All About Reining

Oct. 13, 2008 - Columbus, Ohio
For the past three years, Shawn Flarida has dominated the All-American Quarter Horse Congress Open Reining Futurity. After the dust settled over the 2008 event, Flarida can now make that four in a row. He tied Bryant Pace and All Juiced Up with a 224 on Whizs Chic A Dee to share the Open Futurity title, marking his seventh Congress Futurity Championship overall. The Congress is the world's largest Quarter Horse Show and was held in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 4-26.

Whizs Chic A Dee, a son of West Coast Whiz out of Chic A Dee Hickory by Smart Chic Olena, is owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA. All Juiced Up,a son of the popular new stallion Smart Like Juice, is out of Come On And Dance by Reminic. He is owned by Jose Vazquez's Smart Like Juice, Inc., Chicago, Ill.

Prior to the Congress, Whizs Chic A Dee and Flarida had earned $17,110.77 by winning the North Central RHA Open Futurity for a $5,158.67 paycheck and the Tulsa Reining Classic Open Futurity for $11,952.10. All Juiced Up had earned $10,049 for their sweep of The Tradition Open ($6,176.64) and Intermediate Open ($2,667.80) finals, a seventh-place tie in the Intermediate Open of the Double Run Futurity ($501.87) and an eighth-place tie in the Open for $700.78.

Flarida, Springfield, Ohio, also tied for eighth on Skid Whiz with a 219.5, and tied for 12th on Megas Sugar Baby with a 219. When the checks were tallied, Flarida took home an impressive $33,092.57, including a check worth $1,834 for winning the NRHA Open class on his 2004 NRHA Futurity Champion, Smart Spook. That win put Spook, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, over the $300,000 NRHA earnings mark, making him just the third horse to do so. In fact, all three horses that have now earned more than $300,000 in NRHA reining competition – Einsteins Revolution, KR Lil Conquistador and Smart Spook – have all been shown and won on by Flarida.

The money took a big chunk off Flarida’s quest to become the first-ever NRHA $3 Million Rider. Prior to the event, he needed approximately $70,000 to get to the goal, and now that margin is cut to just nearly $37,000 (the exact figures will be posted by the NRHA after the Clemson, S.C., and Congress shows are official).
Flarida also finished as the reserve champion of the AQHA Senior Reining on Spooks Rey Jay, owned by Jimmy Pierce, but the earnings from that class do not count toward NRHA money.

During the Friday night Open Futurity finals, Flarida put together a solid run on Whizs Chic A Dee, the same horse that won titles in St. Paul and Tulsa, but the run wasn’t without some hiccups.

“On my right spin, I lost my stirrup and that cost us a little bit,” Flarida said after his run. “It was human error, for sure.”

Still, Flarida’s score was announced at a 225, but later adjusted to a 224. Competing as draw third Open draw in a field of 24 finalists, Flarida knew he had left the door open a little bit, but it was a tough night for everyone. One by one, the top horses from the go-round all struggled with bobbles in their runs, and as the competition came down to the last few, it was anybody’s game. When Pace rode into the ring, Flarida knew his leading score was in jeopardy.

“Bryant has a great horse, and he’s been competitive all season,” Flarida said of Pace, who beat him at The Tradition Futurity in early September. “But any of these guys in the finals could have come in and won. There were some very talented horses here.”

Pace put together a smooth run, and his score was announced at a 224 – tying for the lead. While the reining enthusiasts at the Congress hoped for a run-off, the two horsemen decided to share the title. Pace and All Juiced Up also won the Intermediate Open Division title.

“If this were it, I’d have loved to run it off,” Pace explained. “But we’ve got another horse show coming up here pretty quick, and you have to think about these horses. We both have good mounts for Oklahoma City, and we didn’t want to make them run them again tonight. It would have been nice for the crowd, but I’m happy to share with Flarida.”

The Non-Pro Stakes Champion was Ginger Schmersal, Overbrook, Okla., riding Lil N Trouble, a 3-year-old APHA-registered son of Lil Ruf Trouble out of Tami Dee (P) by Surprise Enterprise. The pair marked the winning score of 223 and took home $5,036.93. Prior to the Congress, Lil N Trouble (P) had earned $10,668 at the Rocky Mountain RHA Summer Slide Futurity and Stakes.

Those "Juice" horses showed up again in the Non-Pro Division, with the stallion's owner, Jose Vazquez riding SLS Dun Juiced Up and Juicetta to second and third place in the Finals. SLS Dun Juiced Up won $4,148.06 while Juicetta picked up $3,111.05.
For complete results, click here>>

SHAWN FLARIDA WINS NRHA DERBY AND REINING’S FIRST TRIPLE CROWN
MANDY MCCUTCHEON TAKES NON-PRO RIDING I SPIN FOR CHICS

June 29, 2008 – Oklahoma City, Okla.

History was made on the night of June 28, 2008, in the historic coliseum at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Okla., as NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida maneuvered Wimpys Little Chic to the NRHA Derby Championship with a 233 score.

The win made the 4-year-old mare, owned by Eleuterio Arcese of Arcese Quarter Horses from Italy and Texas, the only horse in National Reining Horse Association History to ever win the top three events the sport has to offer: the NRHA Futurity, the National Reining Breeders Classic, and the NRHA Derby – what is essentially reining’s version of a Triple Crown.

Flarida won a cool $50,000 on the mare; however, after placing on two other horses in the Derby, his take-home pay totaled $82,607.55 – putting him within $115,000 of hitting the unprecedented $3 Million Dollar Rider mark.

The Reserve title went to Tinsel Jac, ridden by Andrea Fappani, San Marcos, Calif., who scored a 227 and took home the $39,065 Reserve paycheck. The 6-year-old palomino stallion sired by Dolls Union Jac out of Holly Tinseltown by Primary Pine, is owned by Tinsel Jac Partners from Mexico. Fappani also finished third riding Spooks Gotta Gun for Duane Hicks, Marietta, Okla. His 225 score earned him an additional $30,989.47.

The Intermediate Open Derby was split by Jared T. Leclair riding Rootin Tootin Dunit, a 4-year-old stallion by Gallo Del Cielo out of This Is How Its Dun by Hollywood Dun It, owned by the Wolf Stem Partnership, Horse Cove, Ky., and Jason Vanlandingham, riding Gallos Stylish Star, also sired by Gallo Del Cielo and out of A Stylish Queen by Docs Stylish Oak, owned by Anthony Boerma, Pauls Valley, Okla. Both scored a 221.5 and took home a check for $11,431.83. The Limited Open winner was Gabriel B. Diano riding Whiz Shady MA for Roberto Jose Ribas, scoring a 219.5. The pair won $2,352.81.

NRHA’s only Non-Pro Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon, Aubrey, Texas, repeated her Derby win of 2007 when she again won the Non-Pro Derby riding I Spin For Chics, a 5-year-old stallion sired by Tangys Classy Peppy out of Chics Koko Angel by Smart Chic Olena. The pair also previously won the Non-Pro title at the 2008 National Reining Breeders Classic and took Reserve titles at the 2006 NRHA Futurity and the 2007 NRBC.

The Non-Pro Reserve title was split between Jessicah Keller, Fayetteville, Tenn., riding Helluva Chex, a 4-year-old stallion sired by Nu Chex To Cash out of Full Sis by Peppy San Badger, owned by Hilldale Farm and Sandra Bentien, Auburn, Calif., riding Make It With A Twist, a 6-year-old daughter of Dun It With A Twist out of SR Mischief Maker by Holidoc. The pair also won the Intermediate Non-Pro Championship. Lindy Longfellow, Hanford, Calif., won both the Limited Non-Pro and the Prime Time Non-Pro titles riding SLJ Sweet N Juicy, a 5-year-old daughter of Smart Like Juice out of Jacks My Sugar Daddy by Hollywood Jac 86.
FLARIDA AND WIMPYS LITTLE CHIC:
Flarida and Wimpys Little Chic, or “Lexi,” as she is more affectionately called, dominated the event all week, beginning by winning the preliminary go-round with a 227. All eyes were on the flashy mare by Wimpys Little Step and out of Collena Chic Olena by Smart Chic Olena as she entered the pen for the finals. With her trademark precision, she maneuvered through Pattern 5 with the ease and grace that have become her distinctive style. As the pair blazed on to the pattern-ending three stops, the crowd bellowed its approval. As the pair exited, many fans rose for a standing ovation, paying homage to the mare that many have called one of the most talented horses in reining history.

“This mare, she could have finished last tonight and my respect for her wouldn’t be diminished at all – because I know how great she is,” Flarida said after the win. “But I was just really happy she could show everyone what I knew she was capable of doing.”

The pair’s 233 score was their third consecutive score above a 230 – to top the Open Derby by a definitive six points. Breeder Monica Watson of Double Run Farm had tears in her eyes as she ran to Lexi to give her a well-deserved kiss – something that has become a tradition for the horse and her former owner. Watson named the mare after Alexis Carrington from the popular TV show “Dynasty.”

“She was just amazing tonight,” Flarida recounted. “She’s been great every time, but this might have been her best performance yet.”

Flarida had three horses in the Open NRHA Derby finals, and in addition to the $50,000 he won for first place, he also took home a check for $21,760 for a fourth-place tie on KR Lil Conquistador, owned by Jeff and Cheree Kirkbride, and another $7,915 for a 10th-place tie on Western Whiz, owned by Sammy Ely. Additionally, he won nearly $3,000 for placing first in the preliminary, and tying himself for eighth. When all the checks were totaled, Flarida took home $82,607.55 – putting him within $115,000 of hitting the unprecedented $3 Million Dollar Rider mark. KR Lil Conquistador’s paycheck made his earnings top the $400,000 mark.

“We’re so grateful for all the support we’ve been given from everyone – our fans, our family, and of course, our sponsors,” said Michele Flarida. “I hope we’ve made them all proud because we couldn’t do this without them!”

Flarida is the NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money-earning rider, with more than $2.8 million dollars won and counting. He is just the second rider to earn two million dollars in NRHA competition, and has four NRHA Open Futurity wins to his credit. Flarida is sponsored by EZ-All, Horseware Ireland, Lubrisyn, Leonard Trailers, Wrangler, Classic Equine, Purina Mills and Pards Western Store.

Shawn Flarida won top two spots in NRBC Open.

The 2008 National Reining Breeders Classic provided a week of thrills and excitement for exhibitors, owners, sponsors, and spectators that escalated to a crescendo on Open finals night, April 19. The Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, was filled with an enthusiastic reining crowd.

That crowd saw its share of memories made when Shawn Flarida delivered a 1-2 punch by earning the NRBC Open Championship on Wimpys Little Chic and the Reserve title on RC Fancy Step.

“This was great – it’s very exciting to be among this group of people,” he said after the awards ceremony. “It’s tough to win here. The competition is so good.”

Arcese Quarter Horses’ Wimpys Little Chic, by Wimpys Little Step and out of Collena Chic Olena, marked an outstanding 233.5. “She’s probably the best horse I’ve ever ridden. She has heart, and is trainable. She has the strength of a stud, but is definitely a mare,” he noted.

RC Fancy Step, owned by Jimmy Pierce and Mark Schols, is by Wimpys Little Step and out of Sonita Wilson. He marked a 231 to take the Reserve title.

Wimpys Little Chic and RC Fancy Step helped their sire, Wimpys Little Step, earn the NRBC Leading Sire Award – worth $2,500 for owner Mark Schols. Wimpys Little Step’s foals earned over $218,000 at this year’s NRBC.

Flarida, who is the winningest rider in NRHA history, has a certain philosophy when it comes down to the upper-crest competition. “When you have all these exceptional riders, you’ve got to take risks,” he said.

Flarida accepted the $75,000 check for the Championship on Wimpys Little Chic and he also won $18,046 for the NRBC Mare Bonus. Add that to $62,000 for the reserve title, but there was more. He also earned $32,000 on his third entry – Walla Walla Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Shiney Walla Wanda) also owned by Arcese Quarter Horses – for placing fifth with a score of 226.

Robin Schoeller, riding KR Lil Conquistador owned by Cheree Kirkbride, tied with Corey Hendrickson and The Skeetist owned by Vaughn Zimmerman for the Intermediate Open Championship with scores of 223.5. Each took home $23,438.

While the two riders could have opted for a run-off, both were adamant that they were content with splitting the Championship.

“We have another big horse show coming up in a month – we want to save them,” said Schoeller. Hendrickson quickly added, “These are two outstanding horses that can go head to head another day. Neither deserved to lose the title today.”

Hendrickson competed earlier in the day during the Intermediate and Limited Open finals, and he admitted that the wait was difficult. “It was excruciating. When Robin went, I called my wife and said, ‘I’m second.’ I was really surprised when they announced the 223.5. I was sure they were going to come back and change it.” The Skeetist is by Skeets Peppy and out of Jessie Dot Tari.

The evening was very special for Schoeller as the win unofficially made KR Lil Conquistador, by Conquistador Whiz and out of Smart Little Prize, the NRHA’s highest money earning horse!

“There was a lot of pressure. This horse is easy to show, and I am really lucky to have gotten the opportunity. I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

The Limited Open title was won by popular clinician Clinton Anderson and his horse Princess On The Prowl, by High Brow Cat and out of Princess In Diamonds. They earned a 222.5 and took home $11,455. They also placed fourth in the Intermediate division for an additional $11,000.

“This is my hobby, so I’m very excited. I’m glad these people accept me. This could be my only moment of glory for a long time,” he said with a laugh. Anderson started Princess On The Prowl as a 2-year-old, then sent her to Brent Wright as a 3-year-old, and then got her back in January. “Brent deserves a lot of the credit for her training. He’s a great guy,” he said.

Actually, Brent Wright, who won the first go-round and tied for ninth in the Open Finals on Miss Rey O Shine became the third rider to pass the Million Dollar Mark at the NRBC.

“This was really good. It’s great, actually,” he said modestly when asked about that milestone. “The other people who are million dollar riders are the greatest there are. I’m very lucky.” Multiple Records Set At 2008 NRBC.

There was another milestone at the 2008 NRBC. Prior to the NRBC, Topsail Whiz’s foals had earned $907,600 in NRBC competition alone. Money was won by his offspring in the Non Pro Classic and in the Open preliminaries, so by Open Finals time, Topsail Whiz was only $65,987.19 from being the program’s first million dollar sire.

It all came down to his last foal to compete in the Open Finals – Walla Walla Whiz. The fifth place finish secured the needed money, and word of the accomplishment quickly spread throughout the facility. In total, Topsail Whiz’s foals earned over $117,000 at the NRBC to make him the first sire to have foals earning over a million dollars at the NRBC.

The National Reining Breeders Classic is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In just 11 years, the NRBC has grown to include almost 300 subscribed stallions and over 20,000 enrolled foals. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.

With the conclusion of the first set of Open entries of the 11th Annual National Reining Breeders Classic held in Katy, Texas, it was clear that the “Million Dollar Show” is as tough as ever. The first 106 Open horses competed in the first go Wednesday, April 16.

The top 10 horses in the Open division all marked higher than a 221, with Miss Rey O Shine (Shining Spark X Miss Rey O Lena) and Brent Wright leading the way with a 227. Miss Rey O Shine is owned by Gloria Bahn of Wildwood, Mo.

Holding tightly to a second-place spot with a score of 226.5 is Shawn Flarida and RC Fancy Step (Wimpys Little Step X Sonita Wilson), owned by Jimmy Pierce and Mark Schols, of Surf City, N.C.

In the Intermediate Open division, Robin Schoeller and Wimpys Pinesail (Wimpys Little Step X Pinesail) top the leader board with a 221. Wimpys Pinesail is owned by Lafayette, Ind., native Charles Vaughn.

Currently tied for second in the Intermediate Open and holding the first spot in the Limited Open is Sebastian Petroll and Dun It In The Bay, owned by Tom and Mandy McCutcheon of Aubrey, Texas. Petroll and Dun It In The Bay (Starlights Wrangler X Cee Dun It Do It) marked a 220.

Tracer Gilson and Silvernbluestarbuck (Smart Starbuck X Dun It For Chex) also marked a 220 to move into the second place tie in the Intermediate Open division.

After the second set of Open NRBC entries Thursday evening, the 30 Open Classic finalists will be decided – and one of those entries will earn the prestigious title of NRBC Champion and an impressive check of $75,000 on Saturday evening.

The Novice Horse Non Pro and Rookie classes were held Wednesday in the East Arena. Nadine Galbraith and Mister Dual Train were the Novice Horse Non Pro Champions after marking a 144.5. Galbraith, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, took home a check for $779.

The Rookie title went to Kimberly Tillman and Im Genuinely Smart. Im Genuinely Smart and Tillman, of Tioga, Texas, marked a 144.5.

On another exciting note, Dick Waltenberry, of Waltenberry Video Production, reported that the live webcast of the NRBC had over 8,000 hits, so the whole world seems to be watching the NRBC. The second section of the Open Preliminaries begins on Thursday morning at 8 am.

It’s time for Reiners to mark their calendars for the 2008 Reining By The Bay. One of the most popular NRHA-sanctioned events on the West Coast, the show will run July 22-27 at the Horse Park at Woodside in Northern California.

In addition to a full slate of ancillary classes, Reining By The Bay will once again feature its popular one-run $60,000-plus Added 4-, 5- and 6-Year-Old Derbies, where Open Champions are guaranteed a $10,000 paycheck, and Non-Pro Champions a $5,000 winner’s check. Monies will be paid to six places, and prizes to seventh place, with trophy saddles and buckles presented to a wide range of category circuit champions.

A special Rookie Day will precede the event on Sunday, July 20 to benefit the Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF), a non-profit organization established in 1999 to act as a supporting organization the National Reining Horse Association in an effort to develop and enhance the sport of Reining worldwide.

The NRHA “A” rated show is a favorite of trainers, owners and non-pro competitors alike, according to California trainer Roberta McCarty. “All of my clients are looking forward to another favorite of ours, Reining By The Bay in July. My clients that have RV’s love to “camp out” there among the oak trees. It’s a little different show as there are no lights for the arenas, so when the daylight is done so are we! There’s plenty of time to explore the surrounding towns in the redwood trees or the ocean and each year my customers plan an evening in San Francisco for dinner. Just like the Cactus Classic, the awards are first class and the outdoor evening exhibitor party is great. All Reiners appreciate the hard work that Mandi puts into her events.”

Show manager, Mandi Brumley has been producing Reining By The Bay along with RBB, Incorporated since 1999. A non-pro competitor herself, Brumley is committed to making the event enjoyable for all who attend. “We work hard to make sure the schedule doesn’t run the exhibitors and their horses into the ground,” she stressed. “These horse shows are supposed to be enjoyable, and our goal is to make this a really fun event for everyone.”

For further information, interested reiners can visit the event website at www.reiningbythebay.com or contact Show Secretary Jeff Lansidale at (360) 528-4177 or jl.showinfo@yahoo.com.

WIMPYS LITTLE STEP DERBY PAYS OUT BIG
SHAWN FLARIDA TAKES OPEN ON RC FANCY STEP
Murfreesboro, TN – March 14, 2008

Despite a freak March snowstorm and cold temperatures, Shawn Flarida kept the heat on in the Tennessee Miller Coliseum during the Wimpys Little Step Derby, featuring the Spooks Gotta Gun Cabin Fever Classic.

Riding the 2007 Congress Open Futurity Champion RC Fancy Step (Wimpys Little Step x Sonita Wilson x Doc Wilson), owned by Mark Schols and Jimmy Pierce, Flarida scored a 231 to top the class of 47. RC Fancy Step added $17,688 to his list of earnings from that division, and also earned an additional $5,000 for the closed Derby for offspring of subscribed stallions. The event was held March 4-9 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Flarida added another $11,308 to his lifetime earning stats with a second-place finish on 2006 NRHA Derby Champion Walla Walla Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Shiny Walla Wanda x Shining Spark, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, Weatherford, Texas. The pair scored a 228.5, narrowly edging out the 228 marked by Brian Bell and Great Sun Burst (Great Resolve x Docs Sun Burst x Docs Sidewinder), owned by De Bruin, Gattuso and Vandorp.

With more than $34,000 in his pocket, Flarida’s job wasn’t done until he’d earned money on all three of his mounts. He finished fourth in the event with KR Lil Conquistador, the 2005 NRHA Futurity Champion. KR, owned by Jeff and Cheree Kirkbride of Ocala, Fla., marked a 226.5 to earn a paycheck worth $6,361. The money was enough to make KR Lil Conquistador the second horse in NRHA history to surpass the $300,000 mark for lifetime earnings.

Chic Olena Star (Hickory Chic Olena x Joettes Okie Pual x Okie Paul Quixote), owned by Thomas Miles, Tunkhannock, Penn., ridden by Jerry Coleman, topped the Intermediate Non Pro division with a 224.5. The pair earned $9,637 for the division, and also earned a $1,500 check for topping the EzAll Mare Incentive class. In the Limited Open division, Bart Corrington maneuvered Great King Pine (Earl Be Nimble x Bobs Poco Echo x Bobs Ozark), owned by Patricia Widener, to a first-place finish with a 217.5. The pair earned $4,631 for the division championship.

In the Non Pro Derby, it was Flarida’s best friend and client Sammy Ely who rode off with big money. Ely rode Western Whiz (West Coast Whiz x Cameos Brite Star x Black Star Leo) to a 221 score, topping the class of 33 entries. For the Non Pro Derby, he earned $10,606, and added another $4,690 for also topping the Intermediate Non Pro division. Ely also earned $5,000 for earning top honors in the closed Derby as well. When the event was over and the checks totaled, Ely went home $20,296 richer.

Jessicah Keller earned the Non Pro Reserve Championship on Malena Chex (Nu Chex To Cahs x Ima Tex O Lena x Tex O Lena). Keller scored a 217.5 to earn a paycheck worth $7,751. She also topped the EzAll Mare Incentive, taking home another $1,500.

The event was a hit for all, and included a concert by Chris Cagle that benefitted a charity. Each year, Michele Flarida and Beth Himes, who put the show on together, choose a charity to benefit from the show, and this year, it was the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. The concert by Cagle was a very poplar event, and in addition to a silent and live auction and the Calcutta, the Wimpys Little Step Derby wrote a check to Vanderbilt for $10,000.

“It was a great success, and despite the weather, we were very happy with how everything turned out,” Michele said. “Moving from Ohio to Tennessee was a great move, and we’re already working to add even more money to pay out bigger next year.”

FLARIDA TOPS CONGRESS REINING FUTURITY RIDING RC FANCY STEP; KELLE SMITH TAKE NON-PRO TITLE

Oct. 17, 2007 - Columbus, Ohio

There is no question that when the NRHA's No. 1 open rider walks into the pen, he's there to win. But the All-American Quarter Horse Congress has a special meaning for the Shawn Flarida. That's because the reining event been a family tradition since the 38-year-old trainer was just a child - and winning Congress Championships has become as synonymous with his name as his famous green shirt.

The 2007 Congress Reining Futurity, held Oct. 8-13, in Columbus, Ohio, was no different. In addition to capturing first, second and third places in the NRHA Novice Horse Open division and the NRHA Open Reining Championship on former NRHA Futurity Champion Smart Spook, Flarida, Springfield, Ohio, topped the prestigious Congress Open Futurity. With his 93-year-old grandmother watching in addition to a host of cheering family and friends, Flarida rode RC Fancy Step to a near-flawless 231.5, once again capturing the Open Futurity title and claiming the $30,677 prize.

"He's really easy to show," Flarida said of RC Fancy Step. "He goes so fast, but he can slow down so strong and so quick. He's just so easy. You put your bridle rein against him and he moves over, he don't ever pick his
neck up. He's awesome."

RC Fancy Step, a stallion by Wimpys Little Step out of Sonita Wilson by Doc Wilson, is proving to be quite the spitting image of his dad. Wimpys Little Step was the 2002 NRHA Futurity Champion, marking the first of
Flarida's three NRHA Futurity titles. The pair made history by marking a 233 - the highest mark ever given to a 3-year-old. Wimpys Little Step and Flarida also won the Congress Futurity preceding their trip to Oklahoma
City. Like his dad, Flarida says RC Fancy Step is easy to train and fun to
show.

"I thought my circles tonight were super strong, but when he goes down and
stops, it just feels like the whole world stops out from underneath you," Flarida said with a smile. "He's just a blast to show, he really is."

Going into the finals, Flarida was placed in first, second and third on his three horses. Another Wimpys Little Step offspring, Wimpys Little Chic, out of Collena Chic Olena by Smart Chic Olena, owned by Arcese
Quarter Horses, scored a 225.5 in the finals to finish third, edged out by Boom Shernic and Craig Schmersal, who scored a 226. Boom Shernic is by Boomernic out of She And Chic Dunit by Smart Chic Olena, and is owned by
Cheryl Hadrych, Brenham, Texas. Flarida's third horse, Plus Me Big Time, a gelding by Shine Big Time owned by Tami Nelson and Janice Fleet, scored a 222 in the finals to tie for seventh with Style In Storm, shown by Shawn's nephew Matt Flarida. When the dust settled, Shawn Flarida took home the
largest chunk of the money with a total of nearly $50,000.

While Flarida was no doubt pleased with his own success, he was equally excited for his assistant, Robin Schoeller, who rode Wimpys Pinesail, another Wimpys Little Step out of Pinesail by Topsail Cody, to the top
spot in the Limited Open Futurity Championship. Wimpys Pinesail is owned
by Charles Vaughan, Lafayette, Ind. Schoeller picked up a check worth $1,515 for Vaughan, enough to move him out of the Limited division for good.

In the Intermediate Open, Dan L. Huss rode Skeets Little Annie, a daughter of Skeets Peppy out of Oaks Little Annie by Doc's Oak and the top-selling horse of the 2006 NRHA Futurity Sale, to the top spot, scoring a crowd-pleasing 225. The pair won $7,925 for owner Frederick R. Christen, Whitehouse, Ohio, and picked up an additional $10,670 for fourth in the Open division.

In the Non-Pro Reining Stakes, Kelle Lee Smith and Taka Ticket, a gelding by Gallo Del Cielo out of Significant Shine by Shining Spark, took top billing after scoring a 222 in the 3-year-old class to take over the lead.
Smith, from Belle Center, Ohio, won $5,961 for her efforts, and was quick to thank trainer Abigayle Mixon for training the horse.

"Abby was the first one I called after my mother," Smith said after her win. "I told her I hope she's training another one for me. That's not my forte, riding after someone - at all. Obviously, I can ride after Sam [Smith, her trainer husband], so that is a bigger compliment to her, that I could actually go show the horse immediately."

Coming in second and third in the Non-Pro Reining Stakes was Jose Vazquez,
who rode What A Juicy Chic to a 221 for second, and SLJ Dun Juice to a 220. Both horses are by Vazquez's stallion, Smart Like Juice, with What A Juicy Chic being out of Tari What by Doctor What and SLJ Dun Juice being out of Some Kind Of Dun It by Hollywood Dun It.

Vazquez, a businessman from Markham, Ill., won $8,590 on the two horses, and picked up an additional $1,928 on a third horse, SLJ Im No Joke, another Smart Like Juice offspring out of Jokers Mustang Sally by Joker Solano, which placed eighth with a 211.5.

While the Congress Non-Pro Reining Stakes did not have an intermediate division, Carlie Thompson, from nearby Dublin, Ohio, and Major Smart Buck, a gelding by Smart Starbuck out of Majors Serendipity by Major Bonanza, won the Limited Division with a 213.5. The pair picked up $1,406 for their
efforts.

New York trainer Laura Phillips took top honors in the ever-popular Cinch Freestyle Reining. Phillips rode Pickup Chic, a 5-year-old gelding by Smart Chic Olena out of Spooks Playmate by Grays Starlight, owned by David Phillips, Mohrsville, Pa., to a 231 for the Open Championship, doing a routine to the theme from "Phantom of the Opera." The Open win paid ahefty $7,083.

Trevor Dare placed second in the Open division and also won the Non-Pro Championship with his athletic trick-riding reining routine aboard Parkinwithaslic Chic, a 5-year-old daughter Parking With A Chic out of A Nimble Greyhound by The Jac Be Nimble. Dare, Hilliard, Ohio, won a total
of $7,286 after scoring a 230. His freestyle routine, set to the country music song "Chics Dig It," won the crowd approval of the packed house after Dare jumped off and on his horse and did some quick turnaround
maneuvers in the saddle.

Kimberly Crupper, Paris, Ky., took home the Non-Pro Reserve Championship with a pattern to the music of Tim McGraw's "Fly Away." Outfitted in a white dress with huge wings attached to her saddle, Crupper and Quick Enterprise, a 7-year-old gelding by Sugar Bar Buckaroo out of Prise N Shine by For Sale Enterprise, owned by Crupper's husband, Allen, scored a 228 to earn $1,247.