In NRHA News: Week of 10/26
Press Release
Starlights Wrangler Earns NRHA Million Dollar Sire Status
Congratulations are in order for Starlights Wrangler, owned by Hendricks Broten Equine Assets, who has become an NRHA Million Dollar Sire. Starlights Wrangler joins other notable sires who have achieved the lofty distinction. His remarkable breeding career was preceded by a successful show career that spanned from 2000 through 2003. The 1997 stallion earned $125,960 in the show pen with wins at such prestigious events as the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) Open Derby with Dell Hendricks in 2002.
Starlights Wrangler is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Grays Starlight out of Wranglers Connie (by Docs Wrangler). Starlights Wrangler’s offspring include such standouts as Wranglin In Chex, NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of $70,214; AR Oakies Last Stand, LTE $61,182; All In Wrangler, LTE $58,514; Whiz N Starlight, LTE $55,306 and Luckys Starlight, LTE $44,888.
Hendricks shared that Sally Broten has been a dream to work with during their ownership of Starlights Wranger and shared his excitement of the milestone reached. “It’s been a long and fun journey, but it has been a goal of mine since I bought half of him to reach that million-dollar sire status,” stated Hendricks. “I’m just thrilled to death.” Hendricks has been working for a decade to reach this title with Starlights Wrangler. “I’m so thankful to everyone who has supported him over the years, all the people who have ridden his offspring, all the mare owners who have bred mares to him and my wife for putting up with me through the whole journey,” said Hendricks. “I couldn’t have done it alone.”
Spooks Gotta Gun Earns Million Dollar Sire Status
Congratulations are in order for Spooks Gotta Gun, owned by Silver Spurs Equine, who has become an NRHA Million Dollar Sire. The much heralded and sought after achievement marks a stallion’s success in the breeding pen and punctuates his ability to sire quality and successful competitive reining horses. Spooks Gotta Gun’s breeding career was preceded by a successful show record that spanned from 2005 through 2009. The 2002 stallion earned $79,600 in the show pen with wins at such prestigious events as the Reining by the Bay Derby.
Spooks Gotta Gun is by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Grays Starlight and out of the highly-respected producer Katie Gun, whose offspring have earned $567,465 and include Hall of Fame inductee Gunner (AQHA Colonels Smoking Gun [APHA Colonels Smokingun]). His offspring include such standouts as Spooks Gotta Whiz, NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of $345,137; The Kids Gotta Gun, LTE $77,882; Spooks Gotta Run, LTE $64,785; Dun Lost My Gun, LTE $38,859 and Spooks O Lena, LTE $35,427.
Silver Spurs Equine maintains a battery of stallions that includes some of the performance horse industry’s most respected, popular and well-known sires. An NRHA Corporate Partner, Silver Spurs Equine has built their line up of stallions with a goal of becoming “The Source” for mare owners seeking outstanding stallions to cross on their mares. Hats off to Spooks Gotta Gun and Silver Spurs Equine on their latest accomplishment!
Vanlandingham Reaches a Million
NRHA Professional Jason Vanlandingham recently reached what many riders consider the “crowning achievement” in an NRHA competitor’s reining career when his NRHA earnings topped the million dollar mark. “It’s a big honor and a tribute to all the people who have supported you and all our clients who have put us on great horses,” shared Vanlandingham while discussing his recent achievement. “We have been blessed by God to be in a business that we love and be successful at it. It’s a very humbling thing.”
Vanlandingham has been at the reining game a relatively short time. He earned his first competitive pay check in 2000 when he guided Happy Moonshadow to a fifth place finish in a limited open class at the NRHA Derby Show. One could consider that $41 paycheck as the seed money that began his trek toward a million dollars.
Along the way Vanlandingham piloted some outstanding reining horses and won his share of events. Aboard Gallos Stylish Star he was third in the 2005 NRHA Futurity’s Intermediate Open division and in 2008 the pair was Co-champions in the Level 4 Open at the NRHA Derby. Riding Whizin Off Sparks, he was 2007 Derby Intermediate Open Champion and A Smokin Whiz carried Vanlandingham to the 2011 NRHA Derby’s Level 3 Open championship title. There were many more horses as well as trainers that helped earn Vanlandingham’s million. “It’s a great business to be in when the guys you’re competing against are willing to help you out,” stated Vanlandingham.
In 2013, Vanlandingham would have what he describes as “the most memorable ride as well as his biggest accomplishment on the back of a horse.”
He created quite a stir when he began showing Vaughn Zimmerman’s Not Ruf At All in the fall futurities to much success. The pair debuted at the Hollywoodstinseltown Open Futurity in Tulsa, winning the Level 4 Open title. Their next stop was Las Vegas where they topped the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity taking the championship and prize money home to Texas. It was on to Oklahoma City and the NRHA Futurity where they once again bested the rest of the competition to claim the ultimate Futurity win, banking $156,750 and earning $8,250 for breeder/nominator Petra Zeitler Connor! They hardly missed a beat, heading for Katy, Texas in 2014 and the National Reining Breeders Classic where they earned more than $23,000, placing seventh in the Level 4 Open. Back in Oklahoma City the partnership demonstrated that they were the real deal when they claimed the NRHA Derby Level 4 Champion title, adding another $61,000 to their substantial bank account. Altogether they’ve earned $328,149.
Vanlandingham attributes his success in the show pen to God. “It’s a humbling business, but it’s awesome to know that we have been blessed by the good Lord to have the success we have and to get us through the tough times,” said Vanlandingham. “If we didn’t have Him we would have nothing to live for.”