The reining industry’s oldest and most successful stallion incentive program, the National Reining Breeders Classic, has been led since the beginning by the same core group of directors and officers. Over the past 27 years, these far-seeing individuals have brought new and innovative ideas to the reining world – concepts that have gone on to become part of the reining culture, like the Prime Time division and the Short Stirrup class.

Founding Board Members Tom McCutcheon, Tim McQuay, Pete Kyle, and Dell Hendricks, along with the NRBC Officers, have remained focused on creating and growing an event that would pay substantial money to Derby-aged horses – an innovative idea in 1998.

The NRBC led the industry in expanding the age for horses competing in derbies to ultimately include 4,5,6, and 7-year-olds, and was the first aged event to advance and award 30 places per division. The overall direction has been sound, and the NRBC has paid out nearly $28 million in 26 years.

In 2023, when the NRBC moved to the Built Ford Touch Livestock Complex at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the show saw drastic growth, breaking entry records and setting an all time high for the number of stalls at 1,645, a 33% increase over the previous year.

NRBC Secretary-Treasurer Cheryl Cody noted, “It was wonderful growth for the show, but some of our days were really long. Our challenge was how to stay ahead of those numbers.”

Long, exhausting days were not true to the long-held NRBC tenant of having a show that gave exhibitors time to prepare and compete on their horses without working round the clock. The landmark 2023 show bore little resemblance to the original event that lasted four days in one arena and offered every entertaining option from a Mariachi band to special receptions, reiners roping, golf, and a slew of fun activities.

Since last summer, the NRBC group has worked to find a solution to usher in a new era in NRBC history. It begins with extended days. The NRBC will take place April 16-27 in 2024 – four days longer than last year’s event. The first week of the show will feature the Non Pro preliminaries and will culminate in the Non Pro Finals on Saturday, April 20.

There is news for the Non Pro Classic for 2024 as there will be a Masters Non Pro division from which the top 10 will advance to the Finals.

After the conclusion of the Non Pro Finals, the stage will be set for the Open prelims and the Open Finals will be held on Saturday, April 27.

One older staple of the show returns in 2024 – the NRBC Town Talk – set for the afternoon of Thursday, April 15. This venue was created years ago to provide owners and exhibitors with the opportunity to give their opinions about the show, any changes, and upcoming new directions.

NRBC President Tom McCutcheon said, “We want to hear that feedback as we go forward. One thing that riders have asked me over the years is for more time between the Open goes and the Finals. We are glad to give them two days for that in this new schedule and I’m excited to hear everyone’s feedback.”

There is more news. The Yellowstone Rookie Shootout returns to the show for the seventh year, Thursday, April 25. Joining the Shootout lineup will be a new Masters Shootout, a Platinum Shootout, and a Green Reiner Shootout. Riders qualify for all the shootouts in ancillary competitions earlier in the week.

Keeping a reining event relevant in today’s ever-changing competition landscape remains job one. NRBC Vice President Colleen McQuay noted, “The reining world has a new reality and managing the numbers is a challenge. For us, it’s about going back to the mindset of when we were pioneers and doing what is best for the horses and the industry. We never know if a new formula will work but we can’t be afraid to try new things.”

For information on the NRBC program and show, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.

With 2023 waning, the number of last-minute foal enrollments received by the National Reining Breeders Classic ramped up. According to NRBC Foal Enrollment Coordinator Meredith Harrison, the number of 2023 enrollments received by Friday,  December 29, exceeded 3,000, a new record.

“A year earlier, the program set a record number for the number of foal enrollments, with 2,914. We are already past that benchmark, and since foal enrolments just need to be postmarked by December 31, we won’t likely know the actual 2023 total until a week or so into 2024,” Harrison explained.

It’s a 300 percent increase from when the first NRBC foals were enrolled back in 1997. In the beginning, NRBC founders had voiced their belief the program would be successful if more than 500 foals were signed up. When the final tally was done, there were over double that amount, with 1,004 foals coming into the program.

In the ensuing years, foal enrollment numbers increased steadily, with only two years showing a drop in enrollments before rebounding. 

NRBC Secretary/Treasurer Cheryl Cody said, “Enrolled foals have increased market value because the NRBC enrollment gives them eligibility to compete in the Classic for 4 years – as 4, 5, 6, or 7-year-olds. The L4 Open Champion earns $100,000, and the Non Pro Champion receives $50,000. In 26 years, the NRBC has paid nearly $28 million into the industry.

“The growth is a testament to the consistency and steadiness of the NRBC over the past 26 years. The NRBC Board and Officers are people who make their living in the reining industry and their forward-thinking vision has secured its place as the most successful reining stallion program of all time.”

That NRBC team has always provided transparency – with a distribution formula that’s easy to understand. One hundred percent of foal money is put into the purse (in the year that foal crop is four years old), and 90 percent of the stallion enrollment fees go into the purse (in the year it is collected).

Foals that missed the December 31 deadline can still be enrolled at increased prices, and the NRBC has payment plans that are available for owners wishing to enroll older foals.

The National Reining Breeders Classic, will return to Tulsa’s Expo Square in 2024, and is slated for April 16-27.

For more information on the NRBC or on foal enrollment, visit NRBC.com.                                                                                      

The 2023 National Reining Breeders Classic Double Time Awards paid off for riders Peter DeFreitas and Brianna Anthony. These monetary awards are presented to the top Open and Non Pro riders who compete in both slates of ancillary classes.

This year, the $1,000 Open Double Time check was won by Peter DeFreitas of Whitesboro, Texas. DeFreitas, had a lucrative week in Tulsa, sweeping the first section of the Novice Horse Open Levels 1 – 3 on Keep On Th Sunnyside (Shine On Line x Conquistadors Sandy) for owners Carlton and Khris Crowe.

Brianna Anthony, riding two horses, also had a fruitful week in the ancillary classes. On Mega Starshine (Mega Watt Shine x This Stars Trouble), she won the Novice Horse Non Pro Level 1 High Point buckle. With Notorious WLC (Wimpys Littlecolonel x Tinkin Of Jewels), Anthony, of Monahans, Texas, finished in the top 5 in both slates of the Novice Horse Non Pro classes.

Winners are determined based upon a point system where riders receive points based upon their placing in each class, first receives 10 points, second receives 9, and so on. This award is given to the top Open rider and the top Non Pro rider competing in NRHA approved classes during the week.

Complete results can be found at NRBC.com

After a 10-year hiatus, Alex Fuller is back in the show pen. The 2023 Miss Rodeo Tennessee sent her reining horse to training to see if she was safe enough to carry a flag, and decided the timing couldn’t be more perfect for her to start showing again.

“I initially just thought, ‘We’ll have someone work with her and make sure she is safe enough to carry a flag,’” Fuller said. “She still has all the training and all the maneuvers, so I thought why not, let’s get back into the show arena.”

The mare she is showing is family raised. Shiners Lena Spook (Shiners Lena Doc x Unspookable), also known as “Lil Spook,” is a special mare to the family because it is the horse her mom showed. The NRBC is the first show she has competed in since the break. She has attended reining horse shows for the last two years as a spectator, and she began getting the itch to start showing again.

“No matter if it is win or lose, I didn’t care, just getting to be on my horse, getting to be in the arena and getting to ride around with horse lovers and athletes is my favorite part,” she said.

From reining to rodeo, Fuller represents her home state as Miss Rodeo Tennessee. As a youth kid Fuller showed with the family of the Miss Rodeo America Tennessee National Director, Sue Lynn Perry. For years she has tried recruiting Fuller to compete for the crown of Miss Rodeo Tennessee. Finally, Fuller felt the timing was right and competed claiming the title and claiming the coveted crown.

“I am at a point in my life where I felt like I had a little bit more control over everything that is going on. I felt like I was just going to be able to do the role justice,” she said. “We, Miss Rodeo Queens, are the mediators between the athletes and the fans, and that kind of goes hand in hand with rodeo events with the equine industries as well.”

As Miss Rodeo Tennessee, Fuller is given opportunities to educate the public about the horse industry. She attends schools and educates children on what it means to be in a rodeo association and educates them on equipment used, like spurs, and what they are used for. She feels that by educating the public, she is doing her part in keeping the industry alive.

Fuller gives thanks to her entire support system, including her trainer, Blair Thompson. She has also made many friends and it means so much to her to see them cheering for her while competing.

“Blair has taken on a green rider and a green horse, he really had a lot on his plate and he did an amazing job,” Fuller said. “I always knew I wanted to get back to it and I finally found my way back.”

Cody Bell is no stranger to the reining horse world. His grandfather, George Bell, is a Million Dollar Owner and Million Dollar Breeder and his father, Brian Bell, is a lifetime NRHA earner of $2,168,907.58, it seems natural for Bell to fall into the reining arena as a competitor.

“I’ve grown up around it all my life, but this will be my first time to compete in reining,” Bell said. “It wasn’t until this past year-and-a-half that I’ve put more focus into it.”

The 22-year-old will compete in the Green Reiner division on a gelding owned by Tommy Tucker, known as “Chicago.” Smart Chicago Spook (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Smart Chicago Lena) is a horse who allows Bell to learn and has total lifetime earnings of $23,569.

“He wakes up every day and he always wants to be on your side, to be your friend,” Bell said. “Some horses are different every day and he is the same every day no matter what.”

Bell wasn’t expecting a show of this size to be his first show ever; he expressed sincere gratitude to Thomas for allowing him to show Chicago.

“Tommy was originally going to be showing here but he had a family emergency and wouldn’t be able to make it to this show,” Bell said. “So, he asked if I would like to show him.”

In typical Bell fashion, there must be family competition. Bell says his father, Brian, better enjoy these good days because he is coming for him

Amit Harlev didn’t hesitate to cross the Atlantic Ocean to compete against the top Non Pros at the National Reining Breeders Classic. The Kfar Neter, Israel, rider showed two horses in the Non Pro Classic preliminary, and while she didn’t make the Finals, her determination to improve as a competitor isn’t diminished.

“It’s really fun and really competitive to show in the United States. It drives you to be better, improve yourself and your horse, and to work harder,” she said. “I am very competitive and I like riding, it is fun for me. [This show] is really fun; it is my first NRBC but not [my first show] in Tulsa. I think this facility is amazing. This is a big show! I wasn’t nervous, but excited. I have done my best, but I was hoping to make the finals. I was half a point [out]. Maybe next time!”

Harlev, who has ridden reining horses since she was 10 years old, has been involved with horses her entire life. In Israel, her family first started in cutting horses. While they are not promoting cutting in Israel any longer but instead compete in Italy in the event, they continue to breed horses and look to bring a higher-level of competition to their country.

In Israel, it is required to join the army at age 18, and in 2022, following her time serving her country, Harlev and her boyfriend and fellow reining horse competitor, and trainer, Barak Gibori, enacted a plan to bring her to the U.S. Gibori’s friend and fellow trainer Yonathan Baruch was the logical person to help usher Harlev into competition in the states.

“Barak and I grew up together, we are like family, so he sent her to me,” said Baruch. “I think it is super exciting, from a Non Pro standpoint, to show here. They watch them on TV, then they get to be on tv doing those big competitions. It can be a ton of fun, but it is not easy to get on a plane. She’s been coming once a month for 16-17 hours, and that is a lot of commitment. You have to love it. Competition here is second to none. We’ve been all over the world and competed all over the world, and this level of competition is the highest in the world.”

And, Harlev does love it. Her competitive nature drives her to make the 16-to-17-hour one-way flight from Israel to Texas monthly in order to practice with her two horses, Gunna Be Pretty (Gunnatrashya x Whiz A Pretty Spook) and Missy (Colonels Shining Gun x Little Yankee Chic). Her first shows with Baruch in the U.S. were the 2022 Red Bud and the NRHA Derby. At the end of the 2022 show year, Harlev captured a NAAC reserve championship on Gunna Be Pretty.

“We were really proud of her there [at the NAAC],” Baruch said. “She showed Missy at the Cactus [Reining Classic] and she qualified for The Run For A Million there. Two horses to show is always better than one from a standpoint of practice. You get better faster [showing two], three is too much, one is too little, but two helps you divide the pressure without exhausting yourself.”

At the NRBC, Harlev showed Gunna Be Pretty to a 210.5 in the Non Pro Classic, missing the L1 finals by a half-point. A penalty in a lead change earned she and Missy a 206. Harlev is already looking forward to her next event.

“My goal is to be the best Non Pro ever, but that isn’t an easy goal; it’s wildest dreams,” she said. “At first, I was pretty nervous [at these big shows] even though I didn’t expect it. The next show I’ll do is the Red Bud and Derby, and I qualified for the Run For A Million in Vegas, then back to Tulsa for the 100X.”

It was a long way from the walk-trot class she first entered at the 2020 NRBC when Lily Forzani rode into the Limited Non Pro class in 2023. Riding two horses—Annies Custom Pistol (Gunner x Anniegityergun) and Double Loaded Gun (Gunner x KR Anniegityergun)—the 11-year-old competed against exhibitors who have been showing as long as she’s been alive. But that doesn’t deter the youth.

“One day, I started riding around in the pasture and fell in love with it, and I decided to take lessons,” she said of her start at 8 years old. Lily rode with different trainers until she found her niche. “I would help my dad feed, and I fell in love with the horses first. I love going [to shows] and having fun.”

For her first show, Lily aimed at the NRBC, which was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2020 due to COVID. She remembers being nervous before going into the pen.

“My mom wasn’t sure she could get me in the pen! My mare did not want to trot and loped half the pattern, but coming back and showing in the Rookie is more fun. I’m trying to make the Rookie Shootout Finals,” she said.

Lily’s mother, Deborah Forzani, also got into horses around her age, riding everything from jumpers to barrel racing horses. Now, the family stands nine stallions at Forzani Performance Horses in Aubrey, Texas, including Dun It In Platinum, Double Loaded Gun, Gotta Lotta Bud and Greyt Whiz.

After falling in love with reining, Lily has gone all-in with her family’s love of reining. She serves as an NRHA Youth Liaison.

“It is so cool to be back in Tulsa and think that my first walk-trot was four years ago. It is amazing,” she said. “I want to be a Non Pro in the Level 4 and go to the Finals in Non Pro events.”

After a five-year hiatus from the world of reining, Javier Melo has exploded back onto the scene. His reining hobby took a backseat while beginning college in New York and starting a career, but now the Miami-based rider is once again in the saddle.

Two months ago, Melo visited his “second parents,” Mark and Shannon Rafacz, and he jokingly told them to save him one of the “good ones.” Not thinking anything else of the comment, his parents ended up surprising him with the palomino 5-year-old stallion, A Spook Is Shining (Smart Spook X Ebony Shines X Shining Spark).

“My dad is all about the pretty horses, I sent him a picture of him, and a few days later he calls me into his office with my mom, and she told me I had a horseshow in two weeks,” Melo said. “That was the Florida Classic.”

The new team marked a 215.5 at their debut.

“That was my first time in the pen, and it was my seventh ride on a horse in five years,” Melo said, laughing. “He is about as kind as they come, and is like a big gelding. He doesn’t know he is a stud.”

With four weekends to prepare for the National Reining Breeders Classic after the Florida Classic and one schooling show in Tampa, Florida, the plan was to figure out the best way for Melo to show how great the horse can be in the pen.

“A lot of it was getting him ready but also it was getting me ready and having some time since I didn’t know what to expect,” Melo said. “More than anything, I needed to learn my horse.”

The team is getting along well since in the preliminary round here at the NRBC, where they received a score of 218.5. Melo knew he wanted to show here as the NRBC is his favorite event of the year. Since the transition to Tulsa, it is still Melo’s favorite event, and he says the facility is better suited for a horseshow that has the number of entries the NRBC has.

Melo knew he would get back into reining one day, he just wasn’t sure exactly when.

“Like everything in life, it is all about timing,” Melo said.

The next shows for the team include TNRHA Spinning in the Rein, and then onto the National Reining Horse Association Derby in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Monday, April 17 – Slide Street Journal

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