 The action just finished up at Katy and it was Cromed Out Mercedes (Custom Crome x Princess In Diamonds x Shining Spark) and Andrea Fappani who took the Natonal Reining Breeders Classic Open title with a smashing 232-point performance. The horse, which is owned by Rancho El Fortin from Mexico, tied to win the preliminary round with a 228 score. Last year's champions, Wimpys Little Chic (Wimpys Little Step x Collena Chic Olena x Smart Chic Olena) and Shawn Flarida, finished Reserve this time around with a 231.5 score.
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Andrea Fappani has had much luck on Custom Crome offspring at the NRBC. In 2005 and 2006 he was the Reserve Champion on Custom Legend, and came back to earn the Championship in 2007. “They’ve been good to me. Steve Simon has really supported me, and Custom Crome offspring are great,” he said.
At the 2009 NRBC, he earned his second Open Championship on Cromed Out Mercedes,
“He felt really good. He’s smooth but powerful at the same time. That’s really hard to do in this large arena,” Fappani admitted. “I really enjoyed it tonight. There was smoothness and speed together. It was a very good combination.”
The San Marcos, California, trainer drew up midway through the competition, and while his score of 232 gave him a point and half lead over the current leader – the toughness of the competition ensured he did not rest easy.
“After my run I started loading the trailer and I wasn’t listening to the scores. That’s what I do when I have a good run – I don’t stick around. I knew I was good but there were some great horses yet to show. After my run, I was going to be happy wherever I ended up no matter what, but I’m even happier now,” he laughed.
The Championship came with a generous paycheck of $75,000, a year’s use of a four-horse Featherlite trailer from Twin Cities Featherlite, a Continental saddle from Continental Saddlery, and a multitude of other prizes from jackets, coolers, dishware, and of course, the signature crystal trophy of the NRBC.
Cromed Out Mercedes is owned by Rancho El Fortin, a three generation family ranch in Muzquiz, Mexico, owned by a father, five brothers, and two sisters. Many members of the Ramon family turned out to cheer on Fappani and Cromed Out Mercedes.
Aldo Ramon, one of the brothers, spoke for the family, saying, “This is great. Andrea saw this horse when he was two and really liked him, and called us up and said he’d found a special horse. We bought him, he went to the National Reining Horse Association Futurity, and did well there. Now he has won this, and it’s really great,” he said.
Fappani took another Rancho El Fortin entry, Custom Harley, by Custom Crome and out of Peppys Tonette, to the NRBC Open Finals, but ended in twenty-ninth place. “Custom Harley is a great horse, too. He was a little off tonight, and had some trouble, but both of these stallions are very awesome horses,” noted Claudio Ramon.
Shawn Flarida and Wimpys Little Chic, as draw twenty-nine out of the field of thirty, were expected to put on a show. Having already won the NRHA Open Futurity, the NRHA Open Derby, and last year’s NRBC Open Championship, those estimations seemed a good bet. And while the talented mare, by Wimpys Little Step and out of Collena Chic Olena, didn’t disappoint, her score of 231.5 could not budge the leaders.
But the Reserve Championship came with a check for $62,000, and their score easily topped the Open mare division, worth an additional $14,490. Add that to the $7,021 the pair won in the first go round, and Wimpys Little Chic unofficially became the NRHA’s leading earner.
In the Intermediate Open division, it was Marco Ricotta who wowed the crowd with a score of 232 in the first section of the Open finals on Hollywoodstinseltown, owned by David Silva. As he left the arena, it was an emotional celebration at the back gate. “This is great and I am very glad that I could win this for David and Bonnie,” noted Ricotta after the awards ceremony.
The assistant trainer, who currently works for NRHA $2 Million Rider, Tim McQuay, in Tioga, Texas, gave much of the credit for the win to his mount. “He was right there and really honest. It was like he was telling me he would do whatever I wanted to do. Tonight he showed me how good of a mind he has,” he said.
It was a true example of the circle of life that embodies the NRBC, as Hollywoodstinseltown comes from a family with roots deep in program’s history. The 5-year-old stallion is by the legendary Hollywood Dun It, owned by Tim and Colleen McQuay. Along with his long list of other accomplishments, Hollywood Dun It also sired two NRBC Open Champions. Hollywoodstinseltown’s dam is Miss Tinseltown, who is owned by the Silvas and won the NRBC Open Championship in 1999 with McQuay at the reins.
The Silva’s collected $28,853 for the Intermediate division title, along with a Bob’s Custom Saddle, a Gist Silversmiths buckle, and the signature crystal trophy. Numerous other prizes filled the win photo – a testament to the great sponsorship the program enjoys.
Although there was one Limited Open entry in evening performance of the Open finals, the Limited Open and the Level 1 Open Championships were won during the first section of Open Finals competition, and ended in a tie for the Championship. Riders Sebastian Petroll and Deon Locke opted to settle for a Co-Championship instead of a run off.
Petroll, who currently works for Tom McCutcheon in Aubrey, Texas, rode Miss Brim Peppy to a score of 222 early in the competition. “She was very good this horse show. She was even a notch better than she was in the preliminaries,” he said.
Petroll noted that Miss Brim Peppy, a 5-year-old by Lil Ruf Peppy and out of Bay Brim Hat, has “matured over the last year. She’s really changed.” Miss Brim Peppy is owned by Roxanne Koepsell.
Deon Locke knew Little Lenas Solano was going to do well. Having ridden the gelding since he was a 2-year-old, he spoke truthfully when he said, “When I was warming him up it was the best he has ever felt. He stopped huge and turned as good as he can.” Little Lenas Solano, by Smart Like Juice and out of Get Down Sassy Sue, is owned by Reggie Dowell.
Both riders earned $1,425 each for the Open Level 1 Co-Championship, and $9,122 for the Limited Open title. The Limited Open Championship also came with a saddle generously sponsored by Eagle Mountain Saddlery.
Brent Wright, who earned NRHA Million Dollar Rider status at last year’s NRBC, won the Open Prime Time on Miss Rey O Shine, a mare by Shining Spark and out of Miss Rey O Lena. Wright rode the mare to a score of 230, to win $2,400 and a custom saddle from Kyle Tack.
But that was only a small part of the money that the pair won on Saturday evening – they placed fifth in the Open finals, good for $32,000.
The NRBC is held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. The week-long event began April 13, and finishes up on April 19
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