PG . 25
Open Gold Buckle Futurity Champion Presentation - Tyler Smith on Q Vista Step It Up Q-95142
AQHA Open Derby Champions - Warren Backhouse and NPH Gunner Be A Goodnite Q-91426
Warren Backhouse and NPH Gunner Be A Goodnite Q-91426 - Open Derby Champions
With a purse of $ 50,000 on the Gold Buckle Futurity alone and money and prizes totalling well over $ 100,000 making it the country ' s biggest payout Reining event annually . Competitors travelled from as far as Western Australia and North Queensland for their shot at a National title . With the sport seeing unprecedented growth the competition was high and although the friendly atmosphere throughout the week , riders showed up to take the crown .
AQHA $ 10K OPEN DERBY
With a line up of several past Gold Buckle Futurity Champions , the hotly contested Open Derby brought the heat with the David & Jane Manchon entry ' NPH Gunner Be A Goodnite ' piloted by Warren Backhouse backing up their 2023 win to take home the AQHA winner ' s cheque again marking a massive 151 from the judges . Coming in 2nd place was 88 Reining ' s mare ' Whiza Lil Cash ' with John Wicks and taking out third place honours was Breakoday QH ' s stallion ' Nu Too Much ' ridden by Lana Kelderman . The AQHA Owner Incentive was won by David & Jane Manchon and the AQHA Breeders Incentive was won by Dennis and Erin Neylon .
Thomas Arena Products Gold Buckle Futurity
A broad field of Professional trainers and Non Pro riders made up the numbers in the Open Futurity with a 2 go round aggregate deciding the winning combination . It was Non Pro rider Tyler Smith who came out on top , 20 years after her father Greg won the same title . Riding her own mare ' Q Vista Step It Up ', Tyler is the first woman to win the Open Gold Buckle Futurity with the top 4 placings also being taken out by cowgirls this year . Tyler not only took home the cheque for $ 25,000 but the Onya Quarter Horses ChampionsRing , made of solid gold and valued at well over $ 10,000 , proudly supplied by long time supporter Ray Gabbert . Saturday morning saw the Non Pro ' s step into the pen on their futurity horses with Queensland rider Heather Lee taking home the buckles in all 3 levels marking a 140 . A great effort by these non pros with some catch riding their own horses after showing in the Open Futurity under their trainers .
2024 AQHA ~ SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER ISSUE