Tinker With Guns and Fappani Are Shootout Champions at NRHA Futurity

December 4, 2011–The $100,000-added National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Open World Championship Shootout presented by Equine Sports Medicine brought some of the best reining horses in the world to the NRHA Futurity & Adequan? North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Thursday, December 1. Last year?s champion rider Andrea Fappani had three mounts in this year?s Shootout and was victorious on Rancho Oso Rio LLC?s Tinker With Guns. They marked a 231.5 to take the win and more than $31,000.

The five-year-old stallion is by Gunner and out of the Reminic mare Tinker Nic. He has earned more than $197,000 in NRHA competition (2009 NRHA Open Futurity finalist with Randy Paul, first place at the 2011 Reining By The Bay Derby with Fappani, third place at 2011 National Reining Breeders Classic with Fappani and first place at the 2011 NRHA Open Derby with Fappani). Fappani is a perennial finalist at the NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby, National Reining Breeder?s Classic and other NRHA major competitions. Fappani became the only European rider to win the NRHA Futurity?s Open Division in 2001. He is an NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider.

Whizkey N Diamonds and Shawn Flarida were two points shy of the win with a 229.5 for owner Rhodes River Ranch. Great Sun Burst, owned by Italy?s Manuel Bonzano, and Bernard Fonck tied with Custom Cash Advance, owned by Luga LLC, and Duane Latimer with a 228.5 for third place.

In addition to giving bragging rights and a hefty check to the Shootout winner, NRHA announced the unofficial 2011 NRHA Open World champion. For the second year in a row Belgium?s Bernard Fonck and Great Sun Burst (Einstein x Docs Sun Burst by Docs Sidewinder, $278,000+ NRHA LTE) claimed the title. The duo earned in excess of $50,000 in NRHA Open classes since January 1, 2011, besting the competition by more than $12,000. Roy DeBruin owned the stallion when he won his 2010 title.

Equine Sports Medicine was a proud sponsor of the $100,000-added NRHA Open World Championship Shootout. To learn more about their veterinarians, show schedule and technology, visit www.equine-sportsmedicine.com.

Pacini Earns Adequan NAAC Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year

Thursday?s competition in the Adequan Championship Arena featured over 60 competitors in the Adequan NAAC Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year. Joseph Pacini, Novato, Calif., qualified for the Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year on his Cash Me If U Can (Shining Spark x Cash Has Blues) at the NRHA North West Regional Affiliate Finals. They marked a blistering 220.5 in the Adequan NAAC championship class to best the competition by eight points. The duo has been extremely successful this year earning more than $9,000 thus far. Careena Laney with Reeboks Rerun and Sarah Christen with Enchiladas Tuff Kid placed second and third class, respectively. The top ten finishers in the Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year received Montana Silversmiths trophy buckles.

In the Adequan NAAC Team Championship standings, South Central Region leads with two days of competition remaining. Their team has earned a total of 145 points so far. Northwest (140) and Southeast (88.5) are in second and third, respectively. SmartPak will present $2,500 and the 2011 Adequan NAAC Team Championship on Saturday evening. The award goes to the region that earns the most total points at this year?s Adequan NAAC.

NRHA / Markel Insurance Breeders Showcase Results

Gross Sales – $1,166,900

100 head sold

Average = $11,669

High Seller – $60,000 – Hip 1036 – Custom Chic Dun It – Custom Crome X She And Chic Dun It (Smart Chic Olena) ? Consigned by Steve Simon – 2010 Chestnut Stallion ? Purchased by Carlos Deleu

2nd High Seller – $50,000 – Hip 1055 – Sugar Pop Step Ahead – Wimpys Little Step X Sugar Pop Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun) – Consigned by Deborah Strahman – 2010 Palomino Stallion – Purchased by Eduardo Christians

More About the NRHA Futurity & Adequan? North American Affiliate Championship Show

It’s the most elite reining event in the world with more than 3,000 entries competing for nearly $2 million in cash and prizes. More than 1,300 horses and 127,000 visitors come from nearly 20 countries to compete and watch the excitement unfold. During its 10-day run, the show contributes more than $67 million to the overall Oklahoma City economy.

The show features the Open Futurity Finals on Saturday, December 3 when the winning entry is guaranteed a check for $150,000, as well as incredible prizes from NRHA Corporate Partners and award sponsors. The NRHA / Cinch Non Pro Futurity offers an additional $260,000 in added money for non pro reiners, which will be awarded on Friday, December 2. Nearly $100,000 in nominator incentive money also will be distributed to those individuals who originally nominated horses to the NRHA Nomination Program, despite whether or not they still own the horse.

The NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show offers a variety of spectator events and activities including a western gift market, NRHA / Markel Insurance Horse sales, NRHA Open World Championship Shootout presented by Equine Sports Medicine, Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year and 4R Performance Horses Hometown Heroes Slide & Freestyle Reining benefitting the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Go to nrhafuturity.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

For more information on the NRHA, or the sport of Reining, please visit nrha.com or call (405) 946-7400.

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