With $350,000 on the line for the 2024 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Level 4 Open Futurity Champion, the stakes are higher than ever as NRHA Professionals entered the Jim Norick Arena for the first section of open prelims. This will be the 39th NRHA Futurity in the historic Jim Norick Coliseum and the final edition before moving to the new OG&E Coliseum in 2025.

After the first section, NRHA $4 Million Dollar Rider Jason Vanlandingam is leading both the Level 4 Open and the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Chrome Cash Division on I Got Ur Back. The 3-year-old stallion was bred and nominated by Green Valley Ranch and owned by Mark Johnson. Before the NRHA Futurity, the stallion by newly minted NRHA $3 Million Sire Colonels Shining Gun and out of A Shining Sidekick only had $854 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings.

Current Level Leaders through Go 1, Section 1, are:

Level 4 and APHA Chrome Cash Division: Jason Vanlandingham and I Got Ur Back

Level 3 and Prime Time: Duane Latimer and Babys Gotta Rock

Levels 2 and 1: Leonardo Kellermann and The Whizperer

The Open Semi-Finals qualifiers will be horse and rider pairs in the top 30 percent of the first-go scores in Levels 4-1. However, no more than 75 entries in each division will advance. If fewer than 50 qualifiers are in the top 30 percent in a division, then 50 will advance to the Semi-Finals.

The Open Semi-Finals will consist of two sections. On December 2, the first section will include Levels 3, 2, and 1, and the Level 4 Open Semi-Finals will be on December 3.

The clean-slate Open Finals will begin on December 7 at 9 a.m. with the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals beginning at 6 p.m..

Complete results, draws and more for the NRHA Futurity & Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championships can be found at nrhafuturity.com