Category Archives: Members

The National Reining Horse Association’s phenomenally successful ReinerSuite program has changed the lives of reiners, trees, and landfills worldwide by making it easier to do “paperwork” online. Eighty percent of NRHA members are using ReinerSuite to do things like check eligibility, renew memberships, research records, and access member reports.

Angie Honeywell, NRHA Senior Manager of ReinerSuite and the Futurity Sale, wants to urge more members to take full advantage of the easy-to-use software. “Transferring a horse’s competition license is a top transaction, and it’s the first step to showing your new reining horse. We want more members to know how simple and convenient it is to process a transfer through ReinerSuite,” Honeywell shared.

NRHA member Cappy Dryden is delighted with the ease of use. She said, “ReinerSuite has made transferring horses so easy. I wasn’t sure how to start it, so I went to their Help section, and it walked me right through the easy process. I simply scanned the signed transfer, attached it, and submitted it. Within an hour I had my new papers!”

As Dryden said, the process is pretty self-explanatory. Users simply click on “Horses” on the sideboard on the left side of the screen, then click on the “Finder” tab, and enter any part or all of the horse’s info (depending on how the switch is toggled). When the search results come up at the bottom of the screen, click on either the horse’s name or the “Select” button. After the horse’s information appears, find “Transfer Competition License” on the bottom left of the screen. Specify the new owner(s) by typing in the name(s), then click “Browse” to upload the proof of purchase. All that’s left to do is click submit and pay.

To clarify, Honeywell said, “Ownership can be proven in several different ways: a signed transfer, a bill of sale, a breed association transfer or registration papers with the new owner’s name, a cash receipt, or insurance documentation for the horse that lists the owner. This feature is so easy for our members, that I want to encourage more to give it a try.”

To register for a ReinerSuite account or access the library of how-to videos, visit https://nrha.com/reinersuite. Questions can be submitted via email to memberships@NRHA.com.

The National Reining Horse Association’s Hall of Fame is a collection of exceptional individuals, both human and equine. These industry pillars have contributed to the reining industry through immeasurable avenues. In the NRHA Hall of Fame, their accomplishments and extraordinary contributions of time, expertise, financial support, and commitment live on as their legacies.

The 2021 Hall of Fame inductees will be formally recognized during Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch. This very special event will be held December 1 during the NRHA Futurity and Adequan®­ North American Affiliate Championships.

NRHA Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Mike Hancock takes his position very seriously. “When I look back at all the previous Hall of Fame members, I am proud to say I knew most of them and saw most of the horses show,” he said. “They defined our industry, and it is important to remember them.”

The honor bestowed on these individuals by inclusion in the Hall of Fame is as immense.  Inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2017, Rosanne Sternberg remembers the emotional moment well. She said, “Being recognized by induction into the NRHA Hall of Fame is such a massive and cherished honor for a member. The association has been a wonderful organization to be part of. Meeting, learning from and working with many talented and dedicated people, who are fellow enthusiasts of the sport, give a lifetime of invaluable memories which accepting this honor commemorates.”

The deadline to nominate an individual or horse is June 1. Reining Horse Foundation Executive Director Leslie Baker explains the selection process.  “From the applications, the committee determined the nominees and then the NRHA Board and Hall of Fame members select people and horses worthy of reining’s highest honor. It is then the privilege of the Reining Horse Foundation to celebrate these individuals at our annual gala event. It is a wonderful collaboration.”

The path to nomination is rigorous in order to uphold the integrity of the Hall of Fame and the honor of the title. Hancock commented, “The criteria allow significant people and horses to be recognized for their contributions in and out of the arena. Coaches, breeders, outstanding sires or dams, owners or major influencers in the industry are all considered in the selection process. However, it is important that all are measured by the criteria that was established by the NRHA Board of Directors.”

Individuals are nominated by NRHA members, and the Hall of Fame Committee screens the nominees. Qualifying nominations are then brought before the NRHA Board of Directors and previous Hall of Fame inductees. Their attributes will be weighed against those of other nominees and a two-thirds majority vote must be achieved. The Nomination Criteria and Hall of Fame Nomination Forms can be found at nrha.com/forms.

With difficulties still being seen by show management teams due to COVID restrictions, NRHA has amended its approval deadlines for events to be considered as “Top Ten.” The first accommodation involved events from January 1 through May 31 and allowed them to be submitted up to 30 days prior to the start of the event. This extension is now available for all 2021 events.

Depending on the size of the event, these are typically due 90 or 60 days prior to its start. It is recommended that approvals be sent in according to typical deadlines if possible. This will allow events to be approved and listed online as soon as possible for members. However, NRHA hopes this later deadline accommodation will help those events that are struggling to secure dates and help members have more showing opportunities.

Summary:

• Any size event received 30 days prior to the start of the event will be considered a 2021 Top Ten event.

Approval requirements:

• Must be submitted with required information – retainage, fees, patterns, judges, general conditions (ex. ages and equipment) for aged events
• Membership for secretary must be current; not needing to be renewed

• If an event wishes to order trophies, NRHA needs the completed order with a form of payment no later than 45 days prior to the event.
  • On request, NRHA can wait until approximately 30 days out to order trophies. In this case, it is recommended to use a shipping address that is acceptable should the trophies arrive after the event. In most cases, this is not an issue and something we work hard to avoid, but if there is a spike in orders or other issues with shipping channels, this could create delays. NRHA cannot reimburse additional shipping expenses for any order placed less than 45 days prior to the event.
  • NRHA will continue to work with events that place an order, but later have to cancel.
• This will apply to any events submitted thus far for 2021.

ReinerSuite Event Calendar Tips for Members

To search for approved, tentative and pending events in ReinerSuite, click on the EVENTS tab on the left sidebar.

If you want to see all events for the year, simply enter 01/01/2021 in the Start Date field and hit SEARCH. This will give you a complete list!

Want to search by more detailed criteria, use the fields provided to narrow down your search by date, country, etc.

 

 

For Immediate Release – March 11, 2021 – Although a one-year anniversary is traditionally celebrated with gifts of paper, paper is just what the National Reining Horse Association’s phenomenally successful ReinerSuite has helped to reduce. That is because the online membership tool has already significantly lessened the need for printed forms and applications in its very first year of existence.

NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter was the driving force behind the creation of ReinerSuite, a program released in late February 2020. The web-based software was developed in concert with The Jockey Club Technology Services. TJCTS, a sister company to The Jockey Club, is a worldwide leader in the equine industry as far as technology and responsible for the custom system that powers Thoroughbred horse racing.

Looking back on last year’s successful rollout of ReinerSuite, Carpenter said. “We are proud of where we are today. In the next three to five years, we will look back and be amazed at the progress it has allowed us to make. We have a data-rich environment and there is so much information floating around that can be used more effectively for the good of our industry.”

ReinerSuite remains a work in progress as it continues with improvements and additions. Such was the case with the Eligibility Checker, which came four months after the release. “New features will be added as the NRHA staff and members use it and know what we need. Next will be offerings in the show program, but the whole process is continuous,” he added.

There will be new milestones to come, but a glitch-free rollout and a year of successful usage is something to celebrate!  Former NRHA President Mike Hancock said, “I believe this is one of the most significant projects in the history of the NRHA. It allows us to be more accurate, faster, and opens the door for more information at our fingertips.”

According to Angie Honeywell, NRHA Senior Manager of ReinerSuite and Futurity Sale, the association’s membership has overwhelmingly embraced the new technology. “Currently more than 73 percent of our members are using it,” Honeywell shared. “We continue to receive positive feedback about the convenience of being able to do tasks online, like renewing memberships, checking eligibility, and more.”

“ReinerSuite is loaded with features to help our members. They can use the Eligibility Checker, make nominations, access member reports and the calendar, and their membership card is available digitally,” she said. “All this is available to members 24/7. Memberships are effective immediately upon purchase, and competition licenses and transfers completed in ReinerSuite allow for a much quicker turnaround time, typically only a few days.”

The long-awaited technology has not only been a success for members but for show management and offices, as well. Kathy Gould, show secretary for the three largest NRHA-approved events, said, “During a show, people can use their phone to transfer a horse or update their memberships and get an immediate email confirmation, and using it saves them money as well. In the show office, we rely on it for eligibility verification.”

NRHA Professional Shannon Rafacz is an ardent fan of the program, and noted, “First and foremost, having everything online is super-efficient for me. Between the online memberships and the ability to do competition licenses ourselves, it has been a very helpful and simple process. Three or four clicks and it’s all done.”

Rafacz added that, although the program can seem imposing at first, help is only a phone call away. “Change is hard for anyone, for sure. But if we as members take time to learn how it works, it’s actually very simple. My advice is to just ask questions if you have them because the people at the NRHA have been great to help,” she said.

Honeywell added that one still under-utilized feature of ReinerSuite is the completion of competition license applications and license transfers. As user-friendly as the system is, additional learning materials like video tutorials, are being added so that members can benefit even more from what ReinerSuite has to offer.

To register for a ReinerSuite account, visit reinersuite.nrha.com. Questions can be submitted via email to memberships@NRHA.com.

Gone are the days of long, extenuating lists of member ineligibility lists thanks to an online, member portal: National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) ReinerSuite™. All it takes is an email address, NRHA member number, and PIN for reiners to gain access to their eligibility and that of their equine partners.

To check eligibility, members need to have an account with ReinerSuite. Click here for the three easy steps to registering with the online portal.

How to check eligibility on ReinerSuite:

1. Log into your account
2. On the main, Dashboard, page, the “Eligibility Tool” will be at the very top (pictured above). If you’re on a mobile device, scroll down until you see the tool.
   1. CLASS: Choose what class you would like to check your eligibility for
   2. RIDER: Input your name in the “Rider” search bar
   3. HORSE: You can also search for the eligibility of a horse, but a rider will need to be listed
      1. Pro tip: You don’t have to input a horse name to search for rider eligibility, but you do have to input a rider name to search for horse eligibility
   4. EVENT DATE: Since your eligibility remains the same from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021, you don’t need to include the exact event date. BUT you do need to make sure the event date is some time in 2021
   5. ELIGIBILITY AREA: Click the dropdown menu to choose your eligibility area or keep it listed as “WorldWide”
   6. After you’ve checked your information, click “Submit” or hit “Clear” if you need to start over

After hitting “Submit,” you’ll see a screen similar to this with either green or red to indicate the status of your eligibility. One unique feature of this tool is its ability to give you reasons why you might not be eligible for a certain class. If your membership is not active, you may see this listed as a reason. If this is the only reason, check back after your membership is renewed and you will see that you are eligible for the class.

If you are not eligible for the class selected, hit “Clear” and search your eligibility for a different level. In this case, NRHA Professional “John Doe” is not eligible for Category 2 – Level 3 Intermediate Open Aged Event (2200) because he’s in the Top 35 Pro Riders for the 2020 show season.

“John Doe” is, however, eligible for Category 2 – Level 4 Open Aged Event (2100). After hitting “Clear,” the Eligibility Tool will take you back to the previous screen and will not clear your information so all you have to do is change the class and submit again.

The Eligibility Tool also takes membership status and declarations into consideration when calculating your eligibility. Remember, all memberships (both horse owner and rider) need to be up-to-date before entering the show pen to avoid disqualification and penalty fees when the results are submitted to NRHA.

AS COVID remains a concern through the winter/spring months, NRHA will offer an extension of the deadline for all events starting now through May 31.

Parameters:

• Any size event received 30 days prior to the start of the event will be considered a Top Ten event.

Approval requirements:

• Must be submitted with required information – retainage, fees, patterns, judges, general conditions (ex. ages and equipment) for aged events.
• Membership for secretary must be current; not needing to be renewed.
• If you wish to order trophies, we need the completed order with a form of payment no later than 45 days prior to the event.
  • On request, we can wait until approximately 30 days out to order trophies. In this case, we recommend using a shipping address that is acceptable should the trophies arrive after the event. In most cases, this is not an issue and something we work hard to avoid, but if there is a spike in orders or other issues with shipping channels, this could create delays. NRHA cannot reimburse additional shipping expense for any order placed less than 45 days prior to the event.
  • We will continue to work with events that place an order, but later have to cancel.
• This will apply to any event submitted thus far for 2021.

Event Calendar Tips for ReinerSuite

To search for approved, tentative and pending events in ReinerSuite, click on the EVENTS tab on the left sidebar.

If you want to see all events for the year, simply enter 01/01/2021 in the Start Date field and hit SEARCH. This will give you a complete list.

If you want to search by more detailed criteria, use the fields provided to narrow down your search by date, country, “Only Top Ten Events,” etc.

Videos:

Nominating Online Part 1 (including how to nominate a horse that is not yet registered)
Nominating a Foal with Breed Papers

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Deadline Reminder:

• Nominations completed online must be completed and paid for by January 10 to be considered on time.
• For mailed nominations, since the deadline falls on a Sunday, any nominations received in the mail on Monday, January 11 will be considered received by the deadline. Sending via trackable mail is highly recommended.
• Nominations received between the first deadline and January 31 will be charged a late fee.

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How do I complete a nomination online?

Click on HORSES on the left-hand side of the ReinerSuite Dashboard, and then CREATE.

• If the HORSES link is not on your account, then your membership is inactive. You can renew by clicking on ACCOUNT and under Membership click RENEW. The HORSES link will appear once the membership has been paid!

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I do not have my breed registration papers back. Am I still able to nominate?

Yes! When completing the nomination online, select NOMINATE A HORSE, on the next screen select ADD REGISTRATION PAPERS AT A LATER TIME. This will put the name as pending and will not require the registration information.

• If that option is not available, return to the previous screen and make sure CREATE COMPETITION LICENSE is not selected.

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I entered a foal date and cannot correct it. What do I do?

Please continue with your nomination. When NRHA receives the breed papers, we can make the correction.

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I am receiving an error message to complete all pedigree fields.

• Be sure to click on the magnifying glass icon at the end of the text box to search for the horse. This icon appears where horse and member names can be added so that you can search for the correct one.

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I am receiving an error message to add a nomination, nomination date and nominator.

Be sure to click on the magnifying glass at the end of the text box to search for the nominator.

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I began my nomination but did not complete it and now the name says it has already been used.

• The in-progress nomination will be under your list of horses. To find it, click on HORSES on the left-hand side and then FINDER and MY HORSES. Select the horse and under Actions select RESTART HORSE WIZARD.

 

 

 

Tie a ribbon around your finger because a very important deadline for reining horses is near at hand. The opportunity to nominate weanling foals into the National Reining Horse Association Nomination program at the lowest rate ends on January 10.

The National Reining Horse Association’s Nomination Program was created to grow its North American and European Futurities and Derbies to new heights through enhanced payouts. It has done that by allocating 60 percent of all the fees to the Futurities and 40 percent to the Derbies after a 10 percent retainage. Simply put, the enrollment of foals creates additional added money to the purses at the Futurities and Derbies which saw a 42% increase in the North American Open Futurity in the very first year.

Although the nomination programs for the North American and the European regions are separate, there is an “option” fee available so that horses can become eligible to enter both the North American and European Programs. ­One hundred percent of the Option fees are allocated to their respective Nomination Program. Nominating foals makes them eligible to compete in the NRHA Futurity and/or Derby of their respective regions when they come of age.

When a horse competes and wins money at one of the Futurities or Derbies, the nominator receives 5% of the earnings! It does not matter if the nominator still owns the horse or not. For example, at the 2020 NRHA Futurity, although Arcese Quarter Horses was both the owner and nominator of open futurity champion All Bettss Are Off, had the horse changed hands, Arcese Quarter Horses would have still received $12,500 of the winner’s $250,000 purse.

Any horse can be nominated, and the original nominator can never be changed. NRHA Member and Show Services/Nomination Representative Emily Rush said, “We are so fortunate to have ReinerSuite available to us now because it really is the fastest and most economical way to nominate a horse. The $10 handling fee is waived when you do it online, and you receive an instant digital confirmation.” When members log in to ReinerSuite, they can get guidance on how to complete nominations in the Resources Library.

The deadline for 2020 foals is approaching quickly! After January 10, the fees double until January 31^st after which date the foal is considered a yearling, and the fees adjust appropriately.

More information, including nomination forms, can be found at nrha.com/nomination.

For Immediate Release – October 5, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is taking additional steps to streamline business practices, with the goal of improving accuracy and service to members. Thanks to the availability of online member tools to complete nearly all member transactions through NRHA’s ReinerSuite™, the following changes have been approved by the NRHA board of directors.

ReinerSuite provides an online, electronic tool that keeps records of every item submitted, ensures nearly all items submitted are complete, requires a valid form of payment to move forward, and provides a receipt/confirmation email. Given this valuable new tool, NRHA is no longer accepting nominations via email or fax. Member services representatives have been communicating this with customers and are assisting during a transition period.

“The option to email paperwork was put in place many years ago when we did not have an array of online tools. Unfortunately, emailed and faxed items are sometimes incomplete, unreadable and very easy to lose track of if not sent to a central account,” said Christa Morris-Stone, NRHA assistant commissioner. “With ReinerSuite, we now have the ability to provide a much more effective online option to our members.”

Since early 2020, NRHA members have been able to use ReinerSuite to access reports, apply for competition licenses, purchase memberships, transfer horses, obtain digital membership cards and competition licenses, and more. Early adoption and usage by members is strong and growing—generating many positive reviews.

Morris-Stone elaborated, “Nominations and memberships are completed as soon as the payment is processed in ReinerSuite, and it is not unusual for an online transfer or new license to be approved and completed, with a digital version emailed, within 24 to 48 hours.”

More NRHA members are encouraged to use this online platform, which gives 24/7 access to records and allows them to conduct many transactions outside traditional business hours. Beginning January 1, 2021, NRHA will enact a $10 in-office processing fee for items not completed through ReinerSuite by the member. The fax option will be discontinued for all paperwork starting January 1, 2021.

“This in-office processing fee is similar to the fee we have charged for years for North American nominations that have not been completed online,” said Morris-Stone. “In turn, NRHA will drop the $30 show rush for submitting licenses at shows so the $10 fee will apply to anything sent to us to be processed by hand in the NRHA office.” Rush fees now include the $10 handling fee.

NRHA will continue to offer free digital membership cards and competition licenses, and the NRHA Handbook is available online. Hard copies of cards, licenses or handbooks will be available for $5 each.

A complete list of fee policies can be found at nrha.com/fees.

For Immediate Release – August 23, 2020 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The Reining Horse Foundation Board of Directors has elected Andrea Stillo of Pilot Point, Texas, to serve on the Board of Directors. Under RHF Bylaws, the recommendation was reviewed and approved by the NRHA Board of Directors at the August meeting.

Stillo is an NRHA judge and steward and competes in reining as an NRHA Non Pro, serving as chairman of the NRHA Non Pro Committee. He has professional and volunteer experience in the fields of law, business management and fundraising. He is recognized as a 2020 RHF Reiners Club Contributor and provided volunteer support for the 2019 Sliders’ Night Out benefiting RHF. He is married to NRHA Professional Mirjam Stillo.

“I intend to support the important role of the Foundation in our industry and help to continue the growth and development of its core,” Stillo said. With his election, the RHF Board has 19 members, one shy of the maximum allowed under the bylaws. Elections for the 2021 Board are set to be held in September 2020.

The RHF Board meets via conference call at least quarterly. There are working committees and subcommittees to advance the work of the Foundation and make recommendations to the Board. Under the Bylaws, the Board is split to serve rotating terms, with members elected to serve for terms of three years.

Generally speaking, directors are eligible to serve two consecutive full, three-year terms before retiring for a minimum of one year. Officers may continue to serve while on the Executive Committee.

If you have an interest in serving, contact Tim Anderson, RHF president, at rhf@nrha.com.