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| Bonnie Hippensteel Wins 2010 NRBC Non Pro Ancillary Championship on Hes Justa Benz |
In a field of 13 Non Pro Riders for the National Reining Horse Association Non Pro (1) ancillary, Bonnie Hippensteel drew the first spot to show her 6-year-old gelding Hes Justa Benz in the Sunday, April 18, class at the National Reining Breeders Classic.
Bonnie, who made the trip to Katy, Texas, from Ocala, Florida, had tied with Michael Bulliard and My Royalty Chex with a 144 to share the win in the Non Pro Ancillary (2) on Saturday, April 17, in the East Arena. But even though Bonnie guided Bentley to a 218 in the big Coliseum pen in the Sunday class, she still had to wait for not only the 12 other Non Pro riders but also a set of 11 Intermediate Non Pros.
“When you draw up first, you give them something to run at, but I was still pretty anxious,” Bonnie said. “There were a lot of good riders and good horses in there. There were a lot of people very qualified to win it.”
Bonnie was not only up against her co-champion from Saturday, she also had to wait for top Non Pro riders Mandy McCutcheon, Kathleen Armenta, and Jeff Kirkbride to show.
But when the dust had settled, Bonnie and Bentley were still on top with their 218, winning a check for $2,049 and the Gist Silversmiths high-point champion buckle. “I won this a few years ago on one of my favorite horses, so to come back and do it again, I was very pleased,” she said.
By Smart Starbuck and out of Justa Spring Freckle, Bentley has about $42,300 in NRHA lifetime earnings and Bonnie felt strongly he had a shot in the Classic Non Pro. “My dream when I came here was to make the finals on this horse,” she said. “He was one of the few horses I ever brought here that I thought could really be competitive. And he is a great horse but he didn’t want to play that day in the Classic prelims.”
So Bonnie put Bentley in the Non Pro Ancillary class and it ended up paying off. “He’s my new horse show horse now,” she said with a laugh. “I know he can do that.”
Sarah Willeman of Gloucester, Massachusetts, marked a 217.5 on her American Paint Horse Darlins Not Painted to win a check for $1,409. The 8-year-old mare, who has more than $157,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings, is by Smokin Chic Olena and out of Mi Hollywood Darlin.
The National Reining Breeders Classic, celebrating its tenth anniversary at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In just thirteen years, the NRBC has grown to include upwards of 230 subscribed stallions and in 2009, there were over 2,800 enrolled foals. Annually, the payout at the National Reining Breeders Classic exceeds $1.3 million. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.
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