It has always been a dream of Taylor Larson’s to win a title with her husband at the NRHA Futurity. Little did they know, this dream would become a reality on Saturday December 6, 2014. Taylor had just claimed the 2014 NRHA Non Pro Futurity Level 2 & 3 Championship on her home bred mare Wimpys Dolled Up the night before. Now the Open finals were here, and they were both sick with the stomach flu and things were looking shaky. But God had big plans in store for the night! Last in the draw of 30 competitors, Jordan ended up claiming the 2014 Open futurity Co-Championship title on ARC Gunnabeabigstar owned by HDC Quarter Horses! He shared the title with Leading NRHA Professional, Shawn Flarida and Shine N Spook!
The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity Open finals, including the Lucas Oil Level (L) 4, closed out the 2014 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Saturday, December 6. A total of 64 riders were mounted on world-class reining horses all aiming for the $150,000 L4 open championship purse and their share of NRHA Corporate Partner and Futurity Sponsor awards.
The 2014 NRHA Open Futurity finals gave the packed house just what they were craving – the best of the best in a dramatic finish, right until the end of the second section.
Shine N Spook (Smart Spook x Ebony Shines) and NRHA Five Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida landed in draw 23 in the second section. They earned a 224.5 to jump ahead of the previous leader Wimpy Chic (Wimpys Little Step x Chics Fancy Lady) and Gabriel Diano who had marked a 224. Shine N Spook and Flarida held the lead until the last run of the finals when ARC Gunnabeabigstar (Gunnatrashya x Wimpys Little Chic) and NRHA Million Dollar Rider Jordan Larson met the challenge and lit the board with a 224.5 of their own. They decide to share the title and stand as Lucas Oil L4 Open Co-Champions.
Shine N Spook, owned by Clark Reining Horses, LLC and nominated by Rosanne Sternberg, previously placed fifth at this year’s All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity.
ARC Gunnabeabigstar, owned by HDC Quarter Horses and nominated by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, also placed eighth at this year’s All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity.
The co-championship paid $132,600 each to the owners and $6,980 each to the nominators. Both co-champions were consignments at the 2012 NRHA / Markel Insurance Futurity Sales.
