Las Vegas, Nev. – Andrea Fappani came out the gate strong Thursday night to earn the 2015 $25,000 Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship during the High Roller Reining Classic. Fappani scored a 229 to edge out Reserve Champion Matt Mills who scored a 226.
The 2015 $25,000 Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship was comprised of elite reining talent including four members who competed in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Casey Hinton (Whitesboro, Texas) and Tracey Tuttle-Bryce and Roberta Faga’s Top Gun Tonite led the competition with a score of 222 before Fappani (Scottsdale, Ariz.) entered the arena as fourth to go. The 2014 WEG Individual Silver medalist Fappani and Rancho Oso Rio, LLC’s Custom Spook electrified the arena upon entering with their first sliding stop. This set the tone for an exceptional performance and helped them earn a great score.
Fappani had a commanding lead going into the final four performances. Mills (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and Dealer Auctions, LLC and Vincent and Lynn Maffucci’s Freckles Got AShiner took to the arena first. They also gave an exciting performance. However, Fappani and Custom Spook were more on point with their stops and spins, which allowed them to keep their lead.
Hinton as well as Troy Heikes (Purcell, Okla.) and Denise Bixler’s RSD One Hot Deal were tied for third place with a score of 222 until Tom McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) and Jennifer Greenleaf’s Dun Git A Nicadual entered the arena. They put on a good show to take third place with a score of 223.
Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the dates and locations for the 2015 Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and 2015 USEF Youth Reining National Championships.
Held as a CRI3*, the 2015 Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship will run during the High Roller Reining Classic, September 11-20, at the South Point Arena and Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Learn more about the High Roller Reining Classic here.
The 2015 USEF Youth Reining National Championships will once again hold championship competition across three divisions, 13 & Under, 14-18, and 19-21, as it runs June 20-27, at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. in conjunction with the NRHA Derby. Learn more about the NRHA Derby here.
Learn more about the USEF Youth Reining Program here.
Lexington, Ky. – Sixteen combinations entered the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena Sunday morning with National Championship honors and selection for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on their minds for the second and final round of the Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad. And in a repeat of Friday’s initial round at the Kentucky Reining Cup, Shawn Flarida posted the top score of the day to claim the National Title and punch his ticket to Normandy, France for the World Championship in August. Additionally, five other riders earned their place on the squad with strong performances over the week.
Flarida (Springfield, Ohio) and Michell Kimball’s seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Spooks Gotta Whiz posted a score of 225 in Friday’s first round and bested that by 2.5 points scoring 227.5 Sunday morning. They finished on an overall score of 452.5 to top the field by 3.5 points.
The multiple-time National Champion and 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Team Gold medalist was pleased with his horse throughout their time in Lexington and knows that there were some points left on the table.
“Friday night seems like a month ago,” said Flarida. “I had a few bobbles in each pattern but he’s just a nice horse; he’s fun to show and just a great horse.”
Flarida looks forward to getting to Normandy and retaining the title he helped to earn four years ago and believes the U.S. riders are poised for greatness in France.
“They’re all super talented and hardworking,” said Flarida of his squad-mates. “When you get there it’s just time to put your hand down and get to work.”
Mandy McCutcheon & Yellow Jersey (Alleyn Evans for Shannon Brinkman/USEF photo)
Earning Reserve Champion honors and her spot on the U.S. squad was Mandy McCutcheon with an overall score of 449. She rode father Tim McQuay’s 10-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Yellow Jersey to scores of 224 and 225 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, to help her become the first women to ever represent the United States at a Reining World Championship.
“The next part is the fun part; this was the nerve-wracking part. I’ll still be nervous but just to get to say you get to go is so fun,” said McCutcheon who will ride alongside her husband, Tom, in Normandy. “For me to be on a team with my husband on a horse my parents own is just so fun.”
Jordan Larson (Whitesboro, Texas) and Heritage Farms’ HF Mobster slid to third place overall by earning 223 and 225 in the two rounds. The six-year-old Quarter Horse stallion finished on an overall score of 448.
Andrea Fappani (Scottsdale, A.Z.) had an extremely successful weekend at the Kentucky Reining Cup qualifying two of Silver Spurs Equine’s horses for the U.S. World Equestrian Games squad. With the seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Smoking Whiz he finished in fourth on a total of 446.5 and then piloted the eight-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Custom Cash Advance to a weekend total of 445.
Finishing in sixth place and earning a place on the squad were Troy Heikes (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Denise Bixler’s eight-year-old Quarter Horse gelding Lil Gun Dunit with a score of 442.
Rounding out the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad after finishing in seventh place are Tom McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) and Jennifer Marley’s six-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Dun Git a Nicadual after finishing the weekend on a total of 440.5.
Lexington, Ky. – The 2014 Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad kicked off Friday evening at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena with the first of two rounds of competition. A field of 35 international veterans went to task in the CRI3* competition which is being held in conjunction with the Kentucky Reining Cup.
Leading the way in National Championship and Selection Trial competition is former National Champion and U.S. Team Gold medalist from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Shawn Flarida. Riding Michell Kimball’s seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Spooks Gotta Whiz, Flarida (Springfield, Ohio) executed a polished performance that was highlighted by solid transitions to score 225.
“He warmed up really well, and showed really sweet,” said Flarida, who looks for another solid round from Spooks Gotta Whiz on Sunday. “I hope he shows as pure again and I’ll let things fall where they do.”
Lying in second place after round one on Friday is Mandy McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) and her father Tim McQuay’s Yellow Jersey. The 10-year-old Quarter Horse stallion demonstrated why he is so highly regarded in the U.S. by scoring 224; just a single point separates him and McCutcheon from first place.
Andrea Fappani (Scottsdale, A.Z.) and Silver Spurs Equine’s seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Smoking Whiz stand third heading into Sunday’s final round on a score of 223.5.
Following the second and final round of competition for the Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad, the top six combinations will be named to the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad.
Mandy McCutcheon (Alleyn Evans for Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Lexington, Ky. – The focus of the reining the world will be on the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park April 25-27, as a talented field lines up for the Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad which is being held as part of the Kentucky Reining Cup. Twenty-two of the best in the U.S. will go head-to-head to stake their claim on the National Title, 21 of which are also competing for a spot on the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Squad as part of the Selection Trial. The top six combinations, which are in Selection Trial contention, at the conclusion of the weekend’s competition earn a spot on the U.S. squad for the Games in Normandy, France. The 2014 Championship and Selection Trial will be held over two rounds with the Opening Round getting underway Friday at 6pm ET and competition coming to a conclusion on Sunday morning with the Final Round, and the crowning of the 2014 Champion.
On Thursday, 37 horses were presented before the CRI Ground Jury at the Horse Inspection with two not being accepted.
This weekend will host three members of the United States’ Gold medal winning team from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games as they head back to the scene of their success in Lexington. Team and Individual Gold medalist Tom McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) will ride Jennifer Marley’s Dun Git a Nicadaul and Turnabout Farm’s Dun Got My Rest. 2010’s Individual Silver medalist Craig Schmersal (Overbrook, Okla.) is vying for top honors and selection with Karl Robert’s What A Wave. Former National Champion Shawn Flarida (Springfield, Ohio) joins his teammates from four years ago and will be riding Michell Kimball’s Spooks Gotta Whiz.
Mandy McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) will be busy this weekend as she has two shots to claim top honors. She will look to do so on her father Tim McQuay’s Yellow Jersey, as well as on Robert Webb’s Spin N Wimp.
“I’m very excited to be here and am just trying to keep my expectations for the weekend in check,” said McCutcheon, who would welcome the opportunity to compete for the U.S. in Normandy. “It would be a dream; I try not to even think about it because it would be so amazing.”
