International Reining Celebrity Challenge
ORDER OF GO
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Following Las Vegas World Cup Grand Prix
Rolex FEI World Cup - Las Vegas, NV
1. Rodrigo Pessoa – International Team
- Jumping Olympic Gold medalist, three-time FEI World Cup Show Jumping Champion and the youngest FEI World Equestrian Games World Champion
- Sir Pine By Boomer (2000 American Quarter Horse) Owned by Kim & Jessica Tourino of California; NRHA Earnings $10,686; NRHA Open Futurity finalist; AQHA World Show Reining qualifier
2. Will Simpson – U.S. Team
- Jumping Olympic Team Gold medalist
- Arapaho Sailor (1999 American Quarter Horse) Owned by Patrick and Leah Boylan of California; NRHA Lifetime Earnings $36,514; NRHA Limited Non Pro Futurity Champion
3. Anky Van Grunsvan – International Team
- Nine-time FEI World Cup Dressage Champion and multiple Dressage Olympic Gold medalist
- Dun Its Chico (2002 American Quarter Horse) Owned by Susan Williams of California; NRHA Lifetime Earnings $44,313; 2007 AQHA World Champion Reining
4. Charlotte Bredahl-Baker – U.S. Team
- Dressage Team Bronze Olympic Bronze medalist, USEF "S" judge and FEI "C" judge
- Reeboks Rerun (2002 American Quarter Horse) Owned by Careena Laney of California; NRHA Lifetime Earnings $37,805; NRHA Limited Non Pro Champion Pro Futurity champion
5. Ann Fonck – International Team
- NRHA Professional, NRHA Open World Champion and accomplished dressage competitor
- Whizle Fritz (2002 American Quarter Horse) Owned by Leah Boylan of California; NRHA Earnings $7,137; NRHA Limited Open Derby Reserve Champion; sired by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Topsail Whiz
6. Rick Weaver – U.S. Team
- NRHA President, NRHA Professional, NRHA Futurity Open Division Champion and multiple NRHA World Champion
- Dun Its Manhatten (2002 American Quarter Horse) Owned by John Booth, of California; NRHA Earnings $17,851; AQHA World Show Reining finalist
The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) are co-sponsors of the International Reining Celebrity Challenge and are supplying an abundance of Reining expertise in the form of coaches, riders and, of course, horses. Each team will consist of the following riders with one dressage, one jumping and one reining competitor assigned to each team. The riders have taken take a four-day crash course in the trademark sliding stops, mind-blurring spins and classical power-steering of the Reining horse before they hit the arena for a thrilling head-to-head competition.
A special thanks goes out to Tom and Kirstin Foran; David and Becky Hanson; Mike Boyle and a group of generous owners who will be supplying an experienced field of Reining horses for this event. More details will be released soon on the equine athletes featured in the International Reining Celebrity Challenge.
The Rolex FEI World Cup™ Finals will once again take place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, April 15-19. The World Cup Finals feature the two Olympic disciplines of show jumping and dressage in an international showdown of the best jumping and dressage horses and riders. Van Grunsven heads the list of 15 riders from eight countries set to compete in this year’s Dressage World Cup Final.
Incorporated in 1966, the National Reining Horse Association is the governing body of the sport of Reining. NRHA, with their International Headquarters in Oklahoma City, is responsible for promoting the sport of Reining and working to ensure the highest standards of competition. The American Quarter Horse Association, founded in 1940, is the largest-single breed equine registry in the world with more than 330,000 members worldwide. Pending AQHA Executive Committee approval later this month, Dressage will become the newest event in AQHA competition. Learn more about these two associations at www.nrha.com