The 2004 NRHA Futurity & North American Affiliate Championship Show offered everything from the inaugural North American Affiliate Championships for regional qualifiers to the FEI World Reining Masters Finals for the representatives of 16 countries vying for a win in the first rider-based international competition. The NRHA Futurity Open Division Finals, held Saturday evening, December 4th  at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in OKC, was the perfect finale for a Reining competition that focused on the grass-roots to global talents of reining competitors when NRHA Million Dollar Rider, Shawn Flarida, won the 2004 NRHA Futurity on Smart Spook, owned by Rosanne Sternberg of England.
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In a powerful run, Shawn bested a field of Futurity hopefuls on a three-year-old by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Smart Chic Olena and out of Sugarplum Spook by Grays Starlight. Shawn scored a 224.5 to win the guaranteed paycheck of $175,000. Remarking on his athletic, confident colt, Shawn commented that Smart Spook was a good minded horse that could “be trained to do anything. And he’s gorgeous.”
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To further emphasize the international flavor of the 39th running of the NRHA Futurity, Francois Gauthier, who represented Canada in the FEI World Reining Masters Finals, placed second on his A Flashy Rooster (Boggies Flashy Jac x The Green Jacket). Though not yet officially recorded, A Flashy Rooster was recently purchased by Dominique Reynaud, President of the NRHA of France. Francois scored a 222.5 for his Reserve Champion paycheck of $101,413.25.
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On her first trip to the NRHA Futurity Finals, Carol Metcalf earned the championship title in both the Intermediate and Limited Open divisions. Carol rode Carolyn Edson’s Whattaroyalprincess to a score of 220, earning $19,662.87 for her Intermediate Open win, $9,731.33 for her Limited Open Futurity win, and an additional $28,050.47 for tying sixth in the Open Division.
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Shadd Parkinson repeated his 2001 Intermediate Open Futurity Reserve Championship by placing second in the Intermediate Open Division on Spursuasion (Ray Gay Quixote x Mist N Smoke) owned by his parents, Debra and Dorn Parkinson. Shadd earned $16,362.15 for his efforts in the Intermediate and an additional $19,419.56 for placing ninth in the Open.
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The Gelding Incentive Award was earned by Andrea Fappani on Carter Smith’s Ghiradelli Chic. Their go round composite score of 438.5 earned $14,794.53.
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NRHA’s Leading Money Earning Rider and Hall of Famer, Tim McQuay, earned the Prime Time Open Futurity championship and a paycheck of $2,341.17 on Sorcerers Apprentice, which he and his wife Colleen own. By Gunner and out of Anniegityergun, Tim and the Paint stallion earned an additional $28,050.47 in the Open Division in a tie for sixth place. Riding David Silva’s Hollywood Downtown (Hollywood Dun It x Miss Tinseltown) Tim also earned the Prime Time Open Reserve title.
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“Grass roots to global” - the 39th running of the NRHA Futurity was a huge success.
