Oklahoma City, OK - The National Reining Horse Association Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show carried on today. As competitors battled it out in the final section of the $540,00-added NRHA Open Futurity and in the $260,00-added Cinch / NRHA Non Pro Futurity consolation round, reining fans moved one step closer to crowning futurity champions at the 25th running of the event in Oklahoma City.

Fappani and Lil Joe Cash Lead Open Composite
Andrea Fappani and Lil Joe Cash marked a 223 in the first and second go-round to lead the $280,000-added level 4 open division with a 446. Russell Giles owns the Nu Chex To Cash stallion out of RS Lilly Starlight. Michael Boyle and Darling 888 Ranch’s Easy Lil Lady (Easy Otie Whiz x Docs Lil Bullet) moved to second place in the level 4 open division with a 444.5.

Holding their lead of the $145,000-added level 3 open division was Todd Crawford and Cashn Rooster (Gallo Del Cielo x Booming Cash). The pair earned identical scores in the go-round (221.5) for a composite score of 443 for Archie Mangus of Norman, Okla. Crawford also was named the Prime Time Open Futurity champion. This division winner is determined by a handicapped composite score.

Eduardo Salgado rode Gunner Boy (Gunner x Kat Jordan) maintained the top position in the $75,000-added level 2 open and $35,000-added level 1 open divisions. Salgado rode Jefferson Abbud’s (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Brazilian Quarter Horse stallion to a composite score of 441.

The top open horse and rider combinations, based on composite scores from the first and second go-round, will advance to the NRHA Open Futurity Finals on Saturday, December 3 where the winner of the level 4 open division will earn $150,000 as well as incredible prizes from NRHA Corporate Partners and award sponsors.

Porath Marks High Score in Non Pro Consolation
The Non Pro Consolation round offered another opportunity for nearly 40 exhibitors to qualify for Friday’s NRHA / Cinch Non Pro Futurity finals. Earning the high score of 217.5 to claim her spot in Friday’s finals was Stephanie Porath on Robyn and George King’s Salt And Peppy Guy (SR Roosters Kid x Salt N Peppy Please).

Cuevas, Van Der Schaaf and Gilbert Win NAAC Top Honors
Competition continued in the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships with the NAAC Non Pro, Intermediate Non Pro and Prime Time Non Pro classes. Ruben Pacheco Cuevas piloted Sugar Chics Gunnit (Gunner x Sugar Chics Gunnit) to a score of 219 to win the Adequan NAAC Non Pro championship. The Mexico region representatives were reserve champions in the level 2 non pro division at this year’s NRHA Derby. Cuevas has earned more than $65,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings and represented his home country at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

In the Adequan NAAC Intermediate Non Pro, South Central region qualifiers Breanna Van Der Schaaf (Richmond, Tex.) and Hes At Bat (Rowdy Yankee x Rambos Smart N Smoke) returned to claim another championship. They marked a 217.5 today to win the Adequan NAAC Intermediate Non Pro title after winning the Adequan NAAC Limited Non Pro championship earlier this week, as well as the level 3 open division in the 7 & Up Derby at the 2011 NRHA Derby. Van Der Schaaf has nearly $40,000 in NRHA LTE and Hes At Bat has more than $54,000 in NRHA LTE.

Southwest region qualifiers Jon Gilbert and Cielo San Lewis (Cielo San Badger x Jessie Lewis) bested the competition in the Adequan NAAC Prime Time Non Pro with a score of 214.5. The 2002 gelding has nearly $25,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings while Gilbert has earned more than $15,000 in the NRHA arena.

Upcoming Activities at the Futurity
Make plans to attend Thursday night’s main event – the $100,000-added NRHA Open World Championship Shootout presented by Equine Sports Medicine. It’s an “Open-to-the-World” class where the top Open reining horses on the planet will compete in a dramatic showdown for the winner’s estimated purse of $30,000. In addition, the 2011 NRHA Open World Champion will be recognized and honored at the show – even though the World Champion and the Shootout winner may not be the same. Opening ceremonies will begin at 6:50 p.m. and will include a Rein In Cancer tribute to those who have been affected by the disease.

Thursday will be the first of three days for reining’s premier horse sales – the NRHA / Markel Insurance Breeders Select, Marketplace and Futurity Prospect sales. Interested buyers can view the sale catalogue or videos online! The sales start at 9:30 a.m. each morning in the Barn 3 Sale Arena. Don’t forget to attend the Quarter Horse News Pre-Sale Breakfast on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8:30 a.m.

Watch the live webcast, keep tabs on the leaders and find out about the latest news and upcoming events at nrhafuturity.com, facebook.com/nrhareining or twitter.com/nrha.

More About the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show
It’s the most elite reining event in the world with more than 3,000 entries competing for nearly $2 million in cash and prizes. More than 1,300 horses and 127,000 visitors come from nearly 20 countries to compete and watch the excitement unfold. During its 10-day run, the show contributes more than $67 million to the overall Oklahoma City economy.

The show features the Open Futurity Finals on Saturday, December 3 when the winning entry is guaranteed a check for $150,000, as well as incredible prizes from NRHA Corporate Partners and award sponsors. The NRHA / Cinch Non Pro Futurity offers an additional $260,000 in added money for non pro reiners, which will be awarded on Friday, December 2. Nearly $100,000 in nominator incentive money also will be distributed to those individuals who originally nominated horses to the NRHA Nomination Program, despite whether or not they still own the horse.

The NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show offers a variety of spectator events and activities including a western gift market, NRHA / Markel Insurance Horse sales, NRHA Open World Championship Shootout presented by Equine Sports Medicine, Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year and 4R Performance Horses Hometown Heroes Slide & Freestyle Reining benefitting the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Go to nrhafuturity.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show Supporters
The NRHA would like to thank the following corporate partners for their support of the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show: Adequan, Arenus, Bob’s Custom Saddles; Cinder Lakes Ranch and Reproduction Center; Classic Equine; Darling 888 Ranch; Horse&Rider; John Deere; Kiser Arena Specialists; Markel Insurance Company; Merial; Montana Silversmiths; Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau; Pard’s Western Shop; Platinum Performance; Purina Mills; Quarter Horse News; Rios of Mercedes / Anderson Bean Boot Company; Miller International – Cinch / Cruel Girl; Silver Spurs Equine; SmartPak, Twister Trailer and Xtra Quarter Horses, plus NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show Sponsors: 4R Performance Horses, Avila’s Pro Shop, Cowdog Saddles, Equine Sports Medicine, eyeD™, Heat-A-Zone, KO Trading, Kyle Tack, Performance Horse Supply, RAM, Sandbur Productions LLC, Scott Cleaners, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery and Soft Ride.