The Prime Time Non Pro division of the National Reining Breeders Classic set for August 26-September 6 has always provided a lucrative playing field for Non Pros of a certain age. Now, thanks to Story Book Stables, it’s TWICE as good as before, with $20,000 added to the division at the 2020 NRBC!
Story Book Stables co-owner Brenda Joyce is extremely passionate in her support of people of all economic levels who create the backbone of the reining industry and especially Prime Time riders. In her words, “There is a huge group of very competitive Non Pros today who are over the age of 50 that deserve to run for a respectable amount of added money. It is a division that continues to grow and deserves a little bit more attention. This group of competitors has typically been involved for many, many years and continues to invest, compete and they are excellent horse people. Beefing up the Prime Time just makes sense.”
NRBC President Tom McCutcheon agrees, “Thanks to Story Book Stables, the added money in the Non Pro Prime Time just doubled and we are, for the first time, able to offer $20,000 in that division at the 2020 NRBC. As a group, Prime Time Non Pro riders are the ones who are totally devoted to reining. They support it with their time, their money and participation across the board, from buying horses for open riders to showing themselves and serving as volunteers. It’s great to have an opportunity to reward them.”
Story Book Stables is the culmination of a lifetime passion for owners Brenda Joyce and Rick Christen. When the pair met at the High Roller Reining Classic in 2013, both were avid Non Pros who were breeding show horses for themselves and competing on them. After they married, they shared horses, swapped embryos, and then built Five Bells Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their ranch encompasses 22 acres in the heart of Rio Verde, Arizona. It includes a 41-stall show barn, a 280 x 150 covered arena and state-of-the-art amenities for mares, foals, yearlings and show horses.
“We realized what we had as a combined force – how many horses we had in training, how many babies on the ground, how many yearlings. Between the two of us, we had a dozen really great mares. It was time to take SBS to the next level and go big time. We have Arno Honstetter training out of our facility and he is doing a great job for us as well as his own clients. We also keep a few horses with other trainers which keeps it exciting.” Story Book Stables is committed to a small but elite breeding program with their two stallions, Star Spangled Whiz and Wimpys High Bid, and an exceptional band of broodmares. “We are focused on our mares. People think we only breed to our own stallions, but we breed to outside stallions like Gunnatrashya, Voodoo and a few more. We have a great crop of twos and yearlings this year.”
In 2019, Brenda realized it was time to seriously begin developing an Open program. “I’m not sure when we were bitten by the Open bug, but for sure, in 2019, I wanted trainers on Open horses, especially at the Futurity, not trying to make the Open Finals on my Non Pro horses.” In the fall of 2019, Story Book Stables purchased the 3-year-old Super Marioo. The rest is history with Cade McCutcheon’s historic win on Super Marioo at the Futurity in not just the L4 Open, but in Level 2 and 3 as well. “What a way to end the first year of our Open Program!”
For information on Story Book Stables, visit the website at storybookstables.com. To enter the NRBC Prime Time Non Pro, visit nrbc.com.