By Tonya Ratliff-Garrison, Journal field editor

As Fred Christen was getting ready to leave his Whitehouse, Ohio, ranch for the 2009 National Reining Horse Association Derby, his wife told him not to bring home another trophy.

“She said I had too many and she was tired of dusting them,” the non-pro reiner said.

Unfortunately, Fred’s wife has not one but three new trophies to dust.

Riding his 5-year-old mare Skeets Little Annie, Fred won not only the NRHA Derby non-pro championship but also the intermediate non-pro and prime-time non-pro titles.

Fred purchased “Annie” at the 2006 NRHA Futurity Prospect Sale. He had seen a video of her about three weeks before the sale and knew she was the perfect horse for him.

“I called my trainer, Dan Huss, and said, ‘This is the horse,’” Fred said. “Of course, he thought I was crazy. He never buys a horse without riding it first.” 

Skeets Little Annie was the second highest selling horse at the 2006 NRHA Futurity Prospect Sale.

At $185,000, Annie was the second highest selling horse at the sale. Fred immediately sent the sorrel filly to Dan to be finished for the 2007 NRHA Futurity. However, she never made it. After the pair won the intermediate non-pro at the 2007 All American Quarter Horse Congress Reining Futurity, Annie got hurt and was sidelined for a year.

But while the mare healed, Fred was able to pull three embryos from her by his two stallions Heza Bigtime Bingo and Dun It Regally.

“She has three really nice foals on the ground right now,” Fred said.

Annie came back to show at the 2009 National Reining Breeders Classic. Although she didn’t make it back to the non-pro finals, Fred did show her in the primetime non-pro, tying for 11th with a 215.

“I missed a stop or we would have done better,” Fred said.

However, coming into the NRHA Derby, Fred had high hopes for the mare.

“I knew this horse is one of the best ones I’ve ever ridden,” he said. “I knew we had a chance to win if I did my job and if I stayed out of her way. I knew we would mark high.”

And that they did, with the event’s top score of 220.5.

“It’s the highest I’ve ever scored,” Fred said after his ride. “I’ve always gotten in the penalties, so scoring this high was a pretty cool feeling.”

But now what is he going to do about the trophies he’ll be carting back home to a wife who doesn’t want them?

“I think she’ll be OK,” he said with a smile.

Especially when he shows her that check for almost $18,000.

To read about Shawn Flarida and RC Fancy Step winning the NRHA Derby open finals, click here.