Excitement ran high at the Oklahoma State Fair Park as the first go round, first section, of the NRHA 2003 Open Derby took place on Wednesday morning.  Duane Latimer and Remin Whiz earned a 226, the top score of the day. The six-year-old stallion by Topsail Whiz and out of Sure Remedy won the 2002 AQHA Junior Reining World title then came back to “‘run as smooth as silk,” as owner Lucy H. Van Swearingen of Richmond, TX, put it. 

 

The 2003 NRBC Open Champions, Dell Hendricks and Reminic N Dunit(Hollywood Dun It x Reminic Chex Bar), owned by McQuay/Silva, scored a 224.5 for second place.  Thursday morning, the second section of the first go round of the $80,000 added Open Derby, 202 total entries, will take place and reiners will set the dirt flying with hopes of winning the guaranteed first prize pay check of $50,000.  Leading the $15,000 added Intermediate Open and the $5,000 added Limited Open divisions is Jason Grimshaw riding Sonja Myrstol’s Sparks Well Dun (Shining Spark x Oakwoods Jomar Dunit), with a score of 221.

 

The second day of the NRHA 2003 Derby, was highlighted by the concurrently run $4,000 added Saddlemith Non Pro and $2,000 added Intermediate Non Pro.  Frank Bolea of Gilroy, CA, took home the $2,155.75 pay check after winning the prestigious Saddlesmith Non Pro class with a score of 216.5 aboard Cattitude, a flashy eight-year-old stallion by Catalytic and out of Swing Chex.  Second place went to Keith Crawford of Howell, MI, riding CF Rated Ex (Rowdy Yankee x Pines Black Ant). Having scored a 216, this horse and rider combination earned a paycheck of $1,077.88.

 

The Intermediate Non Pro class was won by Jennifer Jarosz of Millsap, Tx, riding Rosies Gambling Man.  With the five-year-old stallion by Glo San Peppy and out of Rosies Last Gamble, Jennifer scored a 214, enough to guarantee her a paycheck of $1,213.25.  Deborah Silva of Tolland, CT, rode Good Time Joker (Joker Solano x Doc Star Time), an eight-year-old gelding, to second place with a score of 212.5 winning a total of $909.94.

 

Reiners got together to honor past Derby and Futurity Champions at the Gathering of Champions Bar-B-Que, sponsored by the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, in the Kitchens Of America building at State Fair Park.

 

The Derby Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro Draw will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday May 15^th.  The Limited Non Pro Draw will take place on Friday at 11:00 a.m. Also, on Thursday’s schedule are the Novice Horse Non Pro class, the General Membership Meeting at 5:00 p.m. and the Foundation Cocktail Reception, 6:30 p.m., at the NRHA Office.

 

The National Reining Horse Association is the worldwide governing body of reining, responsible for promoting the sport, working to insure the highest standards of competition.  With corporate support from Cinch, Saddlesmith, Profile Nutrition, Horse & Rider magazine, Markel Insurance, Pfizer Animal Health, Quarter Horse News, Kiser Arena Specialists, State Line Tack, Houston Embryo Transfer Center, Classic Equine, Bloomer Trailer Mfg., Cowboy Tack and John Vance Auto Group the NRHA continues to educate its members and the public about reining