Los Palominos
Rancho Los Palominos
223.5
$1,514
3
Modernwhiz Chiquita
(Modern Gun x Hello I Gotta Whiz)
Valerie Siegel
Janyce Hoyt
DoubleZZ Dreams LLC
221
$1,135
4T
MMB Spookofmydreams
(Spooks Gotta Gun x MMB Shine Yourdreams)
Jeronimo Leal Lobo
Sabine Schmid
Margarita Buey Arietti
220.5
$919
4T
A Vintage Model
(A Vintage Smoke x Americas Supermodel)
Austin Seelhof
Whitmarsh Arcese Partnership
Whitmarsh Arcese Partnership
220.5
$919
LEVEL 4 OPEN NOVICE HORSE DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Pop Goes The Spark
(Shining Spark x Sugar Pop Gun)
Fernando Salgado
Vicente Bortoletto
Paddock Ranch
221.5
$1,554
3
Top Notch Walla
(Walla Walla Whiz x Lonely At The Top)
Fernando Salgado
Rancho Los Palominos
Curtis Performance Horses LLC
220.5
$1,165
4
A Maracana
(Colonels Shining Gun x Snip O Chex)
Ennzo Perrella
Lorena Delgado
Judy Box
220
$999
5
GW For Ur Eyes Only
(Gunnatrashya x Dreaminof Mega Chics)
Jackson Porath
Christopher Park
Grace Wins LLC
219.5
$888
TKO OPEN Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
She Dreams Of Guns
(Magnum Chic Dream x This Chic Guns It)
Ryan Rushing
Amy Rushing
Judy Box
224.5
$3,752
3
Two Million Kilates
(Shining Spark x Twomilliondollarchex)
Thomas Beget
Rancho Los Palominos
Rancho Los Palominos
223.5
$2,814
4
Diggininthemoonlight
(Pale Face Dunnit x Whizen Starlight)
Jackson Porath
Luke Val Bingham
George King
223
$2,412
5
SS Tricky Step
(Wimpys Little Step x Xtra Black Magic)
Matt McAuslan
Full Circle Ranch, LLC
Silver Spurs Equine
222.5
$2,144
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 89
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVELS 3 AND 2 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS She Dreams Of Guns and Ryan Rushing 2021M (Magnum Chic Dream x This Chic Guns It) Owner: Amy Rushing, Fort Collins, CO Breeder: Judy Box, Windsor, CO Score: 224.5 Level 3 Open Derby: $6,546 Level 2 Open Derby: $5,068
↑ Ryan Rushing rides She Dreams Of Guns.
“My wife and I bought [She Dreams Of Guns] as a yearling. Kevin Ball showed her dam and won the [Level 2 and 3] Non Pro Derby at this show on a [horse out of her], so it was a great show for the mama. “My wife Amy showed her for her 3 yearold year and the beginning of 4 year-old year, and she was expecting our second child about that time, so I started showing her. She has an incredible amount of heart, so I’ve learned to dial it back, because she will try too hard. In March at the NRBC, I got help f rom a couple of guys who helped me slow her brain down. “[In Nampa] she was very dialed in. She
was relaxed and fun to show. My 8-monthold daughter rode her around with me after I showed her. It was what I’ve been working toward. “I tried to give her back to my wife, but she would not let me give up on her in the Open. She’s encouraged me to keep working at it. The reining community is pretty incredible. Fernando Salgado beat me by half a point, but he has helped me and talked me through what he would do differently. Brandon Brant and Casey Deary helped me with her turns. We’re all competing against each other, but most guys are out there to see everybody be successful.”
LEVEL 3 OPEN DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
3
Two Million Kilates
(Shining Spark x Twomilliondollarchex)
Thomas Beget
Rancho Los Palominos
Rancho Los Palominos
223.5
$3,984
4
Diggininthemoonlight
(Pale Face Dunnit x Whizen Starlight)
Jackson Porath
Luke Val Bingham
George King
223
$2,988
5
SS Tricky Step
(Wimpys Little Step x Xtra Black Magic)
Matt McAuslan
Full Circle Ranch, LLC
Silver Spurs Equine
222.5
$2,561
5T
Ice Face
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Spooks N Sparks)
Kim Muehlstaetter
Kim and Martin Muehlstaetter
Tamarack Ranch LLC
222
$2,134
5T
Magnums Little Dream
(Magnum Chic Dream x Dainty Little Step)
Dan Myers
Steve Tyner
Brooke Wharton
222
$2,134
LEVEL 2 OPEN DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Diggininthemoonlight
(Pale Face Dunnit x Whizen Starlight)
Jackson Porath
Luke Val Bingham
George King
223
$3,085
3
Magnums Little Dream
(Magnum Chic Dream x Dainty Little Step)
Dan Myers
Steve Tyner
Brooke Wharton
222
$2,314
4
Modernwhiz Chiquita
(Guns R For Shootin x Plus One Chex)
Parker Slavin
Parker Slavin
Layla Choate
221
$1,983
5
MMB Spookofmydreams
(Spooks Gotta Gun x MMB Shine Yourdreams)
Jeronimo Leal Lobo
Sabine Schmid
Margarita Buey Arietti
220.5
$1,763
90 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 1 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS Magnums Little Dream and Dan Myers 2018S (Magnum Chic Dream x Dainty Little Step) Owner: Steve Tyner, Pleasant View, UT Breeder: Brooke Wharton, Fort Worth, TX Score: 222 Level 1 Open Derby: $2,749
↑ Dan Myers pilots Magnums Little Dream.
LEVEL 1 OPEN DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Modernwhiz Chiquita
(Modern Gun x Hello I Gotta Whiz)
Valerie Siegel
Janyce Hoyt
DoubleZZ Dreams LLC
221
$1,673
3
A Maracana
(Colonels Shining Gun x Snip O Chex)
Ennzo Perrella
Lorena Delgado
Judy Box
220
$1,253
4
Einsteins Whiz Kid
(Einsteins Revolution x Whizacle)
Preston Kent
Staghead Ranch
Troy Hendricks
219
$1,076
5
Hard To Forgett
(Electric Code x Magnum Dream Queen)
Torri Sims
Jennifer Gilliam
Carri Visser
217.5
$956
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 91
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 4 NON PRO DERBY AND TKO NON PRO CHAMPIONS Xtra Ice Ice Wimpy and Jenna Kellmer 2018G (SG Frozen Enterprize x Wimpy Little Sinbar) Owner: Jenna Kellmer, Battle Ground, WA Breeder: Silver Spurs Equine, Purcell, OK Score: 218.5 Level 4 Non Pro Derby: $4,798 TKO Non Pro: $5,398
↑ Jenna Kellmer on Xtra Ice Ice Wimpy.
“This is one of my favorite horse shows. I’m super grateful that George King is one of the people who expanded his derbies to 8 year-olds, so this year feels like a bonus year. It’s fun to get another chance to keep going on a horse that really likes to show and doesn’t want to be done. “[Xtra Ice Ice Wimpy] is the biggest hearted, hardest trying horse I’ve ever owned in my life. I absolutely adore him, and he really loves his job.
My daughter’s been showing him, and then he even went in the Open the very next day with my husband and won a check. “I thank my husband for putting up with my obsession with this horse and letting me keep him this entire time. I thank George and everybody who puts on the shows; we’re very fortunate to have that kind of money to run at in the Northwest. We’re very grateful to the whole King family and the sponsors.”
LEVEL 4 NON PRO DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
U Can Doo It
(Shiners Voodoo Dr x This Chic Guns It)
Kevin Ball
Kevin Ball
Judy Box
218
$3,337
3
KR Trashya Lena
(Gunnatrashya x Smart Shiney Lena)
Nicole Driscoll
DR Quarter Horses
Butch Coggins
217.5
$2,295
4T
Suprizingya
(Gunnatrashya x Dun With Surprizes)
Jennifer Gilliam
Janiene Borror
Valentin Rascon
217
$1,773
4T
Shining Inlike Flinn
(In Like Flinn x Lil Shining Suzana)
Lori Bowkett
Lori Bowkett
Mary Jansma
217
$1,773
TKO NON PRO Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
U Can Doo It
(Shiners Voodoo Dr x This Chic Guns It)
Kevin Ball
Kevin Ball
Judy Box
218
$3,286
3
KR Trashya Lena
(Gunnatrashya x Smart Shiney Lena)
Nicole Driscoll
DR Quarter Horses
Butch Coggins
217.5
$2,465
4
Suprizingya
(Gunnatrashya x Dun With Surprizes)
Jennifer Gilliam
Janiene Borror
Valentin Rascon
217
$2,112
5T
Nite Like Shiner
(Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$1,760
5T
Gotta Like Juice
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiner Like Juice)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$1,760
92 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVELS 3 AND 2 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS U Can Doo It and Kevin Ball 2021S (Shiners Voodoo Dr x This Chic Guns It) Owner: Kevin Ball, Windsor, CO Breeder: Judy Box, Windsor, CO Score: 218 Level 3 Non Pro Derby: $3,538 Level 2 Non Pro Derby: $2,880
↑ Kevin Ball and U Can Doo It.
LEVEL 3 NON PRO DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Shining Inlike Flinn
(In Like Flinn x Lil Shining Suzana)
Lori Bowkett
Lori Bowkett
Mary Jansma
217
$2,154
3T
Douvoodoolikeido
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Xtra Voodoo Sailor)
Charlee Ann Mabey
Mabey Family Ranch
Jillane Brown
216.5
$1,410
3T
Nite Like Shiner
(Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$1,410
3T
Gotta Like Juice
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiner Like Juice)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$1,410
LEVEL 2 NON PRO DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Shining Inlike Flinn
(In Like Flinn x Lil Shining Suzana)
Lori Bowkett
Lori Bowkett
Mary Jansma
217
$2,154
3T
Douvoodoolikeido
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Xtra Voodoo Sailor)
Charlee Ann Mabey
Mabey Family Ranch
Jillane Brown
216.5
$1,410
3T
Nite Like Shiner
(Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$1,410
3T
Gotta Like Juice
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiner Like Juice)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$1,410
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 93
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 1 NON PRO AND YOUTH DERBY CHAMPIONS Douvoodoolikeido and Charlee Ann Mabey 2019M (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Xtra Voodoo Sailor) Owner: Mabey Family Ranch, Benjamin, UT Breeder: Jillane Brown, Smithfield, NC Score: 216.5 Level 1 Non Pro Derby: $1,901 Youth Non Pro Derby: $442
↑ Charlee Ann Mabey pilots Douvoodoolikeido.
LEVEL 1 NON PRO DERBY Rank 2
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
Diggininthemoonlight
(Pale Face Dunnit x Whizen Starlight)
McKenna Elizabeth
Luke Val Bingham
George King
215
$1,157
Bingham
3T
Huckleberry Flin
(In Like Flinn x Gunnersspecialsister)
Katrina Mueller
Katrina Mueller
Brooke Wharton
214.5
$758
3T
Cash In Your Dreams
(Lil Joe Cash x Way To Dream)
McKenna Sparrow
McKenna Sparrow
Rowena Reid
214.5
$758
3T
Gunnamakacomeback
(Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Bella Chic)
Chad Hartmann
Chad Hartmann
Chad Hartmann
214.5
$758
AMATEUR, PRIME TIME AND MASTERS NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS Shining Inlike Flinn and Lori Bowkett 2019G (In Like Flinn x Lil Shining Suzana) Owner: Lori Bowkett, Soap Lake, WA Breeder: Mary Jansma, Tioga, TX Score: 217 Amateur Derby: $1,179 Prime Time Non Pro Derby: $485 Masters Non Pro Derby: $474 ↑ Lori Bowkett rides Shining Inlike Flinn.
94 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 4 NON PRO 4-YEAR-OLD AND NOVICE HORSE DERBY CHAMPIONS Dreamin Of Snow and Chalyce Head 2022S (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimpyslittlesnowgun) Owner: Chalyce Head, County of Grand Prairie, Alberta, CN Breeder: Chalyce Head, County of Grand Prairie, Alberta, CN Score: 214.5 Level 4 Non Pro 4-Year-Old Derby: $1,122 Level 4 Non Pro Novice Horse Derby: $859 ↑ Chalyce Head rides Dreamin of Snow.
LEVEL 4 NON PRO 4-YEAR-OLD DERBY Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
MW Light My Fire
(Inferno Sixty Six x Playinginthelights)
Angela Kronenberg
Meadow Waye Farm LLC
Angela Kronenberg
214
$898
3
Off Tha Record
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Do It Different)
Kelsey Bortnick
Kelsey Bortnick and Jackie Kisilevich
Cathy Kolsun
210
$584
4
Now Ya Get It
(Colonels Shining Gun x Rock It Lil Whiz)
Ann Westlund
Ann Westlund
Story Book Stables
209
$449
5
Never Gunnabe Wimpy
(Gunnatrashya x Shes A Hot Step)
Olivia Caflisch
Olivia Caflisch
Kathie Fitzmaurice
208
$404
LEVEL 4 OPEN RED SHIRT FUTURITY CHAMPIONS GW For Ur Eyes Only and Jackson Porath 2022M (Gunnatrashya x Dreaminof Mega Chics) Owner: Christopher Park, Genola, UT Breeder: Grace Wins LLC, Elizabeth, CO Score: 219.5 Level 4 Open Red Shirt Futurity: $2,387
↑ Jackson Porath and GW For Ur Eyes Only.
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 95
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 4 NON PRO RED SHIRT FUTURITY CHAMPIONS Never Gunnabe Wimpy and Olivia Caflisch 2022M (Gunnatrashya x Shes A Hot Step) Owner: Olivia Caflisch, Beaverlodge, Alberta, CN Breeder: Kathie Fitzmaurice, Eston, Saskatchewan, CN Score: 208 Level 4 Non Pro Red Shirt Futurity: $1,224
↑ Olivia Caflisch on Never Gunnabe Wimpy.
TKO INTERMEDIATE OPEN CHAMPIONS A Maracana and Ennzo Perrella 2022S (Colonels Shining Gun x Snip O Chex) Owner: Lorena Delgado, San Pedro Garza Garcia, NL, MX Breeder: Judy Box, Windsor, CO Score: 220 TKO Intermediate Open: $4,961
↑ Ennzo Perrella and A Maracana.
TKO INTERMEDIATE OPEN Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Xtra Needs A Drink
(Wimpyneedsacocktail x Ruby Chic Olena)
David Hanson
N Anne Driscoll
Thiago Boechat
219.5
$3,236
3
Hard To Forgett
(Electric Code x Magnum Dream Queen)
Torri Sims
Jennifer Gilliam
Carri Visser
217.5
$2,265
4
Whiz Blu Sky
(Dun It For Whizkey x California Shine)
Torri Sims
Shelah Kell
Michael and Lora White
217
$1,941
5T
TR Designer Genes
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Taris Designer Genes)
Gabe Hutchins
Tamarack Ranch LLC
Rancho Oso Rio LLC
215.5
$1,510
5T
Infernos Mistress
(Inferno Sixty Six x A Ruf Mistress)
Yali Avraham
70 Stables
Larry Weihing
215.5
$1,510
5T
Onetimeforagoodtime
(Colonels Shining Gun x One Smart Pepto)
Marie O'Neal
Heritage Farms
Dana Avila
215.5
$1,510
96 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
TKO INTERMEDIATE NON PRO CHAMPIONS Waitin On A Diamond and Naudia Gilliam 2012M (Whizkey N Diamonds x This Chicsdundreamin) Owner: Rhodes River Ranch, Arlington, WA Breeder: Rhodes River Ranch, Arlington, WA Score: 218 TKO Intermediate Non Pro: $4,743
↑ Naudia Gilliam rides Waitin On A Diamond.
TKO INTERMEDIATE NON PRO Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2T
Nite Like Shiner
(Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$2,990
2T
Gotta Like Juice
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiner Like Juice)
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
216.5
$2,990
4
Electric Genetics
(Jacs Electric Spark x Taris Designer Genes)
Brooklyn
Lorinda Anne Soma
Rancho Oso Rio, LLC
216
$1,856
(Pale Face Dunnit x Whizen Starlight)
McKenna
Luke Val Bingham
George King
215
$1,650
5
Diggininthemoonlight
JULY 2026
Grace Hocking Elizabeth Bingham
NRHA REINER | 97
Best Little Derby in the West
TKO PRIME TIME AND MASTERS NON PRO CO-CHAMPIONS Gotta Like Juice and Jose Vazquez 2018M (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiner Like Juice) Owner: Smart Like Juice Inc., Markham, IL Breeder: Smart Like Juice Inc., Markham, IL Score: 216.5 TKO Prime Time Non Pro: $1,650 TKO Masters Non Pro: $1,620
↑ Jose Vazquez pilots Gotta Like Juice.
TKO PRIME TIME AND MASTERS NON PRO CO-CHAMPIONS Nite Like Shiner and Jose Vazquez 2020S (Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner) Owner: Smart Like Juice Inc., Markham, IL Breeder: Smart Like Juice Inc., Markham, IL Score: 216.5 TKO Prime Time Non Pro: $1,650 TKO Masters Non Pro: $1,620
↑ Jose Vazquez on Nite Like Shiner.
98 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVELS 3 AND 2 TKO NOVICE HORSE OPEN CHAMPIONS Face The Voodoo and Matt McAuslan 2022S (Pale Face Dunnit x Xtra Black Magic) Owner: Full Circle Ranch, LLC, Snohomish, WA Breeder: Silver Spurs Equine, Purcell, OK Score: 220 Level 3 TKO Novice Horse Open: $3,582 Level 2 TKO Novice Horse Open: $3,888
↑ Matt McAuslan pilots Face the Voodoo.
TKO NOVICE HORSE OPEN LEVEL 3 Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Top Down On 66
(Inferno Sixty Six x Liltroublenawhiz)
Michael Boyle
Jodie Brixey
Jodie Brixey
218.5
$2,180
3T
Diggininthestarlight
(Pale Face Dunnit x Whizen Starlight)
Jackson Porath
Connie Jo Thompson
George King
218
$1,518
3T
Spooks Big Chex
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x TH Great Big Chex)
Daphne Foran
Loren Booth
Robert Sutherland
218
$1,518
5
Gold Chex Dreams
(Magnum Chic Dream x Big Gold Chex)
Devin Warren
Devin Warren
Devin Warren
217.5
$1,246
5T
Infernos Mistress
(Inferno Sixty Six x A Ruf Mistress)
Yali Avraham
70 Stables
Larry Weihing
215.5
$1,510
5T
Onetimeforagoodtime
(Colonels Shining Gun x One Smart Pepto)
Marie O'Neal
Heritage Farms
Dana Avila
215.5
$1,510
TKO NOVICE HORSE OPEN LEVEL 2 Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Top Down On 66
(Inferno Sixty Six x Liltroublenawhiz)
Michael Boyle
Jodie Brixey
Jodie Brixey
218.5
$2,367
3
Spooks Big Chex
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x TH Great Big Chex)
Daphne Foran
Loren Booth
Robert Sutherland
218
$1,775
4T
TR Gorgeousness
(Walla Walla Whiz x ARC Gunna Mark Ya)
Devin Warren
Garth Hystad
Tamarack Ranch LLC
216.5
$1,268
4T
Gunnerdance
(Gunner x Dance Little Spook)
Daphne Foran
Bosque Ranch Performance Horses LLC
Quarter Dream SRL
216.5
$1,268
4T
Try To Take My Guns
(Tinker With Guns x This Chicsdundreamin)
Sean McBurney
TD Ranch LLC
Judy Box
216.5
$1,268
4T
SS Tite Fittin Jeans
(Epic Titan x SS Kiss Me. Kate)
Fernando Salgado
Empire Ranch (TX)
Silver Spurs Equine
216.5
$1,268
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 99
LEVEL 1 TKO NOVICE HORSE OPEN CO-CHAMPIONS SS Tite Fittin Jeans and Fernando Salgado
LEVEL 1 TKO NOVICE HORSE OPEN CO-CHAMPIONS GPB Smart Voodoo and Matthew McDowell
2022M (Epic Titan x SS Kiss Me Kate) Owner: Empire Ranch (TX), Whitesboro, TX Breeder: Silver Spurs Equine, Purcell, OK Score: 216.5 Level 1 TKO Novice Horse Open: $3,233
2021S (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Always Steppin Smart) Owner: Vicki and Dennis Turin, Sandy, OR Breeder: GPB Ranch Enterprises, LLC, Coalgate, OK Score: 216.5 Level 1 TKO Novice Horse Open: $3,233
TKO NOVICE HORSE OPEN LEVEL 1 Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2T
Good As Hell
(Inferno Sixty Six x Dual Spirit)
Libby Metz
Libby Metz
Emma Villa
214.5
$2,234
2T
The Tulsa King
(Inferno Sixty Six x Blonde But Smart)
Luis Blanco
Empire Ranch (TX)
John Sachau
214.5
$2,234
4
Gunnamakacomeback
(Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Bella Chic)
Chad Hartmann
Chad Hartmann
Chad Hartmann
213
$1,641
5T
SS Bewitched
(Shiners Voodoo Dr x Xtra Ruby Step)
Ric Keele
Curtis Skip Wilson
Silver Spurs Equine
212
$1,368
5T
Back In The Daze
(In Like Flinn x Gunners Dazey)
Kendall Lynn Wigen
Kendall Lynn Wigen
Daniel Pike
212
$1,368
5T
Onetimeforagoodtime
(Colonels Shining Gun x One Smart Pepto)
Marie O'Neal
Heritage Farms
Dana Avila
215.5
$1,510
LEVEL 3 TKO NOVICE HORSE NON PRO CHAMPIONS Douvoodoolikeido and Charlee Ann Mabey 2019M (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Xtra Voodoo Sailor) Owner: Mabey Family Ranch, Benjamin, UT Breeder: Jillane Brown, Smithfield, NC Score: 220 Level 3 TKO Novice Horse Non Pro: $3,888
↑ Charlee Ann Mabey rides Douvoodoolikeido.
TKO NOVICE HORSE NON PRO LEVEL 3 Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2
Hard To Forgett
(Electric Code x Magnum Dream Queen)
Jennifer Gilliam
Jennifer Gilliam
Carri Visser
217
$2,367
3
Tha Real Mccoy
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Day Drinkin Chic)
Nici Hanson
Nici Hanson
Amy Rushing
216
$1,775
4T
Shining Inlike Flinn
(In Like Flinn x Lil Shining Suzana)
Lori Bowkett
Lori Bowkett
Mary Jansma
215
$1,437
4T
Nite Like Shiner
(Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner)
Jose Vazquez
Jose Vazquez
Smark Like Juice Inc.
215
$1,437
5T
Infernos Mistress
(Inferno Sixty Six x A Ruf Mistress)
Yali Avraham
70 Stables
Larry Weihing
215.5
$1,510
5T
Onetimeforagoodtime
(Colonels Shining Gun x One Smart Pepto)
Marie O'Neal
Heritage Farms
Dana Avila
215.5
$1,510
100 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
Best Little Derby in the West
LEVEL 2 TKO NOVICE HORSE NON PRO CHAMPIONS Hard To Forgett and Jennifer Gilliam
LEVEL 1 TKO NOVICE HORSE NON PRO CHAMPIONS Tha Real Mccoy and Nici Hanson
2020M (Electric Code x Magnum Dream Queen) Owner: Jennifer Gilliam, Pine Grove, CA Breeder: Carri Visser, Ada, MN Score: 217 Level 2 TKO Novice Horse Non Pro: $4,194
2020G (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Day Drinkin Chic) Owner: Nici Hanson, Evans, CO Breeder: Amy Rushing, Fort Collins, CO Score: 216 Level 1 TKO Novice Horse Non Pro: $4,194
TKO NOVICE HORSE NON PRO LEVEL 2 Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2T
Tha Real Mccoy
(Spooks Gotta Whiz x Day Drinkin Chic)
Nici Hanson
Nici Hanson
Amy Rushing
216
$2,234
2T
Cash In Your Dreams
(Lil Joe Cash x Way To Dream)
McKenna Sparrow
McKenna Sparrow
Rowena Reid
216
$2,234
4
Nite Like Shiner
(Gunners Special Nite x Like Shiner)
Jose Vazquez
Jose Vazquez
Smark Like Juice Inc.
215
$1,641
5T
The Tulsa King
(Inferno Sixty Six x Blonde But Smart)
Luis Blanco
Empire Ranch (TX)
John Sachau
214.5
$1,276
5T
Va Nilla Icce
(SG Frozen Enterprize x Showtimes Packinagun)
Hailey Bird
Christopher Bird
Jeffrey Palmer
214.5
$1,276
5T
Huckleberry Flin
(In Like Flinn x Gunnersspecialsister)
Katrina Mueller
Katrina Mueller
Brooke Wharton
214.5
$1,276
TKO NOVICE HORSE NON PRO LEVEL 1 Rank
Horse
Pedigree
Rider
Owner
Breeder
Score
Earnings
2T
Good As Hell
(Inferno Sixty Six x Dual Spirit)
Libby Metz
Libby Metz
Emma Villa
214.5
$2,234
2T
The Tulsa King
(Inferno Sixty Six x Blonde But Smart)
Luis Blanco
Empire Ranch (TX)
John Sachau
214.5
$2,234
4
Gunnamakacomeback
(Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Bella Chic)
Chad Hartmann
Chad Hartmann
Chad Hartmann
213
$1,641
5T
SS Bewitched
(Shiners Voodoo Dr x Xtra Ruby Step)
Ric Keele
Curtis Skip Wilson
Silver Spurs Equine
212
$1,368
5T
Back In The Daze
(In Like Flinn x Gunners Dazey)
Kendall Lynn Wigen
Kendall Lynn Wigen
Daniel Pike
212
$1,368
5T
Onetimeforagoodtime
(Colonels Shining Gun x One Smart Pepto)
Marie O'Neal
Heritage Farms
Dana Avila
215.5
$1,510
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 101
NRBC
Twice as Golden Golden Coins and Kole Price defend their Classic Open Level 4 Champion title at the 2026 National Reining Breeders Classic By Abigail Boatwright | Photos courtesy of Waltenberry
G
olden Coins (Spooks Gotta Gun x Electric Cha Ching) sparkled in the sun as he and NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Kole Price entered the Classic Level 4 Open finals at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) on April 25. Price, of Pilot Point, Texas, and “Zeus,” scored a 231.5 in the final to defend their title and take home $100,000 from the event, which was held at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex within the Tulsa Expo Square. Only two riders have accomplished this back-to-back feat at the NRBC, and Zeus has never even lost a go-round at this show. The duo originally paired up in Zeus’ 3 year-old year, and it’s been golden ever since. In addition to winning the NRBC in 2025, the 6 year-old stallion was reserve Level 4 NRHA Derby® champion last year, and as a 4-year-old won a qualifier for The Run For A Million. He was bred by Silver Spurs Equine, and is owned by Coin Toss LLC. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse, as pretty in person as he is on video, and he has a special way of doing things. I think he knows he’s good,” Price said. When asked why he brought Zeus back for this class, Price points to the horse’s readiness and timing in his schedule this year.
102 | NRHA REINER
Golden Coins and Kole Price scored a 231.5 in the Level 4 Open Classic finals, handily winning the top spot for the second time. ↓
JULY 2026
NRBC “He still felt f resh, and I know he loves that pen,” he said. “I thought it would be a good first outing for him this year, and I didn’t have to show him anywhere since The Run For A Million last year. He’s had a break, and he just felt ready to go.” Price says Zeus is a pretty mover, able to balance well in maneuvers. The duo schooled quite a bit this year leading up to the NRBC, where Price focused on putting the stallion in good positions in the show pen and building his confidence. “My preparation work started about three weeks out, that way when I got there, I could be fine-tuning and everything went pretty well,” Price said. “I like to have them prepared and get them shown clean.” Price knew his horse was capable of a great score, and just aimed to have clean runs. “My goal this year was to have them really mentally ready,” Price said. “As a 6 year-old, they know what’s going on, so I had to make sure I had his brain prepared the way I wanted to, and we were pretty spot on.” Zeus was sharp on his turnarounds prior to the competition, so in the go-round, he showed his stuff.
“Every judge +1’d all the circles. The lead change felt perfect, spot on. And then he turned the corner really good, waited, and ran deep. All three stops, he stopped well. I think everybody +1’d every maneuver on the scorecard, which was the first time I’d ever had that, which was really cool,” he added. Next, they set their sights on the finals. “I just really wanted to have a clean run—I felt like I had the momentum and he was prepared perfectly,” Price said. “I nailed my first stop, circled a tick softer, pretty—easy +1. My biggest thing is I wanted to turn the corner good and run deep down the pen, and go +1 on all of those. He was super easy to show.” Almost immediately, Price knew they’d made a special run. “When I hit my last stop, I didn’t know I’d won, but I knew he was going to be good enough that someone would really have to have a good run to beat him.” When The Lion King song “The Circle of Life” played on the loudspeakers after their run, which signals a new high score, he was elated. Even more so when they stayed on top till the end. “It’s really neat to be able to do it back-to-back,” Price said. “He’s pretty much been undefeated at that show, so that’s really cool.” ■
LEVEL 4 OPEN CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
2
Alpha Viking
[Gunnatrashya x Rock It With Sass]
Andrea Fappani
Alpha Vargo Partners
Alpha Quarter Horses LLC
$57,500
2
Vintage Chex
[A Sparkling Vintage x Chex Out The Cowgirl]
Luca Fappani
Barbara H Phillips
William Coburn III
$57,500
4
Steamy Dreams
[Inferno Sixty Six x Thischichasbigdreams]
Craig C. Schmersal Diamond Creek Ranch
DIAMOND CREEK RANCH
$45,000
5
Custom Dreams
[Magnum Chic Dream x Gunna Be Custom]
Casey L. Deary
Custom Dreams Brazil
Devin K Warren
$35,000
6
OO7
[Gunner Dun It Again x Solidly Spirited]
Andrea Fappani
Sandy Vargo
Lorenz Muller
$25,000
7
The Firemen
[Inferno Sixty Six x Redhot Walla]
Kaci J. O'Rourke
Peter A Morgan Dianna C. Olson Courtney R Morgan
$21,500
8
King Arthur II
[Gunnatrashya x Shesouttayourleague]
Casey L. Deary
Malson/ Arcese/Mclain
Curtis Performance Horses LLC
$18,000
9
Star Code
[ARC Gunnabeabigstar x Lil Codette]
Fernando Salgado
Jeff Sizelove
Lorenzo Lotti
$16,125
9
The Lil Colonel
[Colonels Shining Gun x Dunit A Lil Ruf]
Nathan T. Piper
Jean D Piper
Ann Salmon
$16,125
9
Warrior Mask
[Colonels Shining Gun x Conquistadors Sandy]
Peter DeFreitas
Double Run Farm
Double Run Farm
$16,125
9
Ima Dreamin Jeannie
[Magnum Chic Dream x Gunnawinya Jac]
Ruben Vandorp
Villa Di Roma
Hill Country Reiners
$16,125
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 103
NRBC
LEVEL 3 OPEN CLASSIC CHAMPION Ima Dreamin Jeannie and Ruben Vandorp 2022M (Magnum Chic Dream x Gunnawinyajac) Owner: Villa Di Roma LLC (NRBC SAYS LAURIE HAUCK) Breeder: Hill Country Reiners Score: 222.5 Level 3 Open Classic: $40,000 Level 4 Open Classic: $16,125.00 4-Year-Old Breeder Open L3: $17,025
↑ Vandrop on the “overachiever” Ima Dreamin’ Jeannie.
“I bought ‘Jeannie’ as a yearling. I recommended that my customer buy her in Lorenzo Lottie’s sale, and we’ve had her ever since.” “She’s so incredibly physical, and she’s such an overachiever. It was a bit different this year with a new 4 year-old division that ran in the first go, with quite a bit of money added, so I was not just trying to make the finals on a 4 year-old. I like the mare so much, and I think she’s so strong and goodminded that I thought she could handle two runs.”
“I tried to make a hard run in the go-round, and she was really good. When I asked her to back up on the last stop, she mistook my cue and rolled back, and I caught her just in time. That cost me a little bit. We still snuck into the Level 4 finals. That’s the kind of horse she is. You can have a little mistake, and still do good.” “I thought the mare was stellar—she’s an amazing horse. There’s always a little bit of pressure when you ride a good one.”
LEVEL 4 OPEN CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dun It In Silver]
Franco Bertolani
Vulcano LLC
Diane Sibley
$25,000
2
Vulcano
3
Magnums Ferrari {Ruf Lil Magnum x Xtra Lace And Sugar]
Josh Tishman
NTS Equine LLC
Trent McNally
$14,250
3
Wallas First Gun
Gunnatrashya x Wallas Chic Diana
Matt Mills
Janice Dickson
Janice Dickson
$14,250
5
Bay Juice
Tricked Out Spook x SGC Cita Mex Juice]
Alejandro Ortiz Vasquez
Cervantes Performance Horses LLC
Bernardino Cervantes
$11,000
104 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 105
NRBC
LEVEL 2 OPEN CLASSIC CHAMPION Sparkling Face and Nicole Renick Johnson 2021M(A Sparkling Vintage x Face The Attitude) Owner: Schmersal/Spring Partnership Breeder: Hickory Creek Ranch LLC Score: 221.5 Level 2 Open Classic: $19,000
↑ Johnson, riding Sparkling Face, noted her strategy was stay out of the penalty box.
“I work for Craig and Ginger Schmersal, and they gave me the opportunity to ride ‘Beth’ and show her. I started riding her back in February.” “With this mare, usually she does everything so good, that I just tried to keep things quiet with her and touch on the littler details. She’s a huge stopper and a big turner, so there’s not a lot of prep work other than just keeping her fit and keeping her mind not too fresh. The rest comes really easy for her.” “My strategy was to stay out of the penalty
box, and stay out of her way. If I was going to get anything accomplished, I was not going to come out of the show pen with penalties on her.” “In the finals run, she came back even stronger for me. It’s a great pattern for her, because it’s a run-in, and she nailed the run in. We stayed clean through the rest of it, and she was fantastic for me.” “This is one horse show that I haven’t gotten to attend and show at until this year. So, to be my first NRBC and make the finals, and then win the Level 2 is pretty special, and pretty rewarding.”
LEVEL 2 OPEN CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
2
Thoughtyoushouldknow
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dun It In Silver]
Franco Bertolani
Vulcano LLC
Diane Sibley
$11,500
3
Flawless
{Ruf Lil Magnum x Xtra Lace And Sugar]
Josh Tishman
NTS Equine LLC
Trent McNally
$5,668
3
A Spook In My Genes
Gunnatrashya x Wallas Chic Diana
Matt Mills
Janice Dickson Janice Dickson
$5,668
3
Shez Got Addy Tude
Tricked Out Spook x SGC Cita Mex Juice]
Alejandro Ortiz Vasquez
Cervantes Performance Horses LLC
$5,668
106 | NRHA REINER
Bernardino Cervantes
JULY 2026
NRBC
LEVEL 1 OPEN CLASSIC CHAMPION Spark N Inferno and Jack Berggren 2019S (Inferno Sixty Six x Shiner Light) Owner: Teresa Wynn Breeder: Teresa Wynn Score: 220 Level 1 Open Classic: $7500
↑ Berggren has made the finals each of the last three years on Spark N Inferno.
“I’ve made the NRBC finals on ‘Jagger’ the last three years—every year I’ve showed him there. Tristan, my fiancée, shows him in the Non Pro.” “The last couple of years I showed him here, I did too much preparing, and had him too tired. So this year, I wanted to keep him as fresh as I could, to keep as much horse as I could to go show.” “The prelim was good. I was last on the dirt, and I missed my last stop. The finals run was really good.
He ran in, stopped good, turned good, circled good. I had a little issue with my second lead change, but he ran in, stopped huge on three stops.” “Tristan, my fiancée, was really into watching everyone and keeping me informed, but I didn’t want to know [how it was going]. I didn’t want to watch or know until it was all done.” “It feels really good, really rewarding to finally go there and get it done in the finals.”
LEVEL 1 OPEN CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
2
Snow Cone
[Electric Snow x Whizicle] Edouard Winne
Equine Plus
Equine Plus
$5,000
3
A Spook In My Genes
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Spark In My Genes]
Lena Maas
Rancho Oso Rio LLC
Rancho Oso Rio LLC
$3,000
4
I Dream Of Stopping
[Gunnatrashya x Stop Like A Dream]
Desiree Kelts
Sotol Investments LLC
Toyon Ranch LLC
$2,000
5
Nyourwildestdreams
[Magnum Chic Dream x Gunna Be Custom}
Edouard Winne
Jose Fernando Fagundes
Devin K Warren
$1,375
5
Eccentricity
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x A Chic In Wranglers]
Kaitlyn Baker
Duane W. Latimer
JULY 2026
$1,375
NRHA REINER | 107
NRBC
↑ Reed Kyle and Geronemo clinched the Level 4 Non Pro Classic Champion title with a 222.5 score to win $50,000.
G
eronemo has been part of Reed Kyle’s family since he was a yearling, and that comfort level is apparent in the arena. The 5 year-old stallion (Electric Snow x Big Chex In The Citty, owned by Kyle’s father-in-law, Mal Anderson) was piloted to a 222.5 to win the Level 4 Non Pro Classic title on April 23. “When you get on him, he’s very intense. He’s got a lot of heart, a lot of try, always trying to do his best. It’s fun to be on a horse with that kind of caliber, and level, and he’s always stepped up. But he’s pretty chill, and enjoys his scratches,” Kyle said. Kyle appreciates Geronemo’s strengths in the show pen as well as his personality. “He’s got grit and heart and determination,” Kyle said. “If you ask more, he’ll give you more, and his stops are incredible—he is one of the coolest stopping horses I have ever been on. He’s so physical behind, and so f ree up f ront, and just has a really cool, unique style when he stops.”
108 | NRHA REINER
Last fall, Kyle showed Geronemo at the 100X Reining Classic at the same facility, winning Level 1, 2, 3, and placing fourth in the Level 4— nearly $114,000. That was his first time to show the stallion. The 2026 NRBC was his second. Geronemo and Kyle train with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Trevor Dare, and it was a last-minute decision between Dare and Kyle as to who would show the stallion at this event. “Trevor passed the torch to me to go show him, especially since we had good success last year,” Kyle said. “It was a good combination of teamwork to get us ready.” Strategizing for the event, Kyle’s plan was to showcase the horse’s best traits. “I think the biggest thing was focusing on the things he does really well, and show smart and show confident,” Kyle said. “The cool thing about that horse is he’s got a lot of heart, a lot of grit. He’s one that when you ask of him, he’ll show up, and that’s exactly what he did in the prelims and in the finals.” In the prelims, Kyle focused on having a clean score with no penalties. “First thing, we did the turns—I was not wanting to push that hard, we were going for 0 or +1/2s just to try to be really smooth, consistent and not have any turn penalties over or under,” Kyle said. “Going into the circles, I pushed the circles a bit more, trying to get +1/2s, which he did. The best thing he does is run and stop. It’s so fun to go around the corner, take him down there and do what he does best.” JULY 2026
NRBC
Their plan worked, and in the finals, he didn’t fix what wasn’t broken. They were one of the last horses in the draw. “It’s a run-in stop, so I wanted to be aggressive on that first one, and he stopped huge, backed up really well,” Kyle said. “Same thing with the turns, I just wanted to be really clean there. Into the circles, I really trusted him. He felt great all week and he just felt better and better, especially with all the prep that Trevor and his crew helped with. I pushed the circles a little bit more, gave him a little bit more drape rein, and got through everything really clean. I ran to the stops and pretty much had fun at that point.” Standing with his wife, Kodi, at the arena waiting for the final horses to finish, when they heard the score, they knew he’d won. “It was very emotional, very meaningful,” Kyle said.
Kyle is the son of NRHA Professional Pete Kyle, and he grew up around the reining world. He works for Bluebonnet Feeds, working with horse owners, trainers, and non-pros on a daily basis. This win was a major accomplishment. “I am always seeing other people’s successes, but gosh, I love this sport. I love that it can bring people together, horses together, from so many different walks of life in this world,” Kyle said. “It’s just a cool experience to be part of the history of it all.” Kyle thanks his in-laws for the opportunity to show Geronemo—they are dairy farmers in New Zealand, and watched the competition from across the world. “Without them and their belief in this horse from when he first saw him as a yearling, and continuing on, none of this would be possible,” Kyle said. ■
LEVEL 4 OPEN CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Miss Tinselberry]
Taylor A Zimmerman
Vaughn C. Zimmerman
Tammy Smith Brown
$30,000
2
Spooks Deville
3
Stoppingforstarbucks Gunners Special Nite x Chic Olena Starbuck]
Mandy McCutcheon
Tom McCutcheon Mandy McCutcheon
Turnabout Farm Inc
$18,000
4
SS Gunnafreezeya
[SG Frozen Enterprize x Gunnaoutfoxya]
Anna-Maria Zehetbauer
Zeidelhof Reining Horses
Silver Spurs Equine
$14,000
5
Time Inn A Bottle
[In Like Flinn x Surprizentheprincess]
Jack R. Medows
Amy E Medows
Amy Medows
$12,000
5
Face The Hail Storm
[Pale Face Dunnit x Smart As Hail]
Layton A. Tishman
Spring Creek Ranch LLC
Adalena Shelton McNeel
$12,000
7
What A Surprise
[Walla Walla Whiz x Surpriseinadarkalley]
Kylie Warn
Deer Creek Farms
Story Book Stables Inc
$10,000
8
Ruf Jewels
[Not Ruf At All x Gotta Get A Diamond]
Taylor A Zimmerman
Vaughn C. Zimmerman
Vaughn C. Zimmerman
$6,550
8
SLJ Shine
[Smart Like Juice x Wind Her Up Shiner]
Mariana Vazquez
Smart Like Juice Inc.
Smart Like Juice Inc.
$6,550
8
Master Spooks
[Spooks Gotta Whiz Ty Boechat x Arc Summer Onthe Bay]
Thiago Boechat
Wiedenhofer George
$6,550
110 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
NRBC
LEVEL 3 NON PRO CLASSIC CO-CHAMPION Jack Medows and Perfect On Ice 2021S (SG Frozen Enterprize x Isnt She Perfect) Owner: Amy Medows Breeder: Amy Medows Score: 218.5 Level 3 Non Pro Classic: $11,833.33
↑ Medows, riding Perfect On Ice, said he hasn’t even “scratched the surface” of the horse’s potential.
“We raised ‘Smitty’ and he’s 5 now—we’ve been around him every day. He’s been shown in the Open by Casey Deary. Overall, he’s just been a real special horse.” “He’s had a lot of time off in his life, so this was the first full year of training he’s actually had. It was really good for him to mature, and overall get broke for the show season.” “I’ve never really scratched the surface of his potential, so I tried to take it one maneuver at a time, and just improve f rom the last time I showed him. He’s an incredibly talented horse,
and really good-minded. I’ve had a bit of bad luck every time he’s been shown, but he was great for me [at the NRBC] and I can’t wait to show him again.” “He’s a big stopper. I wanted to get in, hit my first stop and get back to center, and then focus on his turns. He’s a good turner, but sometimes he overthinks it. So I tried to get him turned real clean, and he’s a really talented circler—that was definitely the best he’s ever circled for me. He was really locked in and honest. That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had showing a horse.”
LEVEL 3 NON PRO CLASSIC CO-CHAMPION Jack Medows and Time Inn A Bottle 2019S (In Like Flinn x Surprizentheprincess) Owner: Amy Medows Breeder: Amy Medows Score: 218.5 Level 3 Non Pro Classic: $11,833.33
↑ Jack Medows rides Time Inn a Bottle.
“We raised ‘Oliver’ as well, and he’s earned over $170,000 with three different riders. He’s the true definition of a family horse: he’s been shown by Casey Deary, me, and my sister. He’s never had a bad show. Every time we show him, it’s like the first time—he’s very honest.” “He’s kind of a maniac at home every day, so you have to know that when he gets to a horse show, he’s going to be a lot better. As soon as he steps on the fairgrounds, it’s all business for him. He just goes JULY 2026
to work. I had to trust in him that He’s going to be there for me because he never lets me down.” “He showed great. He’s a big stopper. Getting him run down in the pen, you let him do his thing. He’s really fun to circle too. Very honest. You just put your hand down, look up, give your cues, and he’s going to listen to you. “You don’t go in there with the expectation of winning like that. I was very proud of both horses. I am just really blessed and fortunate.” NRHA REINER | 111
NRBC
LEVEL 3 NON PRO CLASSIC CO-CHAMPION, LEVEL 2 NON PRO, LEVEL 1 NON PRO CLASSIC CHAMPION Layton Tishman and Face The Hail Storm 2020G (Pale Face Dunnit x Smart As Hail) Owner: Adalena Shelton McNeel Breeder: Adalena Shelton McNeel Score: 218.5 Level 3 Non Pro Classic: $11,833.33 Level 2 Non Pro Classic: $10,000 Level 1 Non Pro Classic: $5,000 ↑ Tishman said getting to ride The Hail Storm is “the fun part.”
“’Dragon’ came to our program two years ago. He was actually an Open horse first with Josh [Tishman] who showed him for about a year, and then we had the opportunity to get him. I’ve been showing him for the past year, and he’s just kept progressing.” “I knew he was capable, and just had to trust that our preparation was good. He’s been rock solid for the last six months. Running the business, having our children at shows, I’m busy so that getting to ride is the fun part. We work this hard to be able to enjoy this moment.” “I have never been in a finals in my entire life, in any level. I made it straight to Level 4. Running through the gates, I was thinking, just trust him.
“He felt really great the night before. I knew he nailed his first stop, and backed up pretty great. He’s a really strong turner, so I was really proud of him on that one. I took a little extra time before starting my circles, and he stood there like a rock and waited on me. He circles like a machine. I love his frame. I’ve personally struggled stopping, so I really had to focus, riding him where I wanted him to be. Thankfully, even if he starts off fast, whenever you say ‘whoa’ he just melts right under you. He takes care of his Non Pro very well. “This was the first show that our babysitter was able to come with us, so both of our kids were able to be there. We were able to do it as a family.”
LEVEL 3 NON PRO CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
4
LV Epic Step
[Epic Titan x Steppin N Hustlin]
Joetta Bell
Joetta Bell
Ixtul Quarter Horses LLC
$8,000
4
Ima Magnum Survivor
[Magnum Chic Dream x Golden Survivor]
Charles P Wiederholt
Charles P and Cheryl Wiederholt
Kenny and Deana Nell
$8,000
112 | NRHA REINER
JULY 2026
NRBC LEVEL 2 NON PRO CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
2
Master Spooks
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Arc Summer Onthe Bay]
Ty Boechat
Thiago Boechat Wiedenhofer George
$6,000
3
Fortuna Frozen Shine
[SG Frozen Enterprise x Xtra Maid To Shine]
Ty Boechat
Thiago Boechat Xtra Quarter Horses
$5,000
4
Blazing For Chex
[Inferno Sixty Six x Spangled For Chex]
Wesley Wetherell
Wesley Wetherell
Helga Smith
$4,000
5
Swooon
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Sheza Smart Wimpy]
Eric Mendrysa
Eric Mendrysa
Loren Booth Living Trust
$2,500
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
Tamarack Ranch LLC
$2,550
LEVEL 1 NON PRO CLASSIC RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
2
Secondhand Smmoke {A Vintage Smoke x Wallawhizagun
Elle Ann Russell
RKE Reining LLC
2
Master Spooks
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Arc Summer Onthe Bay]
Ty Boechat
Thiago Boechat Wiedenhofer George
$2,550
4
Fortuna Frozen Shine
[SG Frozen Enterprise x Xtra Maid To Shine]
Ty Boechat
Thiago Boechat Xtra Quarter Horses
$1,600
5
Blazing For Chex
[Inferno Sixty Six x Spangled For Chex]
Wesley Wetherell
Wesley Wetherell
Helga Smith
$1,150
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
LEVEL 4 OPEN CLASSIC CHALLENGE RANK HORSE 1
Dust Off Ya Gunns
[Gunnatrashya x One Mighty Aphrodite]
Peter DeFreitas
Double Run Farm
Double Run Farm
$6,585
2
Whizicle
{Topsail Whiz x Setting Off Sparks]
Andrea Fappani
Diane E. Yoder
Roseanne Sternberg
$4,010
3
Thischichasbigdreams
[Magnum Chic Dream x Slide By Shiner]
Craig C. Schmersal
Diamond Creek Ranch
Christina J. Riley
$3,005
4
Gee Whiz What A Blue
[Spooks Gotta Whiz x Tivios Little Dun It]
Dany Tremblay
Thorsport
Impresa Agricola Cuoghi
$2,575
5
Ziggy Rocks
[Whizkey N Diamonds x Shes Got Good Guns]
Dany Tremblay
Pastorino Hay Roxanne Koepsell & Ranch Supply
$2,148
LEVEL 4 NON PRO CLASSIC CHALLENGE RANK HORSE
PEDIGREE
RIDER(S)
OWNER
BREEDER
EARNINGS
1
Its All About Ruf
[Not Ruf At All x Dun Pretty Nifty]
Taylor A Zimmerman
Taylor A Zimmerman
Vaugn C. Zimmerman
$6,900
2
Pale Light
[Pale Face Dunnit x Luz Del Conquistadors]
Allison Rae Thorson
Thorsport
B S Syndicate
$3,350
2
Redhot Vintage
[Platinum Vintage x Redhot Walla]
Natalie K. Vargo
Sandy Vargo
Tamarack Ranch LLC
$3,350
2
Kr Ima Chic
[Magnum Chic Dream x KR Ima Tejon]
Kristin M Avila
Kristen M Avila
Pete and Tamra Kyle
$3,350
5
Ziggy Rocks
[Whizkey N Diamonds x Shes Got Good Guns]
Dany Tremblay
Pastorino Hay Roxanne Koepsell & Ranch Supply
$2,250
5
Lil Ruf Whizkey
[Whizkey N Diamonds x Lil Ruf Startime]
Elden James Fredenburg
Tyler or Natalie Fredenburg
$2,250
JULY 2026
Terry P Leffew
NRHA REINER | 113
Judge Recognition
Thank you, Judges!
NRHA offers a salute to its longstanding competition judges
↑ The Medows family. Photo courtesy of Amy Medows.
O
ne of the most essential, and perhaps the most thankless jobs in reining is that of the judge. While riders and horses get the glory, the men and women on the chair are there to make the close calls when they’re needed, and to ensure a level playing field.
NRHA would like to recognize its judges with 25 years of experience or more. They include: Alain Allard
Leo Fourre
Matthew Livengood
Ann Salmon Anderman
Douglas Allen
Margaret Fuchs
Pete McAlister
Kelly Sapp
Jay Dee Anderson
Francois Gauthier
Michael McEntire
Dori Schwartzenberger
Ben Balow
Richard / Ollie Griffith
Chele McGauly
Steve Schwartzenberger
Dave Belson
Sid Griffith
Tim McQuay
Andrea Simons
Mario Boisjoli
Clint Haverty
Alessandro Meconi
Charles Smith
Jan Boogaerts
Spike Holmes
Doug Milholland
Sam Smith
Don Boyd
Marlin Holroyd
Mark Miller
John Snobelen
Joel Brainard
Lyle jackson
Bonnie Miller
Todd Sommers
Edward “Hoot” Bricker
Drake Johnson
James Morgan
Giuseppe Stanzione
Ronald (Butch) Campbell
Debra Jones Wright
Peter Morgan
Terry Thompson
Marvin (Butch) Carse, Jr.
Sylvia Katschker
Sue Muir
John Tuckey
Edwin Cridge
Bob Kail
Kim Myers
Mark Turner
Carlton Crowe
Larry Kasten
Yosef Ohana
Toby Tyler
Michael Damianos
Brad Kelsall
Pierre Ouellet
Brett Walters
Greg Darnali
Pete Kyle
Gay Owens
Ronnie Wayne
Sherry Dooley
Lyne Laforme
John Pipkin
Rick Weaver
Janette Dublin
Robert LaPorta
Gary Putman
Brian Welman
Jim Dudley
Martin Larcomb
Marilyn Randall
Patrick Wickenheiser
Brian Dygert
Eugenio Latorre
Cyndi Robbins
Deb Witty
Donald Flohr
Rick Lemay
Stefano Rufini
Cathy Woosley Luse
$12,000 July 29 - Aug 2, 2026 Alliant Energy Center Enter Online: Whitehorse Show Mgt Stalls/ Shavings: Sherry Thompson (414)403-8580
L4 NON PRO FUTURITY
$4,500 L2 NON PRO FUTURITY $3,500 L1 NON PRO FUTURITY
$20,000
L4 OPEN FUTURITY
$12,500 L2 OPEN FUTURITY $7,500 L1 OPEN FUTURITY
Dates to Remember July 20-25 NRHA European Affiliate Championships (Grathem, Netherlands) For more information, visit nrhaeac.com
August 1 Fourth NRHA Futurity Payment Due ®
August 6-9 NRHA Potosí Sin Límites International Reining Cup (San Luis Potosí, Mexico)
August 9-11 International Judges School (France) Contact Patti Carter at pcarter@nrha.com for more information
August 23-31 South Central Affiliate Regional Championship (Tulsa, OK)
September 2-7 Western Canada Affiliate Regional Championship (Red Deer, Canada)
September 2-16 Electronic Voting Open Voting opens online at noon for five American directors (one seat each for the Northeast, Northwest, East Central, South Central, and North Central regions). For more information, contact Christa Morris-Stone at cmorris@nrha.com
September 5-7 Southeast Affiliate Regional Championship (Jacksonville, FL)
September 8 NRHA Markel Futurity Sale Consignment Deadline for more information visit nrha.com/sales or contact sales@nrha.com
September 11-14 Northeast Affiliate Regional Championship (Logan Township, NJ)
September 21-26 NRHA Oceania Affiliate Championship (Tatura, Victoria, Australia)
September 24-28 Mountain Affiliate Regional Championship (Loveland, CO)
Since 1984
Upcoming Shows
Inside Slide July 21-26, 2026 featuring the
All Bettss Are Off Futurities Air-conditioned stalls, air-conditioned warmup and air-conditioned showing! NEW: All Rookie, Green & Youth exhibitors will be entered into a raffle for 2 cool prizes. Entries close July 15 to avoid late fees!
Best of the West Oct 5-11, 2026 Southwest Affiliate Regional Championships, Derbies & Futurities More Added Money
Trainers Directory Tucker Clark
Ph: 520-273-8230 2035 N Conestoga Ave, Tucson, AZ tucker270@aol.com
Jim Greendyk
Ph: 623-225-4846 30644 N 156th St, Scottsdale www.jimgreendykhorses.com www.reiningmasterclass.com
Adam Hendrickson
Ph: 303-834-0000 15828 E Jomax Road, Scottsdale, AZ hph1776@yahoo.com FB:/adam.hendrickson.606134
Martin Muehlstaetter
Ph: 480-686-2919 27101 N 148th St, Scottsdale muehlstaetter@aol.com FB: /muehlstaetterperformancehorses
Marco Ricotta
Ph: 940-206-2561 15419 E Rio Verde Dr, Scottsdale ricottaperformancehorses@gmail.com www.ricottaperformacehorses.com
Linde Von Koeding
Ph: 940-445-7629 30515 N 144th St, Scottsdale lindevk89@gmail.com IG: lvkperformance
www.AZRHA.com
JULY 2026
NRHA REINER | 117
These Reiners in Texas and Oklahoma Cordially Invite You to Visit Their Facilities. MAP INDEX 1
2
Bob Loomis Reining Horses Pieper Ranch, Inc. Sam Smith Reining Horses LG Performance Horses, Belar Farms Inc. Carol Rose Quarter Horses Global Equine Jim Kiser
3
Deary Performance Horses
4
XCS Ranch, LLC
5
Jarvis Anderson Performance Horses Humphrey Quarter Horses Nathan Piper Reining Horses Scott McCutcheon Reining Horses Sommers Performance Horses Tallone Reining Horses
6
Leclair Performance Horses
Metcalf Quarter Horses McQuay Stables, Inc. Price Performance Horses, Inc. Toyon Ranch, LLC
7
8
GPB Ranch Enterprises, LLC
9
Brent Loseke Colt Co., Inc. Brian Bell Performance Horses
10
Alpha Quarter Horses Matt Flarida Reining Horses Milholland Training Silver Spurs Equine – Oklahoma Todd Arvidson
11
A-Reiners Sterling Ranch Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses
12
Calcagnini Reining Horses
13
Tanya Jenkins Performance Horses
13
10
8
1
2 9 11
4 5 12 6 7
3
1. Bob Loomis Reining Horses
1. Sam Smith Reining Horses
2. Carol Rose Quarter Horses
1. Pieper Ranch, Inc.
2. LG Performance Horses, Belar Farm
2. Global Equine
1394 Topsail Lane, Overbrook, OK 73453 Barn: Marietta, OK 73453 Bob’s Cell: 580-276-7498 Email: loomisranch@gmail.com www.loomisreininghorses.com 8 Times AQHA World Champion 6 Times NRHA Futurity Champion c/o Brenda Armstrong 13190 Oswalt Road, Marietta, OK 73448 Cell: 580-221-4865 Email: lilalleycat06@yahoo.com (For PG Heavily Armed Breeding Info)
13872 Oswalt Road, Marietta, OK 73448 Sam: 937-441-2204 • Kelle: 937-441-3266 Email: info@samsmithreining.com www.samsmithreining.com Training – Showing – Sales
Luke Gagnon 8213 FM 902, Collinsville, Texas 76233 Phone: (940) 390-6274 Email: lgperformancehorses@hotmail.com
4500 N I-35 I-35 North; Exit 501, Gainesville, TX 76240 Phone: 940-372-2000 • 940-665-9304 Email: carol@carolrose.com www.carolrose.com
339 Woodbine Lane, Gainesville, TX 76240 Phone: 940-594-5971 or 940-736-3652 Email: globalequineus@gmail.com Sales, Exports and Imports
Advertiser Index
7 Lakes
55
Adequan
IBC
American Hat Company
109
Arcese
IFC/3
Arizona Reining Horse Association Capitol Ranch Real Estate Carol Rose/ Shining Spark
16
Cassell Equine Insurance
97
CINCH/ Miller International
10
Clark Reining Horses/ Rick Clark
87
Elementa
83
Empire Ranch
44
Enjoy LLC
69
Foals-R-Us
18–19
Four Sixes
7
Gangsta 66
105
Golden Coins
30
Hart Trailer
26
Honstetter
68
Ixtul
77
JBJ Ranch
75
Markel
8–9
Montana Reining Horse Association
43
Morgan Reiners/ The Firemen
45
Morton Buildings
64
MS Diamonds TX
5, 115
Muehlstaetter Performance Horses
21
NCRHA
116
NRCHA
76
NTRA/ John Deere Discounts
122
Oklahoma Stud
51
OSS
54
Priefert
17
Reining Horse Foundation
65
Ron Anderson
23
Schmersal Reining Horses
31
Shenandoah Ranch
49
Shorty’s Silver Spurs Equine SWRHA Tamarack Ranch
27 12–13 118–120 50
Tami Nelson
15
Tenda (ThorSport)
82
Thorsport Partnership
59
Tim Anderson/ 21 Ranch Toyon Ranch
120 | NRHA REINER
117
Back Cover
63 38–39
Traux Investments
22
Visit OKC
11
JULY 2026
Stallion Index
Stallion Index A Vintage Smoke
18
ARC Gunnabeabigstar
18
Best Shine
38
Colonels Smoking Gun
59
Down Right Amazing
49
Dun It For Whizkey
38
Electric Code
18
Gangsta Sixtysix
18, 105
Golden Coins
30, 77
Gunna Stop
38
GunnabeBigtime Gunnatrashya
15 18, 22, 27, 69
Gunner
18
Gunner Dun It Again
38
Headlinner
19
Heart Stoppin
19
HF Mobster
49
HS Marshal
19
Ifwhizsweredollars
12-13
Jacs Electric Spark
49
King
69
Luckie Moonstone
18
Magnum Chic Dream
JULY 2026
18, 49
Magnums Custom Dream Modern Gun No Smoking Required
18 18 18, 59
Payaso Rojo Gunner
19
Platinum Vintage
12-13
Pop Goes The Spark
16
SG Frozen Enterprize
12-13, 22
Shine Chic Shine
19, 49
Shiners Voodoo Dr
12-13, 22
Shining In Town Shining Spark Smart Chic Olena Smoking Trash Spooks Gotta Gun
38 16, 19, 21, 22, 23, 49 49 49, 69 18, 30, 69
Spooks Gotta Spark
18, 22
Spooks Gotta Whiz
18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 49
Spooks N Jewels
18
The Firemen
45
Topsail Whiz
38
Tricked Out Spook
18
Vulcano
38
Wimpys Little Step
12-13, 18
Wimpys Littlecolonel
18
Yellowstone
22
NRHA REINER | 121
CHAMPIONS STAY COOL UNDER PRESSURE.SO SHOULD YOUR BARN. Big Ass Fans deliver powerful, quiet airflow designed to keep elite horses comfortable even on the hottest days.
2023 NTRA Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish
Photo Credit: Big Ass Fans