Canada-based Adh Mor Ranch and its star reining stallion, PS Mega Shine Chic, are owned by Brad and Amanda Kelly, who know that the future of reining rests in the hands of its youth. This is why they are returning to sponsor the NRBC Kid’s Academy in 2019. Beginning Tuesday, April 16 through Saturday, April 20, children 10 years and under will be trusted into the care of veteran teacher, Bess Bouley between the hours of 1 to 4 pm.

Miss Bess, as she is fondly called by the children, will keep them busy with fun and educational activities including crafts, games, and science experiments. It is a special time for the young ones attending the horse show, and the group often attracts friends who just enjoy seeing the kids enjoy themselves so much. Thanks to the Kellys, this program, Bouley’s expertise and all of the activities are free of charge.

The Kellys enjoy stopping by for kid’s time and have given each child a PS Mega Shine stick horse and t-shirt in the past. Brad and Amanda Kelly raise world-class bucking bulls and reining horses at Adh Mor Ranch in Central Alberta, Canada.

PS Mega Shine Chic (also known as “Crush”) is the focus of their reining program. The stunning palomino stallion is a 2016 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Finalist and the 2017 NRBC Open Reserve Champion and Level 3 Champion. For more information about Adh Mor Ranch and PS Mega Shine Chic, look them up on Facebook.

The NRBC board of directors is excited to announce the return of Paramount Network’s hit series Yellowstone as sponsor of the Rookie Shootout. The Yellowstone Rookie Shootout will continue a tradition of honoring the grass-roots competitors that help to keep the show going.

The Top 5 composite scores plus ties from Wednesday and Thursday Rookie classes will advance with no additional entry fees. In order to be eligible for the Shootout, exhibitors must enter both slates of Rookie classes. The Yellowstone Shootout final round will be held in the Great Southwest Equestrian Center Coliseum Friday night prior to the start of the NRBC Open Classic Challenge.

At NRBC, everyone gets a chance to win, and many get more than one chance. On Sunday, everyone who competed in both preliminary rounds of the Shootout except for Friday night’s champion may enter the Rookie Shootout Consolation round where another great prize will be given to the champion!

Yellowstone came on board as a sponsor in 2018, and after a successful season celebrating 5 million viewers per episode and ranking as Second Most-Watched Series in all of Cable television, the show starring Kevin Costner is back for season two and another Yellowstone Rookie Shootout.

Yellowstone is co-created by critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-nominated screenwriter and avid reiner Taylor Sheridan (Wind River, Hell or High Water and Sicario), and John Linson. It returns June 19th to Paramount Network. “Yellowstone” chronicles the Dutton family, led by John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect – the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. To learn more, visit the online Show Page at ParamountNetwork.com/Press/Shows/Yellowstone/.

The American Paint Horse Association and the National Reining Breeders Classic are continuing their partnership for the fifth consecutive year! Once again custom Gist Silversmith buckles will be awarded to top APHA registered horses at the event in Katy, Texas, slated for April 14-21, 2019.

These award buckles will be offered to the highest-scoring or high-composite Paints in the following aged event and ancillary classes: Non Pro Classic, Open Classic, Youth, Rookie, Non Pro.

“We are honored to have the American Paint Horse Association continue to be part of the NRBC,” said NRBC Secretary-Treasurer, Cheryl Magoteaux Cody. “We know that they will be a treasured award for the winners. We appreciate APHA’s commitment to our show, and love having this additional opportunity for our exhibitors.”

APHA Director of Show Amanda Cormack shared Cody’s enthusiasm, noting, “APHA has really been striving to reach out to the NRHA community. Our involvement at NRBC over the past five years has proven to be successful in that venture. By having an APHA representative attend this event, we’re able to conduct in-person business and reach a wide range of exhibitors, from open to youth

The American Paint Horse Association is reaching out to all of its avid reining competitors through the continuation of its reining buckle program at select NRHA events. Each show counts for a minimum of one show towards qualification. Unless otherwise noted on the APHA show calendar, these shows are approved only for APHA World Show qualification, not APHA points.

To be eligible to compete, the horse and rider must meet the following criteria.

• Exhibitor must be a current APHA member

• Horse must be registered with APHA or have registration paperwork submitted on-site

• Must sign-up prior to showing with an on-site APHA representative

FAQ’s

I have a horse that is eligible but not yet registered with APHA. Can I register my horse on-site? Yes, there will be an APHA representative on-site to assist in registering horses, transferring papers and collecting memberships.

Is there an entry fee? No, the only fee(s) associated with signing up for this program is an APHA membership (if not current) and any fees pertaining to getting your horse registered with APHA (if not already registered).

How are the winners calculated? For aged events, the award will go to the highest-scoring Paint horse from the finals, beginning with the highest level. For ancillary classes, the Paint horse must be shown in both days of the ancillary classes. This will then be calculated like a circuit award, with scores from both runs being added together to determine the award winner.

What is the cut-off to enter? Before your classes’ entry deadline.

If you have any questions contact APHA Director of Shows, Amanda Cormack at (817) 222-6416.

Since its inception, the National Reining Breeders Classic has grown to include over 200 subscribed stallions, and its total payout has now exceeded $21 million. To learn more about the NRBC or to enter your Paint, visit NRBC.com.

Nutrena returns as a part of the National Reining Breeders Classic with a new convenience for exhibitors, owners and friends in the form of the Nutrena Hospitality Lounge. Located on the concourse of the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, the comfortable Nutrena center will provide snacks and drinks throughout the week as well as a comfortable place to visit with friends while watching the arena action.

Sharon Choney, Nutrena Equine Consultant, has attended the NRBC for several years. “Like so many of our sponsors, Sharon has become a friend as well as a representative of Nutrena,” said NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Magoteaux Cody. “She goes above and beyond in supporting the reining industry and this new hospitality station is a perfect example.”

Choney noted, “Nutrena Is so excited to be part of NRBC again this year. This year we want you to come by the Nutrena Hospitality Lounge located on the concourse next to the Main Arena. It is open to all and we will have free food and beer/wine most nights for all reiners and spectators. Come and hang out and watch the competition and relax and enjoy some refreshments on us!” She continued, “The NRBC is always a fantastic show for Nutrena as it gives us an opportunity to mingle with our clients, customers and friends from across the country while making many more over the week-long event.”

Nutrena works with reining and breeding farms to develop and grow the next champions from birth to the show ring where blue ribbons and consistent maximum performance are the goals. Sharon explains, “Between Premium quality highly research feeds and supplements and Equine Consultants that go home every day to their own horses we understand your business and goals and want to stride side by side with you and your horses to ensure your success. Come by and visit about how we can help you and your business and take you to the top.” Nutrena® is a premium brand of horse feed produced by Cargill, Inc., a worldwide producer of agricultural products. Cargill has 151 years of innovative research and development through its Innovation Center in Elk River Minnesota as well as many long-time Relationships with some of America’s leading universities. Using the highest-quality ingredients and the most up-to-date nutritional technology, Cargill manufactures and markets a complete line of Nutrena® branded feeds and supplements that help horses maintain optimal health throughout all stages of life. To learn more about Nutrena visit the website at NutrenaWorld.com.

Kick-starting the week of festivities at the NRBC will be the Gunners Special Nite Welcome Party. After so much positive feedback from last year’s party, Steve and Rita Reed-Harris will again prepare and provide a delicious Charcuterie Board. Steve and Rita Reed-Harris have been supplying the food for the Welcome Party since 2013.

The Gunners Special Nite Welcome Party will be held at 6 pm on Tuesday, April 17 upstairs in the Texas Children’s Hospital Arena Club. All exhibitors and guests are invited to attend. NRHA Million Dollar SIre Gunners Special Nite is owned by Sarah Willeman and Phillip Richter of Turnabout Farm.

Sarah noted, “We’re happy to be part of this fantastic horse show again in 2018. It’s an exciting time for Gunners Special Nite, as his offspring earnings are over $1.5 Million, and he is the #1 siring son of Gunner. It’s a thrill to watch his offspring do so well and have such depth of quality and trainability and athleticism. We’re grateful to the reining community for believing in him and being part of his story with us. This welcome party is a great opportunity for us to say thank you and help to kick off one of our favorite events of the year. Wishing everyone the best of luck in the days ahead!”

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. The broodmare band includes three daughters of Hollywood Dun It, an outstanding daughter of the NRHA’s all-time leading dam, Taris Little Vintage, and the 2011 FEI World Reining Finals Individual Gold Medalist, Darlins Not Painted. Star reining stallion Gunners Special Nite won over $235,000 and was the Individual and Team Gold Medalist at the 2010 World Equestrian Games then chosen as the US Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year. For information on Turnabout Farm, visit the website at TurnaboutFarm.com.

The NRBC announced in late March that Paramount Network has come on board as the exclusive naming sponsor of the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout. This new event will be a highlight of the NRBC with Rookie Riders vying for an opportunity to make the 5-person Rookie Shootout on Friday night April 20 – center-stage in the Great Southwest Equestrian Center.

“Yellowstone,” Paramount Network’s new epic scripted dramatic series, is written and directed by critically acclaimed, Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Wind River, Hell or High Water and Sicario). Sheridan won Best Director Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival for the universally lauded film, Wind River.

The partnership between NRBC and Yellowstone came about because, in addition to being the creator and producer of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan is also a reiner! Sheridan explained, “For me, reining has grown from curiosity to passion to obsession. It is a sport that provides entire families with opportunities to compete and play together in an environment that embraces both camaraderie and competition. And above all, no other equine sport involves such complete trust and connection between horse and rider.”

He continued, “My inspiration to create Yellowstone was to introduce more of America to the ‘cowboy way’ and promoting the sport that I love with the series was something I always intended to do. Likewise, the reining horse industry has been very supportive of me and being a sponsor of the NRBC, the largest derby in the world, I feel will be mutually beneficial to the series and the sport of reining. A career highlight of mine is a scene I wrote where Kevin Costner is looking to buy a stallion for his ranch. Andrea Fappani, Tim McQuay, and Tom Foran performed on modified reining patterns. Andrea rode Lil’ Joe Cash, Tim rode Custom Made Gun, and Tom rode Walla Walla Starbuck. We essentially filmed a sales video for the sport of reining. It was interesting to watch a scene with a pillar of the acting community interacting with a pillar of the reining industry while riding one of the sport’s most impressive stallions.

“Before we started shooting the scene, we were all loping in the arena, warming the horses up, and I couldn’t stop laughing – I was getting paid to ride Lil Joe Cash in the Bitterroot Mountains in Montana. Reining has given me a tremendous amount, and it pleases me to no end when I find ways to the same for the sport of reining.”

In “Yellowstone”, world-renowned actor and Oscar winner Kevin Costner serves in the lead role as John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States under constant attack by those it borders – land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first National Park. It is an intense study of a violent world far from media scrutiny – where land grabs make developers billions, and politicians are bought and sold by the world’s largest oil and lumber corporations. Where drinking water poisoned by fracking wells and unsolved murders are not news: they are a consequence of living in the new frontier. It is the best and worst of America seen through the eyes of a family that represents both.

The impressive cast list for “Yellowstone” also includes Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Dave Annable, Danny Huston, Gil Birmingham, Josh Lucas, Jefferson White, Gretchen Mol, Jill Hennessey, Patrick St. Esprit, Ian Bohen, Heather Hemmons, and Denim Richards.

“Yellowstone” premieres on Paramount Network Wednesday, June 20 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Rules:

The top five composite scores plus ties from Wednesday and Thursday Rookie classes will advance to the Shootout with no additional entry fees. The Shootout final round will be held Friday night prior to the start of the NRBC Open Classic Challenge. At NRBC, everyone gets a chance to win, and many get more than one chance, so on Sunday, everyone who competed in both preliminary rounds of the Shootout except for Friday night’s champion can enter the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout Consolation round where another great prize will be given to the champion!

The American Paint Horse Association will again be rewarding the highest-scoring APHA registered horses entered in the National Reining Breeders Classic Open and Non Pro Classic, as well as the Youth, Rookie, and Non Pro classes with a custom Gist Silversmiths trophy buckle. The APHA has commemorated their partnership with NRBC for the past five years with these beautiful buckles and looks forward to awarding High-Point Paint horses again.

APHA Director of Business Development Kurt Crawford said, “APHA is pleased to continue partnering with the NRBC to recognize top-performing registered paint horses.“

NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Magoteaux Cody added, “We’re so pleased to welcome the APHA back for NRBC. The buckles are truly gorgeous, and we look forward to seeing the riders of high-scoring Paints wearing them.”

In addition to these awards, NRBC is also an APHA-designated show on the path for 2018 APHA World Show qualification. For more information about the American Paint Horse Association, go to APHA.com.