Oklahoma City, OK – June 24, 2008 – The nearly one-half million dollar 2008 NRHA Derby is underway at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. Since last Friday, nearly one-thousand competitors hailing from as close as Oklahoma and as far away as Israel moved into their stalls in Oklahoma City, Okla. The show started Monday, June 23 and concludes Saturday, June 28.
The first section of the $30,000 added Non Pro Derby started off the competition Monday morning with the first 79 reiners. The remaining 79 take to the show pen Tuesday.
When the first section concluded Monday afternoon, Samantha Griffin and Kachina Oak Olena were leading the competition with a score of 218. Two riders scored just a half-point behind with a 217.5 creating a tie for second and third.
Samantha Griffin is a NRHA lifetime earner of more than $325,000. She was a finalist in the 2007 NRHA Non Pro Derby aboard A Bright Chic. Lance Griffin’s Kachina Oak Olena is a lifetime earner of $51,000. The Smart Chic Olena mare was a finalist in the 2006 NRHA Non Pro Futurity. Samantha and Lance Griffin hail from De Winton, Alberta.
The ties for second third place with scores of 217.5 involve George Lawrence and Mandy Mc Cutcheon. Lawrence of Fort Worth, Tex. rode This Chicsdundreamin (Magnum Chic Dream x Hermosa Dun It) in the first section of the Non Pro Derby. The duo has earned more than $24,000 since the start of the year. Lawrence recently placed second at the National Reining Breeders’ Classic Intermediate Non Pro aboard This Chicsdundreamin.
Mandy McCutcheon, NRHA’s only Million Dollar Non Pro Rider, and Dun It Found A Star scored 217.5. The six-year-old stallion (Hollywood Dun It x Don’t Miss This) has earned more than $58,000. He is owned by McCutcheon’s father, Tim McQuay.
