The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby’s leading open horse is Not Ruf At All (A Sparkling Vintage x All Ruffed Up x Lil Ruf Peppy), a 2010 stallion bred by Petra Zeitler, of Aubrey, Texas. He is pictured with Jason Vanlandingham, who rode the stallion to win the 2013 NRHA Futurity Open Championship, the 2014 NRHA Derby Open Championship and to a tie for the 2016 NRHA Derby Open Reserve Championship. Not Ruf At All, who has an Equi-Stat record of $456,530, has earned $111,067 at the Derby.
Top 10 Open Horses
- Not Ruf At All (10S), $111,067
- Commanders Nic (99S), $104,946
- Wimpys Little Chic (04M), $93,762
- Tinker With Guns (06S), $92,333
- KR Lil Conquistador (02G), $84,628
- Pinesail Jac (11S), $81,585
- Platimum Vintage (10S), $80,068
- Master Snapper (01S), $69,050
- RC Fancy Step (04G), $68,266
- Magnum Starlights (11S), $64,782
Shawn Flarida, of Springfield, Ohio, an Equi-Stat Elite $5 Million Rider who has won the NRHA Derby six times, is the Derby’s leading open rider. Thirty horses have carried Flarida to total Derby earnings of $671,692. His leading money-earner is 2007 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Champion Wimpys Little Chic (Wimpys Little Step x Collena Chic Olena x Smart Chic Olena) with Derby earnings of $93,762. Flarida and the 2004 mare, bred by Monica Watson, of Double Run Farm in Leland, North Carolina, won the 2008 Derby Level 4 Open Championship.
Top 10 Open Riders
- Shawn Flarida, Springfield, OH, $671,692
- Andrea Fappani, Scottsdale, AZ, $540,503
- Craig Schmersal, Scottsdale, AZ, $386,951
- Todd Bergen, Eagle Point, OR, $360,932
- Tim McQuay, Tioga, TX, $348,615
- Duane Latimer, Ardmore, OK, $329,601
- Jason Landingham, Whitesboro, TX, $243,862
- Dell Hendricks, Tioga, TX, $215,351
- Casey Deary, Weatherford, TX, $210,251
- Jordan Larson, Whitesboro, TX, $209,546
Made By Magnum (Magnum Chic Dream x Ready Make Cowboy x Master Cowboy Jac), a 2010 gelding bred by Lagle / Savage LLC, of Salesville, Ohio, is the Derby’s leading non-pro horse with earnings of $61,771. Made By Magnum, who has an Equi-Stat record of $130,354, is pictured with Lyndsey Jordan, of Georgetown, Kentucky, who rode the gelding to win Levels 3 and 2 Non-Pro at the 2014 Derby and tied for second place in the Derby Level 4 Non-Pro in 2016.
Top 10 Non-Pro Horses
- Made By Magnum (10G), $61,771
- Surprizentheprincess (09M), $35,935
- AR Oakies Last Stand (07G), $35,169
- Bella Juice (09M), $33,180
- RU Missin Diamonds (PT) [01S], $32,052
- I Spin For Chics (03S), $31,055
- Custom Made Gun (11S), $30,825
- Always Gotyer Gunsup (07M), $30,698
- Ms Dreamy (10M), $30,117
- Freckled Whiz (09M), $29,935
Equi-Stat Elite $2 Million Rider Mandy McCutcheon, of Aubrey, Texas, is the Derby’s leading non-pro rider with total earnings of $261,944 won aboard 34 horses. McCutcheon is pictured with her leading Derby money-earner, I Spin For Chics (Tangys Classy Peppy x Chics Koko Angel x Smart Chic Olena), a 2003 stallion bred by Ted and Keri Eady, of Sisters, Oregon, with Derby earnings of $31,055. McCutcheon rode the stallion to win the 2007 and 2008 Derby Level 4 Non-Pro championships.
Top 10 Non-Pro Riders
- Mandy McCutcheon, Aubrey, TX, $261,944
- Kim Muehlstaetter, Scottsdale, AZ, $82,239
- Frederick Christen, Whitehouse, OH, $73,849
- Jose Vazquez, Chicago, IL, $67,959
- Lyndsey Jordan, Georgetown, KY, $67,764
- Genevieve Shifrin, Aspen, CO, $63,377
- Dr. James Morgan, Pilot Point, TX, $59,793
- Sally Broten, River Falls, WI, $58,972
- Shaunda Ruckman, Scottsdale, AZ, $53,524
- Jack Medows, Cuba, MO, $52,743
Bob Loomis Quarter Horses Inc., of Marietta, Oklahoma, is the NRHA Derby’s leading breeder. Loomis has bred 64 Derby money-earners that have won a total of $452,029. High Roller Whiz (West Coast Whiz x Gettinsmart x Smart Chic Olena), a 2008 stallion who was ridden by Jordan Larson to a third-place finish in the Level 4 Open in 2014, is Loomis’s leading Derby money-earner with $62,848 won at the Oklahoma event.
Top Breeders
- Bob Loomis Quarter Horses Inc., Marietta, OK, $452,029
- Steve Simon, Marietta, OK, $258,915
- Petra Zeitler, Aubrey, TX, $239,400
- David Silva, Sr., Pilot Point, TX, $227,588
- Rancho Oso Rio LLC, Scottsdale, AZ, $215,934
- McQuay Stables, Inc., Tioga, TX, $174,390
- Rosanne Sternberg, Aubrey, TX, $163,446
- Carol Rose, Gainesville, TX, $156,908
- Charles Vaughan, Lafayette, IN, $145,929
- Eric Storey, Henagar, AL, $145,500
The NRHA Derby’s leading owner is Arcese Quarter Horses, of Weatherford, Texas, with 16 horses crediting their owner with total earnings of $377,090. Their leading money-earner is Wimpys Little Chic, the 2008 Derby Level 4 Open winner, who has lifetime earnings of $539,244. Only $200 separates Arcese Quarter Horses’ No. 2 and No. 3 money-earners: Walla Walla Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Shiney Walla Wanda x Shining Spark), with $51,700, and Gunnatrashya (Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] x Natrasha x Trashadeous), with $51,500.
Top Owners
- Arcese Quarter Horses, Weatherford, TX, $377,090
- Rancho Oso Rio LLC, Scottsdale, AZ, $322,802
- McQuay Stables Inc., Tioga, TX, $306,459
- Vaughn Zimmerman, Springfield, MO, $195,836
- David Silva Sr., Pilot Point, TX, $154,266
- Xtra Quarter Horses LLC, Purcell, OK, $134,348
- Craig & Ginger Schmersal, Scottsdale, AZ, $126,633
- Rosanne Sternberg, Aubrey, TX, $125,650
- Harper Conner, Dallas, TX, $122,977
- Heritage Farms, Ogden, UT, $112,271
Colonels Smoking Gun, better known as “Gunner,” is the Derby’s leading sire. The stallion has sired 86 Derby money-earners that have won a total of $939,402 for average earnings of $10,923. His leading money-earner is Tinker With Guns, a 2006 stallion out of Tinker Nic, by Reminic, who won $92,333 at the Oklahoma City event. A 2008 stallion, HF Mobster (out of Dun Its Black Gold x Hollywood Dun It) is Gunner’s second-leading money-earner with Derby earnings of $62,550.
Top Sires
- Colonels Smoking Gun, $939,402
- Topsail Whiz, $825,135
- Wimpys Little Step, $739,378
- Hollywood Dun It, $520,134
- Magnum Chic Dream, $466,946
- Smart Chic Olena, $463,293
- Shining Spark, $440,754
- Custom Crome, $349,938
- Jacs Electric Spark, $341,216
- Boomernic, $263,163
Miss Tinsleltown (Great Red Pine x Ms Holywood Showtime x Docs Showtime), pictured at the 1999 National Reining Breeders Classic with Tim McQuay, is the Derby’s No. 1 dam. Five of her offspring have drawn paychecks at the event for total earnings of $113,109 and average earnings of $22,622. The mare, who McQuay rode to the 1999 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open Reserve Championship, has an Equi-Stat record totaling $116,587. Her leading money-earning offspring is Hollywoodstinseltown, a 2004 stallion by Hollywood Dun It that has Derby earnings of $48,000 and an Equi-Stat record of $178,156.
Top Dams
- Miss Tinseltown, $113,109
- All Rufffed Up, $111,067
- Tinker Nic, $106,451
- Miss Bam Bam Command, $104,946
- Colllena Chic Olena, $93,762
- Ebony Shines, $88,197
- Dun Its Black Gold, $87,622
- Princess In Diamonds, $85,049
- Smart Little Prize, $84,628
- Starjac Miss, $82,733
NRHA Derby (Excluding Ancillary Classes) History (1988-2016)
Year | Location | Entries | Added | Total Purse |
---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | St. Paul, MN | n/a | n/a | $76,890 |
1989 | St. Paul, MN | n/a | n/a | $90,900 |
1990 | St. Paul, MN | n/a | $28,671 | $92,794 |
1991 | St. Paul, MN | n/a | $54,750 | $89,581 |
1992 | St. Paul, MN | n/a | $50,000 | $84,094 |
1993 | St. Paul, MN | 180 | $47,500 | $88,701 |
1994 | Oklahoma City,OK | 142 | $65,936 | $122,718 |
1995 | Oklahoma City,OK | 214 | $46,500 | $179,213 |
1996 | Oklahoma City,OK | 272 | $49,000 | $194,184 |
1997 | Oklahoma City,OK | 242 | $49,000 | $168,341 |
1998 | Oklahoma City,OK | 289 | $116,500 | $217,429 |
1999 | Oklahoma City,OK | 314 | $115,000 | $264,372 |
2000 | Oklahoma City,OK | 503 | $152,500 | $319,278 |
2001 | Oklahoma City,OK | 617 | $157,500 | $359,287 |
2002 | Oklahoma City,OK | 744 | $157,500 | $389,362 |
2003 | Oklahoma City,OK | 789 | $132,500 | $466,830 |
2004 | Oklahoma City,OK | 754 | $137,500 | $485,474 |
2005 | Oklahoma City,OK | 738 | $172,500 | $518,138 |
2006 | Oklahoma City,OK | 755 | $172,500 | $516,639 |
2007 | Oklahoma City,OK | 783 | $197,500 | $546,190 |
2008 | Oklahoma City,OK | 776 | $197,500 | $571,112 |
2009 | Oklahoma City,OK | 880 | $207,500 | $538,453 |
2010 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,123 | $242,500 | $574,399 |
2011 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,177 | $272,500 | $536,729 |
2012 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,284 | $643,000 | $900,393 |
2013 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,231 | $635,000 | $965,568 |
2014 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,303 | $633,500 | $990,053 |
2015 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,325 | $590,500 | $947,981 |
2016 | Oklahoma City,OK | 1,422 | $622,000 | $937,738 |