The 2020 National Reining Breeders Classic, being held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the current year, is off to a great start. The Non Pro preliminary round wrapped up Tuesday evening, and the field for Friday’s clean-slate finals is set. The 188 entries were whittled down over two days to the crème de la crème, and in the end, Indy Roper and Spooks Show Time lead the field with an impressive score of 222. In addition to a finals berth, the pair won a go-round check for $7,151.
Roper and Spooks Show Time, by Spooks Gotta Whiz out of Dolittle Lena, are coming off of a major victory. They claimed the Non Pro Level 4 Championship at the National Reining Horse Association Derby in June, bringing Spooks Show Time’s lifetime earnings to more than $127,000.
Finishing second in the Level 4 and topping the Level 3 is Tish Fappani and Spooks N Jewels with a 220.5. Prior to the NRBC, Spooks N Jewels, by Smart Spook and out of Whiz Jewels, had lifetime earnings exceeding $164,000. The go-round money will increase those earnings by $5,552. While she had not competed in Tulsa prior to this year’s NRBC, Fappani is already having a banner year. She and her other horse Joes Genes tied for reserve in the SmartPak Non Pro Futurity Level 4 as well as the win of the Level 3 in the first week of competition.
Kyla Thurlow moved to the top stop spot in Level 1 and tied for first in Level 2 with Kachina Olena Tag when the pair posted a big score of 220. They also finished third in the Level 4 and second in the Level 3, for total preliminary round earnings of $4,527. Kachina Olena Tag is by two-time former NRBC Non Pro Champion Whiz N Tag Chex and out of the blue hen mare Kachina Oak Olena.
Young Addisyn Schmersal tied for the lead of the Level 2, second in the Level 3, and third in the Level 4, on Face The Attitude with a 220, winning $3,952. Face The Attitude, by Pale Face Dunnit out of Miss Lil Addy Tude, was the 2017 NRHA Futurity Champion with Addisyn’s father Craig Schmersal. The flashy mare boasts more than $160,000 in lifetime earnings. Schmersal and Face The Attitude also qualified for the Level 3 and 4 finals.
Leading the Prime Time Non Pro preliminary round is Michael Garnett and Sassy Son Ofa Gun with a 221.5 (includes handicap). Garnett and Sassy Son Ofa Gun, by Gunner out of Shining N Sassy, also qualified for the finals of Non Pro Levels 3 and 4. All totaled, Garnett and Sassy Son Ofa Gun won $4,007 in the preliminary round. The top 30 in Non Pro Levels 1 – 4, as well as the top 20 in the Non Pro Prime Time, earned a spot in Friday’s clean-slate finals. It took a score of 215 in the Level 4 to advance to the finals, while in the Level 3, the magic number was 214. Level 2 riders marked a 212.5 or better will advance to Friday’s finals, as will Level 1 riders with a score of 210. In the Prime Time, it took a score of 215 to advance. Finalists will learn their draw positions during the Markel Insurance Virtual Draw Party on Wednesday at 7 p.m.