Watch out world … Mexico is coming.

Whizmo is the first to win the trailer given by AQHA and MQHA for the 2009 AQHA Caballo Campeón en Reining de México.

At the Final de Afiliados AQHA/National Reining Horse Association México in Monterrey, Mexico, October 31-November 1, more 100 than entries from across Mexico competed for futurity trophies, year-end honors and a trailer to be awarded by AQHA and their Mexico affiliate Asociacion Mexicana de Criadores y Caballistas Cuarto de Milla (MQHA).

The concept for the show started earlier this year when AQHA and NRHA officials met with the Mexican Quarter Horse Association and the NRHA Mexico representatives. AQHA and NRHA have teamed up to develop initiatives for grassroots riders in Mexico as well as those competing in premiere events.

“We met in February to try to promote reining in Mexico,” said organizer Raul Leal. “And it has been very successful and has helped us a lot. We are very thankful to AQHA and NRHA for all the support they have given us and all the hard work helping us.”

The Circuito NRHA Mexico Purina has been going on for seven years as an NRHA North American Regional Affiliate Finals. However, with the alliance partnership, AQHA-, NRHA- and Federation Equestre Internationale-combined events were set up in Mexico with the Circuito being the culmination for the year-end Regional Affiliate awards as well as an Exiss trailer to the AQHA high-point reiner.

“It’s been a really good show,” Raul said. “The competition was tough and we had more entries. The competitors competing for the trailer were on the edge until the last run. We were wondering up to the end who would win it. But that’s reining, you never know until the finish.”

Winning the first Campeon en Reining Cuarto de Milla 2009 trailer was Whizmo, a 9-year-old palomino stallion owned by Gilberto Leal of San Pedro, Nuevo Leon.

“I’ve had Whizmo for three years and I’ve been riding him for about a year,” Gilberto said. “He’s a nice horse, very quiet and very honest.”

Gilberto was thrilled to win the trailer and shortly after it was awarded, his old trailer was pulled up so tack could be loaded into the new one.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Gilberto said with a laugh. “Thank you Whizmo and thank you AQHA.”
Also during the event was the NRHA Mexico Futurity. Winning the open was Jaime Fuentes on Gerardo Leal’s Sailin With Juice with a 217.5. Sixteen-year-old Gerardo Leal Jr. took the non-pro title on his dad’s mare, Hermosa Hollywood.

“It was a really good horse show,” Jaime said of the Final de Afiliados. “We work so hard all year and for this it was really good.”

It was the first time Gerardo Jr. has won the futurity, but he credits Jaime and Canadian trainer Patrice St-Onge for giving him the right advice to succeed.

“I was doing something wrong and they helped me a lot to correct it,” he said. “I really want to thank them for that.”

Many of the young riders competed against the adults during the show and even won some of the classes.

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“These are some of the best youth riders I’ve seen,” said NRHA judge James Morgan, D.V.M.

“Watching these riders here in Mexico,” AQHA/NRHA judge Allen Mitchells added, “it won’t be long and they will be giving the other top countries in reining like America, Canada, Italy and Germany, a run for their money.”

However, top NRHA non-pro reiner Jose Vasquez is hoping 2010 will be the year Mexico shines. With the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games coming to Lexington, Kentucky, Mexico will put their first team together for the event.

“We have had individual riders compete before but never a team,” said Jose, who traveled from his Chicago home to compete. “And after seeing this show, it looks like we’re going to be sending a really good team. I think when we go this time we will be better prepared and we have better riders and horses.”

At the two FEI-CRI2* events, Canadian open rider Lisa Coulter won the first one against nine riders on Western Whiz. Taking the second class with 10 riders was Mexican non-pro rider Ruben Pacheco on Topsail Command.

“When I was in Kentucky for the reining test event, I said one of my goals is to destroy the dreams of the United States,” Jose said. “There’s nothing wrong with saying that and I know it won’t be easy but we’re going to be sending some very good riders and horses.”

With a team traveling to the World Equestrian Games and more reining shows being offered in Mexico, Raul hopes the sport continues to grow.

“It is growing but we need more places in Mexico that do the reining to allow more people from the regions to come because not all reiners want to travel 600, 800 or 1,000 kilometers to come and show at a small show,” he said. “We need to work to make more facilities and get people to organize and manage the shows. But I think at this moment, we are doing it the right way and it will grow.”

And the Final de Afiliados is a good start of achieving that goal.

“Everyone worked hard and helped to make this show successful,” Raul said. “We are a strong team and because of that we will make our dreams come true.”

Tonya Ratliff-Garrison
Field Editor
American Quarter Horse Journal

Check out the photos below from the 2009 Final de Afiliados AQHA/Nation Reining Horse Association México.

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