In the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro Jessicah Keller earned the championships with a score of 143.5 riding Snip O Satellite (New Chex Ta Cash x Snippa Gun).
“I’ve been schooling her all week trying to get her ready and she showed exactly how she was supposed to; she was honest,” Keller said. “We raised her, [so it makes the win more special]. I’m really glad everything came together today.”
Jennifer Greenleaf won the USA Reining Amateur class with a score of 142.5 riding Great White Nite. She said, “I just went in to have fun and try to be correct. This is a new horse for me. We just got him about a month ago. He is just the most fun, sweet, and talented horse!”
Jared Leclair and Mark Rafacz shared the win in the Novice Horse Open Level 1 with scores of 72.5.
Leclair was aboard Lil Coded Jac (Jacs Electic Spark x Hot Coded Candy) owned by Susan Meyer.
“We’ve had Lil Coded Jac for about 8 months now. He’s really talented and he really started to trust me at this show,” Leclair said.
Mark Rafacz rode I Can Beat The Boys (Colonels Smoking Gun x Taris Little Whiz) to the co-championship.
“She’s really a nice mare and I’m thankful for the opportunity to show her,” Rafacz said. “She’s been a good girl since the entire time she’s been here.”
Becky Shelton steered Taris Little Steps (Cromed Out Mercedes x Skeets Dot Tari) to the Novice Horse Open Level 2 championship with a score of 73.
“My run felt really good. I showed him in the Classic on Thursday and we didn’t make the Finals, so this was kind of my pretend finals run,” she said. “I improved on some things and I’m really happy I got the chance to improve on them.”
Magistri, Pastorino, and Lopez top the Green Reiner Classes
Shelda Magistri won the Green Reiner Level 1 riding Smart Von Reminic (Von Reminic x Smart Rose) to a score of 70. Magistri said the 16-year-old has been a great partner leading her to her first-ever 70 in the show pen in today’s class. She hopes for continued success in the pen.
“I just tried to be consistent,” Magistri said. “I’ve worked really hard on my stops and I was honestly just really happy that I got my stops down today, it’s been a work in progress.”
Dana Pastorino shared the Green Reiner Level 2 co-championship with Malena Lopez with a score of 70.5.
“We’ve been prepping all week and it all came together today,” Pastorino said. “I’ve had [Jac Bee Whiz] for about three years, which is about how long I’ve been reining.”
Pastorino rode Jac Bee Whiz (Conquistador Whiz x Cinch Up Cowboy) while Lopez rode Heza Pretty Ruf (Lil Ruf Peppy x Sheza Bonita Whiz).
Cade McCutcheon won the USA Reining Open riding Custom Made Gun with a score of 71.5.
“I was just loping him through trying to get him ready,” McCutcheon said. “I’ve shown him since he was 4, and he’s been really good to me.”
Mathieu Buton won the Equo CRI 3 on Gunna Sassya (Colonels Smoking Gun x Shining N Sassy) with a score of 74.5. Buton entered the CRI class at NRBC in preparation for the WEG test event to be held in two weeks.
“This is my first CRI this year and I have one more tomorrow,” Buton said. “I wanted to do WEG really bad last year, but I couldn’t find the right horse. I kept searching and I wasn’t about to give up.”
Buton ended up with the 2010 stallion, and he has big hopes for their success at the World Equestrian Games.
Youth Champions Crowned
In the 10 and Under Short Stirrup Becca Schaffhauser rode Dunnitwithasmokingun (Colonels Smoking Gun x Dun It Doll) to the win with a score of 71. This combined with her other Short Stirrup win, also earned her the High Point Buckle.
“They were probably some of the best runs I’ve ever had!” Becca said of both Short Stirrup runs.
Madison Rafacz won the Youth 13 & Under and the Youth 13 & Under Challenge riding Better Not Rest (Custom Crome x Rest Stop) and she said she takes special care of the 18-year-old gelding. Rafacz scored a 141 to win the class.
“I wasn’t trying to go too fast, because the score wasn’t too high, so I was taking it easy on him,” Rafacz said of her run.
Emilia Reutimann won the Youth 14-18 Challenge, shared the championships in the USA Reining Youth 14-18 and the Unrestricted Youth with Caleb Sturgeon, and shared the win in the Youth 14-18 with Sturgeon and Chalyce Head. Reutimann rode Black Hails Gold (Shine Like Hail x Dun Its Black Gold) to a score of 144.5 for the co-championships.
“I showed him yesterday in the CRI and he was really good there for me too, but I missed a mark so that kind of messed me up,” Reutimann said. “Today he was really good.”
In the Youth 14-18 Caleb Sturgeon riding Hollywoodsmokee (Hollywoodstinseltown x Gun Smoke) also shared the co-championship with a score of 144.5. In addition, he shared the co-championship in the USA Reining 14-18 with Reutimann and Chalyce Head and the Unrestricted Youth with Reutimann.
“I felt really good going in,” Sturgeon said. “This is my third time to show him and ever since the first time showing him I felt an immediate connection with him.”
In the USA Reining 13 & Under Ava Bush won the title riding Shes A Shining Gun (Hes A Loaded Gun x Shining Suzanna) with a score of 138.
“I started off just school showing for the Futurity and she did tried really hard,” Bush said.
Chalyce Head and Chic Is A Steppin (Wimpys Little Step x Sanger Chic) turned in a score of 144.5 to share the co-championship in the Youth 14-18 with Reutimann and Sturgeon.
“It felt really good. She went in there and she did her job and I did mine,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Emma Lane won the AQHA Youth riding Gunner Gump (Colonels Smokin Gun x Little Patrasha Gump). She also took home the Curtis Berlin Memorial Award for the highest youth score of the week – a 146.
“I just found out that this was even a thing so I’ve very happy and I think it’s awesome that it’s a revolving trophy and you can see how the tradition evolves.” Lane said of the Curtis Berlin Memorial award.