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.

Top NRBC Money Earning Mares:

Wimpys Little Chic $252,329

Miss Rey O Shine $108,410

Always Gotyer Gunsup $95,010

Stop Like A Dream $88,152

This Chicsdundreamin $80,838

Shining N Sassy $79,725

Darlins Not Painted $63,529

Memorable Affair $60,818

Americasnextgunmodel $60,206

Conquistadors Sandy $57,377

Dont Miss This $55,348

Surprizentheprincess $52,506

Shiney Enterprise $50,113

Chicsdreamofdiamonds $47,562

Like Shiner $47,007

Kachina Oak Olena $46,998

Wound By Juice $46,673

Skeets Little Annie $46,542

Taris Modern Design $45,585

Dun It In Tinseltown $44,767

The National Reining Breeders Classic, one of reining’s largest events, has been held 22 times. It began at the historic Lazy E Arena, Guthrie, Okla., in 1998, and moved to the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in 2001. In that time, 10 different riders have captured an Open Championship while 13 riders have won Non Pro titles. Fifteen different stallions have sired Open Champions, with six having sired the Open Champion twice. In the Non Pro division, the Champions have been sired by 13 different stallions.

Dell Hendricks and Mr Boomerjac (by Boomernic), won the inaugural Open title, while Keith Crawford and Rowdy Yankee (by Smart Chic Olena) won the first Non Pro Championship. Hendricks holds the distinction of holding the most Open Championships, while Mandy McCutcheon claims the same honor in the Non Pro division. Both have won the event five times. Hendricks also is the only Open rider to win the title twice on the same horse. That happened in 2003 and 2004 with Reminic N Dunit (by Hollywood Dunit).

Three Non Pro horse and rider teams have won titles twice. Sarah Lynn Locker and Heavy Duty Chex (by Nu Chex To Cash) won in 2015 and 2016, while Mandy McCutcheon and Rawhides Banjo (by Dunit Rawhide) won back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Lance Griffin and Whiz N Tag Chex (by Topsail Whiz) round out that list with wins in 2003 and 2004. Interestingly, Whiz N Tag Chex is the only NRBC Champion to sire an NRBC Champion. The stallion was the sire of the 2014 Open Champion Blue Collar Tag, ridden to the title by Martin Muehlstaetter.

The only full siblings to win an NRBC Championship were Like Shiner and Wound By Juice in the Non Pro. Both mares, ridden by owner Jose Vazquez, were by Smart Like Juice and out of Wind Her Up Shiner.

Learn more about the Mare Power at the NRBC in tomorrow’s Slide Street Journal.

Open Champions:

2018 Duane Latimer & Modern Gun (Gunners Special Nite)

2017 Andrea Fappani & Chic Dreamin (Magnum Chic Dream)

2016 Jason Vanlandingham & Not Ruf At All (A Sparkling Vintage)

2015 Andrea Fappani & Frozen Enterprize (Frozen Sailor)

2014 Martin Muehlstaetter & Blue Collar Tag (Whiz N Tag Chex)

2013 Thiago Boechat & Wimpyneedsacocktail (Wimpys Little Step)

2012 Shawn Flarida & Spooks Gotta Whiz (Spooks Gotta Gun)

2011 Shawn Flarida & Shine Chic Shine (Smart Chic Olena)

2010 Craig Schmersal & Boom Shernic (Boomernic)

2009 Andrea Fappani & Cromed Out Mercedes (Custom Crome)

2008 Shawn Flarida & Wimpys Little Chic (Wimpys Little Step)

2007 Andrea Fappani & Custom Legend (Custom Crome)

2006 Shawn Flarida & Einsteins Revolution (Great Resolve)

2005 Dell Hendricks & Hit The Lights (Grays Starlight)

2004 & 2003 Dell Hendricks & Reminic N Dunit (Hollywood Dunit)

2002 Dell Hendricks & Starlights Wrangler (Grays Starlight)

2001 Tom McCutcheon & Smartest Chic Olena (Smart Chic Olena)

2000 Duane Latimer & Conquistador Whiz (Topsail Whiz)

1999 Tim McQuay & Miss Tinseltown (Great Red Pine)

1998 Dell Hendricks & Mr Boomerjac (Boomernic)

Non Pro:

2018 Jose Vazquez & Like Shiner (Smart Like Juice)

2017 Jack Medows & Chicsdreamofdiamonds (Magnum Chic Dream)

2016 Sarah Lynn Locker & Heavy Duty Chex (Nu Chex To Cash)

2015 Sarah Lynn Locker & Heavy Duty Chex (Nu Chex To Cash)

2014 Mandy McCutcheon & Ms Whiz Dunit (Topsail Whiz)

2013 Ron Thompson & Taris Dreamer (Magnum Chic Dream)

2012 Mandy McCutcheon & Always Gotyer Gunsup (Colonels Smoking Gun)

2011 Shaunda Rai Ruckman & Rufanicki (Lil Ruf Peppy)

2010 Kim Dooley & Country Custom (Custom Crome)

2009 Jose Vazquez & Wound By Juice (Smart Like Juice)

2008 Mandy McCutcheon & I Spin For Chics (Tangys Classy Peppy)

2007 Mandy McCutcheon & Rawhides Banjo (Dunit Rawhide)

2006 Mandy McCutcheon & Rawhides Banjo (Dunit Rawhide)

2005 Wendy Latimer & Diamonds For Chics (Hickory Chic Olena)

2004 Lance Griffin & Whiz N Tag Chex (Topsail Whiz)

2003 Lance Griffin & Whiz N Tag Chex (Topsail Whiz)

2002 Mandy McCutcheon & Don’t Miss This (Missin James)

2001 Josh Hattig & Steadys Dude (Steady Tradition)

2000 Marc Wagman & Tougher Than The Rest (Custom Crome)

1999 James Morgan & Hesa Smart Chic (Smart Chic Olena)

1998 Keith Crawford & Rowdy Yankee (Smart Chic Olena)

Preparation is underway. The reining industry’s elite are hard at work. There are some prestigious titles up for grabs in Katy, Texas.

The National Reining Breeders Classic doesn’t truly kick off until Monday, April 15, but the Great Southwest Equestrian Center is already a hive of activity. Much of the event staff moved in a week ago and paid warm-ups have been going on in the arena since Wednesday, as the facility’s ambiance is transformed with red carpets, live flowers, and of course, the signature royal blue drapes and curtains.

Special activities take place throughout the week, and those begin Sunday morning at 10 a.m. with the Church Service, officiated by Pastor Ed Harrison. An Open Riders Meeting, with all owners welcome, will be held at 3 p.m. The day concludes with the SmartPak Texas Hold’Em Tournament at 7 p.m. All events will be held upstairs in the Texas Children’s Hospital Arena Club.

For a complete schedule, visit www.NRBC.com, and follow the NRBC on Facebook.

Officiating the action at this year’s National Reining Breeders Classic is an exemplary set of NRHA Judges. NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody announced the selections in mid-February. They are Kelly Sapp, Ed Bricker, Brian Welman, Nick Barr, Ed Cridge, J.D. Roberson, Joe Hayes, Andi Paul, Bob LaPorta, Leo Fourre, and Doug Milholland.

The National Reining Breeders Classic features two slates of qualifying classes for the US Equestrian Youth Championships in its lineup. The first will be held on Friday, April 20 in the Wheless Arena at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. The second will be held the following day in the Tellepsen Arena.

Spanning from January 1 – August 1, 2018, the US Equestrian Youth Championships Qualification period has begun. Interested youth must earn a score above 0 in a USA/USEF Reining class during this qualification period to be eligible to compete at the 2018 US Equestrian Youth Championships held at the Tulsa Reining Classic on Friday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The rider, horse, and horse’s owner must have current USEF and USA Reining memberships in order to qualify. The 2018 Qualifying Competitions are as follows:

• Winter Slide (Jan 30-Feb 4) – Ardmore, OK (USA Reining, USEF, FEI)

• Cactus Reining Classic (March 21-25) – Scottsdale, AZ (USA Reining, USEF, FEI)

• NRBC (April 12-23) – Katy, TX (USA Reining, USEF, FEI)

• NRHA Derby (June 24-July 1) – Oklahoma City, OK (USA Reining, USEF, FEI)

• Tulsa Reining Classic (Aug 27-Sept 2) – Tulsa, OK (USA Reining, USEF) USEF Championships

If the title isn’t enough, the prizes are. All competitors placing 1-10 at the USE Youth Championships will receive a ribbon. The reserve champion in each age group will be given a monogrammed cooler for their horse. The champions will receive a monogrammed cooler and a custom trophy belt buckle. Each class also features added money: the 19-21 class has $7,500 added, ages 14-18 has $5,000 added, and the 13 & Under class features $2,500 added.

For more program information, visit USEF.org/reining or contact Bryn Wells at PBWells@usef.org. For more information about NRBC, including the event schedule and entry forms, visit NRBC.com.

The National Reining Breeders Classic will feature an unprecedented three CRI3*’s in 2018! As excitement builds at the approach of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, so does the need for exhibitors hoping to represent their respective countries to attend qualifying events. NRBC offers these CRI3* classes as a courtesy to help athletes from all over the globe meet their eligibility requirements.

 In order to qualify to compete at the World Equestrian Games, each athlete must be qualified as an FEI 3* Athlete and achieve a minimum average score of 70 at two out of three different non-championship CRI3*’s. All must be completed with no elimination, disqualification or withdrawal, during the qualification period of January 1, 2017 to August 13, 2018. One of the qualifying results must be achieved no earlier than on January 1st of the year in which the Championships take place (2018) and no later than the end date of the qualification period.

Each slate of CRI classes will include CRI3*, CRI2*, and CRI1*. The CRI3* events are scheduled for the last three consecutive days of NRBC: with the first taking place on Friday, April 20th. The jogs will take place at 7 am on each morning. Plus, a CRIYR3* and a CRIJr* class will also be held on Friday, April 20th in conjunction with the other youth classes scheduled. The NRBC is a stallion incentive program. After a stallion becomes part of the program, his foals may be enrolled. Those foals, as 4, 5, and 6-year-olds, can then compete at the prestigious week-long event which has paid out $20 million in its past 20 years. For more information including the event schedule and entry forms, visit www.nrbc.com.

Sunday, April 16, began with a church service, an Easter egg hunt, paid warm-ups and opening riding, and concluded with the annual SmartPak Texas Hold’em Tournament. Dan Kind won the pot and took home top honors when he became the poker champion.    

The National Reining Breeders Classic kicked off its 20th-anniversary show April 16, 2017, enjoying $20 million in payout over the course of 20 years. The NRBC began in 1997 when a group of distinguished reiners – Tom McCutcheon, Tim McQuay, Colleen McQuay, Pete Kyle, Dick Pieper, Carl Rose, Gary Putman and Robert Chown – came together and created the National Reining Breeders Cup.

In its early success, the show set precedents of excellence when it joined forces with the Lazy E Ride of Life Classic and became the largest added money reining in history. In 1998 the organization’s name was changed to National Reining Breeders Classic to reflect the growing prominence and importance of the event. The first NRBC in April of 1998 in Guthrie, Oklahoma, paid over $210,000 – the largest National Reining Horse Association-approved Open Reining at that time.

In 2001 the event moved to Katy, Texas, where it still is today, and paid out a lucrative $646,000. The event has continued to grow in leaps and bounds – last year paying out $1.1 million – while still holding tight to its roots and mantra to provide excellence in the show pen.

Sunday, April 16, began with a church service, an Easter egg hunt paid warm-ups and opening riding, and concluded with the annual SmartPak Texas Hold’em Tournament. Dan Kind won the pot and took home top honors when he became the poker champion.

“Beginner’s luck,” Kind said with a laugh of his strategy during the poker tournament. “I didn’t have much of a strategy, I don’t play much poker.”

The tournament has grown to be a favorite event during the NRBC and this year attracted 27 participants. Although the tournament is a fun pastime event for the reiners, it also offers a charitable aspect. Part of the proceeds from the poker tournament went to Rein In Cancer, a charitable organization which, to date, has raised over a million dollars for cancer patients in the reining industry.