With the mind of a six-year-old gelding rather than a three-year-old stallion, Inferno Thirty Five and Andrea Fappani claimed the Level 4 Open Invitational Futurity Championship with a 225 score.
On Friday, Sept. 1, 85 of the NRHA’s best three-year-olds took center stage for high honors and $750,000 in purse money. As one of the highest paying futurities in the reining industry, many arose hungry for their first championship.
The Invitational crowned Inferno Thirty Five (Inferno Sixty Six x Madeof Pure Spangled x Star Spangled Whiz) their Open Futurity Champion at this year’s prestigious 100X Reining Classic.
With a separation of one point, Andrea Fappani piloted Stephen and Andrea Archer’s stallion Inferno Thirty Five to $100,000 in prize money and a championship many owners and trainers dream of.
To the Archer family, this horse has been a gift that keeps giving. The family purchased the stallion from a dear friend on Christmas Day, naming the yearling Inferno Thirty Five to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.
“Stephen had a hard time giving him to me because he liked him [Inferno Thirty Five] so much, but then this year at the National Reining Breeders Classic, he [Stephen] brought him for me to try, and I took him [Inferno Thirty Five] home,” Fappani said.
The stallion has had an exceptional presence in the arena with his mental and physical strength and style. His owners have high hopes for his career, with The Invitational being a solid starting point to launch his legacy.
“I knew I didn’t have to push him over the limit because he’s stylish from his presence; this was our first outing. He’s a horse that gave me much trust and is a very mature-minded horse,” Fappani said.
The journey to this championship has been a group effort with exceptional trainers and owners stepping up to develop this stallion.
“Many people were involved in getting this horse to where he’s at. I’m just the pilot here, but the whole group made it happen”, Fappani said.
The great stallion Inferno Sixty Six sired Inferno Thirty Five. The Invitational has only proven the legacy of supreme genetics and athletic ability. As a $1 Million Sire and an NRHA’s top ten leading sire in 2021, it is no coincidence that five of his offspring made the top 20 in The Invitational.
