The American Quarter Horse Journal, April 15, 2009 -- American Quarter Horses will be the stars as the world’s top dressage and jumping riders compete in the International Reining Celebrity Challenge on April 18 at the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, which is hosting the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals.
AQHA and the NRHA are co-sponsors of the International Reining Celebrity Challenge and are supplying an abundance of reining expertise in the form of coaches, riders and, of course, horses. Each team will consist of the following riders with one dressage, one jumping and one reining competitor assigned to each team.
National Reining Horse Association President Rick Weaver and NRHA open world champion Ann Fonck of Belgium will coach the riders in a four-day crash course in sliding stops, spinning, flying lead changes and transitioning from fast to slow. Rick and Ann will then be teamed up with dressage riders Anky Van Grunsvan and Charlotte Bredahl-Baker and jumpers Rodrigo Pessoa and Will Simpson.
But the real stars of the competition will be the Quarter Horses, generously donated for the competition from the barns of Tom and Kirstin Foran, David and Becky Hanson, and Mike and Barbi Boyle. The horses to be used in the event are:
(Lil Ruf Peppy x Sara Goes Hollywood by Hollywood Dun It) This 4-year-old stallion is owned by Steve and Lori Ardis of Orange, California. With limited showing as a 3-year-old, this talented reiner will debut as a Derby horse this year.
(Cee Blair Sailor x Tabascos Turmoil by Docs Tabasco) This 10-year-old gelding is owned by Patrick and Leah Boylan of Grass Valley, California, and has NRHA lifetime earnings of more than $36,500.
(Hollywood Dun It x Smart Chinas Chic by Smart Chic Olena) This 7-year-old gelding is owned by Susan Williams of Gilroy, California. With lifetime earnings of almost $55,000, Dun Its Chico was the 2007 AQHA amateur world champion in reining.
(Hollywood Dun It x Haidachino Cherry by Haidas Magic) This 7-year-old gelding is owned by John Booth of Anaheim, California. He was the high-selling prospect in the NRHA Futurity and made the Futurity open finals as a 3-year-old. With more than $20,000 in lifetime earnings, the gelding took his owner to the AQHA Select World reining finals in 2008 and the AQHA World Show amateur reining finals with John’s daughter, Kirstin Foran. Dun Its Manhatten was also the NRHA North American Affiliate Champion in the novice horse non-pro division.
(Reeboks Kid x Workmans Fisty by Workmans Jose) This 7-year-old gelding is owned by Careena Laney of Portola Valley, California, and has almost $38,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings.
(Boomernic x Tonya Lea Pine by Great Pine) This 9-year-old gelding is owned by Kim and Johnny Tourino of Temecula, California, and has almost $11,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings.
(Topsail Whiz x Madame Fritz by Fritz Command) This 7-year-old stallion is owned by Leah Boylan of Grass Valley, California, and has more than $7,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings.
The Rolex FEI World Cup Finals will once again take place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas April 15-19. The World Cup Finals feature the two Olympic disciplines of show jumping and dressage in an international showdown of the best jumping and dressage horses and riders. Anky heads the list of 15 riders from eight countries set to compete in this year’s Dressage World Cup Final.
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.
