chiara

chiara

  • Joined: 11/26/2018
  • Articles: 1543

NRHA Professionals of the Year Honored for 2019

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) strives to recognize excellence amongst its members. The NRHA Professionals of the Year awards are just one avenue for showcasing the accomplishments of reining trainers in the industry. The five awards include NRHA Professional Horseman of the Year, Becky Hanson Horsewoman of the Year, NRHA Non Pro Coach of the Year, NRHA Youth Coach of the Year, and NRHA Up-and-Coming Trainer of the Year. “The Professionals of the Year awards are very important because we have a lot of people in our industry from around the world who deserve to be honored on a national level and recognized by their peers,” said Patrick Flaherty, NRHA Professionals Committee chairman. “These awards aren’t just given to anyone; these recipients have worked hard their entire careers, and it’s evident to their clients and their peers that they’re more than deserving of this recognition.”
Each NRHA affiliate is asked to nominate NRHA Professionals for the awards based on their unrelenting work both inside the arena and out. NRHA Professionals then choose the recipients by voting in each category. Winners will receive their awards during the 2020 NRHA Derby at the awards banquet held in June in Oklahoma City. Here are the 2020 NRHA Professionals of the Year.

Shiners Voodoo Dr Reaches Million Dollar Sire Milestone

Photo by DHS1 for NRHA
Photo by DHS1 for NRHA

The newest addition to the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Million Dollar Sire list hails from Silver Spurs Equine–Oklahoma: Shiners Voodoo Dr. By NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark and out of Voodoo Chic, the 2007 palomino, fondly referred to as “Voodoo,” earned more than $85,900 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) during his show career.

Clean Sweep for Austin Shepard with Kinky Bootz

The 2020 Augusta Futurity concluded on Saturday, January 25, with the Open Futurity, where Kinky Bootz, owned and bred by Glenn Drake, Napa, Calif., scored 226 points to carry NCHA Hall of Fame Rider Austin Shepard to his sixth Augusta 4-Year-Old Futurity win. On the heels of his 5/6-Year-Old win aboard Dual Reyish, on Friday night, the 2020 Futurity win also gives Shepard his second Augusta Open Futurity sweep. Shepard  won 4-Year-Old and 5/6 Year-Old championships in 2014, riding CD Kual Gun and Bamacat, respectively.

Leme Moves to No. 2 In the World with Win in Sacramento

Photo by Andy Watson/BullStock Media
Photo by Andy Watson/BullStock Media

As the dust settled inside the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening in Sacramento, Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) stood atop the Can-Am cage in the arena with a triumphant smile on his face as he won his first event of the 2020 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) season at the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic.

Houtzager is the Hero as Dutch Dominate Amsterdam

Photo Copyright © FEI/DigiShots
Photo Copyright © FEI/DigiShots

Houtzager is the Hero as Dutch Dominate Amsterdam
Compatriot Smolders takes runner-up spot; Belgium’s Clemens and Bruynseels fill third and fourth places


On an afternoon of Dutch delight, Marc Houtzager and the amazing mare Sterrehof’s Dante threw down an extraordinary performance to snatch victory in the twelfth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019/2020 Western European League series on home ground in Amsterdam (NED) today. It was at the expense of compatriot Harrie Smolders who, third to go in the nine-horse jump-off, looked to have set an unbeatable target-time when breaking the beam in 35.03 seconds with the 11-year-old gelding Monaco. But, second-last into the ring, Houtzager’s 12-year-old mare seemed to have grown wings as she flew around the course to shave almost a full second off that when crossing the line in 34.05 seconds. Belgian riders Pieter Clemens and Niels Bruynseels lined up third and fourth.

Sanchez Cozar and Azcárraga Share the Sash in Guadalajara

Photo Copyright © FEI/Christian Lopez Redetzki
Photo Copyright © FEI/Christian Lopez Redetzki

Sanchez Cozar and Azcárraga Share the Sash in Guadalajara as history is made with tied result


When Gonzalo Azcárraga (MEX) crossed the finish of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Guadalajara, he didn’t know whether he had won or lost. To his surprise, he had done neither. He tied.
In a history-making result, Azcárraga, riding Fabio, and Alberto Sanchez-Cozar (MEX) aboard Union de la Nutria completed Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) jump-off in identical times of 48.95 seconds. Lorenza O’Farrill (MEX) and Queens Darling finished third with 4 faults in 48.79 seconds.

Joao Ricardo Vieira Moves to No. 1 in World Standings after 15/15 Bucking Battle Win in Sacramento

Photo courtesy PBR
Photo courtesy PBR

Stetson Lawrence collects first round win of 2020 season in Round 2.

As the sold-out crowd inside of Golden 1 Center roared, Brazilian phenom Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) was the only man to record a qualified ride in the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) 15/15 Bucking Battle at Saturday night’s Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic in Sacramento.

Augusta Futurity: Johnson and Minshall Share Title on Thursday

Augusta Futurity action began on Thursday, January 23 with with 70 entries in the 5/6-Year-Old Amateur go-round. Andrew Sligh, Altoona, Ala., the second rider in the first of five sets, laid down the pace with 219 points on the Kit Kat Sugar gelding Carmylantalized LTE $45,030, who had been an Augusta Open finalist in 2018 and 2019 with Todd Gann.

Augusta Cutting Futurity: Pritchard Wins Open Intermediate Title

Jessie Pritchard and Who Ya Callin Shorty, by High Brow CD,  scored 222 points on Tuesday to win the Augusta Futurity 4-Year-Old Intermediate Finals. Walt Erwin and Sweet Metallic CD 16, by Metallic Cat, marked 218 to place second in the nine-horse finals, while Gabe Reynolds and Reyz Your Chelada, by Reydioactive placed third with 215 points.