NRHA Corporate Partner 7 Lakes’ resident trainer Mirko Midili rode Janice Laney’s stallion Mark My Word to the highest score of the 2024 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Open Futurity Go Round. Riding in the third section held in the Jim Norick Coliseum on Thanksgiving Day, the duo marked an impressive 226 to top the class of 422 entries. The flashy palomino stallion comes from reining royalty, being the offspring of two NRHA Hall of Famers, Gunnatrahya and Wimpys Little Chic. Bred and nominated by NRHA $3 Million Owner Arcese Quarter Horses USA, the stallion proved his pedigree with a strong run in the first go of the Futurity.
“‘Mo’ is a very special horse. He is a Gunnatrashya out of Wimpys Little Chic, so everyone knows him,” said Midili about his mount. “He had a big run in Tulsa [at the 100X Reining Classic] this summer and marked a 227, so everyone started talking about him since that show. He is the kind of horse that every trainer wishes to have every year at the [NRHA] Futurity. In the first go, he was very honest, as he always is, and I hope to be lucky enough in the second go to make the finals.
“I am very happy for the owner [Laney] because she deserves this, and also for myself because, during this year, I didn’t succeed as much as I wanted, besides Tulsa, so this run was good for my confidence. I am happy.”
Midili was thankful to his whole team for their support. “I want to thank Janice Laney and Thiago Boechat for all the trust and that they keep believing in me every time. I am very thankful for this. It was very, very nice to see people cry with me for what we did. It was a very special moment after our run.”
“We are a very big team at 7 Lakes,” he continued, “It is not only me; it is also Leo Kellerman. There are a lot of people on the team and all together. We are friends. We are family, and it is great because we are always happy for each other when we succeed. We help each other, and I learned a lot from Leo this year. He is great; he is a great trainer, and I admire him a lot. He is a very consistent trainer, and his future is bright.”
Midili and Mark My Word also claimed the American Paint Horse Association Chrome Cash, determined by the preliminary round of competition, taking home $3,507.
Level (L) 3 Leaders
Kaci O’Rourke and The Firemen (Inferno Sixty Six x Redhot Walla), owned by Peter and Courtney Morgan, did not hold back when performing a solid pattern in the arena, walking out with a 224 to lead the L3. The stallion, bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Tamarack Ranch LLC, came to the NRHA Futurity with $3,828 in NRHA LTE under his belt.
L2 Leaders
Brazilian NRHA Professional Joao Felipe Lacerda and Be The One Again (Gunner Dun It Again x Walla Whizn Katie), bred, nominated, and owned by Andre Tripoloni, performed to a 221 to lead the L2. The mare had no shows on her record before entering the Jim Norick Coliseum.
L1 Leaders
NRHA Professional Leonardo Kellermann rode his own gelding, The Whizperer (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiners Yellow Dress), to the top of the L1 Open on the first day of preliminary competition and the score held for the remaining days to remain as a co-leader. Bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Toyon Ranch LLC, the duo had $10,206 in NRHA LTE before coming to Oklahoma City.
Lucio Casalecchi and Queen Mary Jane (A Sparkling Vintage x Dun It For Chex) also scored a 220.5 to share the top spot in the L1. This win will be the first recorded LTE for the mare bred by Cardinal Hill Training Center LLC, nominated by Kristen Cantacuzene, and owned by NRHA Million Dollar Rider Fernando Salgado.
Prime Time Leaders
Two NRHA Professionals earned a 224 to share the top spot of the Prime Time Open class: NRHA $2 Million Rider Duane Latimer riding the Roxanne Koepsell-bred, -owned and -nominated mare Babys Gotta Rock (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shes Got Good Guns); and Franco Bertolani aboard Vulcano (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dun It In Silver), a stallion owned by Vulcano LLC, bred by Diane Sibley and nominated by James Turpen.
Semi-Finals bubbles:
Level 4: 218
Level 3: 216
Level 2: 213
Level 1: 209.5
The Open Semi-Finals will consist of two sections. The first section will include Levels 3, 2, and 1, while the second section will feature the Level 4. The competitions will take place on December 2 and 3, respectively.
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 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.
