Local Heroes and Celebrities Will Compete in 2013 A Slide To Remember at NRHA Futurity: Lyle Lovett, Michael Schumacher, Clint Haverty, Carol Rose, Bob Loomis, and More
Photo credits: Lovett, Loomis, Brown and Dare by Waltenberry, Schumacher courtesy of michael-schumacher.de, Haverty by Darrell Dodds, Pieper courtesy of pieperranch.com, Rose by Cappy Jackson, Baker courtesy of bredahldressage.com, Thomas courtesy of Guy Thomas.
September 12, 2013 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – NRHA press release by: Christa Morris – Since 2007, the Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF) has produced a unique, entertaining reining horse event to benefit a local Oklahoma charity. The 2013 event will benefit the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and will be held in Oklahoma City during the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show on Friday, December 6 at 6 p.m. The RHSF “A Slide to Remember” includes celebrity guests, representatives of the NRHA Hall of Fame, cross-over riders from other equestrian disciplines, Freestyle reiners, as well as Oklahoma City area firefighters and police officers.
The line-up is nearly finalized with these riders already scheduled to attend:
Celebrities: Lyle Lovett and Michael Schumacher, plus two others to be announced soon!
NRHA Hall of Fame Representatives: Clint Haverty, Bob Loomis, Dick Pieper and Carol Rose aboard an offspring of Shining Spark
Cross-Over Riders: Charlotte Bredahl-Baker, Russell Dilday, Johnny Rotz and Guy Thomas
Freestyle Reiners: Shane Brown and Rocky Dare, plus two others to be announced soon!
THE EVENT
The Slide is a team competition with teams representing local police officers and local firefighters. The police and fire teams also include one celebrity guest, one Freestyle reiner, one cross-over rider from another equestrian discipline and a representative of the NRHA Hall of Fame. The riders are awarded points based on their performance. All scores are combined to determine the winner and award the coveted championship. Spectators are encouraged to come and cheer on their favorites in this friendly “firefighters vs. police officers” competition
THE RIDERS
Celebrity Competitors
Lyle Lovett – Lovett has earned four Grammy Awards including Best Country Album and Best Male Country Vocal Performance. He recorded his own brand of music, a unique mix of blues, R&B, jazz, gospel and country, since 1980 with more than a dozen albums to date. His highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country song chart, “Cowboy Man.” But Lovett’s talents don’t end there. This accomplished entertainer is also a well-respected songwriter and has a lengthy list of acting credits.
Michael Schumacher – Schumacher, a seven-time Formula One Racing World Champion, is joining us from Switzerland. He tops many of Formula One’s driver records: most championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, points scored, most races won in a single season, earliest world champion, podium places and leading laps. According to the official Formula One website he is “statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen.”
Plus, two more celebrity guests to be announced soon!
(L: Lovett and R: Schumacher)
NRHA Hall of Fame Representatives
Clint Haverty – In addition to being an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee, Clint is an NRHA Judge, NRHA Professional, clinician and leather craftsman with over $500,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. Clint has specialized in training reining horses since the mid-80s and rode into the spotlight after training and riding Gunner (Colonels Smoking Gun) to the 1996 NRHA Futurity Open Reserve Championship.
Bob Loomis – With six championships, Bob has more NRHA Open Futurity victories than any other rider in the industry. Bob is the only breeder to have trained, shown and stood three generations of NRHA Million Dollar Sires: NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Topsail Cody, NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Topsail Whiz and West Coast Whiz. Bob is in the NRHA Hall of Fame, and a past president of NRHA.
Dick Pieper – Dick is an NRHA Futurity Champion, a past president of NRHA, member of the NRHA Hall of Fame, American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Professional Horseman and multiple AQHA World Champion. He has held judges cards for the NRHA, AQHA, National Cutting Horse Association and the National Reined Cow Horse Association. Pieper Ranch is currently home to legendary cutting horse performer and sire Playgun.
Carol Rose – Carol will represent her legendary stallion Shining Spark aboard one of his offspring. Shining Spark is an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee and Four Million Dollar Sire. Before his career as a sire, he made his mark in the arena earning over $55,000 with riders like Bob Loomis and Tim McQuay. Some of his greatest achievements include being a two-time Lazy E Classic Open Reserve Champion and the 1994 NRHA Derby Open Champion.
(Top L-R: Haverty and Loomis. Bottom L-R: Pieper and Rose)
Cross-Over Riders
Charlotte Bredahl-Baker – Charlotte was part of the bronze medal winning 1992 Olympic Team and silver medal winning United States team at the 1997 North American Championship in Maryland. Charlotte, who moved to the U.S. from Denmark in 1979, has been training dressage horses in the U.S. since 1979. Today she is a United States Equestrian Federation and Federation Equestre Internationale judge.
Russell Dilday – Russell made history just a few short years ago becoming the only rider to win the World’s Greatest Horseman title three times. To make the accomplishment even more sweet, he was aboard the only horse in history to do the same, Topsails Rien Maker. Russell is co-owner of the impressive stallion and the highest money earner in reined cow horse history.
Johnny Rotz – Johnny has ridden the winners of some of the most important Thoroughbred races in the U.S. including the Belmont Stakes (on High Echelon) and Preakness Stakes (on Greek Money). A winner of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, Johnny demonstrated high standard of conduct, on and off the racetrack, and was recognized by his peers for it. After his riding career, he served as a racing steward in Delaware, Louisiana, New York and Ohio.
Guy Thomas – Guy competed for New Zealand in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. He also competed in the 2008 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Finals in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2010, Guy and his mount Peterbilt became the first rider/horse combination to win a series of three Grand Prix events. Since then, they’ve won four more Grand Prix events with three being won this year.
(L: Baker and R: Thomas)
Freestyle Reiners
Shane Brown – Shane is an NRHA Professional from Elbert, Colo. Brown’s routines are recognized for being timeless and moving. His career wins prove he’s a force to be reckoned with in the Freestyle Reining.
Rocky Dare – Rocky has earned more than one million dollars in NRHA competition during a professional career that has spanned nearly three decades and includes an NRHA Hall of Fame induction. His performance is highly anticipated with many of his fans wondering what surprise he might have in store.
Plus, two more special guests to be announced soon!
(L: Brown and R: Dare)
Police & Fire Team Members
Oklahoma City area police and fire teams are organizing their line-up for the competition. More details will be released soon!
Tickets
The RHSF “A Slide to Remember” is Friday, December 6 at 6 p.m. at the Oklahoma State Fair Park’s Jim Norick Arena (Coliseum). General admission is $11 and box seats are $21. Members of the military receive buy-one, get-one-free admission with valid Military ID, and children age 10 and under get in free. Tickets will be available online in November at www.okstatefair.com.
Reining Horse Sports Foundation
The Reining Horse Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and enhancing the sport of Reining worldwide. The RHSF accomplishes this through their five core programs: NRHA Hall of Fame, Crisis Fund, Research, Development & Education, Youth Programs and International Development. For further information about the Foundation, contact rhsf@nrha.com or (405) 946-7400, ext. 122, or visit the RHSF website at rhsf.com.
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is a state-of-the-art interactive learning museum that tells the story of those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. By the use of more than a dozen computers and two hours of video, and more than 300 artifacts the Memorial Museum tells the story of one of the largest terrorist attacks on American soil. Since opening, the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial has hosted more than 4.4 million visitors and the Memorial Museum has had more than two million visitors. Visit the museum online at oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.
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. 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, Anderson Bean Boot Company, Arenus, Bob’s Custom Saddles, Boehringer Ingelheim, Center Back Pads, Classic Equine, Darling 888 Ranch, Downunder Horsemanship, Horse&Rider, John Deere, Kiser Arena Specialists, Kyle Tack, Markel Insurance Company, Merial, Miller International – Cinch / Cruel Girl, Montana Silversmiths, Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Pard’s Western Shop, Platinum Performance, Purina, Quarter Horse News, Rios of Mercedes, Silver Spurs Equine, SmartPak, Schmersal Reining Horses, Twister Trailer and World Development Group International.
In addition, NRHA thanks NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show Event Sponsors
Platinum Futurity Sponsors: KO Trading, RAM, Sandbur Productions LLC and Scott Cleaners
Gold Futurity Sponsors: Shorty’s Caboy Hattery and Soft Ride
Silver Futurity Sponsors: Avila’s Pro Shop, E-Z Go, Forewheeler Golf Cars and Heat-A-Zone
