Tim McQuay riding Mister Nicadual
Owned by Jerry Kimmel

2006 FEI World Equestrian Games. After the fact…

Reining is the ultimate partnership between horse and rider. Often compared to Dressage, competitors must indeed perform specific maneuvers. However, reiners perform their maneuvers at various speeds, most quite fast and all with one hand.

Each maneuver is scored separately and penalties are assigned if the maneuver is not executed perfectly. Reining is serious business. But for Reining enthusiasts, the sport is more than serious business. It’s fun. Nowhere was that more evident than after the medals presentation at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany.

After Team USA was recognized as the Gold Medal Champion, after the playing of their national anthem, riders from Team Canada (Silver) and Team Italy (Bronze) were asked to join Team USA in a victory lap around the arena for the packed stands of appreciative spectators.

With grins from ear-to-ear, Team USA took the lead at a dignified lope. Then, NRHA’s only Two Million Dollar Rider and USA’s oldest competitor at age 52, Tim McQuay decided to pick up the pace. He asked his horse, Jerry Kimmel’s Mister Nicadual, to move on. In fact, he put pedal to the metal and breezed past each of his teammates. Tim’s enthusiasm was contagious.

Riders waved their hats at the screaming crowd, asked their horses to perform Reining’s signature maneuver, the sliding stop, and finished with all four members of Team USA spinning in unison at one end of the arena. The crowd went crazy – Reining is fun for everyone.

The “Reining as serious fun” theme carried over to the press conference when journalists from around the world asked officials and Reining medalists their thoughts on the sport as well as the competition.

Frank Costantini, a long time NRHA Non Pro competitor, owner and breeder of reining horses from Ohio, USA, is the Chairman of the FEI Reining Committee. Frank thanked the FEI organizers for a fabulous event and expressed his pleasure at the 70% increase in participation since Reining’s debut as a medal competition at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. He was especially excited about the participation of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia and is looking forward to Japan and Australia joining the competition.

When Team Canada’s Lance Griffin, was asked how it felt to be the only Non Pro on the podium, he replied, “There was no difference between Open and Non Pro riders here. I learned a lot from my fellow competitors and I have a great horse. He carried me through the competition, so you might want to ask him that question.”

When riders were asked if they had anything to do with cows, USA’s Aaron Ralston explained that he grew up on a ranch in Colorado where his parents did indeed have a cow/calf breeding operation. He still works his fabulous reining horse, Smart Paul Olena, owned by his wife Meg, on cattle and bison for diversity and relaxation.

However, Matt Mills, USA’s youngest competitor at age 27, pointed out, “When you’re trying to be the best at one discipline, it’s hard to train for another.”

When Team Italy was asked why they wanted to be cowboys, their Chef d’Equipe, Antonio Mastrangelo explained, “Reining is part of the ‘cowboy life.’ It’s a way of thinking, a lifestyle. It’s also a way of finding friends all over the world who feel the same way. This is what we find in the sport of Reining.”

Team Canada’s Duane Latimer logged the high score of the day in the Team competition, a 225.5 on Manntana LLC’s Hang Ten Surprize. “I knew I had to mark a 227.5 to overtake Team USA’s lead,” said Duane. “But I was thrilled with my horse and happy for us to place second. But I don’t like to lose.” Duane will have another opportunity to win on Sunday afternoon in the Individual competition. The top 20 scoring riders from the Team competition will once again perform. It is back to “serious business,” but everyone - spectators, fans, family, friends and each and every competitor can count on having a lot of fun!

xx