Category Archives: Members

In view of all the comments on social media regarding the recently approved updates to the NRHA Animal Welfare and Medications Policy, I felt that it is time for me, as NRHA President, to clear the air and give a factual account of how this decision came to be and why.

In May of 2021, the NRHA Executive Committee identified animal welfare and the need to update our Animal Welfare and Medications Policy as a top priority for the Association following an increased number of positive medications results at NRHA-owned events.

Over the past 14 months, there has been thoughtful conversation and deliberation coupled with diligent, thorough research and consultation, including with legal counsel and leading industry experts.

The executive committee worked alongside the NRHA Board of Directors and other advisory committees to develop several drafts of the updated policy which went to a roll call vote last week.

The current policy for penalties, which took almost six years of work until it was approved in 2015, was essentially a policy that contained rules but no consequences for those who knowingly broke those rules. The only penalties were letters and fines, most of which were entirely insignificant. Even worse, after a year, the probationary phase reset, so everyone’s slate was wiped clean.

Since then, there have been zero updates to the policy. Zero.

This was never the intention. There was always supposed to be a transition to increased penalties and testing to align with our industry peers.

Instead, we had exhibitors who repeatedly broke our rules because they could with no repercussions. If a horse tested positive, their name was never publicized, and they got to keep their title, purse money, and prizes. They essentially got away with a slap on the wrist, and no one would know.

Additionally, when you do not raise the medications testing fee for seven years despite rising inflation and a booming industry that has seen an explosion of entries and events, you cannot raise the funds needed to test properly. As our testing is funded today, the fees only provide enough funding to test about 15–20 events in North America annually. I think we’d all agree we’d like to do more.

The question now faced by our leadership was “how do we get these drugs eliminated from our industry for the welfare of our horses and for the integrity and fairness of our competitions?”

It was clear it was the right thing to do to try to come up with stricter guidelines. In the long run, that would be best for our industry.

It is also important to understand that the industry was totally split on this from the beginning—from the extreme of those who wanted no medications policy at all—to those who wanted zero tolerance.

I’m not trying to change minds here. Everyone has their own opinions and views. I am trying to get the membership to understand that this was not a simple decision and not a matter of a simple vote. Any change required a 67% supermajority approval.

Like the industry, the board was split between the people who wanted the policy and those that were against it.

We did not have the support to go to no allowance for Romifidine (Sedivet) at this time. It is as simple as that. We were faced with some unfortunate but very likely scenarios if we did not get the support we needed to enact some changes.

One being that no changes would be approved. Again.

If we did not get any changes approved, the Association would be taking significant steps backward, and we would be right back at square one.

Let me make this clear: the goal of the Association is to eventually get to an animal welfare and medications policy that has no allowance for sedatives or tranquilizers.

But, sometimes you have to take little steps to get to the big steps. Sometimes, those first steps are the hardest.

In order to get any changes approved, we had to compromise. That compromise came in the form of allowing a small dosage of Romifidine.

Personally, I own a lot of horses and currently have over 30 in training with eight different NRHA Professionals. I will not be signing permission for the use of the drug on any of my horses. The decision to use it will be between the exhibitor, owner, and veterinarian, all of whom are required to sign off on its use.

Going forward, the Animal Welfare and Medications Policy will be reviewed annually so we hopefully never find ourselves in such a dire situation again. We will also see a huge uptick in testing at our owned events, NAAC, and AA Events. We know this process will take time, but we know we are on the right path to an appropriate policy.

As you can clearly see, there are significant improvements made to the penalty portion of the policy when you compare the “old” policy to the “new” policy. I encourage every member to study this closely and educate themselves on the charts.

Current Penalty Chart:

New Penalty Chart:

I just cannot stress enough the importance of understanding that this decision was not easy, but we truly feel it is best for the industry to start holding people accountable for their actions.

Sincerely yours,

Rick Clark
NRHA President

In the Spring of 2021, the NRHA Executive Committee began discussions on updating the current Animal Welfare & Medications policy. Since then, the executive committee, board of directors, and staff have consulted with experts in the field, committee members, and current competitors. There have been countless conversations aimed toward developing a revised policy to ensure fairness of competition by leveling penalties to those who knowingly violate NRHA rules, regulations, and policies.

At the August 21, 2022, NRHA Board of Directors meeting held in Las Vegas, a revised Welfare & Medications Policy was voted on and approved.

“The NRHA Medications Policy has been reformatted to make it easier to understand and contains amended definitions and examples to fall in line with our industry peers. It is important to have a policy that will allow our horses to be shown safely without creating an unfair advantage,” said NRHA President Rick Clark.

According to Clark, it was a goal of all who contributed to the recommended policy changes that the policies and penalties should align with other western performance industries. Another goal was simplification.

The penalty chart and classification system have been restructured to include increased penalties such as publication of offenses, suspension and disqualification. The updated policy is easier to understand and more transparent to the NRHA membership – even those who are just getting started in reining.

Exhibitors will notice increased testing at leading events and NRHA-owned events, as well. An official change in the Welfare & Medications Policy that has already been implemented is plasma-only testing, which has a quicker turnaround time.

“The NRHA Executive Committee and staff have worked to learn new and better practices to keep our horses healthy. We invested both time and research to better understand medications that can help our horses in a safe manner, and also to find what is best for the industry and horses using today’s knowledge and technology,” noted Clark.

“I am proud of the NRHA Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and staff for their work and leadership in taking this step toward presenting reining at its best on the world stage,” Clark added.

The complete, revised Animal Welfare and Medications policy, which will go into effect at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel in June, can be found here.

Answers to common questions about the Revised Animal Welfare and Medications policy can be found here. 

The National Reining Horse Association staff welcomed a new team member in mid-July. Christy Landwehr is now the Senior Director of Corporate Relations and brings with her decades of experience working with and developing relationships with corporate and event sponsors.

“I am thrilled to be joining the staff of NRHA for many reasons. One of them is my love of horses, and another one is my excitement for the discipline and how fast it is growing and how popular it has become not just in America but around the world,” Landwehr shared. “I believe there is so much opportunity for sponsors and others to become involved in the sport, and I can’t wait to be able to share reining with others.”

Since 2007, Landwehr has served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Certified Horsemanship Association and the CHA’s Marketing Director prior to that. She is also the Treasurer for the Interscholastic Equestrian Association and serves on the American Horse Council Board of Trustees, on the Professional Horse Councils for both the American Quarter Horse Association and American Paint Horse Association, on the Colorado State University Equine Sciences Advisory Council, and is the Vice President for the Colorado Society of Association Executives.

NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter said, “Christy brings a wealth of energy, industry contacts, and experience to NRHA. We are excited to have her join our team and help us capitalize on the many opportunities that are in front of us.”

Landwehr, who lives in Colorado with her husband, John, and two sons, Sean and Kyle, noted that horses have always been her passion. “They’re kind, and they’re always in the present. To me, every breed and every discipline brings something to the table.” She added, “Reining is growing so much right now, and there are so many opportunities to continue that trajectory.”

The new Director has a solid vision for this new position. “I feel the most important step is to ensure that all our current Partners and Sponsors are happy with our agreements. We are excited about the future and want them to come along for the ride,” Landwehr said. “That means making sure we provide very helpful and unique benefits to both current and future sponsors.”

For information about NRHA’s Sponsorship Program, reach out to Christy Landwehr at CLandwehr@nrha.com

The National Reining Horse Association Board of Directors recently updated the NRHA Amateur Conditions for those events wishing to host a trial of the proposed division. This move extends the existing trial that was set to end April 1, 2022.

These amended conditions are effective April 2, 2022 and will extend through December 31, 2023. During that time frame, NRHA events may apply to host an Amateur division with an approved non pro derby. Amateur division added money cannot exceed half of the Level 4 added money, and also cannot exceed the Level 1 added money.

“Continuing with the trial will give members, committees and the board of directors more examples to evaluate before officially adding it as an aged event division. This also aligns with the timing of a 2024 rule change proposal that will be voted on in 2023. The advocates for the division feel it encourages participation by giving another option to non pros who may not have consistent access to training programs but are ready to move into aged event competition.

To compete in the Amateur division, the same horse and rider must be cross-entered into the NRHA-approved non pro derby. The show conditions will govern which level or levels must be entered. For the NRHA Derby, for example, this would be the eligible level plus one up.

There is only one level of Amateur, and riders who enter the Amateur division must be Non Pros and abide by the NRHA Non Pro ownership rules.

Youth, legal dependents of professional equine trainers, spouses or legal partners/mates of professional equine trainers, and anyone who has exceeded NRHA lifetime earnings of $100,000 in Categories 2, 6, 8, and 11 in the previous year, or is currently only eligible for L4 Non Pro, or only L4 and L3, are excluded from competing in the Amateur division. NRHA judges and breeders are eligible to enter the Amateur division if they meet the required criteria.

Shows wishing to have an Amateur Division must submit a written request, and a confirmation that the division will be run using the approved Amateur conditions must be included in the event’s approval application.

For more information, contact the NRHA Non Pro Committee Liaison Christa Morris-Stone at cmorris@nrha.com.

It’s long been a tough decision for any Non Pro rider who contemplates a career as a horse trainer. In the past, if they tested the waters, so to speak, they would be ineligible to go back to being a Non Pro for three years. The National Reining Horse Association’s Apprentice program was put in place years ago to give reiners the opportunity to be more confident about their choices for the future.

The program allows current NRHA Non Pros who are at least 18 years of age to learn, train, and show under an NRHA Professional as an Open rider. This gives Non Pros the opportunity to decide if becoming an NRHA Professional is a fit. If it turns out to not be the right career path, the Non Pro can return to Non Pro status without facing the three to five-year wait.

An apprentice can do so under one or more members of the NRHA Professionals concurrently or consecutively during a 12-month period. All earnings that an individual has on record will be used to determine his or her eligibility while participating in the Apprentice Program. At any time during the 12 months should an individual decide not to continue with his or her apprenticeship, he or she must continue to sit out of Non Pro competition until the end of the 12 months. At the end of the year of apprenticeship, individuals can do one of two things:

• Choose to remain an Open rider and completely relinquish Non Pro status. If this is the case, all previous Non Pro earnings will be backed out and any Open earnings accumulated during the apprenticeship will be used to determine eligibility.
• Re-apply for Non Pro status. In this instance, all earnings accumulated during the apprenticeship will be used to determine eligibility.

During the apprenticeship, individuals may not show in Non Pro classes. For more details about the Apprentice Program, please contact the NRHA Member & Show Services Department at (405)946-7400 or memberships@nrha.com. Complete rules can be found in the NRHA Handbook under the “NRHA Apprentice Program” section.

In early March 2022, the National Reining Horse Association headquarters played host to 20 men and women who took the first major step to becoming NRHA-accredited judges by participating in the Judges Applicant Seminar. The Applicant Seminar was then followed by a Judge’s School, which boasted 15 additional participants.

“Consistent and fair judging promotes a healthy association, and it’s exciting to have new talent coming into the reining industry,” noted Patti Carter, NRHA’s Sr. Director of Education and Officials. “I look forward to watching this group continue through the accreditation process.”

There is one Judges Applicant Seminar held in the United States each year, and during the Seminar, attendees are walked through and instructed on every aspect of judging, from equipment use to maneuver evaluation and more. Seminar attendees must pass testing requirements, and once that’s accomplished, they are eligible to attend an NRHA Judging School, which is held three times a year in Oklahoma City and multiple times internationally. Only after passing the testing requirements of an NRHA Judges School will prospective judges’ names be submitted to the NRHA Board of Directors for consideration for final judging privileges.

Three members of the NRHA Judges Committee, who also serve on the Teaching Panel, were on hand to give instruction at both the Applicant Seminar and the Judges School. That included Chairman Dean Latimer of Marietta, Okla., Doug Allen of the United Kingdom, and Kelly Sapp of King, N.C.

“The education over the entire five days was outstanding and provided a lot of great information. The Seminar and School were both well-thought-out and well taught, and I commend the Committee and Panel for putting together a thorough curriculum for both the applicants and the already-carded judges. I am very proud to be part of such a knowledgeable group of horsemen and horsewomen on the Judges Committee and the Teaching Panel,” Carter said. “I also have to commend Kristen Liesman, the NRHA Staff Liaison for the Judges Committee. She does a great job of organizing the content and coordinating the entire event to ensure it runs smoothly.”

Other members of the Judge’s Committee include Liesman, Bob Kail, Bub Poplin, Maik Bartmann, Margaret Fuchs, Matt Lantz, Nick Baar, Sebastian Petroll, Todd Sommers, Manuela Maiocchi and Patrick Wickenheiser. Teaching Panel members include Mike McEntire, Bub Poplin, Dean Latimer, Doug Allen, Eugenio, Margaret Fuchs, Manuela Maiocchi, Ollie Griffith, Maik Bartman, and Kelly Sapp.

“The NRHA Judges Program is an industry leader in education for its judges. The members of the Judges Committee and the Teaching Panel look forward to expanding that education to all exhibitors, and to provide insight into the thought process behind the judging,” Carter shared. “On behalf of the Judges Committee and Teaching Panel, I thank NRHA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee for recognizing the importance of these schools and educational opportunities for all members.”

Find more information about NRHA’s Judges Program at NRHA.com/judges