Byars, Oklahoma – In the past decade, the National Reining Breeders Classic program has become an essential element in raising reining horse prospects.

The 2007 NRBC Show, held in April at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, was the tenth anniversary event and paid out over $1.2 million.

The show was a resounding success, with special highlights throughout, such as a surprise “Concert in the Practice Pen” on Friday night by Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Randy Paul. The Open Finals was one to remember, with record scores and a heartstopping runoff for the Open Championship. The ’07 Show also saw the inception of the NRBC Mare Bonus, which paid out over $34,000 in its first year.

For reining horses, the NRBC is definitely the place to be, but to be eligible to win any of that big money, foals must be enrolled in the program, and an important enrollment deadline is right around the corner. "Foals can be enrolled for $200 as long as the enrollment is postmarked by September 15 of their weanling year," commented Kaye Nowlin, NRBC Program Coordinator at the Byars, Oklahoma offices of Pro Management, Inc. "After that, it's $250 per foal through December 31 of the weanling year."

She noted that people are getting foals enrolled earlier and earlier each year. "It's something they plan for, and a lot of people send in their foal enrollments when they send off their registration application to the breed associations."

It’s always interesting to see which foal becomes the first registered each year and in 2007, the number 070001 goes to a bay filly by Little Bay Starlight out of Dualin Little Lena. The baby is owned by Stewart Ranch, Inc. of Cave Creek, Arizona.

Stewart Ranch Inc. was established in 1989, due to a passion for great horses shared by Rod and Lissa Stewart and subsequently by their daughter, Chantz, born in 1993.

The Stewarts also own another ranch and training facility in partnership with Jimmie Paul, located a few miles away in Desert Hills, Arizona. They purchased Little Bay Starlight, and he has won championships in AQHA, NRHA and NRCHA, and was a 2006 Qualifier for AQHA Super Horse in Roping (Heading & Heeling), Reining and Working Cow Horse.

There was no question that the Stewarts wanted to be a part of the NRBC, and they are especially excited about the new NRBC Mare Bonus Program which debuted at the 2007 show and paid over $34,000. Lissa noted, “There are many great mares and having a program just for them shows how on top of things the National Reiners Breeders Classic really is.”

And, with any luck at all, the first enrolled baby of 2007 might just earn some of that mare bonus money during her show career at the NRBC!

The National Reining Breeders Classic is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In a little more than a decade, the NRBC has grown to include over 300 subscribed stallions. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.