Shaunda Rai Ruckman and Rufanicki claim four non-pro titles at the National Reining Breeders Classic.

By Larri Jo Starkey

Shaunda Rai Ruckman and Rufanicki claim four levels of the NRBC non-pro competition April 22 in Katy, Texas. (Larri Jo Starkey photo) For more photos, scroll to the slide show below.

The saddles just kept coming. One after another, the saddles piled up in front of Shaunda Rai Ruckman of Scottsdale, Arizona, until the total reached four. So did the other prizes, including the big ones – the checks.

On April 22, Shaunda made history by claiming the non-pro title in levels 1-4 at the National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas.

“I’m overwhelmed and it’s unbelievable,” she said. “I was just ecstatic to make the finals in all four (levels) and was hoping to make the top 10. I figured I’d show what I had, and he was just really good.”

“What she had” was Rufanicki, her 2006 brown stallion by Lil Ruf Peppy and out of Chexanicki by Bueno Chexinic. He’s a sweet horse, she says, who tries hard.

“I’ve only had him since September, so this is really only the second time I’ve shown him,” she said. “It’s such a blur! I just remember getting that first stop, and he was so good. I ran him, and I don’t know that I’ve ever ran him that fast in circles and he was just really good and stayed right with me. He was tired and kind of panting by the time we got done with the stops, but he gives it all. He has such a big heart. He took really good care of me.”

After the win, Rufanicki was looking for a place to nap, while Shaunda was looking for a place to store all her loot. The checks alone totaled more than $60,000.

“I never in a million years would have dreamed I’d own him,” she said. “I still look at his papers to make sure he’s mine. He’s just very special. We’re going to go to the Derby and see how the Derby goes and from there, we’ll just see. He’s not going anywhere, I can tell you that.”

The reserve title went to Lance Griffin of De Winton, Alberta, who also claimed the top prize in the Prime Time category for riders age 50 and up. Lance, 55, was on The Great Tag, a horse with more than $196,000 in NRHA earnings and a previous reserve championship at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity in open competition.

“I went in hoping I could get from him what he could give me and he did,” Lance said. “He was very good. I won this show twice on his dad, so I was kinda hoping to win it on him.”

The Great Tag is a 2005 sorrel gelding by Whiz N Tag Chex and out of Shirleys Folly by Great Pine. Lance bred and raised him.

“He’d been good in the go-round, solid,” Lance said. “He’s made a lot of hard runs, but he has a ton of talent, and he just needs to be asked but not over-asked, and that was my goal.”

From Katy, both horses and riders are pointed to the NRHA Derby in late June.

For more photos from the NRBC, scroll to the slide show below. Click on each photo to see the caption.