about shawn
It is fun to do the impossible. - Walt Disney
Family is the most important thing in his life. Shawn does also very much love his reining horses. Shawn was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2011 & set a record as the first rider ever to reach $6 Million in earnings. He credits many of his accomplishments to his parents, his family, and to the incredible horses & their owners.
At a very young age he knew he was going to be a horse trainer. That was all there was to it. With his dad there to encourage & demand the best from Shawn, he developed a keen understanding of the reining horse mind. He started training horses right out of high school and he never looked back. Weekend after weekend he began his climb to his first $3-4 million in rider earnings all with his family by his side. Along this journey have been some really incredible horses that have made history themselves including:
Wimpys Little Step • Wimpys Little Chic • KR Lil Conquistador
Spooks Gotta Whiz • Smart Spook • And Many More...
Shawn has made history quite a few times in the Reining Horse Industry with notable wins such as Multiple NRHA Open Futurity titles, NRHA Derby Open titles, and NRBC titles along with several All American Quarter Horse Congress wins. You can add top finishes & crowd favorite at the Run for A Million to that growing list. Shawn has also acquired five gold medals at the World Equestrian Games. It is no secret that he loves being a great horsman and great husband & father.
family is the foundation
Shawn and his wife, Michele, operate Shawn Flarida Reiners at their facility in Springfield, OH. Shawn jokes that the wheels would have come off the wagon a long time ago if Michele wasn't heavily involved. Their 3 kids, Cody, Courtney, & Sam keep their parents on their toes with all the great opportunities in their kid's lives. Sam is the only one actively involved with showing reining horses. Shawn couldn't be more proud of his kids and is always very thankful when they come out to support each other.
It is common to see Betty & Bill Flarida (Shawn's Parents) in the seats cheering for their son & grandson. Bill has a great eye and can be seen on the rail pointing out a thing or two to Shawn. Whether he wants to hear it or not. It is that kind of advice that helped shape the rider that Shawn is today. Shawn is passing on his knowledge to Sam as well as other youth riders as they compete for Team USA Youth Reining & at the NRHA Futurity & NRBC.
