Tulsa, OK – A boutique group of fabulous American reining horses went head-to-head on Friday night, in Tulsa, OK, at the 2011 Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship, the featured evening event at the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic.
The National Championship title and top honors in the concurrent CRI3* ended up as a showdown between two teammates from the Gold medal-winning team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. These two superstar reining riders were also the WEG Individual Gold and Silver medalists.
Friday night in Tulsa they brought two chestnut mares to the occasion and Craig Schmersal turned the tables on his teammate, Tom McCutcheon, and cruised to the win on Miss Lil Addy Tude. Schmersal scored his second USEF National Open Reining Title with a score of 224.5.
The elegant 9-year-old Quarter Horse mare put in an easy and smooth effort, and her confidence in herself and Schmersal was evident.
“I was glad I led Tom in this victory celebration today,” said Schmersal. “He led the last one and the one before that.”