Articles: Press Release

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Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc.
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Las Vegas, NV - September 5, 2009 - Leah Boylan had an exciting round today aboard Whizzle Fritz, earning her the win in both Rookie 1 division and Rookie 2 division at the High Roller Reining Classic. Boylan, of Grass Valley, CA, and Whizzle Fritz earned today's high score of 70.50, outshining the rest of the competition as they completed their pattern. The High Roller Reining Classic is the international "crown jewel" of western riding competition, and features over $200,000 in added money and prizes. The show is being held at the South Point Hotel, Casino, and Equestrian Center and will run through Saturday, September 12.

Boylan and Whizzle Fritz began pattern eight by expertly executing four fast spins to the left and four fast spins to the right. They then moved into the circle portion of the pattern where they pushed hard to go fast during the large circles. The pattern included three stops that Boylan and Whizzle Fritz also hit perfectly. The crowd cheered loudly as they exited the ring to the score 70.50, which none of the other riders would be able to catch.

"I'm just thrilled to have done so well," smiled Boylan after her victory. "We did really good through the first spins and our large fast circle was really good. We tried to stay faster than normal there since it's a pretty big show and we knew that would be important. Whizzle usually likes to go pretty slow, so I had to keep him going pretty fast for the stops too. Overall he did a really great job, I'm really proud of him."

Whizzle Fritz is a seven-year-old stud by Top Sail Whiz out of Madame Fritz that Boylan has owned for three years. He originally showed in the Derby classes with Kim Yancey of the Boyle Ranch, but Boylan began showing him last year and now he only competes with her in the Rookie divisions.

"He's a wonderful horse because he's so easygoing," explained Boylan. "He's a stud but you would never know it. He is my first horse and he's been just a really good guy to take me through the classes. He has been the best horse for me to learn on because he never spooks and he never gets out of line. He knows his job and he's very easy to get along with."

Boylan admitted there are no tricks to Whizzle Fritz, and that stopping is one of his strongest skills. "He's a really good stopper, so the stopping is the best part for him," she said. "He likes to go slow, so it's just keeping him going up to the stop that is the hard part. The biggest thing with him is you just have to keep his energy up. You can't just sit there and let him go through the pattern; you have to ride him all the time. He'll want to slow down and take it easy, but you have to stay on top of it and keep him going."

The next stop for Boylan and Whizzle Fritz will be their regional affiliate finals in Idaho during the month of October. The pair has shown ten times this year and hopes to qualify out of the Rookie division and compete in the Non-Pro Limited division during the 2010 competition season.

This is the first year that Boylan has competed at the High Roller Reining Classic and she has been enjoying her stay at the South Point Hotel and Casino. "It's a wonderful place because you don't have to drive anywhere, everything is right here," she smiled. "The horses love it because it's climate controlled, so they're comfortable and happy. The staff has been wonderful, and it's a really comfortable place for not just the exhibitors, but the horses as well, so we really like it!"

Twenty-two other competitors competed in the Rookie 2 division and three riders tied for the second place prize with scores of 69.50. Those three horse and rider combinations included Kellie Meier, of Danville CA, aboard West Coast Connection; Joshua Green, of Redmond, WA, riding Slide To Be Safe; and Renee Lieffort, of Skull Valley, AZ, with Moon Stones Finest.

The Rookie 1 division featured 26 exhibitors and four horse and rider combinations tied for the second place award with scores of 69.50. In addition to Meier and Green, Mary-Anne Van Degna riding Ruf N Dun It, owned by Bar Double C Ranch, of Cave Creek, AZ, received the second place score. Brenda Joyce also earned a 69.50 with Red White Starlight, owned by Story Book Stables, Inc, of Tucson, AZ.

The High Roller Reining Classic will continue tomorrow with the Non-Pro divisions at the South Point Hotel and Casino. This year's feature events are the $130,000 Added 3 Year Old Futurity and the $50,000 Added 4, 5, & 6 Year Old Derby. The horse show will come to a close Saturday, September 12.

The "Play It Forward" Texas Hold 'Em-style poker tournament will also be held this year at the South Point Hotel and Casino on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 8-11 pm during the High Roller Reining Classic. All proceeds from this charity event will benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF), a non-profit organization assisting with basic medical needs funding for those from catastrophic illness or injury. Limited to 150 people, the "Play It Forward" Poker Tournament offers players the opportunity to win big - having fun and making a difference at the same time. Each player will receive a seat assignment in the HRRC VIP Private Poker Tournament Room where dealers will provide $2,500 in chips. At 11 p.m., chip leaders through 10th place will win a percentage of the prize pool.

Equestrian Life http://www.equestrianlife.com will be everywhere within the South Point Equestrian and Events Center, video camera in hand, streaming in depth interviews and comprehensive event coverage to their membership base of 30,000 avid horsepeople. Live streaming video coverage of the High Roller Reining Classic will begin Thursday, September 10th with the $15,000 Added Non-Pro Futurity, continuing on Friday, September 11th with the $10,000 Added Non-Pro Derby, and wrapping up on Saturday, September 12th with the $15,000 Added Open Derby.

For more information about the High Roller Reining Classic please visit http://www.highrollerreiningclassic.com.