There’s a lot to celebrate during the National Reining Breeders Classic, slated for April 17 – 24 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center. One of the ultimate celebrations occurs on Thursday, April 19, when attendees gather together for the excitement of the Open Draw Party.

This year, the party is sponsored by longtime NRBC supporters Matt and Karen Mills of Matt Mills Reining Horses. “We’ve been sponsors of the NRBC for coming on 20 years now. First off, just from the beginning, this show has been a game-changer, giving us a place for our derby horses to be shown for a significant amount of money. That, combined with great management, makes it not only a major event, but one that goes really smooth,” Mills said. “It’s just a great environment.”

Mills, a National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Rider, has been one of the trainers featured on Paramount Network’s “The Last Cowboy” and was a part of The Run for a Million in 2019 and 2021. He trains and shows futurity and derby horses. He also coaches non pro and youth riders and is always in high demand for clinics in the United States, Europe and Mexico.

The Mills have recently relocated from their home in Arizona to Texas. “It’s been a bit chaotic because we packed up 25 years of training, and brought everything to Texas,” he explained.

Matt Mills Reining Horses is now located at Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch in Weatherford. “It’s a great place to be. The facility is great, as is the location. There’s action everywhere, and I feel I am able to produce a better, more seasoned horse,” Mills said. “I’m really excited for this.”

The Matt Mills Reining Horses Open Draw Party will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Sponsor Pavilion, although everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Mills is always busy, and one of his very successful projects, his popular online instructional videos, can be found at MattMillsReining.com. With all of that going on, Mills 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.
For more information visit MattMillsReining.com, or email TeamMattMills@gmail.com.

The 25th Annual National Reining Breeders Classic will take place April 17-24 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas and at its end, the event will have paid out over $25 Million in its history. For information on the NRBC, visit the website at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.

The American Paint Horse Association’s Chrome Cash is coming to the 2022 National Reining Breeders Classic, set for April 17-24 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. The program will feature $3,000 in added money just for Paints!

“We are pleased to welcome the APHA back to the NRBC,” said NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody. “The show has enjoyed a long-time relationship with APHA and we love being able to provide our exhibitors with more incentives!”

American Paint Horse Association Member Care Director Freddie Alexander will be on-site at the NRBC on April 19-23 to get exhibitors signed up for Chrome Cash classes and to help register or transfer Paint Horses. He said, “We love coming to the NRBC. People have enjoyed the buckle incentives we have done there in the past so we wanted to do something more to put dollars into the exhibitors’ pockets and continue to build the breed.”

The Chrome Cash incentive program provides exclusive payouts to the highest-placing registered Paints in a specific slate of classes, along with a trophy buckle for the highest-placing Youth. Chrome Cash is run as a class within a class during the competition.

Learn more at apha.com/programs/chromecash. Chrome Cash paid out more than $250,000 to Paints in reining, cutting and cow horse events in 2021.

At the NRBC, the winners in the Novice Horse Non Pro on April 20, the Limited Non Pro and Rookie L1,L2 and Prime Time on April 21, plus the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro and Prime Time on April 23 will receive Chrome Cash as will the NRBC Classic Open and Non Pro divisions. Participants in youth classes who sign up will be eligible to win a buckle. 

– Horse must be registered with APHA or have registration pending with APHA. Both Regular Registry and Solid Paint Bred (SPB) horses are eligible.
-Owner and exhibitor must be a current APHA member
-Must enter the Chrome Cash class at the event, along with your regular class.- Full details here: apha.com/programs/chromecash

To sign up for the NRBC Chrome Cash, or for questions, contact Freddie Alexander atfalexander@apha.com or 817-222-6419.

The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded in 1962. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.

Since its inception, the NRBC has grown to include over 225 subscribed stallions with over 30 new sires coming into the program in the past year. The 2022 NRBC Show will take place April 17-24 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. For information on the NRBC, visit the website at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939

When Non Pros at the National Reining Breeders Classic find out their draw for the finals, the pomp and pageantry of the Non Pro Draw Party has traditionally made the achievement extra special. Returning as the Non Pro Party sponsor for the 2021 event, set for April 18 – 25 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, is Markel Insurance. It will be the tenth year for Markel Insurance to sponsor the party.
Of course, due to continuing COVID-19 protocols, this year’s Markel Insurance Non Pro Draw Party, slated for Wednesday, April 21, will once again be virtual.
“While we enjoy having our draw parties in person, we are fortunate to be taking baby steps back to business as usual,” NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody said. “Luckily, our partner for the Markel Insurance Non Pro Draw Party is Frank Costantini. He’s a veteran of virtual draw parties, having hosted the National Reining Horse Association Derby first-ever virtual draw party last June, shortly after the start of the pandemic. Frank is a staunch supporter of reining and makes the virtual draw party fun and entertaining.”
Costantini, Director of Western Disciplines for Markel Insurance, noted, “I certainly hope the virtual parties are something we can get rid of in the future because they are nowhere near as enjoyable as the ones we are accustomed to. I love for people to be able to participate in the regular parties because it is so much fun to get together and celebrate the major accomplishment of making the finals.”
He then added, “But for now, the virtual draw parties allow everyone to still participate, and are a great compromise for the circumstances we are dealing with for everyone’s health.”
Costantini is more than just an NRBC sponsor. He’s involved in all aspects of the industry including as a competitor and an owner. “For me personally, reining is very near and dear to my heart. I have been involved a number of years and held various positions, including being NRHA President twice. I myself, and Markel as a company, want to share in the growth of all disciplines and associations, and give back to them accordingly,” he said.
Costantini plans to be at NRBC for the full week of competition. “I love the NRBC. It is a show that has always looked outside the box and has increased reining’s exposure to people around the world. It has allowed the stars to shine, while at the same time giving new people the chance to compete at a world-class event. The NRBC Board of Directors and staff have gone out of the way to make it happen,” he shared.
Markel’s commitment to the Non Pro riders of the NRBC expanded several years ago when Costantini and the NRBC presented the first Markel Insurance Non Pro Commitment Award to recognize the non pro riders who go above and beyond to give back to the industry. Past recipients include Rita Reed-Harris, Shawn Stratman, Dave Silva, Ellen Cummins and Loren Booth.
The name of the 2021 recipient will be kept under wraps until the Draw Party, and Costantini explained, “Markel and the NRBC present this award each year to a non pro who, while he or she may not win every event, gives back to the industry in many ways. This year’s recipient is someone who has overcome some personal hardships and is a welcome sight when we see them at the event.”
For more information about Markel Insurance, visit www.HorseInsurance.com

Matt Mills Reining Horses has been a long-time sponsor of the National Reining Breeders Classic as in the form of the Matt Mills Victory Party from 2017 until last year when the Covid-19 Pandemic led to the cancellation of the party. In 2021, the story will likely be the same, so Matt Mills Reining Horses opted to move its sponsorship to the Open Draw Party.

Normally a heavily attended event with food and drinks and a Calcutta, the 2021 Open Draw Party will be virtual in 2021 but still promises to be fun and entertaining with owners and enthusiasts across the globe able to watch online.

“Karen and I, along with our clients and friends Mark and Janice Dickson and Tim and MaryBeth Ruckman look forward to the National Reining Breeders Classic every year,” Matt Mills shared. “We’ve been longtime supporters and are extremely excited to have the opportunity to sponsor the Open Draw Party this year! Cheryl Cody and her team do an incredible job of putting on one of the best Reining events of the year. Best of luck to all of the exhibitors competing here at the 2021 National Reining Breeders Classic in the sport that we all love so much, reining!”

A freshly crowned NRHA Million Dollar Rider, Matt was one of the trainers featured on Paramount Network’s “The Last Cowboy” and was a part of The Run for a Million in 2019. 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 online 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. He also has a successful track record at the National Reining Breeders Classic and has 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. To learn more about the National Reining Breeders Classic, go to NRBC.com.

The National Reining Breeders Classic has long enjoyed the coverage provided by Horse of The West (formerly NRHA Inside Reining), and the 2021 event will again be featured on the popular RFD-TV program.

According to NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody, the program helps the prestigious event in Katy, Texas, reach a much wider audience.

She says, “Thanks to Horse of the West, we’ve been able to reach new people each year and show them all the excitement of reining. Now that the TV show has expanded to include reined cow horse and barrel racing, Horse of the West provides an even better opportunity for outreach to people who are already in the horse business, understand the complexities of training a horse, and will be drawn to the challenges and finesse of our discipline, and the NRBC.”

In 2021 Sandbur Productions, creator of Horse of the West, is celebrating 20 years of reining coverage with the “Short Stirrup Series”.  At each of the five reining events the show is covering this year, Horse of the West will offer a special sponsorship to the 10 and under class and feature the top two finishers in the TV show.

Jenifer Reynolds of Sandbur Productions says, “We want to showcase our youngest riders and encourage their involvement with horses.  In a world of parents worried their kids are spending too much time on their phones and computers, we hope the Short Stirrup Series will encourage families to get their kids out of the house and onto the back of a horse! We’ve seen firsthand how young kids learn confidence, responsibility, and appreciation for animals through their involvement in reining. We hope our viewers will see that, too. ”

“Our youngest riders are critical to the future and so darn cute, we know they will make us all proud in the TV show,” says Cheryl Cody. “We’re grateful to Sandbur Productions and Horse of the West for their support.”

National Reining Breeders Classic coverage on Horse of the West is scheduled for the last two

Mondays nights in June and the first two Monday nights in July, Mondays, at 10:30pmET on RFD-TV.  For those who don’t have RFD-TV, the show will be posted on the Horse of the West YouTube channel.

Horse of the West is a multiple Telly Award and AHP Equine Media Award-winning weekly show presenting coverage of reining, reined cow horse, and barrel racing. In 2020 Horse of the West garnered a record 6 million 18+ views on RFD-TV, rural America’s most important network, and is on target to repeat those viewership numbers again in 2021.

Go to www.horseofthewest.tv for a show schedule.

The National Reining Breeders Classic has been partnering with Shapley’s Equine Products to produce the Shapley’s Best Turned Out awards for the past three years. This year’s winner will receive a silver engraved plate paired with a bucket of Shapley’s Superior Equine Grooming products. Both will be presented to the groom of the best turned-out horse.

Sally Stith-Burdette with Shapley’s Equine Products looks forward to this event every year as she said, “Shapley’s is always pleased to be able to recognize the grooms who work so hard and care so much for their horses. Shapley’s salutes the unsung heroes of horse showing, the grooms!”

To enter, grooms need only to fill out a simple free entry form and return it to the show office before the start of the Non Pro Finals on Friday, April 23. A panel of judges including staff at all arenas will have the job of choosing the champion and subsequent placings. Winners will be recognized on Friday, April 23 at the conclusion of the Non Pro Classic finals.

For over 75 years, generations of horsemen around the world have placed their trust in Shapley’s Superior Equine Grooming Products. They offer an extensive line of products, all starting with their initial product – Original M-T-G.   For information visit www.shapleys.com. 

Innovation. Creativity. Excitement. The National Reining Breeders Classic is known for all of them, but what about that swag? Custom NRBC swag is designed with a fresh new look each year to be given to every NRBC Classic exhibitor thanks to three elite sponsors: Electric Code owned by Jared Leclair, Magnum Chic Dream owned by Jack and Viola Scott, and Not Ruf At All owned by Zimmerman Performance Horses.

Custom carry-all bags seen at shows around the world are provided by Jack and Viola Scott. The bags feature the name of their remarkable NRHA Hall of Fame and $6 Million Stallion Magnum Chic Dream. His offspring are excelling in the Open, Non Pro and Youth events, producing a consistent flow of champions and finalists in all major events across the board!

Jack and Viola Scott are a welcome staple in the backdrop of events across the country as they love to watch their stallion’s offspring show, but the NRBC holds a special place. Viola said, “We grew up in the Houston/Gulf Coast area and the NRBC is home to us. We love it!”

For more information, visit MagnumChicDream.com.

The modern designs of the Not Ruf At All t-shirts provided by Zimmerman Performance Horses keep competitors stylish between runs. Not Ruf At All is the NRHA’s highest money earning Stallion with more than of $456,500 in lifetime earnings facilitated in part by taking the industry’s most coveted award – the Triple Crown Championship – winning the NRHA Futurity, the NRBC and the NRHA Derby.

Vaughn Zimmerman has bred and raised winning horses in many different disciplines, but reining is the event that has held his heart the longest. He said, “The first time I went to a reining event, I knew that this was the sport that I wanted to be completely involved in. I had no idea at that time that it would become a passion for myself, my son, and my grandchildren.”

To learn more, visit NotRufAtAll.com.

After the show is finished for the day, the cowboy hats come off and the custom Electric Code ball caps go on. These fashion-forward caps feature a fresh-looking NRBC logo and the name of sponsor Jared Leclair’s standout stallion, Electric Code. Through the success of his offspring, Electric Code is quickly approaching Million Dollar Sire status. The eclectic stallion’s own performance career is underscored by his lifetime earnings exceeding $215,000.

The National Reining Breeders Classic, slated for April 18-25, 2021 in Katy, Texas, is an all-inclusive premier event for every level of competitor. The NRBC Rookie Shootout was started in 2018 with the help of the Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” to give Rookie competitors their time to ride in the spotlight of the Great Southwest Equestrian Center.

The Paramount Network/Yellowstone Rookie Shootout features two preliminary rounds held concurrently with the NRHA Rookie classes. Scores are combined from both rounds to decide the top five that will advance to the Shootout Finals on Friday, April 23, just before Open Reining Night.

The heavily attended event has quickly become a favorite of the show and the prizes are always exceptional. The first Yellowstone Rookie Shootout champion, Jennifer Neudorf, won a cricket mini golf cart. Kyla Thurlow won a custom oak tack trunk in 2019, and Madaline Callaway earned a life-sized horse statue embellished with Yellowstone decals last year. Who will win the exciting event with its extraordinary prizes in 2021?

NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody said, “The Paramount Network/Yellowstone Rookie Shootout is always extra fun for us when it comes time to choose the biggest item to award during the show.”

Time will tell the winner, but the secret is out on the award. The Paramount Network/Yellowstone Rookie Shootout champion will receive a one-of-a-kind, powder-coated metal bench with Yellowstone, Paramount Network, and NRBC logo cutouts on the back provided by Robert Webb, co-owner of MyTCoat Commercial Outdoor Furniture.

Webb said, “I am a major reining enthusiast and very proud to offer one of our one-of-a-kind benches as a prize.” 

More information about Webb’s company can be found at MyTCoat.com.

Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” stars world-renowned actor and Oscar® winner Kevin Costner, who serves in the lead role, and is co-created by critically-acclaimed, Oscar® nominated screenwriter and avid reiner Taylor Sheridan (“Hell or High Water” and “Sicario,”) and John Linson.

“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.

“Yellowstone” is the #1 scripted series of the summer across cable and broadcast TV in the key P18-49 and P25-54 demos and the most-watched 2019 summer series on cable TV among total viewers. For more information, visit https://www.paramountnetwork.com/press/shows/yellowstone/.

The National Reining Breeders Classic provides a plethora of opportunities to win prizes, even in the preliminaries. During the first round of this year’s NRBC slated for April 18-25 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, exhibitors with the highest scoring run of each drag will win prizes from Tenda Equine Products, one of the NRBC’s newest sponsors.
Each drag award winner can go to the in-gate stand and pick up a Tenda bucket containing Tenda Giddy Up Shampoo, Tenda Pods, Tenda Sheen, Tenda Original Poultice or Tenda Hoof Oil graciously sponsored by Tenda Equine & Pet Care Products and ThorSport Farm.
“The drag awards are fun and add some levity to the intense competition. Our gateman, Justin Kindley, keeps track of the scores, and drag winners can pick up their prizes from him at the end of the drag,” noted NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody.
Tenda Equine and Pet Care Products have been serving the performance horse industry for over 45 years with a primary goal of developing and manufacturing safe and effective products to promote and improve the overall health, soundness, performance, and overall well-being of equine athletes. For more information, visit the website at https://tendahorse.com.
“The NRBC has always had an incredible group of sponsors, and we’re thrilled to add Allison Thorson of Tenda Equine and Pet Care Products and ThorSport Farm to our sponsor family,” Cody said.
ThorSport Farm, Tenda’s sister company, has two different locations, ThorSport Farm South is in Murfreesboro, Tenn, an equestrian haven for horse owners, trainers, and riders with 78 stalls, an indoor arena, and two outdoor arenas. ThorSport Farm North, located in Sandusky, Ohio, features the same great characteristics as its Southern counterpart, but on a smaller, private scale. With 23 stalls, it is home to Tennessee Walking Horses, including several foals and retired companions. For more information go to https://thorsportfarm.com.

Over the years, paint reiners have held places of prominence in the industry. Many of the great sires, dams, and performers have been registered in the American Paint Horse Association, and that is why the association has partnered with the National Reining Breeders Classic to present special awards to some eye-catching athletes.

According to APHA Member Care Representative Freddie Alexander, the highest scoring APHA-registered horses in the Non Pro and Open divisions at the 2021 NRBC will receive a beautiful Gist Silversmiths trophy buckle. The high-point paints in the Youth, Rookie, and Non Pro classes will also receive Gist buckles. “I really enjoy coming to Katy, because you get to see the best horses in the world,” noted Alexander. “I work with a lot of the breeders, trainers, and owners over the phone, so it’s always great to meet those folks and form those good relationships.”

It’s a partnership that began several years ago. “When I took over this program in 2018, there was already a partnership between APHA and NRBC. This is a cool program, and it has been a benefit for everyone involved. Reining is such an international sport that it really expands our footprint. There are so many reiners that are either double-registered or eligible for it, and we can give the owners and riders the opportunity to win even more money and prizes,” Alexander shared.

To be eligible to win one of the Gist buckles, exhibitors must sign up either in person at the event or by e-mailing falexander@apha.com. “I’ll arrive on April 20 and have my mobile office set up, so in addition to signing up for the Buckle Incentive Program, owners will be able to register or transfer their paint horse, or even join the APHA while at the NRBC,” Alexander shared. “We can also visit about what opportunities are available to reiners at our World Show this summer. We have grown the purse for reining from $67,000 in 2018, to more than $107,000 in 2020.”

For more information about the APHA, contact Freddie Alexander at 817-312-7448 (cell), 817-834-2742 ext. 309 (office), falexander@apha.com, or visit www.APHA.com.