Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-A reception, sponsored by the Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF), will be held in honor of reiners throughout the world at the upcoming NRHA European Affiliate Championship in Deurne, Netherlands.
The reception is scheduled for Saturday night, July 9 during the Open Division Finals in the VIP area at Hippisch Centrum.
“Reiners from nearly every continent are making valuable contributions to our sport,” said Frank Costantini, President of the RHSF. “We want to say thank you for those contributions and also recognize the generous donors who, through their charitable giving, allow the RHSF to fulfill our mission of developing and enhancing the sport of Reining worldwide. Hosting a reception in Deurne is one way for us to accomplish that.”
The reception will also provide a venue for reiners in Europe to meet Tania Warnock who has recently joined the RHSF team as the Director of Development. Bill Bradley, National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) President and RHSF Vice President; Frank Costantini, RHSF President; Dr. Kim Sloan, NRHA Immediate Past President and RHSF Board member; Debbie Drinko, NRHA Sr. Director of Membership Services; and Dan Wall, NRHA Executive Director, will also be attending the reception.
“It’s important that the RHSF communicates what we are doing for the sport of Reining,” Warnock said. “Since the Foundation was incorporated in 2001, we have provided over $300,000 in support of Reining worldwide. That number will continue to grow as our donations increase. I see this reception as an opportunity to share more of our success stories with the donors who have given the financial support needed for the RHSF to succeed. I also hope that anyone who is curious about how they can invest in the future of Reining will attend.”
The RHSF Board of Directors has set the strategic plan in motion, Warnock said, and continued financial support is necessary to make that happen. For the next 12 to 18 months, the focus of the RHSF is developing the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA), and securing the funds necessary to make it a world-class program. The RHSF funds over $30,000 in scholarships each year and supports the Youth Team Tournaments held at NRHA Affiliate Finals around the world. The Foundation also provides the finances for leadership opportunities for the NRHyA Officer Team. At a minimum, the NRHyA requires $60,000 each year to operate.
“Our youth are the foundation of this sport,” Costantini said. “Everything has to begin with them. That doesn’t mean we are ignoring our other core programs; Crisis Fund, International Development, Hall of Fame, or Research, Development & Education. It just means we are listening to the needs of our industry and taking our future to heart. As we grow NRHyA, we are confident that the other programs will follow.”
“The Reining Horse Sports Foundation, like the National Reining Horse Association, is a worldwide organization,” Warnock said. “To illustrate that, the Foundation will continue to have a worldwide presence. That means we will be attending Reining competitions at all levels, from the grassroots shows to the World Equestrian Games. We will be there to communicate the benefits we provide. By talking one-on-one with our stakeholders, we can answer the questions they have and assure them that their donations are critical for the future development of our sport, whatever nation they call home.”
