May 10, 2006 — Shawn Flarida and Rowdy Yankee took gold in the Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship Qualifier at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in Katy, Texas, on April 21. The pair marked a 226.5 to win the qualifier as well as the NRBC’s $25,000 Added Open on Friday.
Rowdy Yankee is a 12-year-old Quarter Horse stallion owned and bred by Keith Crawford. He was the 1997 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Non-Pro Futurity Champion and the 1998 NRBC Non-Pro Champion.
Brian Welman riding the seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Brennas Golden Dun It, took the silver by marking a 225. Tim McQuay received the bronze aboard the eight-year-old Quarter Horse stallion Dun Gotta Gun, with a 224.5.
Flarida’s record speaks for itself. He won the individual gold medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. He also won the 2004 NRHA Open Futurity and the 2005 NRHA Open Derby on Smart Spook. Last year, he won the 2005 All American Quarter Horse Congress Reining Futurity and the 2005 NRHA Open Futurity on KR Lil Conquistador.
The NRBC was the third and final qualifying competition for the 2006 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship. All riders that have qualified by riding at one or more of the 2006 qualifiers will be invited to compete at the 2006 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., during the Clayton Woosley Hall of Fame Reining and Brownwood Farm Derby on June 24.
The U.S. reining team for the 2006 World Equestrian Games will be selected at the USEF championship. The top four riders from the championship will be selected to represent the U.S. in Aachen, Germany, September 1 and September 3.
