Shawn Flarida and Cody Sapergia emerged the leaders after the first go round, first section of the NRHA Derby Open divisions. Both riders scored a 224. Flarida rode Smart Spook (Smart Chic Olena x Sugarplum Spook) for Rosanne Sternberg. Sapergia rode JD Whizkey (Topsail Whiz x JD Milligan) for Lance Griffin.
The top five horses in the go round are all bona fide celebrities. Smart Spook, ridden by Flarida won the 2004 NRHA Futurity Open Division. JD Whizkey was sixth in the 2004 Cinch NRHA Non Pro Futurity with Samantha Griffin riding, and then placed sixth in the 2005 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) Derby Open Division with Sapergia.
The placings continued with third place Hit The Lights (Grays Starlight x Playboys Promise), ridden by Dell Hendricks for Adair Reiners, LLC. Dell and Hit The Lights, who scored a 223.5, are hot off their 2005 NRBC Derby Open Division win. Todd Bergen finished fourth in the go round with a 222 earned on Skeets Little Peppy (Skeets Peppy x Mia Colonel Quixote) owned by Vaughn Zimmerman. Skeets Little Peppy and Bergen finished tied for fourth in the 2004 NRHA Futurity Open Division. Fifth place went to Duane Latimer riding The Great Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Pines BH) to a score of 221.5. Latimer and The Great Whiz, owned by Lance Griffin, won the 2003 NRHA Futurity Open Division here in OKC!
John Hindman rode Jerry Kimmel’s Magnum Done It (Magnum Chic Dream x Indy Star Dun It) to a score of 220.5 and is leading the NRHA Derby Intermediate Open Division. Darren Stancik, riding Lee Dick’s Cee A Chocolate Chic (Chocolate Chic Olena x Cody Cee Cutter) is sitting second with a 219.5.
Kim Yancey is leading the NRHA Derby Limited Open Division on Smokum If You Gottum (Topsail Cody x Sweet Sassy Smoke) owned by Jerry Smith. Sean McBurney is in second place on Back To The Roots (Smart Little Lena x Right On Flo) owned by Raymond and Sandra Walker.
The $4,000 added NRHA Non Pro class with 17 entries was won by Mandy McCutcheon riding Silk N Hollywood for her father, Tim McQuay. Mandy scored a 218.5 and earned $1,989.85. Multiple NRHA World Champion Jessicah Keller was second on Night Deposit Chex owned by Hilldale Farm. Jessicah scored a 217 and earned $1,580.18.
NRHA World Champion, C.R. Hogendorp, won the 26-horse $2,000 added NRHA Intermediate Non Pro class on his Babs Boomer Boy with Roger Weibel’s Shine A Whey, ridden by Leslie Weibel placing second.
The action continues today with the NRHA Derby Open Division first go round second section. The $2,000 added Novice Horse Non Pro class is on the agenda as is the Celebration of Champions and NRHA Open Town Talk Forum.
Friday’s classes begin at 7:00 a.m. with the $200 added Limited Non Pro reining followed by the NRHA Collegiate Reining Championship – the ultimate “catch ride” class featuring the best intercollegiate reiners. The exciting NRHA Derby Non Pro Finals will be held tomorrow afternoon and evening, as will the $4,000 added NRHA Open reining.
