NRHA Hall of Fame

Born near Tiffin, Ohio in 1925, Dale Wilkinson transformed reining from a rough contest class into a disciplined sport of skill and finesse. His innovations — stepping turnarounds, slack reins, symmetrical circles, smooth sliding stops — define modern reining to this day. He was a co-founder of t…

Born and raised in Hilliard, Ohio, Bailey "Stretch" Bradley was a founding father of both the NRHA and the All American Quarter Horse Congress. A master arena man, halter horse trainer, 4-H leader, and organizing force behind multiple Ohio equine institutions, he served as NRHA Executive Vice Pre…

Bill Garvey was among the original group of reining enthusiasts who helped organize and launch the National Reining Horse Association in 1966. As one of the five members inducted in the Class of 1988 — alongside Mickie Glenn, Stretch Bradley, Paul Horn, and R.D. Baker — Garvey represents the foun…

Continental King holds a singular place in reining history — he is the horse that inspired the founding of the NRHA. Owned by James and Mickie Glenn and trained by Dale Wilkinson's assistant Bill Horn, Continental King won a pivotal jackpot reining class on October 30, 1965, in Dayton, Ohio. Mick…

The woman who lit the fuse. Mickie Glenn, wife of Dr. James Glenn of Columbus, Ohio, was the driving force behind the formation of the NRHA in 1966. After her horse Continental King won a jackpot reining class in October 1965, she called Dale Wilkinson and said the sport needed its own organizati…

Paul Horn was one of the key horsemen from the Columbus, Ohio area who helped form the NRHA in 1966. Along with his brother Bill Horn, Paul was among the inner circle of riders, trainers, and enthusiasts who worked alongside Dale Wilkinson and Mickie Glenn to establish formal rules, judging stand…

R. D. Baker was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1988 as part of the first class of human inductees alongside the sport's other early pioneers. Baker was instrumental in the development of reining as an organized competitive discipline during the foundational years of the NRHA.

R.D. Baker was one of the five founding-generation horsemen inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1988, representing the core group of competitors, breeders, and organizers who gave the sport its early structure and momentum. Inducted alongside Mickie Glenn, Stretch Bradley, Paul Horn, and Bill …

Stretch Bradley was one of the early pillars of the NRHA, inducted in 1988 as part of the inaugural human HOF class. He helped lay the groundwork for reining as a recognized western performance discipline.

C. T. Fuller was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1989, recognized for his significant contributions to the sport of reining and the National Reining Horse Association during the critical early years of the organization.

Charlton Thomas Fuller of Willow Brook Farms, Catasauqua, Pennsylvania built the first reining-specific breeding operation east of the Mississippi. A WWII Navy veteran, businessman, photographer, and publisher, Fuller acquired stallion Joe Cody in 1964 and built a breeding program that produced s…

Joe Cody is one of reining's foundational sires, best known as the father of Topsail Cody — the 1980 NRHA Open Futurity Champion and NRHA Million Dollar Sire (HOF 1996). Joe Cody's bloodline threads directly through two generations of Hall of Fame horses: from Joe Cody to Topsail Cody to Topsail …

In the early years of the NRHA, before the association had offices or staff, Kaye Potts opened her home to house NRHA operations. The association's records, correspondence, and administrative functions were run out of her residence — a quiet but essential contribution that kept the young organiza…

Clayton Woosley was one of the key figures from the Columbus, Ohio area who supported and helped shape the NRHA from its founding in 1966. Named among the original inner circle that included Dale Wilkinson, the Horn brothers, Stretch Bradley, and Mickie Glenn, Woosley was part of the grassroots e…

Enterprise Lady is recognized as the dam of Be Aech Enterprise — himself an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee (1997) and an Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Sire. Through her son Be Aech Enterprise, she produced a sire line that carried forward to Trashadeous (HOF 1996) and ultimately to Gunnatrashya — one of…

Glenda Echols was one of the elite reining horses of the early NRHA era, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990 in recognition of her competitive excellence and contributions to the sport's growing foundation. Detailed records from this formative period of NRHA history are limited, but her induct…

Guy Gauthier was one of the three members of the Class of 1990, inducted alongside Paul Schuh and Clayton Woosley. Part of the original network of Ohio reining enthusiasts, Gauthier helped build the early infrastructure and competitive culture of the NRHA during the years when the association was…

Paul Schuh was among the founding generation of Columbus, Ohio horsemen who helped establish the NRHA in 1966. One of the three members inducted in the Class of 1990 alongside Guy Gauthier and Clayton Woosley, Schuh represents the core group of competitors, organizers, and supporters whose early …

High Proof was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1991, representing the top tier of early NRHA competitive horses during the association's formative decades. As one of only a handful of horses inducted in the sport's first five years of Hall of Fame recognition, High Proof occupies a rare an…

Banker Bar Leo was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1992 alongside Hollywood Smoke and Mr Doin Good. Leo-bred horses were a prominent force in early NRHA competition, bringing the influential Leo bloodline into the reining pen during the sport's formative decades. His induction is a testame…

A student of Dale Wilkinson and one of the founding members of the NRHA, Bill Horn spent nearly three decades competing at the highest levels of the sport he helped create. A four-time NRHA Futurity champion, three-time Open World Champion, and NRHA President, he was the ultimate all-around reine…

Bob Anthony was the head trainer at C.T. Fuller's Willow Brook Farms and one of the most gifted natural horsemen in the sport's early history. Closely tied to the Joe Cody bloodline, Anthony rode Sappho Cody to the 1963 AQHA Honor Roll reining title and Easter Cody to two more. His work at Willow…

Originally from Nebraska, Bob Loomis is universally recognized as a master of precision reining. With six NRHA Open Futurity championships — more than any other trainer in history — Loomis set the standard for athletic excellence. He is also the only breeder to train, show, and stand three consec…

Hollywood Smoke was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1992 as part of a class of three horses, reflecting the growing number of elite horses competing in the sport. The Hollywood bloodline — connected to the legendary Hollywood Jac 86 family — was among the dominant genetic influences in ear…

Jim Willoughby was among the competitors who showed up at the very first NRHA Futurity in Columbus, Ohio in October 1966 — entering First Command, owned by veterinarian Dr. Millard Hayes, on tough ground with a horse that had never been in an arena. His decades of involvement shaped the sport's j…

Mr Doin Good was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1992, completing a three-horse class that highlighted the depth of early NRHA competition. His name — a nod to the classic western competitive spirit — reflects the era of the sport when personality and performance were inseparable. He stand…

Cee Leo Step was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1993 alongside Miss White Trash and Hollywood Jac 86. The Leo bloodline was a dominant early force in NRHA reining, and Cee Leo Step represents one of its finest expressions in the show pen. Her induction into this landmark class — the first…

Born on a farm in Southern Ohio, Dick Pieper became one of the most respected horsemen in western performance history. A decorated competitor, judge, author, and clinician, he shaped the careers of riders and trainers across four decades. His common-sense approach and gift for communication made …

Hollywood Jac 86 — a 14.3-hand sandy palomino with floppy ears and a dorsal stripe — looked nothing like a celebrity, but his "drop-to-the-basement" stop literally revolutionized the style of reining. Bred by John and Mary Bowling of Sumner, Iowa, he was a 2x NRHA Non-Pro World Champion under Ric…

Miss White Trash, by Mr Gun Smoke (HOF 2008), was owned her entire life by NRHA People Hall of Famer Bill Horn. Horn showed her in the 1970 NCHA Futurity (6th in the open) and later in NRHA competition, earning more than $12,900. Her greatest legacy is as the dam of Trashadeous (HOF 1996) — a gri…

The son of "Stretch" Bradley, Clark carried on the family legacy in extraordinary fashion. Born in Hilliard, Ohio, he joined his father in training horses and went on to win the NRHA Open Futurity twice — in 1968 and 1974. He served as NRHA President, taught at the University of Findlay for 26 ye…

John Snobelen served as a long-term NRHA Board member and was one of the key figures behind the revolutionary 1985 NRHA judging system — the maneuver-by-maneuver scoring format that replaced subjective end-of-run judging and transformed not only reining but virtually all performance horse discipl…

Cee Blair Sailor was a three-time NRHA World Champion with $114,930 in lifetime NRHA earnings — a remarkable figure for the era. By Topsail Cody (HOF 1996) and out of Miss Cee Blair (HOF 2002), she represents a remarkable concentration of Hall of Fame bloodlines — sire, dam, and horse all eventua…

Great Pine was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1995, representing the competitive excellence of that era's reining horses. His name surfaces in NRHA historical records as one of the sport's distinguished mid-1990s champions, recognized for contributions to both competition and the developi…

Diamonds Sparkle — the 1979 AQHA Superhorse — was already a legend when Carol Rose bred her to Genuine Doc in the late 1980s, not knowing what would result. The foal was Shining Spark, who became an NRHA $4M Sire, NRHA HOF inductee (2011), and the foundation of Carol Rose Quarter Horses. Of Diamo…

Topsail Cody, by Joe Cody (HOF 1989) and out of Doc Bar Linda, was purchased by Bob Loomis in his 3-year-old year and trained to win the 1980 NRHA Open Futurity and the 1981 AQHA Junior Reining World Championship. Bred by C.T. Fuller of Willow Brook Farm, Pennsylvania (People HOF 1989), he became…

Trashadeous — "Trash" — was as gritty as his name. A double-registered stallion bred by Bill and Kimberly Horn (People HOF 1992), he was initially wild and difficult but Horn persevered. The duo won the 1990 NRHA Futurity Reserve Open Championship and the 1992 Superstakes. Trashadeous earned $138…

Be Aech Enterprise is one of reining's foundational sires, shown and closely associated with Bill Horn (People HOF 1992). Out of Miss White Trash (HOF 1993) by Mr Gun Smoke (HOF 2008), he is an Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Sire whose influence runs deep through modern bloodlines. His daughter — thr…

Jodieann was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1997, recognized for her outstanding performance career and her contributions to the development of the reining horse.

Nifty Jodieann was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1997 alongside Be Aech Enterprise, recognized for her competitive excellence and contribution to the sport during the mid-1990s era of NRHA reining. Her induction reflects the high standards NRHA applied to its early horse recognitions, ho…

Great Simon Sez was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1998 in a class of two horses alongside Mr Feelin Good. As a late-1990s inductee, he represents the elite performers of the critical growth decade of NRHA competition — when the sport was expanding rapidly, prize money was increasing, and…

Mr Feelin Good was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1998 alongside Great Simon Sez, recognized for elite performance during the late 1990s when reining was evolving rapidly into a major international discipline. As one of the honored horses of this transformative era, Mr Feelin Good represe…

Hollywood Dun It — "Dun It" — was a dun son of Hollywood Jac 86 (HOF 1993) out of Blossom Berry. Bred by Gwen Steif and purchased by Tim McQuay, he was the 1986 NRHA Futurity Reserve Champion with Tim McQuay in the saddle, then retired to the breeding barn in 1988. His first two foal crops earned…

Chicago-born businessman and horseman Richie Greenberg discovered reining in 1972 when he found Hollywood Jac 86. Together, he and "Jac" won NRHA's first-ever Non Pro World Championship in 1974 — a title he went on to win nine times total. A staunch advocate for opening the NRHA to all breeds, Gr…

Tim Bartlett was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2000 alongside Richie Greenberg and Tim McQuay, recognized for his contributions to the sport during the critical decades when reining was establishing itself as a major equestrian discipline. His induction in the Class of 2000 places him am…

Tim McQuay earned his first NRHA check in 1978 at Columbus, Ohio and never looked back. He became the second NRHA Million Dollar Rider (1997), the first $2 Million Rider (2005), and the first $3 Million Rider (2012) — holding the title of NRHA All-Time Leading Money Earner for an extraordinary 11…

Few individuals have shaped the NRHA's governance and global reach more comprehensively than Frank Costantini. On the NRHA Board of Directors since 1985 and elected President four times, he has also served on the USET, AHSA/USEF boards, and chaired the FEI Reining Committee for two terms — helpin…

Miss Cee Blair is recognized as one of reining's premier foundation producers — the dam of Cee Blair Sailor (HOF 1995), a three-time NRHA World Champion who earned $114,930 in NRHA lifetime earnings. Her ability to produce elite competitive offspring — including three-time world champions — repre…

Dodsons Little Star was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2003 as part of a landmark three-horse class alongside Gunner and Topsail Whiz. Inducted in the same year as two of the sport's most consequential sires, Dodsons Little Star represents the competitive excellence that was redefining th…

Gunner — a floppy-eared sorrel overo stallion with a bald face and blue eyes — was the most charismatic horse in reining history and its greatest-ever sire. Originally too white for AQHA registration, he competed as a Paint, winning the 1996 NRHA Futurity Reserve Championship and two USET Champio…

Linda Matthews served as the NRHA's Executive Director during one of the most critical transitions in the association's history — the period surrounding the move of the NRHA Futurity to Oklahoma City in 1986 and the growth of the sport from a regional Ohio-based organization into a national prese…

Topsail Whiz — owned by Bob Loomis — is a third-generation NRHA Hall of Famer (Joe Cody → Topsail Cody → Topsail Whiz), the only horse in the sport's history to represent three consecutive HOF generations. He finished 3rd in the 1990 NRHA Futurity with Loomis and earned $49,865 before entering th…

Charles Smith was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in the Class of 2004 alongside Eleuterio Arcese, Pat Feuerstein, and Dick and Barb Waltenberry. A contributor to the sport's growth during the pivotal decades between the founding era and reining's emergence as a global discipline, Smith's ind…

Dick and Barb Waltenberry were inducted jointly into the NRHA Hall of Fame in the Class of 2004, one of only a handful of couples in the HOF recognized together. Their shared contributions to the sport — whether in competition, breeding, promotion, or association support — earned them a permanent…

Eleuterio Arcese of Verona, Italy, was the first European inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame and one of the most consequential figures in the globalization of reining. Through two decades of promotion, clinics, and competition sponsorship, he helped build reining into a major international sport…

Fleuterio Arcese was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2004, recognized for his extraordinary contributions to the sport of reining as an owner and breeder. Arcese Quarter Horses has been one of the most prominent and successful operations in the history of NRHA competition, supporting champ…

Pat Feuerstein, a Non Pro reiner from Long Island, New York, became the unofficial historian of the NRHA through her decades of writing for the Reiner magazine. When the NRHA launched its publication in the late 1970s, Feuerstein was there from the first issue — working from her home on Long Isla…

Smart Chic Olena — "Chic" — was a 1985 stallion by Smart Little Lena out of Gay Sugar Chic. Originally trained as a cutting horse, he became the 1990 AQHA Senior Cutting World Champion and 1993 NRHA Open Reserve World Champion under Craig Johnson. As a sire, he became an NRHA $7 Million Sire — an…

A student of Jack Brainard, Clint Haverty of Krum, Texas began competing professionally in NRHA Open in 1981 and became a consistent Futurity finalist and top-ten money earner. He's best known for training and riding the legendary paint stallion Gunner (Colonels Smoking Gun) to the 1996 NRHA Open…

Doug Milholland of Nebraska built one of the most complete careers in western performance history, winning AQHA World Championships in both reining and working cow horse in the early 1980s before transitioning to NRHA dominance. His 1990 NRHA Open Futurity Championship aboard Silver Anniversary —…

Rocky Dare is a Texas-based NRHA Professional whose career in reining spanned decades of competition, training, and mentorship. His induction in the Class of 2006 alongside Doug Milholland recognized his contributions to the sport as a competitor and horseman. His nephew Trevor Dare has carried t…

Keith Bradley was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2007, honored for his contributions to the sport of reining and the National Reining Horse Association.

Keith Bradley of Bowling Green, Ohio, was the iconic voice of the NRHA Futurity for decades — his signature phrase "The Score . . ." the most famous words in reining. An auctioneer, real estate broker, and Ohio Quarter Horse institution, Bradley announced the NRHA Futurity with a presence and aut…

The American Quarter Horse Association is the only non-individual entity inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame — a testament to the foundational role the AQHA played in the development of reining as a formal discipline. As the world's largest horse breed registry and one of the oldest performance h…

Dr. Jim Morgan of Maryland is one of the most decorated Non Pro competitors in NRHA history. Earning his first Futurity paycheck in 1974 ($114.60), he went on to win the NRHA Level 4 Non Pro Futurity three consecutive years (1984–86) and accumulate eight Non Pro reserve championships at the Futur…

Miss Okie Too was one of the key show partners of Mandy McCutcheon (People HOF 2011) — named personally by Mandy in her HOF induction speech alongside her most important mounts. Miss Okie Too's inclusion in the Hall of Fame reflects the rare combination of competitive excellence, partnership with…

Mr Gun Smoke was an AQHA Superior cutting horse with wide-blaze Paint markings — a horse who competed in cutting and whose daughters produced some of the greatest reining horses of all time. He was inducted into the NRCHA Hall of Fame in 1980, the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2008, and the AQHA Hall of F…

Taris Little Vintage was owned by Jim and Pat Warren (People HOF 2022) and trained by Dell Hendricks (People HOF 2023), who guided her to a 3rd-place finish at the 1994 NRHA Open Futurity, launching both the Warrens' ownership program and Hendricks' rise to the top of the sport. She earned $54,12…

Custom Chrome was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2009, recognized as one of the most influential sires in reining horse history. His offspring competed at the highest levels of NRHA competition and his bloodlines continue to appear in pedigrees of modern reining champions.

Custom Crome was the 1993 NRHA Open Futurity Champion with Mike Flarida (People HOF 2009) — the older brother of Shawn Flarida. As a sire he produced Best Stop (HOF 2025), a mare with five HOF horses in her pedigree including Custom Crome himself and dam Rest Stop (HOF 2010). Custom Crome's line …

Mega Ditto was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside Custom Crome, recognized for competitive excellence and contributions to the sport during a pivotal era when NRHA was establishing itself as a major international discipline. The 2009 class marked a landmark year for reining, wi…

Mike Flarida of Ohio was the first of the Flarida family to win at the highest level of reining competition, winning two NRHA Open Futurity Championships — first in 1993 on Custom Crome and again in 1996 on Whizard Jac. His younger brother Shawn worked for Mike before launching his own career, go…

Roger Brazeau is an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee and approved NRHA judge who built a career both in the show pen and as a trainer developing horses and riders. He and his wife Christine became well-known figures in the international reining community, eventually relocating to the United Kingdom whe…

Jack Brainard attended the very first NRHA Foundation meeting and served as a director from the start — his membership number 19 a testament to how early he was in the sport. He built his legacy not through championships but through education: authoring three training books, developing the Univer…

John Hoyt was born in Arcadia, California, and ran away to horses as a boy. He became one of the most legendary trainers in western performance history — fearless, blunt, and profoundly gifted at getting extraordinary performances from ordinary horses. Called "the Dale Wilkinson of the West" by H…

Nu Chex To Cash — a 1990 stallion by Nu Cash — was an NRHA Intermediate Open World Champion and Limited Open World Champion with $65,654 NRHA LTE and 380.5 AQHA points. He became an NRHA $3 Million Sire and his most famous son was Wimpys Little Step — the 2002 NRHA Open Futurity Champion who beca…

Rest Stop was a 1985 buckskin mare by Topsail Cody (HOF 1996) out of Villa Eddie. She earned over $56,000 in NRHA competition including a Reserve Championship at the 1988 NRHA Futurity with Doug Milholland (People HOF 2006) and the 1990 Non Pro Reserve World Championship. After retirement she pro…

Bob Kiser, an Illinois corn and soybean farmer, solved one of reining's most persistent problems — terrible arena ground. When the NRHA moved the Futurity to Oklahoma City in 1986 the footing was disastrous. The NRHA called Kiser, and his 40 years of soil and moisture management knowledge transfo…

Boomernic was the 1992 NRHA Open Futurity Champion — the horse that launched Doug Carpenter's career as one of reining's most respected horse traders and promoters (People HOF 2021). Carpenter bought and sold Boomernic as part of his celebrated career identifying elite horses, and Boomernic's Fut…

Collena Chic Olena, by Smart Chic Olena (HOF 2004), earns her place in the Hall of Fame primarily as the dam of Wimpys Little Chic (HOF 2012) — NRHA's all-time highest money-earning horse at $516,555 in NRHA LTE. Wimpys Little Chic won the NRHA Triple Crown (2007 Futurity, 2008 NRBC, 2008 Derby) …

The daughter of NRHA Hall of Famer Tim McQuay and wife of champion trainer Tom McCutcheon, Mandy McCutcheon is the most accomplished Non Pro competitor in NRHA history. She is the only female and non-professional to surpass $3 million in NRHA earnings, has won 10+ Non Pro Futurity Championships, …

Ronald Allen Sharpe of Hamilton, Texas, was one of only three men who served as judges at the very first NRHA Futurity in 1966 — making him an original pillar of the sport's officiation system. He began judging at age 19 and retired at 77, becoming the longest-tenured judge in history. He judged …

Springfield, Ohio's Shawn Flarida is the most decorated competitor in NRHA history. Known for his signature green show shirt and quiet, workmanlike demeanor, he turned professional in 1989 with eight clients and built himself into the sport's first $7 Million Rider. For 14 consecutive years he he…

Shining Spark — "Shiner" — was a palomino stallion bred accidentally when Carol Rose (People HOF 2017) crossed Genuine Doc with Diamonds Sparkle (HOF 1996). No one knew what would result. The foal that arrived on January 18, 1989, became one of the greatest performance sires in history. With Tim …

Wimpys Little Step — "Wimpy" — is one of the great palomino stallions in reining history. Bred by Hilldale Farm and ridden by Shawn Flarida, he scored a 233 at the 2002 NRHA Open Futurity to win by 5.5 points — a run the crowd whistled and cheered from the first stride. He showed for just one yea…

Wimpys Little Chic — "Lexi" — is the greatest money-earning show horse in NRHA history with $516,555 in lifetime earnings. Bred by Monica Watson of Double Run Farm in North Carolina, by Wimpys Little Step (HOF 2011) out of Collena Chic Olena (HOF 2011), she was trained and shown exclusively by Sh…

Carol Trimmer served as the Senior Director of Publications for the NRHA and its flagship Reiner magazine through the critical growth decades of the sport. Working alongside legendary contributor Pat Feuerstein and helping guide the magazine's evolution from its early newsletter format into a ful…

Rick Weaver is one of the most versatile and long-serving figures in NRHA history — competing successfully as a trainer with over 40 years of experience, winning the NRHA Open Futurity and multiple NRHA Open World Championships, serving as NRHA President, and serving as president of USA Reining. …

Colleen McQuay — wife of Tim McQuay and mother of NRHA HOF inductee Mandy McCutcheon — is a world-class horsewoman in her own right. A decorated hunter-jumper champion and founding member of the United States Hunter Jumper Association, she also served on the NRHA board and was integral to the ope…

Gabriel Diano was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2015, recognized for his contributions to the international growth of reining and his service to the National Reining Horse Association.

Miss Tinseltown was a 1994 mare by Great Red Pine out of Ms Holywood Showtime. She was bred by Charles Vaughan (Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award 2021) and owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner David Silva Sr. Her $114,087 NRHA LTE career included wins at the 1997 Tradition Futurity and the …

Smart Spook — bred and owned by Rosanne Sternberg (People HOF 2017), shown by Shawn Flarida (People HOF 2011) — won the 2004 NRHA Open Futurity, the 2005 NRHA Derby, the 2005 AQHA Junior Reining World Championship, and three consecutive FEI World Reining Masters gold medals (2007, 2008, 2009) wit…

Terry Thompson of Aubrey, Texas, earned his first NRHA paycheck in 1977 and spent four decades as one of the sport's most respected competitors, judges, and governance contributors. He was the 1982 and 1985 NRHA Derby Open Champion and a perennial Futurity and Derby finalist. As an NRHA judge and…

Don Motsenbocker and the Action Saddle Company hold a unique distinction in NRHA history — they were the association's very first corporate sponsor. By stepping up to support the young NRHA in its formative years, Motsenbocker set a precedent that opened the door to the stable of corporate partne…

Ebony Shines — a 1999 palomino Quarter Horse mare by Shining Spark (HOF 2011) out of Ebony Whiz — was purchased by Rosanne Sternberg (People HOF 2017) and became NRHA's first ever $1 Million Dam, a historic milestone in the sport. Her offspring include Shiners Whizard, Shine Chic Shine (2011 NRHA…

Magnum Chic Dream — a 1996 sorrel stallion by Smart Chic Olena (HOF 2004) out of Sailin Barbee by Topsail Cody (HOF 1996) — was bred in France by Guy Du Ponchel and owned by Viola Scott of Sherman, Texas. He became an NRHA $6 Million Sire, with offspring earning continuously for decades after his…

Princess In Diamonds was a 1996 buckskin mare by Shining Spark (HOF 2011) out of Eyed Be A Princess, bred by Gay Lynn Owens of Iowa and owned by Clinton Anderson of Downunder Horsemanship fame. She earned $76,976 NRHA LTE including a 2001 NRHA Futurity Open 4th place finish with Todd Crawford. He…

Carol Rose of Gainesville, Texas, may be the most honored woman in the western horse world. Born in Palo Alto in 1941, she started competing at age 6 and went on to break barriers across every western discipline — first woman to compete in the NCHA Non Pro Futurity, first to win the NCHA Non Pro …

Rosanne Sternberg splits her time between Sterling Ranch in Aubrey, Texas, and her home in Great Britain — an embodiment of reining's international reach. She bred and owns Smart Spook ($403K in NRHA LTE, 2004 Futurity Champion, $7M sire) and Ebony Shines (NRHA's first $1M dam, HOF inductee). She…

Smart Like Juice — a 1994 stallion by Smart Little Lena out of Jessies Oak — was bred by Lindy Burch and purchased by Justin and Vaughn Zimmerman (People HOF 2018) as an early 3-year-old. After watching the horse place 7th in the 1997 NRHA Open Futurity, Non Pro Jose Vazquez (People HOF 2021) saw…

Bill Bradley of Mount Sterling, Kentucky, was one of reining's greatest patrons — a non-pro competitor, owner, board member, and philanthropist who touched every corner of the sport. A co-founder of what became the Reining Horse Foundation, he served as NRHA President in 2005 during a critical pe…

Dun It For Chex — by Hollywood Dun It (HOF 2000) out of Silver N Blue Chex — never showed in competition but became one of NRHA's greatest producers. Owned by Cardinal Hill Training Center (Joao Marcos), she placed third on the NRHA all-time leading dam list with produce record earnings exceeding…

Vaughn Zimmerman of Springfield, Missouri, discovered reining through Kenny Eppers in the 1990s and built one of the sport's most respected ownership and breeding programs. Though he never showed himself, his eye for talent produced 2013 NRHA Open Futurity Champion Not Ruf At All — a stallion tha…

Claudio Risso of Villafalletto, Cuneo, Italy, is a name synonymous with European reining. An NRHA member since the early 1990s, he has competed as a Non Pro, bred champions, mentored generations of trainers from his Roberta's Stable facility, and served as IRHA President. His stallion Spat Olena …

Roberto Cuoghi of Vignola, Modena, Italy, is one of the most consequential figures in European reining history. For 30+ years at the helm of Cuoghi Quarter Horses, he has been an owner, breeder, IRHA President (since 2007), President of the NRHA European Council since its inception, and the bridg…

Snip O Gun — a 1993 mare by One Gun out of Miss Kim O Lena (by Doc O'Lena) — never showed in the arena but became one of NRHA's greatest-ever producers. Purchased as a 4-year-old by Tammye Hutton of Hilldale Farm in Brashear, Texas, from Hill and Dollie Clements, she produced 17 NRHA money-earnin…

Wimpy Chic was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2019, recognized for her exceptional competitive career and her contributions to the sport of reining.

Jerry Kimmel — the 100th inductee into the NRHA Hall of Fame — was a Michigan businessman who fell in love with reining after retirement and built one of the sport's most celebrated ownership programs. Working closely with Tim McQuay and McQuay Stables, he developed stallions Dun It Gotta Gun and…

Sally Brown of Maple Plain, Minnesota, transformed the NRHA breeding landscape with an almost prescient eye for pedigrees and a willingness to bet on up-and-coming stallions. She built Fox Meadow Farm into a powerhouse broodmare operation focused exclusively on good minds. She bred NRHA $3 Millio…

Doug Carpenter — "Carp" to everyone who knew him — was born in Rhode Island and hitchhiked to Columbus at age 13 just to attend the All American Quarter Horse Congress. That love of horses drove a career touching every corner of the western performance world: competitor, horse trader, promoter, b…

Jose Vazquez built one of reining's most self-sufficient programs — breeding, raising, training, and competing on horses entirely from his own operation. His stallion Smart Like Juice (NRHA HOF, $4M sire) and mare Wind Her Up Shiner (NRHA's sixth Million Dollar Dam) are the cornerstones of a lega…

Dave Belson was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame, recognized for his significant contributions to the sport of reining and his service to the National Reining Horse Association and the global reining community.

Dutch Chapman of Woodbine, Maryland, taught himself to ride and made his show pen debut in 1985 at the Howard County Fairgrounds. He became the face of East Coast reining — a two-time NRHA World Champion who coached clients and assistant trainers to 45+ World and Reserve World Championships. He d…

Jim and Pat Warren built Rancho Oso Rio in Arizona into one of the premier training and ownership programs on the West Coast. Pat transitioned from English show jumping to reining and partnered with trainers Dell Hendricks, Randy Paul, and Andrea Fappani. They co-created the Reining By The Bay, C…

Michael Carrier was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame, recognized for his dedicated contributions to the sport of reining and the National Reining Horse Association.

Spooks Gotta Whiz — "Baby" — is one of only four horses ever to win L4 Championships at the three largest NRHA aged events. Bred by Clint Haverty (People HOF 2005), purchased by Michell Anne Kimball in 2009, and winning the 2010 NRHA Futurity with Jordan Larson, the bay stallion then won the 2012…

The late Robert "Bob Mac" McDonnell held a four-digit NRHA membership number — among the earliest members of the association. He spent decades shaping the future of reining through governance, competition, and behind-the-scenes contributions. Described as someone who "literally made it happen fro…

Charles "Charley" Vaughan was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame, recognized for his passion for reining horses and his contributions to the sport as an owner and competitor. A respected trial lawyer from Lafayette, Indiana, Vaughan brought unbridled enthusiasm to horses and became a respected c…

Dell Hendricks won every major event in the sport including the NRHA Futurity, Derby, AQHA World Championship, and an unprecedented five NRBC Open Championships — the only person to accomplish that feat. In 2005 he represented the USA at the WEG, winning individual and team gold, then became a Mi…

Gunnatrashya — by Gunner (HOF 2003) out of Natrasha by Trashadeous (HOF 1996) — carries three Hall of Fame bloodlines in a pedigree designed for greatness. Bred by Katarina Dorminy and owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, he won the 2009 NRHA Open Futurity and 2010 NRHA Open Derby with Shawn Flari…

Born in Italy, Andrea Fappani is the NRHA's all-time leading money earner — the first and only $10 Million Rider in the sport's history. Inducted into the HOF when he crossed $8M, he subsequently passed $9M then $10M. He has dominated the Futurity, Derby, and international stage for over 20 years…

Snow Gun — by Gunner (HOF 2003) out of Natrasha — is the full sibling of Gunnatrashya (HOF 2023), sharing the pedigree of one of the sport's most celebrated breeding crosses. Owned by NRHA Board member Andre de Bellefeuille, she earned over $120,000 NRHA LTE in her show career and produced a stri…

Wind Her Up Chic — "Windy" — is a 2003 mare by Smart Chic Olena (HOF 2004) out of Wind Her Up Doc, the same dam as Wind Her Up Shiner (HOF 2024). This makes them half-siblings who both became NRHA Million Dollar Dams — a feat their owner Tim Anderson (RHF President) called "making Wind Her Up Doc…

Wind Her Up Shiner — a 1998 mare by Shining Spark (HOF 2011) out of Wind Her Up Doc — was purchased by Jose Vazquez (People HOF 2021) and through a remarkable sequence of events became NRHA's sixth Million Dollar Dam. Every one of her 25 foals was bred to the late Smart Like Juice (HOF 2017), als…

Best Stop — by Custom Crome (HOF 2009) out of Rest Stop (HOF 2010) — carries five NRHA Hall of Fame horses in her pedigree, a concentration of championship bloodlines unmatched in the sport. Her pedigree includes Custom Crome, Rest Stop, Topsail Cody (HOF 1996), Nu Chex To Cash (HOF 2010), and ot…

Cheryl Cody has been one of reining's most dedicated forces for over four decades. A lifetime NRHA member, prolific equine journalist, photographer, and show promoter, she co-authored Dick Pieper's The Language of Horsemanship and served on NRHA committees throughout her career. She co-founded Re…

Chexanicki — shown by Sam Smith, Rick Ford (Cinder Lakes Ranch), and Kelle Smith before landing at Toyon Ranch LLC — earned over $86,000 in NRHA competition winning multiple Non Pro titles throughout her career. Now thriving at Toyon Ranch (owned by John and Nancy Tague), she has been extensively…