This past year has been one for the record books with growth in nearly every aspect of the reining industry. New members flooded into the National Reining Horse Association eager to purchase and or show their first reiners, and many shows boasted historical payouts which helped to garner maximum entries. One testament to the reining industry’s growth is the number of NRHA members who have reached new million-dollar milestones.
Ten years ago, in 2011, nine individuals reached or passed million dollar markers. NRHA Professionals Rudi Kronsteiner and Jordan Larson joined the list of Million Dollar riders for the first time. Shawn Flarida became NRHA’s first Four Million Dollar Rider, and three stallions became Million Dollar Sires: Conquistador Whiz, West Coast Whiz, and Rowdy Yankee. Gunner and Wimpys Little Step joined the elite Three Million Dollar Sires list that year and Topsail Whiz became the first-ever Eight Million Dollar Sire.
A short decade later, that number more than doubled as 23 new milestones were achieved between horses, riders, and owners.
2021 Rider Milestones
Andrea Fappani
NRHA Professional Andrea Fappani made history when he became only the fourth ever NRHA Leading Rider joining legendary horsemen Bill Horn, Tim McQuay, and Shawn Flarida. He also became NRHA’s first Seven Million Dollar Rider.
Mandy McCutcheon
In 2007, Mandy McCutcheon became the first Non Pro and the first female to win a Million Dollars in rider earnings. Fourteen years later, she escalated to Three Million Dollar Rider status.
Dany Tremblay
Many mounts contributed to NRHA Professional Dany Tremblay’s Million Dollar Rider status, but his top earnings include a 2021 NRBC Co-Championship on Tinker With Dreams for $62,500, the 2017 NRBC Reserve Championship on PS Mega Shine Chic for $41,000, and an 8th place finish in the 2015 NRHA Futurity on Spooksgottachicolena for $32,110.
Brian Bell
NRHA Professional Brian Bell said that his first Million, reached in 2013, was the hardest, but after many hard lessons were learned, he earned $2 Million Rider status just eight years later.
Gennaro Lendi
Although Italian NRHA Professional Gennaro Lendi wasn’t brought up by a family of horseman, he still made horses his life’s work. Supported by his parents, Rino and Marianna, Lendi’s childhood interests flourished to a successful career and NRHA Million Dollar Rider status in 2021.
Ruben Vandorp
While NRHA Professional Ruben Vandorp’s career model has been in starting horses and selling them, there were enough exceptions to carry Vandorp over the Million Dollar Rider mark. Three top earners were: Einsteins Revolution (Einstein x Fly Flashy Jac), Legacy In Lights (Hit The Lights x Doc Berry Miss), and Spooks Gotta Crush (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Megas Sugar Baby).
2021 Owner Milestones
Jose Vazquez
Smart Like Juice, Inc. is owned by 2021 NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Jose Vazquez. Its namesake, NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Smart Like Juice (Smart Little Lena x Jessies Oak) was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in Logging another entry into the NRHA record books in July 2021, Smart Like Juice, Inc. was pushed past $2 Million in Owner Earnings.
Corinna Schumacher
Corinna Schumacher, of Givrins, Switzerland, reached $1.2 million in owner earnings through the performances of the exceptional horses housed at her CS Ranches in Switzerland and Texas. She got her start in reining by following her daughter, Gina’s, equine interests and rose to Two Million Dollar owner status in 2021.
Robert Santagata
Robert Santagata owns the scenic 150 acres in Campbell Hall, NY that is known as Santa Hill Ranch. The training program is led by 5 Time NRHA World Champion and NRHA Top 20 Professional Matt Palmer and combined with the breeding program based on the outstanding stallion, The Kids Gotta Gun (Spooks Gotta Gun x Melimelo Kid). The breeding, training, and showing of exceptional Santa Hill Ranch horses, has propelled Santagata to Two Million Dollar Owner status.
Vaughn Zimmerman
One of the driving forces behind the creation of the Million Dollar owner award was honored for his horses’ earnings reaching over Two Million Dollars. Inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2017, Vaughan Zimmerman owns the elite stallion and Triple Crown winner, Not Ruf At All, and he provides many top trainers and his grandchildren, Taylor and Jacob, with high-caliber show horses.
Casey Hinton
Through riding his own outstanding horses, mounting talented assistant trainers on them, and with the assistance of his wife Kathy, whom he says is his driving force, NRHA Professional Casey Hinton reached the Million Dollar Owner milestone in April of 2021. As a rider, he is also fast approaching million-dollar status.
Andre De Bellefeuille
Only a couple of years after reaching the Million Dollar Breeder Milestone, Andre De Bellefeuille, together with his businesses Equine Plus and Ferme Equestre Excalibur was honored as a Million Dollar Owner in October of 2021.
2021 Sire Milestones
Gunner
The legendary sire and show horse, Gunner passed away in 2013, but, perhaps, no sire has ever marked his foals so completely as he, both in outward features and in innate abilities. The Hall of Fame inductee, owned by fellow Hall of Famers, Tim and Colleen McQuay, made NRHA history again in 2021 when he became NRHA’s first Thirteen Million Dollar Sire and the All-Time Leading NRHA Sire.
Wimpys Little Step
Wimpys Little Step joined the ranks as one of only three sires to reach Twelve Million Dollar status to be listed alongside Gunner and Topsail Whiz. The 21-year-old Palomino stallion owned by Silver Spurs Equine is by Three Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame inductee Nu Chex To Cash and out of Leolita Step.
Smart Spook
Inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2015, Smart Spook joined another elite list of legends in 2021 when he became a Seven Million Dollar Sire. The 20-year-old stallion, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame Inductee Smart Chic Olena and out of Sugarplum Spook.
Magnum Chic Dream
Magnum Chic Dream is a notable figure in the reining industry, and the great success of his foals carried him over the Million Dollar Sire mark in 2010. Owned by Jack and Viola Scott, the 25-year-old stallion, whose show career earnings were $52,000, reached the Seven Million Dollar Sire milestone just seven years later.
Gunnatrashya
Gunnatrashya’s meteoric rise to fame continued when the 15-year-old stallion passed two million dollar milestones in 2021, and finished the year as a Six Million Dollar Sire. He already quickly approaching the next rung with $6,788,072 in offspring earnings. By Thirteen Million Dollar Sire Gunner and out of Natrasha, the outstanding stallion is owned by Arcese Quarter Horses, USA.
Gunners Special Nite
Rocketing up the ladder to five million in offspring earnings less than a year after reaching the four million dollar milestone was Gunners Special Nite, by Thirteen Million Dollar Sire Gunner out of Mifs Doll. The exceptional show horse and sire is owned by Turnabout Farm, Inc.
Hollywoodstinseltown
Although Hollywoodstinseltown was laid to rest in 2021, his foals have continued to excel in the show pen, pushing his sire earnings over the Three Million Dollar mark. Sired by Six Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Famer Hollywood Dun It, and out of Hall of Fame mare Miss Tinseltown, the flashy palomino lived his entire life in the care and ownership of Silva Reining Horses.
Spooks Gotta Whiz
Spooks Gotta Whiz excelled in the show pen, amassing over $345,000 in earnings while becoming one of the elite few reining Triple Crown champions. Owned by Michell Anne Kimball, the Three Million Dollar Sire is by Two Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Gun out of Prettywhizprettydoes.
Shiners Voodoo Dr
By NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark and out of Voodoo Chic, Shiners Voodoo Dr earned more than $85,900 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings during his show career. The stallion joining the NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire ranks is owned by Silver Spurs Equine.
Not Ruf At All
Not Ruf At All entered the record books as a Triple Crown champion after winning the 2013 NRHA Futurity, the 2014 NRHA Derby, and the 2016 NRBC with Jason Vanlandingham in the saddle. Out of All Ruffed Up and owned by Vaughn Zimmerman, the stand-out sorrel stallion is following in the footsteps of his sire, NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire A Sparkling Vintage, as he joins the list of Million Dollar Sires.