Kole Price had his horses dialed in during the preliminary round of the NRBC. The trainer from Pilot Point, Texas, qualified all three of his Level 4 Classic entries for the Finals and topped the Novice Horse division with another entry.

Price also tied to win the Open Level 4 preliminary round on two horses—Picture Perrfect and Golden Coins—who both also earned the top spot in the American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash Incentive. Each horse picked up $14,938 in earnings from the preliminary round alone.

The draw for the Finals will take place Thursday, April 24, at the Markel Insurance Open Finals Draw Party, scheduled for 3:30 p.m., immediately following a 3 p.m. press conference with the preliminary round winners. Both events are open to all attendees.

This year, the top 30 from the Open Level 4, Level 3, and Level 2 will earn a spot in the clean-slate finals, as will the top 27 in the Level 1 and the top 20 in the Open Prime Time. Competitors who qualify in Levels 3, 2, 1, or Prime Time will compete on Friday, April 25, while the Level 4 Finals will be held Saturday, April 26.

The scores needed to advance were:

Level 4 – 218.5

Level 3 – 215.5

Level 2 – 212.5

Level 1 – 210

Prime Time – 213.5 (including handicap)

The preliminary round winners for each level are:

Level 4 (tie) – Kole Price & Picture Perrfect – 224

2021 Stallion (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Isnt She Perfect)

Owned by Ronald Anderson | Bred by Amy Medows

Level 4 (tie) – Kole Price & Golden Coins – 224

2020 Stallion (Spooks Gotta Gun x Electric Cha Ching)

Owned by Coin Toss LLC | Bred by Silver Spurs Equine

Level 3 – Nathan Piper & LG Hang Ten Dreams – 221

2018 Mare (Magnum Chic Dream x Hang Ten Spook)

Owned and Bred by Leonardo Guimaraes

Level 2 – Robin Schoeller & Shine Oh Shine – 218

2020 Mare (Shine Chic Shine x Miz Whizconsin)

Owned and Bred by Ruoff Dietter Reining Horses

Level 1 – Breann Huyett & Conceal N My Magnum – 215

2019 Gelding (SG Frozen Enterprize x Platinum Magnum)

Owned by Heather Laird | Bred by Loren Booth

Prime Time (tie) – Tom McCutcheon & Stoppingforstarbucks – 220.5 (with handicap)

2021 Mare (Gunners Special Nite x Chic Olena Starbuck)

Bred & Owned by Turnabout Farm Inc.

Prime Time (tie) – Franco Bertolani & Vulcano – 220.5

2021 Stallion (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dun It In Silver)

Owned by Vulcano LLC | Bred by Diane Sibley

The National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) has been recognized as the No. 1 ranked AQHA Alliance event for 2024 by the American Quarter Horse Association, topping the list of events across all disciplines.

The NRBC hosted two slates of AQHA classes in 2024, totaling 305 entries in Junior Reining, Senior Reining, Amateur Reining, Amateur Select Reining, and AQHA Youth 18 & Under.

“This recognition from the AQHA is something we’re proud of,” said NRBC President Tom McCutcheon. “We are glad to feature AQHA classes to benefit our owners and riders who are either trying to get qualified for the AQHA World Shows or to get points on their horses.”

With the conclusion of Monday’s ancillary classes at the National Reining Breeders Classic, the field is nearly set for Thursday’s clean-slate Shootouts in the Ford Arena. The Yellowstone Rookie Shootout qualifiers will be finalized following the second slate of Rookie classes, which will take place Tuesday.

Due to the growing popularity of the Yellowstone Rookie Shootout, the NRBC has expanded the Shootout lineup to include the Green Reiner, Masters Non Pro, and Legends Non Pro divisions. These additions were made possible thanks to generous sponsorships from longtime NRBC supporters.

The Green Reiner Shootout is sponsored by the Rios of Mercedes Family of Brands. Mike and Joanne Garnett, owners of Blo Gun, and Kim and Martin Muehlstaetter, owners of Spooks Grand Slam, have stepped up to sponsor the Masters Non Pro Shootout. Andrea and Tish Fappani, along with their stallion Spooks N Jewels, are sponsoring the Legends Non Pro Shootout.

Riders with the top five composite scores from both slates of competition have earned a place in their respective Shootouts. The qualifiers are as follows:

Green Reiner Shootout (Rios of Mercedes Family of Brands)
• Becky Parrish & Gunning For Paris
• April Gentry & Alpha Onespecialnite
• Kelley Gravenslund & Gunna Dream Big
• Brian Carsey & Shine Colt Shine
• Lyndsey Norris & Dirty Diamonds

Masters Non Pro Shootout (Blo Gun / Spooks Grand Slam)
• Paula Lyon & Drinkin Moonshine
• Donna Duvall & Xtra Beetle Juice
• Linda Sawyer & Spooksgotaprettyboy
• Gayle Samuelson & Westcoast Paleface
• Bettina Bellini & Slick Tricks

Legends Non Pro Shootout (Fappani / Spooks N Jewels)
• Linda Sawyer & Spooksgottaprettyboy
• Gayle Samuelson & Westcoast Paleface
• Bettina Bellini & Slick Tricks
• Paul Simonson & Smart And Tuckered
• Cheryl Lauder & Little White Diamond

The Shootouts will take place Thursday in the Ford Arena, showcasing a series of exciting head-to-head performances from some of the best combinations in each division.

After a quiet Easter Sunday, competition resumed in full force at the 2025 National Reining Breeders Classic inside the Ford Arena at Tulsa’s Expo Square.

The first section of the Open Preliminary round kicked off Monday, and at the top of the leaderboard is NRBC veteran and three-time champion Casey Deary. Deary, who has nearly $5 million in lifetime earnings, won the last two NRBC titles – and the Reserve Championship in 2022 – aboard Down Right Amazing. Since Down Right Amazing has aged out of the Classic, Deary has a new string of contenders, including Pale Face Vintage, who he rode to a 223.5 to take the early lead of the round.

Preliminary competition continues through Wednesday and will determine the finalists for Saturday’s clean-slate Open Finals, as well as champions in the Novice Horse Open and the APHA Chrome Cash Incentive. Finalists will find out their draw positions during the Markel Insurance Open Draw Party on Thursday, April 24.

This year, the top 30 in Levels 4, 3, and 2, the top 27 in Level 1, and the top 13 in Open Prime Time will advance to the Finals on Saturday, April 26.

Current Leaders:

Level 4 – Casey Deary & Pale Face Vintage – 223.5
2020 Stallion (Platinum Vintage x Chic Out My Gold)
Owned by Robert Escoe | Bred by Cowan-Schmersal Partners

Level 3 (tie) – Dany Tremblay & All Guns On Crush – 219
2018 Gelding (PS Mega Shine Chic x All Guns On Deck)
Owned by Fred Tremblay | Bred by Adh-Mor Ranch

Level 3 (tie) – Matt Palmer & Spooks Newdeal – 219
2019 Gelding (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dun Rio Gun)
Owned by Leonard Truck & Trailer | Bred by Jose Durval Vergilio

Level 3 (tie) & Prime Time – Tom McCutcheon & Stoppingforstarbucks – 219 (220.5 with handicap)
2021 Mare (Gunners Special Nite x Chic Olena Starbuck)
Bred & Owned by Turnabout Farm Inc.

Level 2 – Guglielmo Fontana & Sixty Six Secrets – 217.5
2018 Stallion (Inferno Sixty Six x Wimpys Lil Secret)
Owned by Slide or Die LLC | Bred by Tammy Brown

Level 1 – Luca Cozzo & Lets Tear It Up – 214.5
2019 Stallion (Gunnatrashya x Whizzen For Chex)
Owned by Julie Anna Georgell | Bred by Rancho Oso Rio

Novice Horse Open & Chrome Cash Incentive – Kole Price & Thee Price Is Right – 220.5
2021 Gelding (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Ruf Style Of Play)
Owned by Toni Dunker | Bred by Axel Bouchner

Jesse Asmussen is depositing double into his wallet after securing the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 2 & Novice Horse Non Pro Level 3 win. Scoring a 74, Asmussen and TR Fire On Ice are bringing home $620 from the Level 3 win and $595 from the Level 2 win.

TR Fire On Ice is owned by Asmussen and bred by Tamarack Ranch. By SG Frozen Enterprize and out of Spooks N Sparks, the five-year-old mare has now added over a thousand dollars to her lifetime earnings of $23,234.

“We bought her as a three-year-old from Tamarack Ranch. She’s a really sweet, quiet mare. She’s kind of like a family pet.” Asmussen said.

Considering Asmussen didn’t enter Tulsa city limits until late last night, the spontaneity of entering the novice classes made the win even more special. “We didn’t get here until late last night. I rode her last night and this morning, and she walked in there, and she was very, very focused the whole time… It was very simple for a ride, it was easy to sit there.”

Asmussen thanks his friends, Kole and Kelsey Price, family, children, and most specifically, wife, Rebecca Asmussen, for the support. “She (Rebecca) was the one that’s been down here all week and got the horse ready. And when she missed the finals, she said, why don’t you show her in the Novice? And I said, ‘Sure.’”

In the form two class wins, saying “sure” most certainly paid off.

The Super Duty Arena is officially in full swing at the 2025 NRBC, having awarded two champions thus far. After scoring a 72, Kelsey Price and The Slim Reaper are the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 Champions, winning $280.

The Slim Reaper is a four-year-old stallion by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Gunner Be Custom. The stallion is owned by Price and her husband, Kole, and bred by Rodion Cantacuzene Jr.

“We bought him last fall. He was a little green last fall, so we decided to hold him back from the futurity and take the winter and just get him more broke. So we’re using this show, the NRBC, to show him in some Novice classes to get him more seasoned, get us both more confident in the pen together as a team,” Price said.

Although The Slim Reaper is not yet a seasoned veteran in the pen, he performed like one. “We walked in, and he was the same horse in the pen as he was outside, so that’s always a really good feeling. He was there for me the entire time. I just wanted a real easy, confidence building run, and that was it.”

Price said she has the best team and thanked her husband, customers, farrier, veterinarian, and whole Price Performance Horses crew for the unwavering support.

Those filling the stands of the Ford Truck Arena and watching the NRBC webcast were on the edge of their seats as Kim Muehlstaetter went head to head against Jessicah Keller in the Level 4 Non Pro Classic Finals.

When Muehlstaetter and Keller tied for the lead in the Finals with matching scores of 219.5, they opted for a run-off, where Muehlstaetter came out on top with a new score of 221.5 – the highest awarded thus far at the 2025 NRBC.

Aboard Smoky Mountain Rein, Muehlstaetter packed away $52,000 between her nail-biting performance and Prime Time Non Pro Classic Finals win.

Smoky Mountain Rein, a 5-year-old gelding by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Sprats Electricspark, bred by Texas Horse Power Ranch and owned by Muehlstaetter, certainly rose to the occasion of the run-off. “I just rode him the same like I did for the Prelims. I rode him the last couple days, and he was good. So when he’s good, I just try to get in and get out and leave him alone and leave him fresh. I don’t try to keep doing maneuver after maneuver,” Muehlstaetter said. “He rode really good last night, and warming up today for the finals was the best he had felt all week. I just had that one point underspin that was pilot error in the finals, and I really didn’t think I’d get another chance to go again and fix it… I knew the horse could do it, I believe in that horse, and I just had to fix myself.”

While she and Smoky Mountain Rein were the ones in the arena to pull off the 221.5 score, Muehlstaetter doesn’t think it would be possible without the people standing outside of it. “I just thank everyone behind the scenes—the whole crew here at Muehlstaetter Performance Horses—and my husband (for) staying up, watching me ride until midnight last night… My daughter and just everybody behind the scenes. I couldn’t do it without all these guys.”

𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐡 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 & 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞

In the Level 4 Non Pro Classic Finals, Jessicah Keller and Moonlite Tonite laid down a tremendous performance in the showdown against Kim Muehlstaetter.

While Muehlstaetter topped Keller’s score of 219.5 in the run-down by 2.5 points, Keller’s reserve championship win in the finals earned her $26,000.

“That’s what I go by generally – how much gas I have in the tank, how much horse I have. And most of the time I figure in who I’m running against,” Keller said in the press conference following the tie-breaker when asked how to make the decision of a run-off.

Moonlite Tonite certainly had enough gas in the tank, turning in the same score he did in his original Final’s run. The 5-year-old stallion is by Gunnatrashya and out of Moonlite Chex and bred and owned by Hilldale Farm.

“His mother is Moonlite Chex, and she is a full sister to Heavy Duty Chex that my sister-in-law won the NRBC on twice.”
With a successful family history in the NRBC, it’s no surprise the team has shined so bright this week at the NRBC in the form of a reserve championship.

𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟑 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐝 & 𝐆𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭

Staying true to his name, Jesse Boyd and Gunna Be First took the win in the Level 3 Non Pro Classic Finals and fifth place in the Level 4 Non Pro Classic Finals with a 218 score, bringing home a cumulative check of $27,000.

Gunna Be First is by ARC Gunnabeabigstar and out of Arc Wallas First. The 7-year-old stallion is bred by William G Newman Jr and owned by Unhitched Partners.

Boyd had one primary goal in mind for the Finals – clean.

“(In) the Prelims, (we) were a 218 also. We just tried to be super clean… I’ve struggled with penalties in the turns, and we just wanted to be very clean and have no penalties and put a good run together. So that’s what we did.”

Specifically, Boyd thanks his wife, Sierra, mentors, Tish and Andrea (Fappani), and everybody at the barn or at the show here with him to help make this win possible.

While Boyd has made the NRBC Level 4 Finals in the past, this was his first time winning it. “Last year, I won the Level 2 here (and made the Level 4 Finals), and that was my first ever Level 4 Finals, and this was my second Level 4 Finals, so my horse loves this arena, and we love this facility. The NRBC staff has done a great job with it… They make it easy for you to compete here, and it’s just a lot of fun.”

𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟐 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛 𝐙𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 & 𝐆𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭
Jacob Zimmerman and Gunnersspecialdunit are not to be forgotten in the bustle of Saturday’s Ford Truck Arena winners.

With a score of 217.5 in the Level 2 Non Pro Finals, Zimmerman will be cashing in a total of $10,000.

Gunnersspecialdunit is a 5-year-old gelding by Gunners Special Nite and out of Shining Lil Dunnit, bred by Mary Jansma and owned by Vaughn Zimmerman.

“It was really good – he was right there with me the whole time. This was actually the second time I’ve ever shown this horse, so I was super happy with it. The first run I couldn’t quite get the stops I wanted, but the second run it came together,” Zimmerman said.

When asked who he’d like to thank for the Final’s win, Zimmerman replied, “The whole McCutcheon crew, everyone – Cade (McCutcheon), Debbie Brown… She’s been a tremendous help for me. She is always there when I need her.”

While this may just be the start of Zimmerman and Gunnersspecialdunit’s partnership, a Level 2 Non Pro Classic Finals Championship reflects a team on the path of even more titles.

𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟏 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐧 & 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

The Level 1 Non Pro Classic champion has been crowned, and Courtney Chown and Maeihaveanother are walking away with the title and $5,000.

The team qualified in the 23rd spot, but Chown and Maeihaveanother came back with a vengeance to grab the win in the Finals with a 215 score. “My run qualifying was not quite as good as I was hoping for, but looking back, I’m thankful I drew up the first day so that we could work out some kinks,” Chown said.

Maeihaveanother is by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Mega Maggie Mae. The five-year-old gelding is bred by William Rhoads and owned by Chown.

“Kole (Price) had him so prepared for me, and I’ve never done a run in pattern so I was a little nervous about that, but I actually really liked it, and he couldn’t have been better for me… It was really fun.”

While Price played a large part in preparing Maeihaveanother for this year’s NRBC, Chown doesn’t limit the trainer’s help to just this week and considers the barn at large the backbone of her success.

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐨-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐭 & 𝐈 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐭 𝐍𝐢𝐭𝐞

With a score of 216.5 (including handicap), Nicole McDevitt and I Shine At Nite secured a share of the Masters Non Pro Co-Championship. The California duo also posted strong finishes across several other divisions—Top 5 in the Prime Time, Level 1, and Level 2, and 11th in Level 3—for combined earnings of $8,225.

The win was especially meaningful after a tough break at the 2024 NRBC, where McDevitt and her gelding made the Level 4 Finals but received a zero for an extra spin.

“Today I was really working to have four solid stops,” McDevitt said. “I nailed my first one, and all my other stops were great, so I was really happy about that.”

I Shine At Nite, a 7-year-old gelding by Gunners Special Nite out of Shiney Enterprise, was bred by McQuay Stables and had career earnings approaching $100,000 before this year’s NRBC. He’s no stranger to the spotlight, with wins and placings at major events, including The Run For A Million. McDevitt has owned him for the past three years.

“He’s just a great horse,” she said. “He’s better than I am—he’s a Level 4 horse—but I can rely on him. He’s great, and I love him. It’s his last derby year, so I’m going to take him to all the big events, and then I’m keeping him. He’ll probably go to The Run For A Million again, this time with my trainer, Erik Caddeo.”

McDevitt, who has been riding with Caddeo for the past year, credited him for helping her get to this point. “He gives me great advice. I haven’t been with him that long, but I couldn’t be here without him,” she said.

She also made a point to thank those who support her behind the scenes. “I thank my husband for being so patient with me leaving all the time and having to take care of things,” she said. “And I also thank Kelly Tillman, a friend of mine in Scottsdale. I fly there once a week, and she is kind enough to let me stay with her.”

Kim Muehlstaetter and Smoky Mountain Rein are the pair taking home the Non Pro Chrome Cash title.

The Chrome Cash is an incentive program that provides riders on American Paint Horse Association registered horses an additional cash bonus. With her 220 scored run in the Non Pro Chrome Cash, Muehlstaetter pocketed $2,265.

Smoky Mountain Rein is a five-year-old gelding by Spooks Gotta Whiz and out of Sprarts Electricspark and bred by Texas Horse Power Ranch. Muehlstaetter and her husband, Martin, bought the gelding as a three-year-old.

“Martin had him in training, and he’s just been a really consistent horse. Especially his four-year-old year, he really just rose to the top when he was in pressure situations… He seemed like the more pressure he had, the better he got. That’s kind of what I always look for in a show horse – one that enjoys it and likes the challenge of the big classes,” Muehlstaetter said.

With just over a million dollars in lifetime earnings, Muehlstaetter has seen plenty of success in the reining pen, but she couldn’t have clinched this win, or her many others, without her support team.

“(I thank) My husband, Martin, for all this help and support with him (Smoky Mountain Rein) and getting him to where he is today. And just our whole family, the whole staff at Muehlstaetter Performance Horses. I couldn’t do it without all of them. Everyone behind the scenes, grooming and getting them ready – there just is so much work that goes into it that there’s no way we could do it without the whole team behind us,” Muehlstaetter said. Muehlstaetter has been intentional in the show pen leading up to the 2025 NRBC.

Muehlstaetter was excited for the added money from the American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash Program. Stating “I think it’s great help to promote the American Paint Horse Association and promote paints in the reining. It’s just good for everybody.”

The first champion of 2025’s NRBC has officially been awarded, and Kylie Warn is walking away with $6,480 in her pocket.

More than half a million dollars will be awarded this week to Non Pro competitors alone, an unprecedented amount in NRBC history, and Warn is the first to get a piece of the pie.

Warn piloted What A Surprise, owned by Deer Creek Farms, to the 216.5 to clinch the title. The 5-year-old stallion is by Walla Walla Whiz and out of Surpriseinadarkalley.

Bred and raised at Story Book Stables, Warn bought him as a yearling and has had him ever since.

“He is just a really nice horse. He’s super easy to get ready to show. He was a little green when I showed him last year, so he just kind of spent the winter getting more seasoned and getting more broke, and he feels great,” Warn said.

This is roughly Warn’s fifth visit to the NRBC, and the facility itself plays a big part in her consistent return.

“I love the show pen. These are some of the best pens to show in. It’s well run, it’s fun – it’s a great show,” Warn said.

Warn specifically thanks her husband and barn crew at Deer Creek Farms, but she also credits What A Surprise for the Non Pro Novice Horse win.

“I’ve had him for so long. He’s just the coolest horse I’ve ever had. I love this horse, and it’s more that he deserves to have this.”

While the Non Pro Novice and the Non Pro Chrome Cash have concluded, the top 30 in the Non Pro Levels 4, 3, 2, and 1, the top 20 in the Prime Time Non Pro, and the top 10 in the Masters Non Pro will advance to the Finals on Saturday, April 19.