With an adrenaline-charged performance Matthew Palmer, of Elverson, Pennsylvania, guided Gunnatrashtheplace to a 226.5, which earned the Open Classic Challenge championship and $9,374. The 2013 stallion owned by Levine Equine Enterprises, LLC, is sired by NRHA $4 Million Sire Gunnatrashya and out of the mare All Chic N Shiny.

Palmer describes the horse he calls “Beast” as one in a million. “A ride like that where a horse gives you its soul like that… and that crowd, I mean, it was just raucous! There was one point in my circles his ears went straight up. The people were going nuts. It’s a special horse to check in like that to you. He’s one in a million,” said Palmer. 

Gunnatrashtheplace is described by Palmer as an extremely laid back individual that knows when it’s appropriate to go into beast-mode, which is exactly what he did Friday night at NRBC. “The moment that you ask him for something he just clicks into another gear,” said Palmer.

Palmer and Gunnatrashtheplace joined forces a year and a half ago when Palmer moved to Santa Hill Ranch. “I just clicked with him. It’s been incredible,” said Palmer. “We’ve made the NRBC Level 4 Finals, won the Buckeye and then he goes to Scottsdale and keeps on coming and he’s incredible. I think now everybody knows who Gunnatrashtheplace is and it’s pretty cool because that horse deserves it.”

Plans for the dynamic team of Palmer and Gunnatrashtheplace include preserving the stallion’s energy until the time is right to go gunning for a million. “Hopefully I can knock the door down and get in [The Run For The Million] and then just save him for that,” said Palmer.

Palmer graciously thanked his entire support team. “My family, my wife who is behind me 100 percent, my mom, my father upstairs—he’s behind me. Bob and Arlene Santagota, everybody that works for me, and all of my customers. I’m just in a blessed situation. I’m proud to be from the east coast. I’m proud to represent us and I’m blessed to have such an amazing group of people surrounding me.”

$25,000 NRHA Open – Andrea Fappani & Starjac Vintage

Starjac Vintage and Andrea Fappani struck gold in Friday night’s star-studded $25,000 Open with a score of 229.5 that earned $9,033. Starjac Vintage, by NRHA $2 Million Sire A Sparkling Vintage and out of Starjac Miss, is owned by Tim Anderson. 

“To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting it because it’s the first time I’ve shown him really hard,” Fappani said of the run. “He’s a horse that I’ve had in training for about a year now, but it took me a long time to get together with him. Tim Anderson sent him to me along with some other horses. The other horses I clicked with right away, but this one is a very sensitive horse, and it just took some time to get together with him. That’s why we didn’t enter the derby here.”

When asked about the qualities that make Starjac Vintage exceptional, Fappani said, “You know, I think I just found his particular strength. You can train and train and train, but until you go show them you don’t really know.”

Fappani was pleasantly surprised by Starjac Vintage’s ability to shine brightest on the big stage like he did Friday night in Coliseum Arena. “He’s a full brother to Platinum Vintage and he reminds me a lot of his brother in that he’s a show horse. When you ask for it in the show pen he steps up.”

After consulting with his owners, Fappani says this year’s competition schedule for Starjac Vintage may include major events like the NRHA Derby and Run For The Million, among others.

Fappani was quick to credit his support team for their respective roles in his success. “Of course the owners, Tim Anderson and Kim Niven. They’ve given me the opportunity to ride a lot of nice horses the last 12 months, and I’m looking forward to going forward with that. Also, the whole Fappani team. I’m the one here doing the interviews but there’s a lot of guys behind me—my wife and my kids—there’s a lot of people to thank.”

Madaline Callaway Wins Yellowstone Rookie Shootout on Codes Whizard Merlin

Five qualifiers to the Yellowstone Paramount Network Rookie Shootout finals battled for bragging rights and a one-of-a-kind award on Friday evening in the Coliseum Arena. Winning the Rookie Shootout was Madaline Callaway, of Loveland, Colorado, and Codes Whizard Merlin, a 2015 gelding by Electric Code out of KR Freckledface Whiz. Callaway—a back-to-back winner of the shootout—won a Yellowstone branded sitting bench sponsored by the Paramount Network and Taylor Sheridan.

Callaway said the win was unexpected. “The Shootout run was super good,” she said. “He acted a lot better than I thought he would for sure. I felt great about my stops. He’s a huge stopper. I kind of messed up my turnarounds, but he was a really good boy.”

Callaway acquired Merlin at the NRHA Futurity and hadn’t ridden him much prior to arriving at the NRBC. “I first rode him at the Futurity when I tried him,” she said. “I compete on a college equestrian team at Baylor, so I wasn’t able to ride him or practice before this [show]. It ended on a good note for sure.”

Callaway thanked her parents, as well as trainer Jared Leclair for his advice. “Jared told me to just go in there and ride what I feel,” said Callaway.