For years, the National Reining Breeders Classic has awarded its Level 4 Open Champion a check for $75,000. While the money is incredible – the show has paid out more than $24 million in its first 24 years – the prestige of earning an NRBC Championship can bolster a career to new heights.
With that in mind, it’s a given that the event, held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, draws the crème de le crème of the reining industry.
In 2021, National Reining Horse Association Two Million Dollar Rider Jason Vanlandingham tied for the L4 Championship with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Dany Tremblay. The two men elected to remain co-champions, with each taking home checks for $63,000. Vanlandingham rode Diane Mesmer’s A Vintage Smoke (A Sparkling Vintage x Lady Smoke Pepper), while Tremblay showed Tinker With Dreams (Tinker With Guns x This Chicsdundreamin) for owner Diamond Dub Quarter Horses.
Both Vanlandingham and Tremblay return to the 2022 NRBC, slated for April 17-24, with three entries each.
Vanlandingham is a three-time NRBC Level 4 Open Champion, having also won it in 2016 on NRHA Million Dollar Sire Not Ruf At All and then tying for the win in 2019 on A Vintage Smoke.
Vanlandingham is entered on Best Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Best Stop), owned by Robert Santagata, Excessive Rufness (Not Ruf At All x Smokin Lady Gunner), owned by Vaughn Zimmerman, and One Ruf Kid (Not Ruf At All x Surprise Easter Kid), owned by Vaughn Zimmerman.
Tremblay will ride Spent It On Mylashes (Pale Face Dunnit x Chex To Cash N Spend), owned by Kelsey Flessner, Pale Faced Whiz (Pale Face Dunnit x Ms Maggie Whiz), owned by Diamond Dub Quarter Horses, and All Guns On Crush (PS Mega Shine Chic x All Guns On Deck), owned by Adh-Mor Ranch.
Last year’s Level 3 Open Champions, Gunny Mathison and Shes Reddy Online, will return to the Coliseum Arena. Due to Mathison’s recent success, he and the mare are only eligible to compete for the Level 4 title. Shes Reddy Online (Shine On Line x Guns R Reddy), is owned by Mary Jansma. Mathison, who’s less than $26,000 from passing one million dollars in lifetime earnings, will also show his own horse, Alpha Taris Chic (Wimpy Chic x Taris Attraction).
Another reigning champion that’s moved up in eligibility is Leonardo Kellerman, who piloted Blazed By Magnum (Magnum Chic Dream x Blazed By Commander) to the Level 2 Co-Championship in 2021. Kellerman and Blazed By Magnum, owned by Diane Yoder, look to build on the success they had in the Coliseum arena.
Eduardo Salgado was the second part of the Level 2 Co-Championship, having ridden Isnt She Dreamy (Magnum Chic Dream x Miss Silver Gun) to the title. This year he returns with two horses, Late Night Doll (Late Night Stopper x Walla Walla Doll) and Gunna Electrafiya (Gunnatrashya x Sheza Electric Star), both owned by Marc and Kathy Gordon.
NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida claimed the 2021 Prime Time Championship on Shine Colt Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Gunners Miss Oak), owned by Gaynia Revenberg. He has won the coveted NRBC on four different horses: Spooks Gotta Whiz (2012), Shine Chic Shine (2011), Wimpys Little Chic (2008), and Einsteins Revolution (2006).
Flarida has three horses entered this year, including Gunna Go Bix (Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Little Chic), owned by NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner Arcese Quarter Horses USA, Shiner On My Eye (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Flashy Lil Step), owned by NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner Robert Santagata, and Alpha Jac Sparrow (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Chexanicki), owned by Fritz Leeman.
All but three former NRBC Level 4 Open Champions are entered in this year’s Classic, and every single one entered has surpassed more than one million dollars in lifetime earnings.
In 2020, NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Casey Deary piloted Americasnexttopgun (Walla Walla Whiz x Americasnextgunmodel) to win the Championship. In 2021, the pair marked a 226 to finish fourth. Deary and Americasnexttopgun, owned by Puno Performance Horses LLC, are giving it a go once again in 2022.
Deary is also entered this year on reigning NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champion Ten Thirty (Gunnatrashya x Dainty Lil Step), owned by Rancho El Fortin, and Down Right Amazing (Gunner x Shesouttayourleague), owned by DAG Ventures LLC.
NRHA’s newest Million Dollar Rider, Nathan Piper, just has one bullet for this year’s Classic, but it’s a good one. He’s entered on Patriot (Smart Spook x Dunit A Lil Ruf), owned by Shannon and Hershel Reid. In 2019, the duo tied for the Level 4 Open Championship.
NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Duane Latimer won his first NRBC title in 2000 on Conquistador Whiz, and then his second in 2018 on Modern Gun. This year Latimer will show two entries for Roxanne Koepsell, Ziggy Rocks (Whizkey N Diamonds x Shes Got Good Guns), and Hesa Rockin Whiz (Topsail Whiz x A Bueno Poco Dunit).
Andrea Fappani, who holds court as NRHA’s All Time Leading Rider and only Seven Million Dollar Rider, has won the NRBC on four horses: Chic Dreamin (2017), Frozen Enterprize (2015), Cromed Out Mercedes (2009), and Custom Legend (2007). Fappani has three entries this year, including Icecube (SG Frozen Enterprize x Taris Designer Genes), a horse he owns with wife Tish. In 2021, the Fappanis’ son, Luca, piloted Icecube to the NRBC Level 4 Non Pro Reserve Championship.
Fappani is also entered on Whizsicle (SG Frozen Enterprize x Miss Whizzletown), owned by Diane Yoder, and Starjac Vintage (A Sparkling Vintage x Starjac Miss), owned by Teton Ridge.
In 2014, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Martin Muehlstaetter piloted Blue Collar Tag to the Open Championship. This year Martin has two entries, Alpha Gun Chexy (Spooks Gotta Gun x Chexy Dun It) and Seven On Seven (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Anne Get Your Gunner), both owned by Sleipner LLC.
Craig Schmersal, NRHA’s third All Time Leading Rider with nearly five million dollars in lifetime earnings, won the 2010 NRBC on Boom Shernic. This year he has three entries: Hey Roy (Star Spangled Whiz x Dun It For Chex), owned by Hey Roy Partners, Setting Off To Town (Gunners Tinseltown x Setting Off Smart), owned by Taylor Sheridan, and Surprizedya (Gunnatrashya x Dun With Surprises), owned by Schmersal/ThorSport Inc.
Tom McCutcheon won the 2001 NRBC on Smartest Chic Olena. McCutcheon, who is less than $30,000 from surpassing two million dollars in lifetime earnings, has three entries this year. McCutcheon is entered on Gunners Rockstar (Gunners Special Nite x Belle Starr Dun It), owned by White River Ag Products Inc., Gunners Nite Train (Gunners Special Nite x Belle Starr Dun It), owned by Tom and his wife, Mandy McCutcheon, and Gonna Outbid U (Wimpys High Bid x Ms Dreamy), owned by Story Book Stables.
The Open Classic Preliminaries kick off at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 20. Find more information about the event, results, draws, and more at www.NRBC.com.
Also, make sure to get social with NRBC on Instagram @nrbc2022 and on Facebook.com/NationalReiningBreedersClassic.
2021 Open Champions
L4 Co-Champion – Jason Vanlandingham & A Vintage Smoke (A Sparkling Vintage x Lady Smoke Pepper), owned by Diane Mesmer
L4 Co-Champion – Dany Tremblay & Tinker With Dreams (Tinker With Guns x This Chicsdundreamin), owned by Diamond Dub Quarter Horses
L3 Champion – Justin Mathison & Shes Reddy On Line (Shine On Line x Guns R Reddy), owned by Mary Jansma
L2 Co-Champion – Leonardo Kellerman & Blazed By Magnum (Magnum Chic Dream x Blazed By Commander)
L2 Co-Champion – Eduardo Salgado & Isnt She Dreamy (Magnum Chic Dream x Miss Silver Gun), owned by Renata Lemann
L1 Champion – Lucio Pontes Cassalecchi & Ruffed Up Spooks (Spooks Gotta Gun x All Ruffed Up), owned by Ixtul Quarter Horses LLC
PT Champion – Shawn Flarida & Shine Colt Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Gunners Miss Oak), owned by Gaynia Revenberg