Standout All-Around Competitor Excels in New Pursuit, Wins NRHA Rookie of the Year at 2013 Futurity
By: Brittany Bevis
Lauren Crivelli, Lil Wimp, and Tracer Gilson at the 2013 NRHA Futurity. Image courtesy of Lauren Crivelli.
Many of our readers will recognize the name of Lauren Crivelli as a former standout AQHA youth and now amateur competitor who excels in events like showmanship, trail, and horsemanship. This year, she ventured into a slightly different arena by competing at her first NRHA show this past May.
It certainly didn’t take this talented rider long to adjust. Just yesterday, Crivelli and Rebas Best Step Yet were named the Adequan NAAC Silver Spurs Equine NRHA Rookie of the Year Champions at the 2013 NRHA Futurity in Oklahoma City. Crivelli explains that she first had to qualify for her Regional Affiliate Finals in order to earn a coveted spot in the Rookie of The Year Finals last night.
“In order to be able to compete in Oklahoma, riders must compete in their affiliate, which is determined by location,” she says. “Then, the top point earners are qualified for the Regional Affiliate Finals. The top eight placing riders from the Regional Affiliate Finals are then invited to compete in the NRHA Futurity Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year Finals. Then, they have a final ride where the person with the highest cumulative score (of the three judges) and that horse are named Rookie of the Year.”
“I was fortunate enough to win the Regional Affiliate Finals and qualify for the NRHA Futurity class. We prepared like we normally do, and my horse was right there for me. Once the dust settled from our final stop, we found out that our score was high enough to earn us the top placing and the title of the 2013 NRHA Rookie of the Year.”
In April, Crivelli was blessed to have the opportunity to purchase Rebas Best Step Yet, a 4-year-old Quarter Horse stallion she affectionately calls “Lil Wimp.” With the ultimate goal of working towards the NRHA Rookie of the Year Finals in mind, she and her trainer, Tracer Gilson, set up a plan for the 2013 show season.
“We made a plan to show and figure each other out as we went,” she says. “You would never guess that Lil Wimp is a stud. He is so kind and well-mannered. He loves oranges and curry comb massages, so we bond that way. He is such a forgiving horse and very honest in the show pen. He always gives 100% of what you ask of him. He has been the perfect horse for me to learn on. He has both the mind and talent of a champion.”
Crivelli credits her talented trainer with the ability to push both she and Lil Wimp to their maximum potential in their first year of NRHA competition.
“He is a very talented trainer,” she says. “Tracer has been both a friend and a mentor, and I know that I can trust him with anything that we need. We are very blessed to be able to ride with him.”
Looking towards the future, Crivelli plans to continue with her new focus on NRHA events. However, she will attend the Arizona Sun Circuit and would like to qualify for the AQHA World Show in 2014. There may even be some hopes of competing in ranch pleasure in the near future.
“Luckily, Lil Wimp is very young, so hopefully we will have a long career together,” she says. “We may try the Ranch Horse Pleasure class; it seems like a lot of fun! Other than that, we will mainly focus on showing at the NRHA shows in the the derbies. I’m looking forward to what the future holds!”
Click here to watch a video of Crivelli’s winning ride on NRHA’s Vimeo account.
