There will be an exciting new addition to the awards lineup at the 2023 National Reining Breeders Classic, because the NRBC and Clark’s Pump-N-Shop will recognize the leading sires of the event with the NRBC Top 10 Leading Sire Awards.

Along with continuing to award the traditional blue crystal vases to the sires of the champions in all divisions, the foal earnings for each sire will be tracked, and the Top 10 list of sires for the Classic will be tabulated daily. It will be announced each day at all three arenas, published in that day’s Slide Street Journal and on social media, and shown on both the jumbotron and the live internet video feed. At the end of the show, the final Top 10 Sires will be recognized, and the representatives of the stallions will be presented with commemorative crystal trophies.

“We have a lot of great stallions and great owners in our industry, so it’s great to recognize them,” noted Rick Clark, co-owner of Clark’s Pump-N-Shop. “When Cheryl (Cody) approached me with the idea of sponsoring awards, I thought it was a unique way to do so. In our business, awards like these crystal trophies are ones that will be displayed in the barn or kept in the recipients possession forever. We all treasure that recognition.

“The NRBC is such a long-standing show; Cheryl and her team at Pro M do a top-notch job of running it, and it has a great group of people on the Board of Directors and the show staff. I supported it with my stallion when I had him, and I felt it was time to be a part of it again.”

Cheryl Cody, NRBC Secretary and Treasurer, noted “The board members and management team of the NRBC were excited to debut this new stallion recognition program. The sires are so essential to our industry and to the NRBC and it is important to highlight their accomplishments. Having Rick catch this vision and join as the naming sponsor was a verification of the importance of creating a new way to honor these stallions and their owners. His visibility and prominence in the industry make him a perfect partner!”

Clark is well-known to those in the reining horse industry. He recently finished his second term as President of the National Reining Horse Association and has been active in the reining industry for nearly three decades. He has been involved in all aspects of reining, as an owner, breeder, competitor, Board and Committee member for NRHA and the Reining Horse Foundation. He’s also served on the NRHA Sale Committee and as a leader in the Futurity Challenge.

Clark has long sponsored individual events across the country, so stepping up as the sponsor of the NRBC Top 10 Sire Awards was a natural fit for his patronage.

“I’ve always given back to the reining industry, because I believe that when something is good to you, you should be good to it. I showed for many years, until I got hurt, but I call myself a reining lifer,” he said. “We’ve seen plenty of people who come and go over the years, and then they’re out, but I have so many great friends in reining that I look forward to seeing at every event.”

Clark’s Pump-N-Shop, which operates nearly 70 stores in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Florida, was established in 1976 by John W. Clark. The convenience store chain is now co-owned by John’s sons, Rick Clark and Brent Clark.

For more information about Clark’s Pump – N – Shop, visit myclarkspns.com.