A limited-age event designed to provide the gift of time to young reining horses will debut in May in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wild Card Reining Challenge, scheduled over the long Memorial Day weekend, May 25 – 29, is a new futurity devoted to 4-year-old reining horses that need more time to mature.
“The Wild Card Reining Challenge is a huge step outside the box for the U.S. reining industry, focusing on a new train of thought — the 4-year-old reining futurity horse,” said Amanda Brumley, whose Scottsdale, Arizona company, Brumley Management Group, LLC will produce the show. “Everything about this new event challenges people to open their minds to new ideas and learn where our industry is now and where it needs to be for a positive outcome going forward. This opportunity benefits all levels of the reining horse industry from the stallion and mare owner of the offspring being shown to the trainers and current owners,” adds Brumley. “Stallion and mare owners want their equine offspring to have every chance at earning money to increase production earnings. Trainers want to keep good horses in training, and owners want to see their horses succeed in the show pen. It’s a win-win!”
“The primary purpose of the event is to preserve the mental and physical health of young reining horses,” said Pamela Schroeck, co-administrator of an 1800-member Facebook group that supports tweaking the futurity concept originally designed for 3-year-olds.
“It offers an opportunity for 4-year-olds to earn significant checks without having to compete at traditional futurities for which they are not ready, or at derbies against horses that already have extensive show experience,” said Schroeck, a Non-Pro Reiner from Poolville, Texas.
Purse for the 4-Year-Old Futurity has $65,000 in added money. In addition, participation does not require nominations or enrollments. Horses must have an NRHA Competition License to compete and pre-entries are due April 22, 2016.
“I think that it’s great that we are really going to have a place to showcase our 4-year-olds,” said trainer Andrea Fappani, NRHA money-earner of more than $4 million. “Not every horse will peak in his 3-year-old year, and this event will give us the flexibility to show our reiners when they are truly ready to compete at a high level,” he said of the new futurity.
Horses entered in the Wild Card Reining Challenge cannot have competed in any reining futurities (Category 2 Aged Event) as a 3 year old, or in any reining class with a purse of more than $1,000 added.
“The event will offer an additional opportunity for owners to justify their substantial investments in reining prospects and it has the potential to expand the market for aged-event reining horses in general,” Schroeck said.
The futurity will be the highlight of show events that also will include ancillary reining classes, pre-futurities for Arabian and Half-Arabian horses, and a World Para Reining Challenge for riders with physical handicaps and discharged military with post-traumatic stress disorder. Free educational seminars will focus on such topics as judging, shoeing, sports medicine, training, breeding and nutrition, conducted by such experts as trainers Bob Avila, Andrea Fappani and NRHA Judges’ Committee Chairman Jody Brainard.
“I encourage everyone with the same passion I have for reining to attend this event with or without horses,” said Brumley, whose management group also produces the prestigious annual High Roller Reining Classic in Las Vegas, the Cactus Reining Classic in Scottsdale, and the Reining By the Bay show in Woodside, California.
A package of sponsorship benefits for the Wild Card Reining Challenge includes naming rights, vendor space, advertising, participation in ceremonies and more. For additional information, contact Brumley at 602-677-3774 or Schroeck at 817-319-3785 or email [email protected]
