Jennifer Neudorf & Shining In Town. • Photo by Molly Montag.

Wow! Jennifer Neudorf Sweeps NRHA Derby Non-Pro

Jennifer Neudorf took the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby by storm on Friday night when she swept all four levels of the Non-Pro. If that wasn’t enough, the 16-year-old Canadian also won the Youth with her stallion, Shining In Town.

The Grand Prairie, Alberta, resident guided the 6-year-old stallion by Equi-Stat Elite $2 Million Sire Hollywoodstinseltown to a winning 226.5. That won her the Level 4, Level 3, Level 2, Level 1 Non-Pro derbies and the Youth.

Neudorf, who just finished tenth grade, was nearly speechless when she tried to describe her emotions as she led the palomino stallion back to Jim Norick Arena for the award ceremony.

“To be honest I don’t even know,” she said, weaving her horse through the crowd. “I’m so happy and it’s just unbelievable.”

The NRHA Derby was the biggest win for Neudorf, who began showing reining horses about three years ago. She got into reining after watching fellow Canadian rider Chalyce Head, who also lives in Grand Prairie. Neudorf also rides barrel horses and competes in High School Rodeo.

“I really like how broke the horses are and there’s always something to learn so I can always like get better,” she said. “And that’s probably the number one thing, there’s always something to learn and there’s always something to get better at.”

Shining In Town is a 2015 stallion bred by Carol Rose, of Gainesville, Texas. The eye-catching palomino is out of the mare Shine Ann (by Shining Spark). Shining In Town is Hollywoodstinseltown’s second-leading earner, and Shining In Town, or “Chubs” is Shine Ann’s leading earner.

The win in Oklahoma City earned Neudorf and Chubs $42,637. She also won a year’s use of a gooseneck trainer from CINCH trailers, and saddles from Bob’s Custom Saddles, custom Montana Silversmiths buckles, Anderson Bean boots and products from Classic Equine, Platinum Performance, Bluebonnet Feeds. She also got gift cards to SmartPak and Shortys Caboy Hattery.

Jennifer Neudorf gives Shining In Town a well-earned pat. • Photo by Molly Montag.

Another young reiner tied for multiple Reserve Championships in the Derby Non-Pro.

Luca Fappani rode two horses to a 223 to claim the Co-Reserve titles in the Levels 4, 3 and 2 Non-Pro. He earned the distinction with Sharp Dressed Spook (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dolittle Lena x Shining Spark) and Spooks N Jewels (Smart Spook x Whiz Jewels x Topsail Whiz). The horses are both owned by his parents, Tish Fappani and Equi-Stat Elite $5 Million Rider Andrea Fappani, of Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Derby Level 1 Non-Pro Reserve Championship went to Sean Pulley and Spook N Sparks. The Aubrey, Texas, resident and the 2014 mare (Smart Spook x Setting Off Sparks x Shining Spark) marked a 217.

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