The Great Whiz, owned by Lance Griffin, Dewinton, Alberta, Canada, has been trained and shown exclusively by Duane Latimer, resident trainer at Bob Loomis Quarter Horses, Inc., Marietta, Oklahoma.   It’s been a mutually beneficial partnership. As a team, their earnings have allowed both horse and rider to reach NRHA milestones. At the 2003 NRHA Futurity, with an assist from The Great Whiz, Latimer became NRHA’s fourth Million Dollar Rider. At the 2004 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), with an assist from Duane Latimer, The Great Whiz added to his coffers and with $240,643.64 in career NRHA Lifetime Earnings, moved to the number one position on NRHA’s list of All Time Money Earning Horses. 

 

Duane and The Great Whiz, a four-year-old gelding by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Topsail Whiz and out of Pines BH (AQHA Shirleys Folly), won the 2003 NRHA Open Futurity earning $178,360 in the process. They were undefeated in the go rounds besting a field of 434 Futurity hopefuls.  Their clean slate Finals’ score of 231 was 5.5 points ahead of the Reserve Champion.  They also earned the Pfizer/NRHA Open Gelding Incentive Award to the tune of $13,304.38.  Latimer and The Great Whiz came to the 2003 NRHA Futurity Show with over $10,000 already to their credit by virtue of their win at the inaugural Canadian Reining Breeders Classic where they handily won the Open Division. 

 

In 2004, Duane and The Great Whiz continued their outstanding partnership by earning the co-reserve open championship title at the NRBC Derby in Katy, Texas.  They were second only to Dell Hendricks who rode the well-seasoned six-year-old Reminic N Dunit to his second consecutive NRBC victory.  Latimer and his talented gelding earned $38,204.39 in NRBC competition, which moved The Great Whiz to the head of the class in All Time Leading Horses with earnings in all NRHA approved events.

 

Duane Latimer and The Great Whiz are heading to the NRHA Derby, slated for May 17-23, 2004, at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.  They are a sight to behold and a force to be reckoned with.  We hope you will be there to see them in action!