The National Reining Breeders Classic has a different look this year with a new location, new date, extended schedule, and the many changes and adjustments that were made in order to follow COVID-19 related mandates and restrictions. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the support of Markel for the NRBC.

Markel has been a major sponsor of the show for the past two decades. According to Markel’s Director of Western Disciplines and National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame member Frank Costantini, there was no question as far as continuing Markel’s patronage of the NRBC during the tumultuous year.

Costantini said, “The horse industry has faced an unprecedented challenge in 2020 from a virus that many of our friends and loved ones couldn’t see coming and were completely unaware of the tragedy that was about to unfold. During this time of uncertainty, Markel has remained committed to the horse industry and is available to assist with insurance solutions. The one common thread we all share is our passion for our horses, our competitors and our lifestyle. While things are a little different, Markel is still strong in its commitment to the reining horse industry and our many clients and friends. We aren’t going anywhere!”

Over the years, Markel has sponsored numerous Non Pro draw parties and other special activities. “Due to the social distancing guidelines we must follow, we, unfortunately, can’t have a traditional draw party this year,” said NRBC President Tom McCutcheon. “However, Markel is graciously sponsoring the Non Pro Virtual Draw Party. In addition, Markel will be one of the sponsors who make it possible for each exhibitor’s video from the event to be emailed directly to them after their run. We are thrilled that Markel has chosen to support this event.”

This year, Markel also returns with the presentation of the coveted Markel NRBC Non Pro Commitment Award, given annually during the show. The recipient is chosen by a special panel that recognizes all the qualities that make up incredible Non Pros who willingly devote their time and resources to make reining and the reining industry even more special.

Costantini noted, “Non Pros contribute in so many different ways. It is easy to recognize the higher-level professional or even the higher-level Non Pro. We, at Markel, along with the Board of the NRBC, created this award for the individual that never says ‘no,’ is always pitching in to help at an event, the person that you are always glad to see and that you know is genuinely glad to see you when you walk down that aisle. Maybe not the biggest winner, but darn sure an extremely important participator!”

Last year’s Markel Non Pro Commitment Award went to Ellen Cummins shown here with Frank Costantini and Chloe Lawrence of Markel. The new Markel Non Pro Commitment winner will be announced during the Non Pro Virtual Draw Party, set for August 2.

Markel, with Costantini’s guidance, has a long history of support in the reining industry. For more than 50 years, Markel has provided insurance protection for many of the ranches, trainers, horses, and equipment used in the reining industry. As one of the leaders in the horse insurance industry, Markel pioneered many of the equine coverages available today. Its insurance products include Horse Mortality, Private Horse Owner Liability, Farm/Ranch Property and Commercial Equine Liability. You can even purchase equine insurance online 24-hours a day! For more information visit MarkelHorseandFarm.com. Coverage is provided by one or more of the insurance companies within Markel and policyholder services are provided by the underwriting manager, Markel Service, Incorporated. Insurance carrier, coverage, dividends, and services availability may vary by state. Markel offers both commercial and personal lines products. Terms and conditions for rates and coverage varies. Markel is a registered trademark of the Markel Corporation, a Fortune 500 corporation.

Four years ago, the Cardinal Ranch stallions, Dun It For Whizkey and Inferno Sixty Six, became National Reining Breeders Classic Hospitality sponsors and have continued since then by hosting the special seating area near the concession stand at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center during the NRBC.

This year, amid a change of venue and countless procedural modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things are a little different! But the commitment of João Marcos and his Cardinal Ranch has not wavered. The Dun It For Whizkey/Inferno Sixty Six Sponsor area is located near the concession stand in the Mustang Arena.

Bred and owned by Cardinal Reining Horses, Dun It For Whizkey is a 2013 AQHA gray stallion. Shown by Franco Bertolani, Dun It For Whizkey was a consistent winner winning the Tulsa Classic Open L4 Futurity Championship, the All American Quarter Horse Congress Open L4 Futurity Championship and the NRHA Open L4 Futurity Co-Reserve Championship. From there he was a finalist at every major NRHA event, with lifetime earnings over $256,000. He is by Topsail Whiz, the NRHA All Time #1 Reining Sire out of Dun It For Chex, the millionaire producer by the great Hollywood Dun It and out of Silver N Blue Chex.

Inferno Sixty Six has been turning heads ever since he first walked into the show pen. He is sired by NRHA Open Futurity Champion Gunnatrashya out of NRHA Million Dollar Dam. Shown by Franco Bertolani, Inferno Sixty Six was the 2015 NRHA Open L4 Futurity Reserve Champions and went on to win an AQHA Junior Reining Reserve World title and the Cactus Classic Open Derby Championship. Owned by Slide or Die, LLC, Inferno Sixty Six has lifetime earnings over $208,000.

Located on 200 stunning acres in Aubrey, Texas, Cardinal Reining Horses exemplifies the international ties throughout the reining industry. Cardinal Reining Horses also promotes other headlining stallions along with Inferno 66 and, Dun It For Whizkey – Gunner Dun It Again, Snap Dun The Bases, Tricked Out Spook, Yellow Jersey, and Custom Made Gun. For more information on Dun It For Whizkey and Inferno Sixty Six, visit the website at www.cardinalreininghorses.com.

Think of Tuesday night at the NRBC – the Crystal Tent near the Tellepsen arena – and the aroma of Brazilian barbecue! That was the Gunners Special Nite Welcome Party before the world changed with COVID-19 and the NRBC moved to Tulsa. It will be different in 2020, with parties suspended and a variety of COVID-19 safety restrictions. But like most of the NRBC sponsors – Gunners Special Nite owner Sarah Willeman of Turnabout Farm was quick to recognize the importance of continued support for the NRBC.

Gunners Special Nite will be one of the sponsors of the free videos that are emailed to exhibitors during the event shortly after their runs. “We so appreciate Turnabout Farm’s ongoing commitment to the NRBC and to the reining industry,” said NRBC Secretary Treasurer Cheryl Cody. “Sarah recognizes the importance of the NRBC to all the people involved in reining – from owners, riders and trainers, to vendors and everyone involved. Getting to have this horse show is tremendously important to the industry and we thank Sarah – and all those who have remained committed to this show in 2020.”

Turnabout Farm breeds and shows jumpers and reining horses, and its reining division is based at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses in Aubrey, Texas. With earnings and offspring earnings approaching $1 million, Turnabout Farm mares are exceptional show horses and proven producers. In fact, Sarah has been the NRHA’s leading breeder two of the last three years!

Gunners Special Nite (Gunner X Mifs Doll) won over $235,000 at some of the world’s most prestigious competitions. He was the NRHA Futurity Reserve Champion and L3 Open Champion. He earned multiple NRBC and NRHA Derby open finalist berths. But it was on the international stage that he gained even more prominence. With Tom McCutcheon riding, he was the Individual and Team Gold Medalist at the 2010 World Equestrian Games then was chosen as the US Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year As a sire, he continued to excel! The outstanding reining stallion is the number one siring son of Gunner with foals earning over $3.5 Million.

Tom McCutcheon summed it up, “It’s everyone’s dream to have a stud like that – but we all know how rare it is. We feel very blessed to have it work out like the way it has and to and have one of the industry’s top sires.” For information on Gunners Special Nite, visit tmreining.com.

The Board, management and staff of the National Reining Breeders Classic welcome Matt Mills Reining Horses to Tulsa in clear appreciation of Matt’s dedication to the NRBC. A longtime Gold Sponsor, Mills increased his commitment three years ago and has presented the NRBC Victory Party after the Open Finals since then.

The open-to-everyone free party has been a can’t-miss event at the NRBC providing an “ah” moment at the end of a week of intense competition! With all the COVID-19 changes, parties will not be on the agenda at this year’s show, but Mills did not waiver in his support of the NRBC, opting to be one of the sponsors of the free videos that are emailed to exhibitors during the event shortly after their runs. Matt said, “My team and customers look forward to the NRBC every year. Hopefully, we will be back to normal in another year and will be happy to sponsor the party again at that time!”

In the meantime, Mills, like so many of the 2020 NRBC Sponsors, is happy to support the NRBC in this unprecedented year. NRBC President Tom McCutcheon noted, “It’s great to know that people understand how important this show is to the industry and are committed to helping us make it happen.”

Great things might happen for Mills, himself, at the show! With over $975,000 in National Reining Horse Association Lifetime Earnings, Matt Mills is at the verge of crossing that Million Dollar milestone and there is always plenty of prize money on the line at the NRBC.

A Top NRHA Professional, in 2019 Matt was one of the trainers featured on Paramount Network’s “The Last Cowboy” and was a part of “The Run for a Million.” He trains and shows futurity and derby horses and coaches Non Pro and youth riders. Consequently, he is in high demand for clinics in the United States, Europe and Mexico. Another successful project that takes up some of his time can be found at MattMillsReining.com where his highly popular on-line instruction videos can be found.

With all that going on, Matt is consistently ranked on the NRHA Top Twenty Professionals Riders list and is regularly a finalist at major NRHA events earning multiple titles including NRHA Intermediate Open Futurity Reserve Champion and has a successful track record at the National Reining Breeders Classic. He has also earned several large futurity and derby titles including RMRHA Summer Slide, High Roller Reining Classic, SWRHA Futurity and NRHA Cowtown Classic. In 2006 he was a member of Team USA that took the Gold Medal at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. With all those laurels and accomplishments, Matt says family remains his most important priority – his wife, Karen and children Ryan, Alec and Emma. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with them and playing basketball and golf.

Deary Performance Horses, now joined with CC Way, has returned as a platinum sponsor of the NRBC.

Casey Deary grew up in Texas riding horses, taking low-cost colts, training them and reselling them, allowing him to grow his training business. Grow it he did, and his lifetime earnings are now approaching the $2 Million mark in National Reining Horse Association competition. He won the NRHA Futurity in 2012 on Americasnextgunmodel and again in 2015 on Shesouttayourleague and has made the finals at many major limited-age events.

He and his wife, Nicole, and their four children live in Weatherford, Texas, where he coaches youth and amateur clients to successfully work with their horses, not only in competition but every time they ride. A slogan for Deary Performance Horses is “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.” Team Deary is all about working together and trainer Josh Tishman is a big part of navigating the team along with assistant trainers, Lauren King, Katherine Davis, Gilbert Peck and Kaleb Nicholson.

According to Nicole Deary, years of blessings mixed with humble necessary sufferings built the specialty inspirational ladies clothing company, CC Way. Begun early in 2018, CC Way, the Christian Cowgirl Way of Life, was begun. Nicole says she credits several incredible business individuals who continue to extend their help and knowledge to the CC Way project. Rod Patrick, Todd Neiberger, artist Jim Sanders, Gary and Shoshana Howard, attorney Alicia Meinzer, model and friend Cameron Baldus, photographer and marketing team Cam and “Too Tall” Jim Essick, Justin Franklin and her family are crucial to the company. CC Way items are based on testimony, a story of faith, and a western way of life.

For information on Deary Performance Horses and CC Way, visit the websites at dearyperformance.com and ccwayoflife.com.

Quarter Horse News returns for the ninth consecutive year as sponsor of the Tulsa Reining Classic Stallion Service Auction, hosted in 2020 by the National Reining Breeders Classic. The event, set for August 26 – September 6, features a quartet of Futurities and the National Reining Horse Association’s South Central Regional Affiliate Championships along with the NRBC Classic and two full slates of ancillary classes.

According to NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody, this year, the Tulsa Reining Classic Stallion Auction will be hosted by the NRBC, but the purpose of the auction remains the same. “The annual show in Tulsa receives a good portion of funding from the stallion auction. We thank Quarter Horse News for maintaining this important event this year. In these uncertain times, the support of all our sponsors is crucial and we count ourselves fortunate that they have stayed loyal to the Tulsa Reining Classic and NRBC, and to helping us have a show that is very much needed by the reining industry.”

Patty Tiberg, vice president of Morris Equine Group, also values the relationship between Quarter Horse News and the Tulsa Reining Classic Stallion Auction. “The management of the TRC and the NRBC always produces a first-class event. We feel strongly about the importance of stallion owners and breeders, as they are such an integral part of the western performance horse industry. The Stallion Auction is the perfect avenue for us to show our support,” she said.

The Tulsa Reining Classic Stallion Auction regularly features some of the most elite stallions in the reining industry. It begins on August 7 and concludes at 7 p.m. on September 4, giving mare owners plenty of time to plan and prepare for next year’s breeding season. As in the past, the offspring resulting from the Stallion Auction is eligible for one free entry into the Tulsa Reining Classic Futurity when it comes of age. Bidders may bid both online at www.tulsareining.com or at nrbc.com and in person at the Quarter Horse News Tulsa Reining Classic Stallion Auction display at the NRBC.

Cody added, “We also deeply appreciate the support of stallion owners who choose to be a part of this auction. Because of their participation, we try to keep the stallions at the forefront leading up to and during the show.” Stallions are heavily promoted during the event as well as prior to and after the show and stallion owners who participate receive sponsorship benefits at the show.

Thanks to Quarter Horse News, each stallion is entered to win one of two stallion promotion packages valued at $5,000. The leading source for news in the western performance world, Quarter Horse News is a staple for any serious reining participant or fan for event coverage, profiles and in-depth reporting on issues that impact the industry. For information on Quarter Horse News, visit the website at www.quarterhorsenews.com.

The Prime Time Non Pro division of the National Reining Breeders Classic set for August 26-September 6 has always provided a lucrative playing field for Non Pros of a certain age. Now, thanks to Story Book Stables, it’s TWICE as good as before, with $20,000 added to the division at the 2020 NRBC!

Story Book Stables co-owner Brenda Joyce is extremely passionate in her support of people of all economic levels who create the backbone of the reining industry and especially Prime Time riders. In her words, “There is a huge group of very competitive Non Pros today who are over the age of 50 that deserve to run for a respectable amount of added money. It is a division that continues to grow and deserves a little bit more attention. This group of competitors has typically been involved for many, many years and continues to invest, compete and they are excellent horse people. Beefing up the Prime Time just makes sense.”

NRBC President Tom McCutcheon agrees, “Thanks to Story Book Stables, the added money in the Non Pro Prime Time just doubled and we are, for the first time, able to offer $20,000 in that division at the 2020 NRBC. As a group, Prime Time Non Pro riders are the ones who are totally devoted to reining. They support it with their time, their money and participation across the board, from buying horses for open riders to showing themselves and serving as volunteers. It’s great to have an opportunity to reward them.”

Story Book Stables is the culmination of a lifetime passion for owners Brenda Joyce and Rick Christen. When the pair met at the High Roller Reining Classic in 2013, both were avid Non Pros who were breeding show horses for themselves and competing on them. After they married, they shared horses, swapped embryos, and then built Five Bells Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their ranch encompasses 22 acres in the heart of Rio Verde, Arizona. It includes a 41-stall show barn, a 280 x 150 covered arena and state-of-the-art amenities for mares, foals, yearlings and show horses.

“We realized what we had as a combined force – how many horses we had in training, how many babies on the ground, how many yearlings. Between the two of us, we had a dozen really great mares. It was time to take SBS to the next level and go big time. We have Arno Honstetter training out of our facility and he is doing a great job for us as well as his own clients. We also keep a few horses with other trainers which keeps it exciting.” Story Book Stables is committed to a small but elite breeding program with their two stallions, Star Spangled Whiz and Wimpys High Bid, and an exceptional band of broodmares. “We are focused on our mares. People think we only breed to our own stallions, but we breed to outside stallions like Gunnatrashya, Voodoo and a few more. We have a great crop of twos and yearlings this year.”

In 2019, Brenda realized it was time to seriously begin developing an Open program. “I’m not sure when we were bitten by the Open bug, but for sure, in 2019, I wanted trainers on Open horses, especially at the Futurity, not trying to make the Open Finals on my Non Pro horses.” In the fall of 2019, Story Book Stables purchased the 3-year-old Super Marioo. The rest is history with Cade McCutcheon’s historic win on Super Marioo at the Futurity in not just the L4 Open, but in Level 2 and 3 as well. “What a way to end the first year of our Open Program!”

For information on Story Book Stables, visit the website at storybookstables.com. To enter the NRBC Prime Time Non Pro, visit nrbc.com.

There’s no way around it, showing horses can cost major bucks. For parents, hauling their children to events can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. That’s why Brad and Amanda Kelly’s sponsorship, “Crushing the Fees,” under the name of their stallion PS Mega Shine Chic, affectionately known as Crush, is so special. The Kelly’s are known for their support of youth riders and have committed to continuing that special sponsorship at the 2020 National Reining Breeders Classic in Tulsa August 26 – Sept. 6.

This year the Kelly’s, new parents themselves since their son, Carson, was born last December, continue their focus on youth by “Crushing the Fees” for youth entries. At the 2020 NRBC, youth entry costs are paid, including entry, video, drug and judges’ fees, for all ancillary and ARC classes!

NRBC President Tom McCutcheon noted, “With all the expense of showing these days, it’s great that Brad and Amanda are committed to helping our youth. Their commitment helps ensure that the reiners of tomorrow are able to go show, even in these uncertain times.”

PS Mega Shine Chic is a 7-year-old AQHA stallion by Shine Chic Shine out of Megas Sugar Baby. With Dany Tremblay at the reins, he was a 2016 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Finalist and 2017 NRBC Level 4 Open Reserve Champion, a two-time NRBC Open Level 3 Champion, and in 2019, won the $100,000 Shootout at the Run for a Million. His first foals will come of age next year. For more information visit the website at crushpsmegashinechic.com.

The Adh Mor Big Luck Ranch in central Alberta is not only the home some of great reining horses, it is also known for exceptional bucking bull bloodlines. Youth riders can enter the 2020 NRBC by visiting www.NRBC.com.