GVRHA 'Ride & Slide to America' Series - Final Round

Keiran Moses and Little Gambel Lena (photo: Georgia Mundie)

The Final round for the Goulburn Valley Reining Horse Association ‘Ride & Slide to America’ Series 2011 was held at Tatura Park Indoor Arena on Sunday 17 July.

The Rookie L1 and Intermediate Open classes were a very close finish whilst the Intermediate Non Pro, saw runaway leader Keiran Moses on Little Gambel Lena take home a return flight to the NRHA Futurity held at Oklahoma City in Dec 2011. 

The package includes Box seat tickets proudly sponsored by NRHA (National Reining Horse Association).  Second place in the Intermediate Non Pro was the eye-catching Sonya Taylor receiving a $600 Gift card for a Tom Balding Bit from Pard’s Western Store www.pards.com and a Gift voucher from Kentucky Equine Research (KER) www.ker.com, on her stunning gelding Whizzel With Me. In third place receiving a Silver engraved G.V.R.H.A trophy bridle was Brett McDonald on his Stallion Slippery Lil Badger. Fourth Placing saw Brett Hands on the talented mare ‘Miss Congeniality’ picking up the custom engraved G.V.R.H.A wooden trophy stirrups.

GVRHA members had to compete in 3 of the 4 Affiliate rounds to qualify, and the top 3 scores counted for the high point tally. The Rookie L1 Montana Silversmith Buckle proudly sponsored by National Centre for Equine Education www.ncee.edu.au and 12month subscription to Shawn Flarida’s Personal Training Video Series www.thegreenshirt.com was anyone’s game, but the girls dominated the placings.  Going into the final round the leader throughout the series, Sue Learey riding Smart with Style, was pipped at the post pushing her into 3^rd placing receiving a Yucca Flats Saddle blanket proudly donated by Denny from Yucca Flats Company.  Khris Martin on her Stallion Tamkaura Promise of Glory took out the Rookie L1 series by ½ point over Jenny Holmes on Roy O Bannon.  Jenny took home a Silver engraved G.V.R.H.A custom designed trophy bridle.  In 4^th Place was Susie Farquhar riding Glenray Angeline receiving G.V.R.H.A engraved wooden trophy stirrups.

The premier event for the ‘Ride & Slide to America Series’ was the Intermediate Open, in which competitors were vying for the ultimate prize, a 3 day stay with tuition from Shawn Flarida.  Shawn is the highest money earner in the sport of reining (4 Million Dollar Rider), and in June this year was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame.  Leading up to the final round Keiran Moses and Scott Glover were tied on equal points and sitting just behind was Brett McDonald ridding Slippery Lil Badger and Brett Hands on Miss Congeniality. The two Brett’s were chomping at the bit for a chance to win the once in a life time opportunity tuition with Shawn. Scott Glover marked a 68 on his stallion Ruff Major, Keiran come out and scored an equal placing with Brett Hands on 69.5, Brett McDonald just behind on a 69. These results made things a little interesting, the top three scores from the qualifiers finished seeing Keiran Moses on Little Gambel Lena winning the major prize, Scott Glover on Ruff Major receiving the second prize a $600 Gift card for a Tom Balding Bit from Pard’s Western Store www.pards.com and a Gift voucher from Kentucky Equine Research (KER) www.ker.com. Third prize, the Silver engraved G.V.R.H.A trophy bridle was Brett McDonald’s, on his Stallion Slippery Lil Badger and fourth placing was Brett Hands on Miss Congeniality receiving a Yucca Flats Saddle blanket proudly donated by Denny from Yucca Flats Company.

G.V.R.H.A would like to thank all their members for the support shown throughout this exciting series, and a huge thank you to our sponsors without whom the series would not have been run. A BIG thank you goes out to Shawn and Michelle Flarida and the Greenshirt team for supporting reining here in Australia.  Mark Butzow from Pards Western Store shows generous support for G.V.R.H.A and Reining Australia. Luisa Wood and Marie Kukawski from Kentucky Equine Research (KER) for their generosity for the past 2 years.  Denny from Yucca Flats Company for their wonderful hand woven New Zealand wool saddle blankets. Mitavite for their contribution to the placing prizes. And the National Centre for Equine Education www.ncee.edu.au for the continuous support for G.V.R.H.A.

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