The Congress NRHA Level 3 and 4 Open Reining Futurity finals packed the Celeste Center Saturday night, as spectators gathered to watch some of the most promising 3-year-olds in the country compete for large purses and prizes. No one was disappointed.
The total prize money of what was already the richest reining competition in the world among the qualifiers for the prestigious NRHA world titles, has risen by $100,000 dollars. The Open, with $101,000 in prize money, remains the highestpaying competition of its kind anywhere in the world, but there are now big incentives for reining’s base and for its more ‘showy’ competition: the purse for Open Intermediate and Limited classes along with all Non Pro levels has increased – as well as that of the Freestyle, which alone will be worth $50,000.
With a review following the last horse in the second section of the BO Ranch Non Pro Maturity, it was uncertain who would take home the coveted title of the inaugural event.
Once the judges gave their final verdict, it was determined that the two riders would make it it the top of the rankings: Edoardo Bernardelli and Dries Verschueren.
The duo made up of NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Bernard Fonck and Shiners Voodoo took the lead in the qualifying go round of the $26,000-added BO Ranch Level (L)4 Open Maturity. Draw #1 in the second section of the Finals, the pair performed to a 224.5 and their score held until the end which secured them the title. The 6-year-old stallion by Shiners Voodoo DR out of BR China Rose, owned by Kimberly Wegner, added the Open Maturity Championship to his accolades and $55,500 NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). “I started riding this horse at the beginning of this year as my wife, Ann, had three open horses to show so she passed the reins to me,” said the Belgian professional. “He’s a really powerful horse with a lot of talent and I like him a lot. He did good for me here from day one and I must say that the facility and organization here made it great for us to show.”
Big Chex To Cash has unofficially joined the National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) Million Dollar Sire list. NRHA congratulates the 2002 stallion and his owners, Silver Spurs Equine, LLC.
It is truly a special year for Ann Fonck: she crossed the NRHA Million Dollar Mark at the NRHA European Affiliate Championship held in Denmark becoming the second lady professional to join the elite group.
The first go round of the $16,500-added BO Ranch Non Pro division of the Maturity, open to horses 6-years-old and up, lit the beautiful BO Ranch arena. With 38 horses entered (31 in the Level (L)1; 26 in the L2; 16 in the L3; 9 in the L4), all vying for a place in the finals, competition was tough today!
BO Ranch, Europe’s newest and most exclusive facility dedicated to showing and breeding reining horses, officially opened its doors to international competition welcoming over 130 horses taking part in the inaugural $55,000-added BO Ranch Maturity.
It took a qualifier and a final to bring home top honors in the NRHA Open with the highest added offered in Europe: the 2019 AMERICANA €40.000-added Open Bronze Trophy. NRHA Million Dollar Rider Ann Fonck went ahead and won with Diego and Laura Dalla Gassa’s Gunners Specialolena, a 5-year-old double registered AQHA/APHA mare by NRHA’s Three Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite out of Dolly Jac Olena.
In a field of 20 entries, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Ann Fonck rode to a 221 top score riding Golden Paint Ranch's 8-year-old mare Spook N Perla (NRHA Five Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook x Shine On Ruff) and also qualified her two other horses: Gunners Specialolena (NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite x Dolly Jac Olena) owned by Diego Dalla Gassa — after posting a 220.5 — as well as Made in Walla (NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz x Hollywood Made) for owners Sabine Lisec and Chuck Klipfel with a 218.
Earlier this year, ELEMENTA joined the Tulsa Reining Classic as the sponsor of the Open Derby, which features $34,000 in added money. The Elementa Open Derby completes a busy week, and Casey Deary and Lonely At The Top won the class with a 225.5. That earned a check for $6,563, a Bob's Custom Saddles, and prizes from the Tulsa Reining Classic.
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