Hit The Lights Carries Dell Hendricks to his Fifth NRBC Open Championship

Katy, TX - April 23, 2005 - The National Reining Breeders Classic celebrated its first event in 1998. Dell Hendricks won that inaugural show and returned this year to take home an unprecedented fifth NRBC Open Championship, this time riding Hit The Lights (Grays Starlight x Playboys Promise) owned by Adair Reiners LLC.

Dell’s title was especially sweet this year for many reasons. Just two days ago, the talented trainer from Tioga, Texas, was honored as the National Reining Horse Association’s sixth rider to pass the million-dollar mark. And, at the NRHA Futurity last year, Dell spoke with Doug Adair and the gentlemen decided Hit The Lights should be retired and not shown this year. The 6-year-old stallion had made the finals at every major event that Dell took him to but just never stepped up to win a championship. Dell thought the stallion should be retired and his foals could take over where he left off.

“I got home after the Futurity and kind of looked around and I didn’t have a lot to show so I just entered him and I didn’t tell Doug,” Dell said. “So he got his bill for the entry fee and calledf me and said, ‘I thought we retired that horse.’ And I said, ‘I changed my mind!’ I said, ‘Doug, if he ever has that trip, he’s going to win a major event and it might be this year.’ ”

Hit The Light’s trip was near perfection with a 227.5 in the pattern. He was the 22nd horse to run out of 25 Open Finalists in the evening performance and needed a 225.5 to at least tie for Reserve. Everything in Dell’s run was right on, from extremely quick circles to perfect lead changes. Big, powerful stops capped off the run and Dell finally witnessed the performance he knew the stallion was capable of.

“He’s awesome and he’s been that way for so long and no one’s believed in him, including myself,” Dell commented. With one last chance to prove himself, Hit The Lights entered the arena with full force and showed that he is worthy of a championship title.

“I was trotting around with Duane Latimer in the warm-up pen and I said, ‘Duane, they’re ready to mark somebody and I’m going to go for it.’ I told everybody this horse can do it; I know he can do it,” he said.

Dell’s title with Hit The Lights added another $60,000 to the trainer’s lifetime earnings. The pair is headed to the NRHA Derby next month in search of another championship.

Scottsdale Arizona trainer Matt Mills, qualified two horses for the finals, one in the Intermediate Open and one in both the Open and Intermediate. He ended up earning the Intermediate Open Championship aboard Bobbie J. Cook’s Easy Otie Whiz (Topsail Whiz x Miss Poco Easy), which also finished ninth in the Open, and then earned a fourth-place Intermediate Open finish with Miss HD Rosalie (Hollywood Dun It x Rosalie Dillon) owned by Steve and Lea Ann Hungate. Matt’s NRBC Finals earnings for all three placings totaled $58,742.

This was Matt’s first Open finals in a major event and he looked to Dell for advice. He actually worked for Dell for four years and knew he could count on his mentor for advice on controlling nerves and adrenaline.

“I learned so much there and I have so much for both Dell and his program,” Matt said. “I got back there on a regular basis to spend time with him and ride and it’s so nice because he shares everything with me. He lets me know what I need to do to step up to the next level.”

Dell’s good advice led to an amazing NRBC experience for the young trainer who achieved his goal of winning the Intermediate Open and finishing in the Open top 10.

The NRBC wraps up Sunday, April 24, at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. This year’s event will pay out more than $1 Million.

The National Reining Breeders Classic is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In just eight years, the NRBC has grown to include over 275 subscribed stallions and over 16,000 enrolled foals. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.