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Wimpys Little Step, Flarida Make History - Again
Flarida’s career of showing at NRHA-approved began as a youth competitor in 1981. Since then, he has competed at and won nearly every major reining event in the world. As Flarida's talent with a horse has propelled him to the very top of the industry, he keeps on writing his name in the history books. Earlier this year, Flarida became the first-ever reiner to win a "Triple Crown," having won the NRHA Futurity, National Reining Breeders Classic and NRHA Derby aboard Wimpys Little Chic, and now he can add "NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider" to his already stellar resume. Wimpys Little Step was bred by Monica Watson of Double Run Farm in Williamston, N.C. The flashy palomino stallion has proven himself as an outstanding sire, having produced a Futurity Champion - Wimpys Little Chic - from his first foal crop. That win also made history, as it marked the first time an NRHA Open Futurity Champion had ever been sired by another NRHA Open Futurity Champion. After a successful first foal crop, in 2008, Wimpys Little Step proved that he could do it again. Once again, his offspring had an outstanding Futurity, with both the Limited Open Champion and Reserve Champion being by Wimpys Little Step. In the Non Pro Futurity, Tish Fappani also rode a Wimpys Little Step to the Intermediate Championship title, as well as the Reserve Championship in the Non Pro.
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Flarida ties for lead at AQHA World Show Senior Reining Shawn Flarida and Smart Spook teamed up again for a successful run in the first go-round of Senior Reining at the 2008 AQHA World Show, held in Oklahoma City, Okla. Flarida and Smart Spook, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, scored a 218 to tie for the lead in the preliminary go-round, which was held on Sunday, Nov. 16.
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NRHA Futurity Draws Posted! Flarida is Tops in North Carolina Himes Brings Home The “Loot”
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Flarida Ties for Seventh Congress Title
When the checks were tallied, Flarida took home an impressive $33,092.57, including a check worth $1,834 for winning the NRHA Open class on his 2004 NRHA Futurity Champion, Smart Spook. That win put Spook, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, over the $300,000 NRHA earnings mark, making him just the third horse to do so. In fact, all three horses that have now earned more than $300,000 in NRHA reining competition – Einsteins Revolution, KR Lil Conquistador and Smart Spook – have all been shown and won on by Flarida. Prior to the Congress, Smart Spook was just $44 short of the $300,000-mark. Non Pros, Assistants Excel at Congress |
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It was another successful year at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress for the non pro riders from the Shawn Flarida barn. Many went home with titles and paychecks in their pockets as the 2008 edition of the Congress came to a close. |
Enterprise, owned by Kim and her husband, Allen.The pair did a routine to “Pink Cadillac” in front of a packed house in the Ohio State Fairground Coliseum and rode away with a score of 225.
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Reiners Rule in Clemson The Shadow Oak Derby in Clemson, S.C., provided another chance for Shawn Flarida to chip away at the $3 Million Dollar Mark. Flarida rodeo Walla Walla Whiz to the $20,000-added Open Derby win with a score of 229, earning just over $8,600. The win put Flarida within $70,000 of hitting $3 Million. In the $10,000-added Shadow Oak Non Pro Derby, several reiners from the Flarida barn also did well. Jose Vasquez dominated the competition, winning first with a score of 222 of Wound By Juice, and also winning fourth on SLJ Dun Juice with a 219.5. Sammy Ely rode Western Whiz to the Prime Time Non Pro Championship, and also placed third in the Intermediate Non Pro competition iwht a 217. Jeff Kirkbride also competed in the event, and took sixth in the Non Pro and second in the Intermediate Non Pro. . Congratulations to all the riders, and special thanks to Rick Clark for the show report.
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Betty Flarida honored at AQHA Youth World Show She sits on the sidelines at almost every major NRHA event, cheering for her sons and grandson, but Betty Flarida does so much more for the horse industry than simply being a cheerleader. She is also a very active leader in the American Quarter Horse Youth Association, serving as the Ohio Youth Advisor since 1989. At the 2008 AQHYA Youth World Show, Betty was honored for her hard work and dedication to the orgainization's youth as the Wrangler Youth Leader of the Year. |
Betty Flarida and Shawn after his fourth NRHA Futurity win in 2007. Shawn is as proud of his mom as she is of him! |
Acording to an article in the AQHA Journal, Betty is an extremely dedicated youth leader who even celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband Bill, at the AQHA Youth Excellence Seminar. She attended more than 10 Association meetings last year and encouraged all of Ohio's youth members to take part in fundrasing. Those fundraising projects included selling Congress parking passes, raffles, silent auctions and a "Ladies Dress-Up" Pleasure class. Thanks in part to the dedication of leaders like Bill and Betty Flarida, Ohio's membership has increased by more than 100 youth in the past year. Betty is also on the National Youth Activities Committee, and serves as a 4-H advisor as well. All this, and she still finds time to attend all the major NRHA shows and spend lots of time with her grandkids! Betty, Shawn and Michele are very proud of all your accomplishments - thank you for all you do! And, special thanks to Shawn's sponsor Wrangler for presenting this special award to his mom. Congratulations Betty!
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Himes, Clark Elected to Key Positions Two Flarida Barn Non Pros have recently been elected to key NRHA positions. Himes was elected in August to the NRHA Executive Board as a write-in candidate, while Rick Clark was elected as a regional representative to the NRHA board. The Flarida family wished to extend its congratultions to Beth and Rick on their elected positions, and also wish them the best of luck. We know you two will do a great job!
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Flarida Non Pros Highlight The Tradition In the Affiliate Finals, Rick Clark was second in the Non Pro class on his horse Whizin In The Dirt. Clark also finished second on the same horse in the Pards Non Pro Saddle Series. Rick also rode Chicoutimi to tie with fellow Flarida Non Pro Beth Himes, who was riding Im A Boon Too, for third through sixth places in the Novice Horse Non Pro, as well as tying for second through fourth in the Novice Non Pro Affiliate Finals. Watch for Rick and Beth in the North American Affiliate Finals during the NRHA Futurity in Oklahoma City this fall! In the Non Pro Futurity, Jose Vazquez tied to win the overall Non Pro division on SLJ Dun Juiced Up. Joe Wolfe and Dun It With A Splash had a fantastic weekend. The pair finished third in the Non Pro and won the Intermediate Division, and they also took reserve in the Prime Time Non Pro Futurity. Rick Clark continued his winning ways by finishing fourth in the Non Pro on Step North, while also taking the reserve title in the Intermediate Non Pro. Kim Crupper and Roostamtic tied for third in the Intermediate division and won the Limited Non Pro. He also rode Cee Whos Talking to a tie for fifth and sixth in the Intermediate Non Pro, and sixth and seventh in the overall Non Pro class. In addition to all the non pros who fared well over the weekend, head assistant Robin Schoeller finished seventh in the Intermediate Open Futurity on Didyoucallmewimpy. Congratulations to all the competitors on a great weekend, and special thanks to Karen Shedlauskas, Rick Clark and Beth Himes for the show report. Best of luck down the road this fall!
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Flarida Scores Big in Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma –Shawn Flarida rolled into the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic with only two bullets in his gun, but that didn’t stop him from making a big splash in the Open Futurity. Riding Whizs Chic A Dee, a stallion by West Coast Whiz and out of Chic A Dee Hickory by Smart Chic Olena, Flarida commanded the event with a big 229.5 score – quite an accomplishment this early in the fall futurity season. |
 Shawn talks to Susan Morrison from Quarter Horse News following his win. |
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“When he called me, he had to repeat the score about five times before I could believe what I was hearing,” Michele Flarida said happily. “That’s just incredible for this time of year.”
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Flarida Barn is Tops in Georgia
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Flarida Reins Supreme in MN
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Flarida Barn Fares Well in Kentucky! It was a successful weekend at the Clayton Woosley Hall of Fame Reining and Brownwood Farm Derby in Lexington, Kentucky, July 25-27. Shawn Flarida tied to win the Open Derby, riding Spooks Rey Jay, owned by Jimmy Pierce, to a 221 score. The other winner? His own brother, two-time NRHA Futurity Champion Mike Flarida! The Flarida Non Pros also have a fabulous weekend in Kentucky. |
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Rick Clark and Karen Shedlauskas tied to win both the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro divisions. Rick was riding Whizin In The Dirt, while Karen rode DA Tucker Light. Both scored a 216.5 to share the titles. Rick also placed third in both divisions on Chicoutimi with a 215.5. In addition to their success in the Derby, Rick also won the $1,000-added Non Pro on Whizin In The Dirt and placed second in the Novice on Chicoutimi. Shawn's assistant Jed also had a stellar weekend. It was Jed's very first NRHA show, and he won a paycheck for third place in the Rookie Professional class on Sas, an Argentinean born and bred horse. Congratulations to everyone, and good luck next weekend in Minnesota! |
Flarida Farm Clinic Canceled The reining clinic that was scheduled for Aug. 4-8 has been postponed until furuthur notice.
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Shawn Flarida Joins Bob’s Custom Saddles as Endorser July 1, 2008 - Bob’s Custom Saddles is proud to announce the addition of Shawn Flarida to our team of esteemed endorsers. We are very excited for this opportunity to partner with Shawn as he is an outstanding horseman and ambassador for the industry. |
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Shawn Flarida is the National Reining Horse Association’s All-Time Leading Rider, with nearly $2.9 million in lifetime earnings. He is a four-time NRHA Futurity Champion, and recently made history by riding Wimpys Little Chic to what is essentially a “Triple Crown” in reining – winning the NRHA Futurity, the National Reining Breeders Classic, and the NRHA Derby consecutively.
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Shawn Flarida Rides Wimpys Little Chic to Reining’s First “Triple Crown” Oklahoma City, Okla., – History was made on the night of June 28, 2008, in the historic coliseum at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Okla., as NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida maneuvered Wimpys Little Chic to the NRHA Derby Championship. The win made the 4-year-old mare the only horse in National Reining Horse Association History to ever win the top three events the sport has to offer – the NRHA Futurity, the National Reining Breeders Classic, and the NRHA Derby – what is essentially reining’s version of a Triple Crown. |
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Flarida and Wimpys Little Chic, or “Lexi,” as she is more affectionately called, dominated the event all week, beginning by winning the preliminary go-round with a 227. All eyes were on the flashy mare by Wimpys Little Step and out of Collena Chic Olena as she entered the pen for the finals. With her trademark precision, she maneuvered through Pattern 5 with the ease and grace that have become her distinctive style. As the pair blazed on to the pattern-ending three stops, the crescendoeing crowd bellowed its approval. As the pair exited, many fans rose for a standing ovation, paying homage to the mare that many have called one of the most talented horses in reining history. |
"The Green Shirt" Gets Noticed! The following poems are reprinted with permission from the author, Sonny Williams of Quarter Horse News. Read more at www.quarterhorsenews.com |
Three Who Would Wear Crowns He gallops, she gallops, they gallop all three, Despite a cracked hoof, an unbeaten bay |
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Now Flarida pilots Wimpys Little Chic.
The queen of the reiners, this mare’s no goldbrick.
She nails her maneuvers, she turns in a blur,
The difficult lead change looks easy to her.
She’ll then drop her head as if bowing to go;
You’ll win if you bet on that blond palomino.
The Derby in Texas is cutting’s third treat,
And High Brow CD is just too hard to beat.
Now Shepard may lighten the bridle and bit
To free up this horse; any cow he’ll outwit.
A drop of his haunches, a heave of his flank,
The stallion will go down as one of first rank.
The Men In Green
A mystical force surrounding two men
Has created a stir inside the show pen,
And they both wear green,
They’re men in green.
Some say it’s Louisiana black voodoo
That’s transformed green into a magical hue.
They’re charmed in green,
Those men in green.
Shawn Flarida slides in to whistles and hollers,
An earner of well over $2 million,
He grins in green,
Cause he wins in green.
The crock of gold will belong to Shawn,
For no one can catch this leprechaun.
A reiner in green,
That man in green.
Whether Wimpys Little Chic or Walla Walla Whiz,
If he’s donning the green, the championship’s his.
He takes home the green,
When he’s in green.
An Alabama trainer named Austin Shepard
Likes wearing green, so his rivals get peppered.
He’s a mean green bean,
In his shirt of green.
He’s won three consecutive futurities,
Including Augusta and Tunica, with ease,
While wearing green,
That gremlin in green.
Austin didn’t stop there, didn’t put on the brakes,
He then took the Super and Cotton Stakes,
There’s something about green,
That cutter in green.
All cutters are wondering what it could be:
Can’t blame it on his mount High Brow CD.
It must be the green,
Cause he wins in green.
Now cutters and reiners better listen hard
To the sage advice from this here bard:
You’ll get more green,
If you’re wearing green.
Katy, Texas – If there were any questions about the abilities of Shawn Flarida, they were answered during the Saturday night finals of the 2008 National Reining Breeders Classic, held April 14-20 in Katy, Texas. Flarida, the only rider with three horses in the finals, not only piloted the 2007 NRHA Open Futurity Champion, Wimpys Little Chic, to victory with a 233.5 score, but he also finished second on RC Fancy Step with a 231. Both horses are by the 2002 NRHA Open Futurity Champion Wimpys Little Step, the first horse Flarida ever won the event on. Flarida also finished fifth on his third mount, Walla Walla Whiz, scoring a 226 in the finals.“This show is great, and it is hard to win,” said Flarida, who won the NRBC for the first time in 2006. “You take the best of the best from three years of horses, and there are a lot of great horses here. The horse show is awesome, and it’s continuing to grow. |
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They do a phenomenal job with marketing, and it’s such a relaxing atmosphere to boot. I’m really honored to win here again.”
Wimpys Little Chic is on her way to making history. Only one horse has ever won the top three major reining events – the NRHA Futurity, NRBC and Derby – and no horse has ever won reining’s version of the Triple Crown in the same year. With one more horse show, a lot of luck and a great trainer at the reins, “Lexi” could do just that. No horse in NRHA history has ever won all three events with the same rider, so Flarida could certainly conquer another historical milestone with a win at the NRHA Derby at the end of June.
“I try not to think about that stuff,” Flarida remarked when asked. “My job is to show horses, and I do my best to do that well. Winning is always great, but as a horseman, I’m just pleased to see my horses do their best. But I will say that Wimpys Little Chic is a special, special horse. I’ve had a lot of great ones, but she’s the best I’ve ever ridden. She’s an amazing horse, and I’m just grateful to be the one riding her.”
Wimpys Little Chic is owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, based in Weatherford, Texas and Italy, and was bred by Monica Watson of Double Run Farm in Leland, N.C. Watson also bred Wimpys Little Step and Collenas Finest Tafy, who finished as the Open Reserve Champion in the 2006 NRHA Open Futurity. Watson was on hand at the NRBC to give Lexi a good-luck kiss, complete with a red lipstick stain left on the horse’s white blaze. When she exited after her phenomenal run, Watson left another lipstick kiss on her blaze.
“Leave it!” Flarida said after the run. “I think it’s her good-luck charm. And she deserves a kiss after what she did out there, too.”
For the NRBC Championship, Flarida and Arcese split a wide array of prizes, which included the use of a trailer, a saddle and a check for $75,000. With the second-place check for $64,000 and a fifth-place check for $32,000, Flarida took a big step toward the $3 Million earnings mark. Flarida picked up an additional $18,046 for winning the NRBC Mare Bonus and $18,294 for placing second, seventh and eighth in the go-round, making his overall earnings for the week more than $200,000.
In addition to Flarida’s stellar week, his assistant, Robin Schoeller, had a successful week as well. Schoeller took two horses to the Open and Intermediate Open Finals, riding Flarida’s 2005 NRHA Futurity Champion KR Lil Conquistador to a 225 in the go-round and a 223.5 in the finals to tie for the Intermediate Open Championship with Cory Hendrickson and The Skeetist.
Schoeller picked up $6688 in the first go, $25,500 in the Open Finals and $23,439 in the Intermediate Open finals to push KR to a new record – the NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money-earning Horse, snagging the title from Einsteins Revolution. Schoeller also rode Wimpys Pinesail, the horse he piloted to the Limited Open Futurity Championship at the NRHA Futurity in December, in the Open and Intermediate Open Finals, earning $2,500 in the Open finals.
“We just had a phenomenal week here,” Flarida said. “To have five horses from out barn in the Open finals, that’s just amazing. I feel really lucky, and I’m proud of Robin, too. He did a great job.”
Flarida is the NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money-earning rider, with more than $2.8 million dollars won and counting. He is just the second rider to earn two million dollars in NRHA competition, and has four NRHA Open Futurity wins to his credit. Flarida is proudly sponsored by EZ-All, Pards Western Store, Lubrisyn, Wrangler, Classic Equine, Purina Mills, Leonard Trailers and Horseware Ireland.
Horseware Ireland announces new sponsorship of Shawn Flarida, NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money Earner
Submitted by Lisa LeRay, North American Commercial Manager, Horseware Ireland
Horseware Ireland maker of Rambo Quarter Horse, Rhino, and Amigo is pleased to announce sponsorship of Shawn Flarida, NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money Earner. Shawn Flarida is not only a name that is now nearly synonymous with the word “reining” but is also a devoted family man and an excellent role model for youth. Horseware Ireland is thrilled to sponsor such an outstanding horseman and person that personifies the core beliefs of our company. Flarida has accomplished what many could only dream of in a lifetime. The Springfield, Ohio, professional has made his name training some of the most talented athletes in the equine world. He is just the second person in NRHA history to reach the $2 Million milestone, and is now the NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money Earner, with $2.5 million and counting.
Known worldwide for his big smile and easygoing nature, Shawn credits his accomplishments to hard work, dedication and the profound enjoyment he gets from his everyday work with his many talented equine athletes and their wonderful owners.
From the beginning of his career, Shawn’s family has been instrumental to his success. He decided in the second grade that he wanted to be a horse trainer, and from that point on, his parents, Bill and Betty Flarida, have been his biggest supporters. They instilled in him a fantastic work ethic, and taught him that hard work and respect for his natural ability as a horseman could lead to great things. When Shawn married his high school sweetheart, Michele, she also became an instrumental part of his success. The couple has three children, Cody, 12, Courtney, 6, and Sam, 4.
Shawn’s career continues on an upward trajectory. In 2007, he once again captured the NRHA Open Futurity Championship, marking the fourth time he has achieved that honor. He won his first NRHA Futurity in 2002, riding Wimpys Little Step, owned by Mark Schols, to a record 233 score, the highest recorded for a 3-year-old reiner. In 2004, Flarida struck again on Smart Spook, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, and in 2005 on KR Lil Conquistador, owned by Jeff and Cheree Kirkbride. In 2007, he made history when he rode the Wimpys Little Chic, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, to his fourth Open Championship. The win marked the first time a Futurity Champion has been sired by a Futurity Champion.
In addition to his accomplishments at the NRHA Futurity, Shawn’s talents have also taken an international stage. He is the only rider to capture both individual and team gold medals at the World Equestrian Games in the sport of Reining, which he did in 2002 in Jerez, Spain. He won the inaugural Mallorca Western Festival in Spain aboard Just Gotta Shine, owned by Francesca Sternberg and Doug Allen. In 2006, Shawn reached the $2 Million mark aboard Rosanne Sternberg’s Tinsel Nic at the World Reining Masters, held in Denver, Colorado.
Back in the U.S., Shawn has won nearly every major title available to him. In 2007, he won the NRHA Open Derby on Arcese’s Walla Walla Whiz, marking his second time to win the event. In 2006, he won the prestigious National Reining Breeders Classic aboard Einsteins Revolution, who is now the NRHA’s highest money-earning horse and the first to earn more than $300,000 in NRHA competition.
Shawn is now at the top of all the NRHA’s charts, and he has a huge following of loyal fans throughout the world. He is a strong supporter of the NRHA, youth programs and sport of reining. He does dozens of clinics each year, many of them to benefit of the NRHA’s youth programs. He has co-written a book on reining, published in 2007 by Western Horseman, and he has a series of DVD’s called Good As Gold Reining with Craig Schmersal. As Shawn’s career continues to put him the public eye, he remains committed to his goals of being a positive role model striving for excellence in his horsemanship. For more information please contact kellie@thegreenshirt.com or visit www.horseware.com.