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