Oklahoma City, OK – February 29, 2008 – A major announcement from the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). The NRHA has officially placed its bid to bring one of the most prestigious Reining competitions in the world back to Oklahoma City. The NRHA has applied to host the 2008 and 2009 FEI World Reining Masters in Oklahoma City. The two-year bid to host the World Reining Masters is highly unusual because until last year the event has alternated between the United States and Europe each year.
The NRHA’s two-year proposal will now enter the approval process by the Federation Equestre International (FEI). The FEI is the worldwide governing body for equestrian sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee. If the FEI grants the NRHA’s bid, the 2008 FEI World Reining Masters will be held during this year’s NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show set for November 27-December 6 at the Oklahoma State Fair Park.
The FEI World Reining Masters is a thrilling competition involving the best individual reiners in the world. All have qualified, according to a point system, in their National Federations. Once qualified, the riders advance to the Masters to compete for $100,000 in prize money, gold, silver and bronze medals in two divisions along with the honor and pride of representing their country.
NRHA Executive Director Dan Wall looks forward to the opportunity to host the Masters for the next two years. Wall said, “To ensure that the momentum of Reining continues we have applied to host the 2008 and 2009 FEI World Reining Masters. We hope to hold the 2008 event during our NRHA Futurity this November. Besides the high performance Reining competition at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, this is a perfect way to showcase the sport of Reining before a worldwide audience.” Wall continued, “It is also a great opportunity to showcase the city of Oklahoma City. With help from one of our NRHA Corporate Partners, the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau, we’ve put together an attractive proposal to land this prestigious event for another two years.”
In 2007, the NRHA was chosen to host the Masters during its NRHA Futurity. The lively competition brought 17 riders and their contingencies from 15 countries to Oklahoma City. Along with the international visitors came plenty of spending power which meant a significant economic impact to local merchants.
The 2007 World Reining Masters proved to be one of the most exciting in years. A three-way tie between Austrian rider Rudi Kronsteiner and United States riders Casey Hinton and Gabe Hutchins forced a dramatic run-off. Amid thunderous applause, cheers, whistles and even a standing ovation following his run, Kronsteiner captured both the open and restricted gold medals.
If approved, this will be the third and fourth times the NRHA and Oklahoma City have hosted the FEI World Reining Masters. The inaugural event was held in Oklahoma City in 2004.
Reining is the only western discipline to be recognized by the FEI. The FEI has 135 affiliated National Federations around the world. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is the National Federation for the United States.
