When the first round of the Open division of the National Reining Breeders Classic concluded on Thursday afternoon, Craig Schmersal had maintained his lead with a 226.5 on No Smoking Required (Colonels Smoking Gun x Icing Required). That win earned $13,839 for owner Wranglen Partnership, and the special oversized check was presented during the Tamarack Ranch Open Draw Party Thursday night.
The night was full of fun, with the announcement of 36 finalists in the Open, with a 220 needed to make the finals where the champion will earn $75,000. In the Open Level 3 Finals, the bubble was at 217.5, with a 214 needed to get a finals berth in the Level 2. The cuts for the Level 1 and Prime Time were 205 and 208.5, respectively.
Topping the Open Level 3 and Open Level 2 was Cade McCutcheon on Shes Got Good Guns with a 223. McCutcheon also qualified for the Level 4 finals, bringing his total preliminary earnings with Shes Got Good Guns, owned by Roxanne Koepsell, to $10,329. Shes Got Good Guns is a 6-year-old mare by Colonels Smoking Gun out of A Bueno Poco Dunit.
Finishing at the top of the Open Level 1 preliminary round was Erik Caddeo and Trashy Spookshow, owned by Koby Kempel. Caddeo and Trashy Spookshow, a 5-year-old stallion by Gunnatrashya out of Spook Off Sparks, also earned a spot in both the Level 2 and Level 3 finals. Their earnings for the preliminary round totaled $1,087.
Leading the field of Prime Time contestants earning a spot in the finals is Dean Brown and Einsteins Little Prize with a 220. The 4-year-old stallion, by Einsteins Revolution out of Smart Little Prize, is owned by Robert Santagata. Total preliminary earnings came to $1,079.
The Tamarack Ranch Open Draw Party was held upstairs in the Coliseum at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center and featured finalists choosing engraved wine glasses to find their finals draw position. Plus, a record-breaking Calcutta was held, with total bids nearing $50,000. The Calcutta benefits Rein In Cancer.
The National Reining Breeders Classic Open Preliminaries began Wednesday, April 17, at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. The field of 180 will be narrowed to the top thirty at the conclusion of Thursday’s competition.
The toughness of the field was evidenced by the high scores and the current leaders. Holding the top spot at the end of the first day was former NRBC Open Champion Craig Schmersal with a 226.5 on No Smoking Required. No Smoking Required, owned by Wranglin Partnership, is a 6-year-old stallion by Colonels Smoking Gun out of Icing Required.
Currently leading the Open Level 3 and Level 2 is Cade McCutcheon on Roxanne Koepsell’s Shes Got Good Guns with a 223. The 6-year-old mare is by Colonels Smoking Gun out of A Bueno Poco Dunit.
Erik Caddeo piloted Trashy Spookshow, by Gunnatrashya out of Spook Off Sparks, to a 217.5 to lead the Open Level 1. The 5-year-old stallion is owned by Koby Kempel.
Another past NRBC Champion tops the Open Prime Time preliminaries. Tom McCutcheon and Dun With Guns marked a 219.5. Dun With Guns, a 4-year-old stallion by Gunners Special Nite out of Belle Starr Dun It, is owned by Turnabout Farm Inc.
The Developing Division Championship will be awarded to the highest advancing horse, and Fernando Salgado and RSC Ramiro currently top the division with a 219. RSC Ramiro, owned by Miguel Cavazos Guerrero, is a 4-year-old stallion by Gunner out of Shesa Wimpy Lilqueen.
The NRBC Open Preliminaries on Thursday will be followed by the Tamarack Ranch Open Draw Party, which will be held upstairs at 7:30pm. Along with finding out their final’s draw position, the Finalists will also be able to pick up their go-round checks.
The National Reining Breeders Classic, Katy, Texas, is well underway. The third full day of competition featured several National Reining Horse Association approved classes, as well as the first round of the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout. The Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Finals will be held on Friday, and the Consolation Round will be held on Sunday.
All five qualifiers to the Shootout Finals will qualify for the Run For a Million Rookie Challenge in Las Vegas, Nevada, as will the top five of the Consolation round. In addition, there are two slates of most ancillary classes, and high point buckles will be awarded after the second slate of each class, giving the first slate winners a bit of breathing room.
Kristen Avila
Novice Horse Non Pro Level 2 (1) Kristen Avila & Gunnerspecialplayboy
Topping the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 2 class with a 146 was Kristen Avila and the 6-year-old gelding Gunnerspecialplayboy. “He was good today. We had a little bobble with our spins, and he got a little fast in his rundowns, so we’ll need to work on that before we show again on Saturday, but I can’t complain,” Avila said.
Unfortunately, Gunnerspecialplayboy, by Gunners Special Nite out of Shameless Playgirl, was never nominated for the NRBC. “If so, I’d be showing him in the Derby, so we just brought him down here to show him in the Novice and Non Pro classes, so I’d have something extra to show,” she explained, adding she plans to show the horse Saturday and Sunday. “Last year we ended third in the world standings so this year I wanted to get an earlier start so we could finish higher.”
Kristen and her husband, Bobby Avila Jr., have owned the gelding since August of his four-year-old year. “I like everything about him. He’s always a really happy horse with his ears forward, and he’s quiet and pleasant. You just put your hand forward and he goes right between the reins. He’s a big turner and a big stopper, and he just fits me really well,” Avila said. “Thank you to my husband for taking the time to train him to fit me and always making sure he’s ready.”
Kathy Barker
Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 (1) Kathy Barker & A Lil Dab Will Do
A Lil Dab Will Do might have started his career as a cow horse, but it’s easily apparent he’s equally talented in the reining arena. “He won world championships with Robert Chown. He showed him at the Snaffle Bit Futurity, then we bought him, and he showed him at the NRHA Futurity and made the finals,” owner/rider Kathy Barker explained.
Barker and the 9-year-old gelding, by Cat Man Do out of Dainty Little Step, marked a 143.5 to win the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1. “He was wonderful today. I had some mistakes because I haven’t shown him but two times now. He’s a lot of horse, and I don’t feel I’m a great rider, but he drags me along with him,” she said with a laugh.
Barker and A Lil Dab Will Do aren’t done – they’ll show again on Sunday. “He’s been off for more than a year. I thought maybe I’d bring him down and show him in the Classic Challenge. I figured the Novice Horse would be a good warmup, even though he’s won a lot more than most Novice horses, but that was in the cow horse,” she explained. “Thank you to Sebastian Petroll, Robert Chown, and my husband Larry.”
Kyla Thurlow
Rookie Level 2 (1)/Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Round 1 Winner Kyla Thurlow & Kachina Olena Tag Kyla Thurlow topped the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Round 1 and the Rookie Level 2 with a 73.5 on her 6-year-old stallion Kachina Olena Tag. Nicknamed “Facebook” because he was won through a Facebook auction, Kachina Olena Tag is by former NRBC Non Pro Champion Whiz N Tag Chex and out of leading NRHA producing mare Kachina Oak Olena.
“It’s probably a very unhealthy relationship because I’m obsessed with him. I love everything about him,” Thurlow said with a laugh. “He was wonderful today. He’s truly a showhorse and is always looking to do the right thing. He doesn’t like to work very hard, so he always tries to do it right the first time.”
Thurlow has her eyes set on the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Finals and will compete in the second round on Thursday. If she and Facebook finish with one of the top five composite scores from all the Rookie entries, they’ll compete in the Finals on Friday.
Kalena Reynolds
Rookie Level 1 (1) Kalena Reynolds & Gun Whiz It
Fifteen-year-old Kalena Reynolds claimed the Rookie Level 1 win with her horse Gun Whiz It. The eight-year-old mare, nicknamed Cecilia, is by Colonels Smoking Gun out of Roll Whiz It. “She’s really good, and super fun, and she thinks she’s human. She’s a little sassy, but if I stay out of her way and go with the flow, she’s really good,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds definitely went with the flow in the Wheless Arena, marking a 72.5. “She was really good. I was a little nervous because I didn’t get a chance to warm her up much this morning, but that’s usually when we do the best. She had a lot of go, but not too much, and was really honest,” she recalled.
The duo has a busy week. They’ll show again in the Rookie on Thursday, with an eye on the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Finals on Friday. They’ll also show on Sunday in the Non Pro Challenge. “We’re just going to have fun, and I’ll try to keep her happy and not over-ride her,” she said. “Thank you to Dany and Fred Tremblay, my mom, my horse, all the people I ride with, and God for giving me this blessing.”
Nancy Currie
Prime Time Rookie (1) Nancy Currie & Dun Playin Tag
Nancy Currie and her veteran show horse Dun Playin Tag won the Prime Time Rookie title with a 72.5. Currie has owned the 15-year-old gelding, by Whiz N Tag Chex out of Brennas Dunit Fancy, for about five years. “Someday we will retire him, but every time I think he’s ready he shows us he’s not,” she said with a laugh. “He’s a real testament that if you keep these performance horses going, someone can enjoy them for many years.”
Dun Playin Tag has had a career that’s been successful from Open to Non Pro competition. “He’s kind of a legend. He placed in the Futurity and Derby and here in the Open and Non Pro,” Currie said.
While Curie has shown at the NRBC before, she and Jake were unable to in 2018, because he sustained an injury to his leg on the trip to Katy. “He had 18 stitches in his leg. As I was driving here for the show, I was thinking how blessed I was to be able to ride him this year.” She added, “He was unbelievable. I give all the credit to my trainer Lorenzo Conzarella who has helped us and has him working great.”
Currie and Dun Playin Tag will compete in the Rookie classes again on Thursday, and hopefully in the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout on Friday. She also has her eye on the Non Pro Classic Challenge on Sunday. “It just depends on how he’s feeling at that point,” she said. “I’m just so happy with how he was today. I thank the Lord, my trainer Lorenzo, and my family.”
The 2019 National Reining Breeders Classic Non Pro Classic Preliminary round wrapped up on Tuesday, April 16. Gina Maria Schumacher topped the field of 152 and earned an early $6,773 for her score of 223. Schumacher was riding the four-year-old mare Oh Starry Nite (Gunners Special Nite x Chic Olena Starbuck), owned by XCS Ranch.
Topping the Non Pro Levels 3-1 was Jennifer Neudorf and Shining In Town with a score of 219.5. The duo also tied for third in the Level 4, bringing their total earnings to $5,193. Shining In Town, a six-year-old stallion, is by Hollywoodstinseltown and out of Shine Ann.
Leading the Non Pro Prime Time division with an adjusted score of 221 is Karen Mills and Pale Faced Dancer, a six-year-old mare by Pale Face Dunnit out of Dancer Nic. Mills is eligible for every division of the Non Pro Classic, bringing her total preliminary round earnings to $3,223.
The top 30 plus ties in the Non Pro Levels 4-1, as well as the top 20 in the Non Pro Prime Time, qualified for the clean-slate finals on Friday, April 19. It took a 214 to earn a spot in the Level 4 finals, and a 213 for the Level 3. 212 was the magic number for the Level 2, and riders in the Level 1 had to mark a 206.5. Prime Time riders must have earned an adjusted score of 212 to make that division’s finals. The Markel Insurance Non Pro Finals Draw Party will be held on Wednesday, where, in addition to the draw, go-round checks will be able to be picked up.
The National Reining Breeders Classic-aged event might be the highlight of the event, but there are several opportunities for riders and horses to win. That includes National Reining Horse Association approved ancillary classes which not only award money and prizes daily but also count towards year-end standings.
Brownshadel and Edgmon Split Int. & Ltd. Open (1)
Patti Brownshadel
Wins Patti Brownshadel and Tell Edgmon tied for the Championship of both the Intermediate and Limited Open classes with scores of 144.5. Brownshadel was riding Magnetised, by Im The Chic Magnet out of Gee Golly Whiz, while Edgmon rode Docs Shining Crome, also an 8-year-old stallion, by Custom Crome out of Shining Pearl.
It’s the first major horse show back for Browshadel and Magnetised, who’ve both been sidelined for health issues in recent years. In 2016, the two made the NRHA Derby Open Level 4 finals, but health problems kept them out of competition a couple of years. “I had so much fun today, even before I went in the arena to show. I trained all my life and didn’t realize what I had until I couldn’t do it for a while,” Brownshadel said. “This was Magnetised’s first show back to actually get dolled up, and he was just like he was when I showed him the last time. He was absolutely honest. He wants to please and gives me his heart.”
It’s clear the 8-year-old stallion is special. “He’s by my stud. I raised him, and even though he’s had a short-show career, he’s so honest and easy to train. He makes the job fun, and I knew he was special from the beginning,” she said.
The NRBC is Edgmon and Docs Shining Crome’s first big show together, and if it’s any indication of the future, the pair will be successful. “It went really well. He waited on me the whole time and was really quiet,” Edgmon said. “I probably could have pushed him a little more, but I’m trying to save him for a couple of days down the road, so I just cruised him through.”
Eduardo Giannasi
Edgmon has only been riding the 8-year-old, who’s owned by Michael Marks, for a few months, but said the horse is making it easy. “He hasn’t been with me very long, but he’s a real nice horse. He’s really getting quiet, and it won’t take much for him to mark big. He’s so easy to turn and stop. No matter how he’s running to his stop, he’s going to do it every time,” Edgmon explained.
Giannasi and Ruf Till The End Win Rookie Professional (1)
Eduardo Maranho Giannasi rode Ruf Till The End to a score of 141.5, clinching the Rookie Professional win. “She was really good today. She turned really good and her circles were ok. She’s a big stopper, and I just trust her every time,” Giannasi, originally of Brazil, said.
Ruf Till The End, owned by Cardinal Hill Training Center, is by Lil Ruf Peppy and out of Remedys Sure Slide. Giannasi has been riding the six-year-old mare since she was a two-year-old. “We’ve been getting better and better every year. I enjoyed showing her today. I have worked for Cardinal and Franco Bertolani for five years, and I just appreciate all the opportunities.”
Paige Pastorino
Paige Pastorino Wins Limited Non Pro (1) on Taylor Made Magnum
Paige Pastorino claimed the first win at the Wheless arena with her score of 73 on Taylor Made Magnum, a 12-year-old stallion by Magnum Chic Dream out of Beaus Liberty Belle. “My run today was awesome. I think it was the fastest I’ve ever gone in my circles, and it paid off and it looked really nice. I really tried to push myself today because we’ve been working on stepping it up,” Pastorino said following her run.
Pastorino has owned Taylor Made Magnum for a couple of years and credits the horse’s honesty in the show pen for their success. “He’s awesome and everything I could ask for. He’s taught me a lot, never pulls any tricks, and when I take him out of his stall, I know exactly what I have,” she explained.
Although Pastorino lives in California, her trainer, Dany Tremblay, lives in Oklahoma. “We bought a horse from him and Fred (Tremblay) a couple years ago and decided that is where we wanted to be. I have to thank both Dany and Fred. They always have everything worked out, and they’re both awesome,” she said.
Pastorino and Taylor Made Magnum have a big week. They’ll show in both go-rounds of the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout as well as the second slate of Limited Non Pro. Complete results, as well as the live webcast, can be found at www.NRBC.com.
While stallions unquestionably get most of the attention at the National Reining Breeders Classic – it is a stallion program, after all – there’s no questioning the level of power the mares bring to the table.
Two outstanding mares have won the NRBC Open Championship. Miss Tinseltown (Great Red Pine x Ms Hollywood Showtime) with Tim McQuay in 1999, and Wimpys Little Chic (Wimpys Little Step x Collena Chic Olena), ridden by Shawn Flarida in 2008. In fact, Wimpys Little Chic is the all-time money-earning Open horse at the NRBC with $252,329 in winnings.
While Miss Tinseltown doesn’t make the Top 20 list of NRBC Open earners, her foal Hollywoodstinseltown does, with $103,275 in NRBC earnings, while her daughter, Dun It In Tinseltown, makes the Top 20 NRBC Mare Earners List.
Miss Rey O Shine (Shining Spark x Miss Rey O Lena) also holds a spot on the Top 20 Open Horses list and is second on the Top 20 Mares List. Ridden by Brent Wright, Miss Rey O Shine tied for the Open preliminary round win, finished fifth in the finals, and won the Prime Time at the 2009 NRBC.
Just missing the Top 20 Open Horses but holding the fourth position in the Top Mares list is former Open Co-Reserve Champion Stop Like A Dream (Magnum Chic Dream x Best Stop), ridden by Jordan Larson.
Several mares have topped the leaderboard of the Non Pro division, including Always Gotyer Gunsup, ridden by Mandy McCutcheon to win the 2012 event, and Chicsdreamofdiamonds, ridden by Jack Medows to take the title in 2017. Always Gotyer Gunsup holds the third position in the NRBC Top Mare list, while This Chics Dun Dreamin lands in the fifth spot.
Full sisters Wound By Juice and Like Shiner (by Smart Like Juice) are both Non Pro Champions, ridden by their owner Jose Vazquez. Their dam Wind Her Up Shiner herself was a Non Pro Preliminary Round winner at the 2003 NRBC. This year there are 48 mares in the Open and 43 entered in the Non Pro division, giving the girls a good chance at another Championship.
The first day of competition at the National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas, featured the first section of the Non Pro Classic preliminaries. The day concluded with Indy Roper and Kim Muehlstaetter tied for the high score of the day at 218.5.
Roper was riding Spooks Show Time, a 6-year-old stallion by Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Dolittle Lena, while Muehlstaetter showed Vintage Galaxy, a 4-year-old mare by A Sparkling Vintage out of Smart Lil Whiz. Both Muehlstaetter and Roper were eligible for the Level 3, but Roper and Spooks Show Time also sit solo atop the Level 2 leaderboard.
Currently topping the Level 1 division is Carlee McCutcheon on A Special Sidekick, a 5-year-old by Gunners Special Nite out of A Shining Sidekick, with a score of 214.5.
Kelle Smith and WF Shez Gotta Whiz are tied with Marcia Cole-Walker and Eclectic Chic for the lead of the Non Pro Prime Time with adjusted scores of 216. WF Shez Gotta Whiz is a 4-year-old stallion by Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Shesafashionchic, while Eclectic Chic is a 6-year-old mare by Magnum Chic Dream out of Eclectic Spark.
The clean-slate finals will be held Friday, April 19. Draw positions will be picked on Wednesday evening at the Markel Insurance Non Pro Finals Draw Party. Complete results, as well as a link to the live webcast, can be found at www.NRBC.com.
The Board of Directors of the National Reining Breeders Classic welcomes Matt Mills Reining Horses back as the naming sponsor of the Matt Mills Victory Party. Set for Saturday, April 20 just after the end of the Level 4 Open Finals, this highly-anticipated event is a fitting climax to the week of intense 4, 5, and 6-year-old competition!
Attendees can enjoy the hospitality that NRBC is known for to the sounds of live music by the County Line Band. Expect heavy hors d’oeuvres, and drinks while visiting with friends. The newly crowned NRBC Champion is always a special guest appearing to celebrate the event with all who attend.
NRHA Professional Matt Mills has sponsored the event since 2017 and is excited to do it again. He said, “We look forward to the NRBC every year! Last year’s Victory Party was so much fun! We hope you can all make it again this year to this great event!”
The County Line Band has performed across Texas, from Corpus to Dallas, Houston to Midland. In the 80’s and early 90’s, County Line was the backing band for Fiddling Frenchie Burke, and the band has opened for many of country music’s top artists, including Garth Brooks, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Van Shelton, John Conlee, Vern Gosdin, Doug Stone, Asleep at the Wheel, and more.
With over $893K in Lifetime Earnings, Matt Mills is currently a Top NRHA Professional. The Southern California native counts winning the 2006 USEF Open Reining Championship on Easy Otie Whiz in Lexington, Kentucky as one of his most memorable accomplishments. With a career-high score of 231.5, that ride qualified him to be a member of the Team USA that proudly brought home the gold medal from the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany. He is regularly a finalist at major NRHA events and has received several titles including NRHA Intermediate Open Futurity Reserve Champion. For more information about Matt Mills, see his website at MattMillsReining.com.
Since it began 22 years ago, Twin Cities Trailer Sales has been with the National Reining Breeders Classic. They have consistently provided the Open and Non Pro Classic Champions with one year’s use of a horse trailer each year. This year will be no different. The Open Champion will get use of a 4-horse trailer and the Non Pro Champion will get to use a 2-horse trailer until next year.
NRBC Secretary/Treasurer Cheryl Magoteaux Cody feels like Twin Cities Trailers’ support really adds to the prestige of winning the NRBC. She said, “The trailers have become a symbol of some of the biggest wins in the reining world, thanks to Twin Cities. We appreciate their incredibly long-term support.”
Owner Gary Raak has enjoyed a longtime friendship with NRBC Board Member Tim McQuay who was key in acquiring his support. “Gary and I have been friends forever. He was even friends with my father before me. He jumped in as a sponsor in the beginning when we really needed him and has stayed with us all of these years.” McQuay said, and then added, “It’s been very good for the show because the trailers are so nice that it has kind of become a status symbol to be seen pulling one of them.” Twin Cities Trailer Sales is a full-service operation selling both new and used trailers and providing servicing and financing. Twin Cities is located at 8448 Highway 377, just south of Pilot Point, TX. Contact them at (855) 585-6548 or visit the website at TwinCitiesSouthTrailers.com.
“Reining today at the highest level has gotten so tough. The horses, the horsemen and women, have reached unparalleled heights in what they are able to accomplish. Consequently, so have our non pros. If the Pros are the soul of our industry, the Non Pros are our heart. Their success, at whatever level they are comfortable, is paramount to the future of our industry. Markel’s support of Non Pro activity is a given, and we don’t ever want to discount their importance. That is why we are honored to be a sponsor, with the NRBC, of a new award!” said Markel Director of Western Disciplines Frank Costantini in reference to when the Markel NRC Non Pro Commitment award was created in 2016.
Now in its fourth year, the Recognition Program will be presented at the National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas during the Markel Insurance Non Pro Draw Party set for Wednesday, April 17 at 7 pm. It was created to recognize Non Pros who are constantly seen in the background – or foreground – helping others in any way they can; those who go above and beyond for the benefit of the industry. The announcement of the recipient is always a fun surprise with only a select few Markel team members and NRBC staff members knowing who it will be.
Markel Insurance, with Costantini’s leadership, has a long history of support in the reining industry. Markel Insurance provides financial protection for many of the ranches, trainers, horses, and equipment used in the reining industry. Costantini himself is a long-time breeder, owner, and Non Pro exhibitor of reining horses. Having sponsored NRBC for the past eight years, they have a long-standing reputation for always giving back to the reining world.
The Markel Insurance Non Pro Draw Party is a fun event to attend. Non Pro Classic Finalists come to the table to choose a wine glass that will hold their draw number. Watch the drama unfold as each realizes his or her place in the finals running order. Expect excitement while enjoying a delicious meal and open bar. Markel has insurance to fill all your needs.
For information on Markel Insurance, visit the booth at NRBC and the website at MarkelInsurance.com.
