NRHA Futurity


Shine Plum Shine & Marco Ricotta


Casey Hinton & Mega Mag


Craig Schmersal & Face The Attitude


SCHMERSAL wins NRHA Open Futurity


The 2017 National Reining Horse Asso- ciation (NRHA) Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show saw the highest scores of the week as the big- gest stars shined in the Lucas Oil Level (L)4 Open Finals on Saturday night in front of a full house. The Open Futurity also witnessed a new champion crowned: Craig Schmersal. Though the NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider has won every NRHA major event, the NRHA Open Futurity Championship title was missing in his impressive show record.


Helping Schmersal conquer the Futurity


crown was Face The Attitude (Pale Face Dun- nit x Miss Lil Addy Tude), a mare owned by Hickory Creek Ranch LLC, bred by KC Per- formance Horses LLC, and nominated by Gin- ger Schmersal. The duo was the last draw in the Open Finals with a 224.5 to beat, posted by Andrea Fappani riding All American Vin- tage. Following a powerful ride that thrilled the crowd, Schmersal and his mare conquered the Championship with a 226.5 score. “It’s taken a while to win the NRHA Fu-


turity – 27 years – but we finally made it,” said Schmersal, who did not try to hide his tears. “This mare reminds me of her mom and dad, and I had the pleasure of showing them both. The babies by and out of them try so hard and are so steady. They have their brain and the ability,” said Schmersal. “This mare, ‘Ariel,’ has the ability, but most importantly she has the brain to back it up. You can have a horse with a great ability, and you can have a horse


Adam Hendrickson & You Gotta Be Dreamin


with a great brain, but if you don’t have it all, it’s just a hard deal.” All American Vintage (A Sparkling Vin-


tage x All Ruffed Up) – a stallion now owned by Cuoghi Reining Horses USA Inc settled for reserve honors. “This horse is amazing,” said Fappani. “I purchased him [previously] be- cause my son Luca convinced me to buy him. He wasn’t the easiest horse to ride as a 2-year- old, and after the first time I rode him, I had decided not to buy him. Luca told me I should go back and try him again. We did, and I guess he was right!”


Three horses tied to win the L3 Open Fu- turity Championship with a 220.5: You Gotta Be Dreamin (Magnum Chic Dream x Forever Going Steady) ridden by Adam Hendrickson (owned by Jake/Heather Dahl DVM); NRHA/ Markel Insurance Sale Graduate Shine Plum Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Plum Reyning) rid- den by Marco Ricotta (owned by Story Book Stables); Mega Mag (Magnum Chic Dream x Big Gold Chex) a stallion ridden by Casey Hinton, owned by Kathy/Casey Hinton. Earning the L2 championship with a 219 score was My Dream Gun (Chicks Smokingun x Custom Made Dream) with Morey Fisk in the saddle. The gelding is owned by Sabine Schmidt.


Reserve honors in the L2 Open Futurity division, a point behind the winners, went to Jonathan Gauthier and Dreaminintinseltown (Hollywoodstinseltown x


This Chicsdun-


dreamin), a stallion owned by Sue Henson. With a 217, Vanessa Strottman riding Cashing In Diamonds (Lil Joe Cash x Dia- mond Steppin Whiz), an NRHA/Markel In-


Morey Fisk & My Dream Gun


January 2018 SouthWest Horse Trader 13


surance Sale consignment owned by Stefano Calcagnini, took home the L1 Open Futurity Championship. A half-a-point behind, Joshua Crawley (owner/rider) and Gunnamoonya (Gunna- trashya x Shining Moonstone took reserve honors.


Making history at the 2017 NRHA Fu-


turity & Adequan® NAAC Show were the following riders and owners (unofficial): Tom McCutcheon - 1,029,262.62 Owner; Shawn Flarida - $6,047,064.95 Rider; Andrea Fappani - $5,061,176.53 Rider; Silver Spurs Equine - $1,022,712.56 Owner.


For complete results visit www.nrhafutu- rity.com. w


Waltenberry, Courtesy NRHA


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