HF Mobster & Jordan Larson Top NRHA Derby Open

JordanLarson HFMobsterNRHA Derby Level 4 Open Champions – Owners Andy Fishburn with trainer Jordan Larson and his son, Cash, aboard HF MobsterThe 2013 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby showcased the $435,000-added Open finals on June 29, at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. The NRHA Derby is NRHA’s premier event for the world’s best 4-, 5- and 6-year-old reining horses and hosts two slates of ancillary classes. This year’s Derby finals were the richest ever, paying out approximately $948,000 to owners and nominators of Open and Non-Pro finalists. During the Open go-round, more than 500 entries competed for a spot in the finals with 72 of the top-scoring horse-and-rider teams invited back to Saturday night’s event.

After numerous leader changes, one entry cleared the rest of the field by one-half point: HF Mobster (Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] x Dun Its Black Gold x Hollywood Dun It) and NRHA Million Dollar Rider Jordan Larson, Whitesboro, Texas, with a 228.5. Heritage Farms owns the 2008 stallion that has earned $45,400 so far in his career. Most recently, he and Larson finished in fourth place at the 2013 National Reining Breeders Classic.

The NRHA Derby Championship paid $60,000 ($57,000 to the owner and $3,000 to nominator Rhodes River Ranch). Level 4 Open awards included an NRHA Lawson trophy, a $5,000 gift certificate from Twister Trailer, a saddle from Bob’s Custom Saddles, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a $300 SmartPak gift card, Purina feed, a pair of Rios of Mercedes boots, Assure Guard, Platinum Performance CJ, product from Classic Equine, a $100 gift card from Pard’s Western Shop and a headstall from The New West.

Go-round leaders, A Smokin Whiz (Topsail Whiz x PF Nu Miss Royal RSK x Royal Silver King), owned by Sunrise Ranch LLC, and rider Jason Vanlandingham earned more than $44,400 for their second-place finish in the finals with a 228. Just behind with a 227.5 were 2012 NRHA Futurity Champions Americasnextgunmodel (Gunner x Cee Dun It Do It x Hollywood Dun It), owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, and NRHA Professional Casey Deary, Weatherford, Texas. They ended the finals in third place.

 Level 3 Open

CFR Centenario Wimpy (Wimpys Little Step x Miss Hollywood Whiz x Topsail Whiz) and Franco Bertolani, Aubrey, Texas, jumped to the top of the Level 3 Open with a 226. They ended the finals with the Championship and a fourth-place finish in the Level 4 Open. Domencio Lomuto’s 2008 stallion added more than $44,400 to his current $46,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings.

CFR Centenario Wimpy and Bertolani also won an NRHA Lawson trophy, a $2,500 gift certificate from Twister Trailer, a saddle from Bob’s Custom Saddles, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, $200 SmartPak gift card, Purina feed, a pair of Rios of Mercedes boots, Assure Guard, Platinum Performance CJ, product from Classic Equine, a $100 gift cards from Pard’s Western Shop and a headstall from The New West.

Level 2 Open

Late in the first section, Dunit A Lil Ruf (Lil Ruf Peppy x Bueno Poco Dunit x Hollywood Dun It) and NRHA Professional Ann Salmon, Tioga, Texas, earned a score of 223 to lead the Level 2 Open. They held on to that lead and won the Level 2 for a paycheck of $10,996. In 2012, Dunit A Lil Ruf and Salmon were finalists in Levels 3, 2 and 1 at the NRHA Derby. To date, the 2007 mare has earned $19,199 in NRHA competition, and Salmon has won in excess of $100,170 in her NRHA career.

The Level 2 Champions also won an NRHA Lawson trophy, a $2,500 gift certificate from Twister Trailer, a saddle from Bob’s Custom Saddles, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a $200 SmartPak gift card, Purina feed, a pair of Rios of Mercedes boots, Assure Guard, Platinum Performance CJ, product from Classic Equine, a $100 gift card from Pard’s Western Shop, a headstall from The New West and a hat from Shorty’s Caboy Hattery.

Level 1 Open

Spin N Wimp (Wimpys Little Step x Spinning Beauty x Shining Spark) and Mirjam Giraudini-Stillo marked a 219.5 to match their go-round score and win the Level 1 Open finals. The 2007 gelding is owned by Andrea Stillo and has over $40,500 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. Spin N Wimp has been shown primarily in Europe, racking up wins at the Italian Reining Horse Association Futurity as a 4-Year-Old and at the German Breeder’s Futurity. The Stillo’s recently brought him from their native Italy to their ranch in Tioga, Texas.

For the Level 1 Championship and top 10 placings in Levels 3 and 2 Open, they won $13,338, an NRHA Lawson trophy, a $2,500 gift certificate from Twister Trailer, a saddle from Bob’s Custom Saddles, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a $100 SmartPak gift card, Purina feed, a pair of Rios of Mercedes boots, Assure Guard, Platinum Performance CJ, product from Classic Equine, a $100 gift card from Pard’s Western Shop, a headstall from The New West and a hat from Shorty’s Caboy Hattery.

Prime Time Open

The Championship in the Prime Time division was determined in the go-round. Two matching scores of 220.5 ranked at the top of the pack: Whattadualpep (Mister Dual Pep x Whattaroyalprincess x Royal Chic Olena) with Carol Metcalf, Pilot Point, Texas, and Dunit A Lil Ruf with Salmon. The Co-Champions earned $1,890 and split the awards: an NRHA Lawson trophy, a $2,500 gift certificate from Twister Trailer, a Montana Silversmiths buckle, a $100 SmartPak gift card, Purina feed, a pair of Anderson Bean boots, Assure Guard, Platinum Performance CJ, product from Classic Equine, a $100 gift card from Pard’s Western Shop and a headstall from The New West.

NRHA Sire & Dam Program Awards

The following NRHA Sire & Dam Program stallion owner awards were presented during the awards ceremony:

• $1,500 to Gunner, owned by McQuay Stables, for HF Mobster winning the Level 4 Open

• $1,000 to Gunner, owned by McQuay Stables, for Americasnextgunmodel placing third in the Level 4 Open

• $500 to Wimpys Little Step, owned by Xtra Quarter Horses, for CFR Centenario Wimpy placing fourth in the Level 4 Open

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