16 minute read
Empty Stalls
NRCHA $4 Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark laid to rest in December of 2021.
It is undeniable that when most spectators see a palomino horse in the reined cow horse or reining arena, they believe it could be a Shining Spark offspring—and most of the time, they are not wrong. The golden reiner was more than another stallion for the Western performance horse industry, he was a standard that many aspired to reach. At 32 years old, on December 27, 2021, his owner, breeder and caretaker Carol Rose made the decision to lay the stallion to rest.
Shining Spark (Genuine Doc x Diamonds Sparkle x Mr Diamond Dude) reigned as the king of cow horse sires and is still the No. 1 broodmare sire in the National Reined Cow Horse Association. In October, Shining Spark and Carol Rose were both honored at the Snaffle Bit Futurity® for the 17-yearlong record of All-Time Leading Sire he held before being passed by Metallic Cat.
When Rose sat down with NRCHA to discuss the stallion for the October presentation, she was clear in how she was identified: “I am the proud breeder and owner of the one and only Shining Spark.” She was candid about not knowing what direction to take the pretty, but palomino, young stud. Cow Horse Money Earners, according to Equi-Stat records.
His highest money-earning offspring in the NRCHA is Smart Shinetta (out of Smart Hickory by Docs Hickory), a 2002 mare with $128,169.92 in the books. His second-highest money earner is Sparktilion (out of Cattilion by High Brow Cat), a mare that carried NRCHA $2 Million Dollar Rider Jake Telford to the co-reserve 2020 World’s Greatest Horseman and has $120,222.70 earnings.
The stallion was memorable in so many ways, but for owner Rose, he was her best friend. The pair were together for his 32 years. The NRCHA offers condolences to Rose and all of Shining Spark’s connections.
“When he was a yearling, he was fabulous,” recalled Rose. “He was so good minded and so easy to be around, and he just was a headlight in a group of 26 yearling studs. All through his training as a 2-year-old, he never had a bad day. We decided he was pretty enough to stay a stud, but the problem was he was palomino and who wanted to breed to a palomino at that time? I didn’t, and I didn’t know anybody else that did! I wanted to go cutting, but he was not bred fashionably on the bottom side for cutting. My second love was reined cow horse but I lived in Texas and it was still, at that point, a West Coast event. Finally, we decided to put him in training to be a reiner.”
When he did step into the reining arena, he did so with gusto. In the show pen, his record helped him stand out, but in the breeding barn, he achieved legendary status. As a reined cow horse sire, he reached NRCHA all-time leading sire status first in 2003, and remained at the top until September of 2021. He was the first sire to reach Three Million Dollar Sire status in the NRCHA and is the Number One Maternal Grandsire of
*earnings as of December 30, 2021
2022 Brazos Valley Super Stallion Incentive
$500 will be allocated to a purse from each breeding from each eligible BVSS Stallion.
The purse is for foals competing in either the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity or the NCHA World Championship Futurity! Sample of Money Distribution based
off of 2021 Breeding Season -
NRCHA Open Futurity - $80,600 Total Purse!
23% = $18,538 6th: 8% = $6,4486th: 8% = $6,448 7th: 7% = $5,642 8th: 5% = $4,030 9th: 4% = $3,224 10th: 3% = $2,418
Breeding the Future of Our Industry!
2022 NRCHA RULE BOOK RUNDOWN
Division changes and eligibility adjustments will impact show entries.
The 2022 National Reined Cow Horses Association show season is in full swing! With the new show year comes a revised and updated 2022 NRCHA Rule Book. Curious about changes you may have heard about? Questions about eligibility? Here is the rundown.
Remember, the NRCHA office is always available by email or phone to answer questions on eligibility or rules. Printed 2022 rule books are available, and we have the 2022 NRCHA Rule Book linked online for your review of the changes to the eligibility, class names and new divisions.
NON PRO LAE ELIGIBILITY:
◆ NON PRO: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card. ◆ INTERMEDIATE NON PRO: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 25 Non Pro rider listing based on Open and Non Pro money won in the previous three years at NRCHA approved events. ◆ LIMITED NON PRO (Formerly NOVICE NON PRO): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 60 Non Pro rider listing based on Open and Non Pro money won in the previous three years at NRCHA approved events. Riders with over $100,000 in lifetime earnings are not eligible to fall back to the Limited Non Pro regardless of their ranking on the top Non Pro rider list. ◆ LEVEL 1 NON PRO (Formerly AMATEUR): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card that has not won more than $7,500 in lifetime earnings at NRCHA approved events. ◆ SELECT CLASSES (New Division): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is 55 or older as of November 16th, 2021. A select class may be run concurrent in each of the Non Pro and Level 1 Non Pro LAE classes. They cannot be run as standalone classes, will not count toward National Standings and will be offered as jackpot only.
NON PRO BOXING LAE ELIGIBILITY:
◆ NON PRO BOXING (Formerly NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider. ◆ LEVEL 1 NON PRO BOXING (New Division): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider with less than $1,000 in lifetime earnings. ◆ SELECT CLASSES (New Division): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is 55 or older as of November 16th, 2021. A select class may be run concurrent with Non Pro Boxing LAE classes. They cannot be run as standalone classes, will not count toward National Standings and will be offered as jackpot only.
NON PRO HORSE SHOW ELIGIBILITY:
◆ NON PRO BRIDLE: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card. ◆ INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BRIDLE: Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 25 Non Pro rider listing based on the previous three years of Lifetime Earnings. ◆ LIMITED NON PRO BRIDLE (Formerly NOVICE NON PRO BRIDLE):
Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is not in the top 60 Non Pro rider listing based on the previous three years of LifetimeEarnings. Riders with over $100,000 in lifetime earnings are not eligible to fall back to the Limited Non Pro regardless of their ranking on the top Non Pro rider list.
NON PRO BOXING HORSE SHOW ELIGIBILITY
(Formerly NON PRO LIMITED HORSE SHOW): ◆ NON PRO BOXING (Formerly NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider. Riders cannot have earned more than $750 in fence work classes, or must have exercised a fallback option afforded to them in Rules 3.8.1.1 or 3.8.1.2. ◆ INTERMEDIATE NON PRO BOXING (Formerly $5K NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider who has not earned more than $5,000 in Lifetime Earnings. ◆ LIMITED NON PRO BOXING (Formerly $1K NON PRO LIMITED): Open to any rider who possesses a current Non Pro card and is an approved Non Pro Boxing rider who has not earned more than $1,000 in Lifetime Earnings.
OPEN LAE ELIGIBILITY:
◆ OPEN: Open to any rider who possesses a current NRCHA membership card. ◆ INTERMEDIATE OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 30 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events. ◆ LIMITED OPEN: Open to any rider who is not in the Top 120 Open rider listing based on Open money won in the past three years at any NRCHA approved events AND who has not earned over $350,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events. ◆ LEVEL 1 OPEN (Formerly LEVEL 1 LIMITED OPEN): Open to any rider who has not earned over $20,000 in Open and Non Pro money at any NRCHA approved events.
The 2022 NRCHA Judge Cards posted online and in the Rule Book reflect the division changes.
The online 2022 NRCHA Rule Book reflects the most up-todate changes or rules and should stand as go-to for NRCHA rule questions.
NRCHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MAKES MAJOR INCREASES TO PAYOUTS, FINALS BERTHS IN 2022
Following a highly successful year where membership and participation in reined cow horse increased exponentially, the National Reined Cow Horse Association Board of Directors voted to increase 2022 premier event payouts and offer more finals event berths for competitors.
“The NRCHA Board of Directors continues to be so forward thinking and engaged,” said Anna Morrison, NRCHA executive director, “Their commitment to raising our premier event purses recognizes the dedication of our exhibitors, owners and breeders in their pursuit of success across all of our premier events.”
The 2022 premier event shows start off with the Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions, where the Hashtags’ / Western Bloodstock World’s Greatest Horseman event shines a light on the versatility of NRCHA riders and all-around bridle horses. The champion’s purse doubles to $100,000 in 2022, with the addition of support from
Western Bloodstock. On top of this, a more-than matching commitment of an additional $62,000 added from the NRCHA Board of Directors ensures a bigger payout for finalists from reserve on. Additionally, instead of the Top 10 being brought back for the ticketed World’s Greatest Horseman Finals, the Top 15 will ride for the prize. With the added purse, the NRCHA Board commits that those finishing 11th through 15th will earn at least $7,500. On top of this, the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby will pay $30,000 to the Open champion.
At the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes, held March 25-April 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Derby event will pay $50,000 to the Open champion in 2022, and the finalists riding for that prize increase from Top 20 to Top 25, plus ties, with places 21-25 earning at least $2,500. Also at the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes, the Non Pro Derby purse will pay $10,000 to the winner, an increase over the 2021 purse of approximately $8,000, with a $3,000 prize for the Level 1 Non Pro Derby winner (formerly the Amateur division).
When the action begins at the DT Horses Western Derby June 1-12 in Scottsdale, Arizona, competitors in the Open Derby will ride for $50,000, a $10,000 increase over the 2021 purse. Instead of 20 riders, now there will be 25 finalists for that limited age event. Like the Stakes, the finalists placing 21st-25th will earn at least $2,500. The Non Pro Derby purse will pay $10,000 to the winner, with a $3,000 prize for the Level 1 Non Pro Derby winner.
The ever-growing and youngest premier event, the Dom Conicelli Memorial Eastern Derby, presented by MARS Equestrian™, will also see an increase in the limited age event purses that reflects the growth in entries at the show. The Open Derby will now pay But the Futurity is only the start for our horses. Western Bloodstock and Hashtags’ support have grown the World’s Greatest Horseman winner’s purse, and Nancy Crawford and Holy Cow Performance Horses have provided ongoing support for the Bridle Spectaculars. By increasing our commitment to the World’s Greatest Horseman purse the Board wanted to make it clear that NRCHA’s support of the bridle horse is unwavering.
—Corey Cushing
$20,000 for the champion and the last four horse and rider teams placing in the Open Derby will earn at least $1,750. The Non Pro Derby will pay $5,000 to the champion, an increase over the 2021 purse, which paid approximately $3,300.
The near-record high entries in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, proved that the reined cow horse industry is still on a positive upward swing. In 2022 the NRCHA Board has committee that the purse for the Open champion will increase from $125,000 to $200,000, with the increase to 30 finalists plus ties implemented at the 2021 event still in place. In 2022 the bottom placing horse and rider Open finalist teams are now guaranteed $10,000 in the limited age event. The Board has also emphasized the importance of NRCHA’s Non Pro riders, and in 2022 the Non Pro Futurity champion will earn $40,000 with the bottom placing finalists earning at least $2,000; the Level 1 Non Pro Futurity will pay at least $7,500 and the Non Pro Boxing Futurity (formerly Non Pro Limited) will pay at least $7,500 to the winner.
“In no other Western discipline futurity does a horse have to prepare to compete in three different events. The Board felt the Snaffle Bit Futurity prize should grow to honor the challenge,” said Corey Cushing, NRCHA president. “But the Futurity is only the start for our horses. Western Bloodstock and Hashtags’ support have grown the World’s Greatest Horseman winner’s purse, and Nancy Crawford and Holy Cow Performance Horses have provided ongoing support for the Bridle Spectaculars. By increasing our commitment to the World’s Greatest Horseman purse the Board wanted to make it clear that NRCHA’s support of the bridle horse is unwavering.”
The NRCHA serves a national and international membership base through five premier events annually as well as sanctioned events produced by NRCHA affiliates around the world. Through strategic alliances with breed and performance associations like the American Paint Horse Association’s Chrome Cash and the concurrent classes offered through the Stock Horse of Texas, the NRCHA is able to provide more opportunity to show cow horses than ever before. The increased association membership and, based on the volume of entries at 2021 premier events, sets up 2022 to be another record-breaking year for NRCHA. Follow the action at nrcha.com.
DUAL SMART REY AND WOODY BE TUFF JOIN NRCHA MILLION DOLLAR SIRE CLUB
When the National Reined Cow Horse Association wrapped up the 2021 show year, offspring earnings revealed that two stallions achieved the prestigious NRCHA Million Dollar Sire milestone: Dual Smart Rey and Woody Be Tuff. Only 22 sires have earned the NRCHA Million Dollar Sire accolade since the association’s inception in 1949.
Owned by Strawn Valley Ranch of Strawn Valley, Texas, Dual Smart Rey (Dual Rey x The Smart Look x Smart Little Lena), a 2002 Quarter Horse, has NRCHA earners of $1,038,613.54 as of December 1, 2021. The stallion earned more than $330,000 and the NCHA Open Super Stakes Champion title in the arena. When Don Horton dispersed his Quarter Horse program in 2013, he kept Dual Smart Rey, aka “Lloyd,” as the stallion was just venturing into the breeding world. At the time, the family was focused on cutting horses, and the sire had offspring earning more than $9 million in the NCHA.
Lloyd garnered attention when NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Kelby Phillips piloted 2013 gelding Duals Lucky Charm (out of TRR Ms Pepcid Olena) to the 2016 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship. The win drew the eyes of reined cow horse breeders, and after also winning the 2020 World’s Greatest Horseman with Phillips, Duals Lucky Charm, owned by JB6 LLC, is Dual Smart Rey’s highest money-earning reined cow horse , with $273,753.
“We were counting it down! It’s not easy to be a reined cow horse milliondollar stud,” Michelle Horton said. “It’s great he made that milestone. We knew that Lloyd had babies in reined cow horse, but until my daughter, Madeline, started riding cow horses, we weren’t familiar with it. In January of 2020, she made her first fence run and has been hooked ever since. Even though Lloyd had been marketed in the cutting horse world by my father-in-law, Don—who firmly believes a good horse will market himself—my husband and I realized the potential for him as a reined cow horse sire and really started a push to market him there.”
In 2021, the Non Pro Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, Abbie Phillips, rode TRR Dual Smart, a son of Dual Smart Rey and out of TRR Ms Pepcid Olena. That win boosted Dual Smart Rey’s offspring earnings by $25,000. The Hortons look forward to watching the next NRCHA earners make their mark in the arena.
CAROLYN SIMANCIK
Dual Smart Rey has sired a World’s Greatest Horseman and a Non Pro Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion.
Woody Be Tuff sold December 9, 2021, for $1.3 million.
COURTESY OF CENTER RANCH
