Six National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Million Dollar Riders, one Two Million Dollar Rider, two Three Million Dollar Riders, one Five Million Dollar Rider, past NRHA Futurity Open and Non-Pro champions, past NRHA Derby and Nation Reining Breeders Classic champions, and an impressive number of horses with earnings that surpass the $100,000 mark in lifetime earnings. All these things made up the NRHA Derby Open finals on Saturday, July 2, in Oklahoma City.
Winning the Derby Level 4 Open Championship with a 223 was NRHA Million Dollar Rider Casey Deary aboard Magnum Starlights (Magnum Chic Dream x Starlights Sugarwhiz x Little Bay Starlight), a 5-year-old stallion owned by Antler Ridge Ranch LLC and nominated by George Lawrence with $84,379 in earnings.
The win was especially sweet for Deary. Not only did he show Magnum Starlights’ grandsire, he also showed the talented stallion’s granddam.
“We have a long history together, and Magnum Starlights was raised on our ranch,” said Deary following his win. “We’ve always felt that he would achieve a major win sometime.”
Two riders posted a 222.5 for the Co-Reserve championship: NRHA Million Dollar Rider Jason Vanlandingham and NRHA Four Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani.
Vanlandingham rode NRHA Triple Crown champion Not Ruf At All (A Sparkling Vintage x All Ruffed Up x Lil Ruf Peppy), a 6-year-old stallion owned by Vaughn Zimmerman and nominated by Petra Connor with $416,766 to his credit. Fappani rode Pinesail Jac (Tinsel Jac x Sailin Lil Ruf x Lil Ruf Peppy), a 5-year-old gelding owned by Rancho Oso Rio LLC and nominated by Raul Leal, who has won $93,487 to date.
Levels 3 &2 Open
Fernando Salgado and Electric Cha Ching (Jacs Electric Spark x Kipper Lady Nic x Boomernic) set the bar high early in the second section of the Derby Open finals by posting a 221. The 5-year-old sorrel mare is owned by Heritage Farms/Silver Spurs Equine, and was bred and nominated by Haworth Family Partnership Ltd.
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