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.

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.

The Non Pro preliminary round of the National Reining Breeders Classic wrapped up Thursday evening, and the 220+ field was whittled down to the top 30 (plus ties) in the Level 4. Those riders will all compete on Saturday, April 19, in the clean-slate Finals, where the winner will be presented with a check for $50,000!

Although she might be one of the youngest competitors entered in the Classic this year, Emma Vanlandingham once again proved she has what it takes to compete with the best in the sport. During the second section, she piloted Diamond Handz (Dun It For Whizkey x Princess N Pearls) to a 220.5. That score held through the rest of the round, and during the Markel Non Pro Finals Draw Party, Emma was presented with a check for $7,771.

When asked if Vanlandingham’s age adds pressure to her performance in the arena, she answered, “I feel probably the same pressure as everybody else that’s going into this because we all have to compete against some of the best riders in the non-pro and really in our whole industry. I get to compete against people that I’ve looked up to my whole entire life, so it’s not really much pressure – it’s just excitement to get to go do that with so many great riders.”

Diamond Handz, a 5-year-old gelding, was bred by Mark Smith and is owned by 2Star Investments. He’s one of two horses Vanlandingham will show in the Finals on Saturday evening.

The scores needed to advance to the Finals were:

• Level 4 – 215
• Level 3 – 213
• Level 2 – 212
• Level 1 – 210
• Prime Time – 213 (with handicap)
• Masters – 212.5 (with handicap)

The Preliminary round leaders were:

Level 4 – Emma Vanlandingham & Diamond Handz (Dun It For Whizkey x Princess N Pearls) – 220.5

Owned by 2Star Investments | Bred by Mark Smith

Level 3 & Level 2 – Chandler Winard & Whoz Joe Daddy (Lil Joe Cash x Miss Sunshine Annie) – 220

Owned by Chandler Winard | Bred by Bahn Quarter Horses

Level 1 — Nicole Deary & Dun It For Whiz (Dun It For Whizkey x Indians Gunalena) – 217

Owned by Casey Deary | Bred by Calvin Burger

Prime Time & Non Pro Chrome Cash — Kim Muehlstaetter & Smoky Mountain Rein (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Sprats Electricspark) – 220

Owned by Kim & Martin Muehlstaetter | Bred by Texas Horsepower Ranch LLC

Masters – Julie Ridgeway & Ghostface (Pale Face Dunnit x Surpriseinadarkalley) – 217.5 (with handicap)

Owned by Rolling Hills Ranch | Bred by Story Book Stables

Non Pro Novice Horse — Kylie Warn & What A Surprise (Walla Walla Whiz x Surpriseinadarkalley) – 216.5

Owned by Deer Creek Farms | Bred by Story Book Stables

Complete draws, results, news, and more can be found at NRBC.com. 

The second section of the National Reining Breeders Classic Non Pro preliminary round wrapped up Tuesday afternoon, and Emma Vanlandingham moved up to the driver’s seat position in the overall standings. Vanlandingham rode Diamond Handz, owned by 2Star Investments and bred by Mark Smith, to the top with a 220.5overall score. Diamond Handz is a 5-year-old gelding whose lifetime earnings are approaching the $31,000 mark. 

After Thursday’s concluding section of Non Pro preliminaries, the top 30 in the Non Pro Levels 4, 3, 2, and 1 will advance to the clean-slate Finals on Saturday, April 19. Those competitors will be joined by the top 20 in the Prime Time Non Pro and the top 10 in the new Masters Non Pro.

While the prelims will determine who advances to the finals on Saturday, they also will decide the champions of the Non Pro Novice Horse and the APHA Chrome Cash incentive, which will be awarded after the third section.

Riders advancing to the Finals will learn their draw position during the Markel Insurance Non Pro Draw Party, slated for Thursday at 6 p.m. Prior to the Draw Party, the Level and Division leaders will join Announcer Brian Lookabill for the first press conference of 2025. Everyone is invited to the conference area at 5:30 p.m. to hear from the go-round leaders.

Current leaders through the second section of the Non Pro prelims are: 

Owned by Kim & Martin Muehlstaetter | Bred by Texas Horsepower Ranch LLC

Level 4 – Emma Vanlandingham & Diamond Handz (Dun It For Whizkey x Princess N Pearls) – 220.5

Level 3 & Level 2 – Chandler Winard & Whoz Joe Daddy (Lil Joe Cash x Miss Sunshine Annie) – 220

Owned by Chandler Winard | Bred by Bahn Quarter Horses

Level 1 — Nicole Deary & Dun It For Whiz (Dun It For Whizkey x Indians Gunalena) – 217

Owned by Casey Deary | Bred by Calvin Burger

Prime Time & Non Pro Chrome Cash — Kim Muehlstaetter & Smoky Mountain Rein (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Sprats Electricspark) – 220

Masters – Charles Wiederholt & Ima Magnum Survivor (Magnum Chic Dream x Golden Survivor) – 217 (with handicap)

Owned by Charles & Cheryl Wiederholt | Bred by Deana Nell

Non Pro Novice Horse — Robert Peterson & Gold Wrapper (Magnum Chic Dream x Whizful Sailing) — 215

Owned by Goose Creek Ranch | Bred by Laura Schwartz

The Non Pro preliminary competition concludes Thursday with the final section at 9 a.m.

Complete draws, results, news, and more can be found at NRBC.com.