Throughout the week the National Reining Breeders Classic has featured some of the toughest competitors and horses alike in both open classes as well as youth and ancillary. Saturday’s champions were crowned in youth, Non Pro, USA Reining, Green Reiner and Novice Horse Open classes.

Madison Rafacz and Owen Deary took top honors in the 10 & Under Short Stirrup, with scores of 71 and 70.5, respectively. Rafacz rode Iboom (Boom Shernic x Bonitas Latin Chic) to the win in Saturday’s class. She received a National Reining Horse Association plaque and other prizes from Nutrena Feeds.

Rafacz has a special bond with the 6-year-old stallion and even though he has his own special quirks, she says he did his best in the show pen. “He’s a little goofy sometimes, but he was really good today,” she said. “Today was the first time I’ve shown him and I marked a 71. My favorite thing about him is that he can turn really big and he can stop really good if you ask him the right way.”

Deary rode Reeboks Rerun (Reeboks Kid x Worksman Fisty) and with his combined scores from yesterday’s short stirrup class, his combined points earned him the overall 10 & Under Short Stirrup championship. He placed second in today’s class and received a prize bucket from Nutrena Feeds and a Gist Silversmiths championship buckle from the overall win.

Deary says he can count on his equine partner to always do his best. “He’s a really good horse and I really like him,” Deary said of his mount. “On this run, I liked the stops the most, and on my last one I liked my spins.” Ribbons were also awarded to first through sixth place and each entry received Cosequin buckets.

In the ancillary action, Shauna Larcombe rode Setting Off Smart to a score of 73.5 to win the Novice Horse Open Levels 1 and 2. Setting Off Smart is a 6-year-old mare by Smart Spook and out of Setting Off Sparks and NRBC only served as the mare’s second competition show.

“She hasn’t had a lot of showing yet, so I’m just trying her out and see how it’s going,” Larcombe said. “I was pretty happy [about her run], like I said I haven’t done a whole lot of riding on her lately. So she’s only been ridden the last couple of weeks properly, and then we came down here and each day she’s gotten a little bit better. Today I thought I would see what she could do and she was really good for me.”

Jared Leclair rode The Dun Gun, who’s by Gunner and out of Fabulous Footwork, to the high point win in the Novice Horse Open Level 1. He also picked up second place in Level 1 and split-second in Level 2 with a score of 73.

“She’s a really nice mare and shows really well. She’s a big stopper and a big turner,” Leclair said. “It’s exciting [to win the high point], it’s really cool and it’s a great horse show and they give away great awards and I was happy to be a part of it.”

Dany Tremblay rode Misters Temptress (Mister Dual Pep x Colonel Pepinic) to the high point Novice Horse Open Level 2, for owners Brad and Amanda Kelly of Adh Mor Big Luck Ranch. In Saturday’s action, Tremblay rode the 5-year-old mare to a score of 73 to tie for second with Leclair in Level 2. Tremblay and Misters Temptress have had a big week in Katy, Texas, and the mare has continued to show up and prove her worth for both her rider and owners.

“All of this is all about a team effort and I think we have such a good team going and that’s why our week has been so successful,” Brad Kelly said. “So, kudos to everyone involved with our team, back home in Canada and here as well.”

The Green Reiner Levels 1 and 2 Champion was Jeff Sizelove with a score of 71 riding Bit Of Magnum. Sizelove and “Chico” have only been partners for eight months, however, he says the well-rounded equine athlete knows his job in the show pen.

“We call him ‘The Professor,’ because he knows what to do,” Sizelove said with a laugh. “It’s been a good journey here, an early journey, but it’s been great.” Bit Of Magnum is a 2003 gelding by Magnum Chic Dream and out of Bitsy Bye Remedy and led Sizelove to a score of 71 in Saturday’s class. Sizelove thanked Cedar Ridge Ranch and Casey Hinton for all of the support.

To win the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro ancillary classes, Sandra Martin rode Diamond Dappled, who’s by Shining Spark and out of Sun Dappled, to a score of 146.

Martin and her mount have been long-time partners and the win at the NRBC was extra special for the champ. “I still can’t believe it,” Martin said of her win through tearful eyes. “To come here and win the class, I was hoping just to place well not even win with some of the people who were in the class.”

In the youth classes, two tough riders dominated the competition. Madison Gustin took home multiple championships in the NRHA Youth 13 & Under, the NRBC Youth 13 & Under Classic Challenge, Unrestricted Youth, the American Quarter Horse Association Youth 18 & Under Reining and the USA Reining Youth 13 & Under. Emilia Reutimann was the other multi-time champion of the youth classes taking home the championships in the NRHA Youth 14-18, the NRBC Youth 14-18 Classic Challenge and the USA Reining 14-18.

Gustin rode Guns R Spooky, who’s by Smart Spook and out of Berry Yer Guns to mark a 145.5 for the win. She received an NRHA Trophy, Nutrena Feed gift certificate, Cosequin bucket and NRBC commemorative prizes for each championship. Gustin also took home the youth 13 & Under high point championship, for which she received a Gist Silversmith trophy buckle. The 7-year-old gelding has been in Gustin’s hands for two years and the pair has won several championships together.

Gustin says she will always remember the NRBC, because of the huge personal redemption. “It’s been so much, after coming back from falling off in our run yesterday it was a lot of fun and we did so well,” Gustin said. “This was our highest score ever and I am so proud of him.”

Reutimann rode Black Hails Gold, who’s by Shine Like Hail and out of Dun Its Black Gold, to the score of 145 for the wins. She received an NRHA Trophy, Nutrena Feed gift certificate, Cosequin bucket and NRBC commemorative prizes for each championship. Reutimann also took home the youth 14-18 high point championship, for which she received a Gist Silversmith trophy buckle.

Reutimann said although she and Black Hails Gold have only been partners for a short while they continue to improve in the show pen. She was proud of her mount for leading her to multiple wins, especially the high point award.

“I’ve only had him since October, so this is only my second show with him, so I was really happy with him. He was really honest with me and he was really good,” Reutimann said. “He walked in and he was a little bit looky, which I was nervous about, but we got to the middle and he turned and circled really good. His first stop wasn’t as good as I would have liked it to have been, but he stopped huge on the other two, so I was really happy.”

Each year at the NRBC the highest-scoring competitor in the youth competition is awarded the Curtis Burlin Perpetual Youth Award. This year, Luca Fappani took home the honor. Fappani rode the standout gelding, Custom Spook, who’s by Smart Spook and out of Custom Spinderella to a score of 144.5 in today’s Youth 13 & Under classes, combined with yesterday’s winning score of 72 to win the honor.

Custom Spook is owned by Rancho Oso Rio and was under the direction of his father, Andrea Fappani in his earlier career. Fappani was lucky enough to be given the honor of exercising the gelding on his off days and as such has formed a special connection with the gelding, which made his transition to full-time rider easy.

“I just started showing him this year… his owner, Pat Warren, rode him and showed him after my dad rode him in his derby years, and then she didn’t want to show him anymore, but she didn’t want to sell him, so she let us lease him and I’m really thankful for that,” Fappani said. “When Pat told me I could go show him, I was really excited. He’s really nice to ride. He’s so quiet and just lopes around and he stops huge. “I’ve never shown here, and it feels good to win the first time I’ve been here,” he continued.

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