 · nrha/nrcha Horseware Ireland maker of Rambo Quarter Horse, Rhino, and Amigo is pleased to announce sponsorship of Shawn Flarida, NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money Earner. Shawn Flarida is not only a name that is now nearly synonymous with the word “reining” but is also a devoted family man and an excellent role model for youth. Horseware Ireland is thrilled to sponsor such an outstanding horseman and person that personifies the core beliefs of our company. Flarida has accomplished what many could only dream of in a lifetime. The Springfield, Ohio, professional has made his name training some of the most talented athletes in the equine world. He is just the second person in NRHA history to reach the $2 Million milestone, and is now the NRHA’s All-Time Leading Money Earner, with $2.5 million and counting. Known worldwide for his big smile and easygoing nature, Shawn credits his accomplishments to hard work, dedication and the profound enjoyment he gets from his everyday work with his many talented equine athletes and their wonderful owners. From the beginning of his career, Shawn’s family has been instrumental to his success. He decided in the second grade that he wanted to be a horse trainer, and from that point on, his parents, Bill and Betty Flarida, have been his biggest supporters. They instilled in him a fantastic work ethic, and taught him that hard work and respect for his natural ability as a horseman could lead to great things. When Shawn married his high school sweetheart, Michele, she also became an instrumental part of his success. The couple has three children, Cody, 12, Courtney, 6, and Sam, 4. Shawn’s career continues on an upward trajectory. In 2007, he once again captured the NRHA Open Futurity Championship, marking the fourth time he has achieved that honor. He won his first NRHA Futurity in 2002, riding Wimpys Little Step, owned by Mark Schols, to a record 233 score, the highest recorded for a 3-year-old reiner. In 2004, Flarida struck again on Smart Spook, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, and in 2005 on KR Lil Conquistador, owned by Jeff and Cheree Kirkbride. In 2007, he made history when he rode the Wimpys Little Chic, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, to his fourth Open Championship. The win marked the first time a Futurity Champion has been sired by a Futurity Champion. In addition to his accomplishments at the NRHA Futurity, Shawn’s talents have also taken an international stage. He is the only rider to capture both individual and team gold medals at the World Equestrian Games in the sport of Reining, which he did in 2002 in Jerez, Spain. He won the inaugural Mallorca Western Festival in Spain aboard Just Gotta Shine, owned by Francesca Sternberg and Doug Allen. In 2006, Shawn reached the $2 Million mark aboard Rosanne Sternberg’s Tinsel Nic at the World Reining Masters, held in Denver, Colorado. Back in the U.S., Shawn has won nearly every major title available to him. In 2007, he won the NRHA Open Derby on Arcese’s Walla Walla Whiz, marking his second time to win the event. In 2006, he won the prestigious National Reining Breeders Classic aboard Einsteins Revolution, who is now the NRHA’s highest money-earning horse and the first to earn more than $300,000 in NRHA competition. Shawn is now at the top of all the NRHA’s charts, and he has a huge following of loyal fans throughout the world. He is a strong supporter of the NRHA, youth programs and sport of reining. He does dozens of clinics each year, many of them to benefit of the NRHA’s youth programs. He has co-written a book on reining, published in 2007 by Western Horseman, and he has a series of DVD’s called Good As Gold Reining with Craig Schmersal. As Shawn’s career continues to put him the public eye, he remains committed to his goals of being a positive role model striving for excellence in his horsemanship. For more information please contact westernvisionproductions@gmail.com or visit www.horseware.com. Copyright © 2009 The NW Horse Source |