OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – A pair of California non pros were West Coast headliners from the 2013 NRHA Derby, the association’s showcase competition for 4-, 5- and 6-year old reining horses that this year set a payout record of $948,000 to owners and nominators of open and non pro finalists.

One of those non-pro finalists, Kelly Moran, took her newest ride, Wimpys Mega Step (Wimpys Little Step x Moonstone Mega) to third in the Level 3 Non Pro Finals and 10th in the Level 4, earning a combined $10,110.

“Kelly did awesome,” said her trainer since 2009, Tracer Gilson of Sanger. “Since she’s been here, she’s probably tripled her lifetime earnings. She’s a sweetheart who works really hard at it.”

Moran’s parents, Joe and Karen Moran of Laguna Hills, acquired Wimpys Mega Step from Martin Larcombe in April after the National Reining Breeders Classic, where Larcombe collected $20,797 with the mare in the level 2, 3 and 4 Open Finals.

“We really liked the mare,” said Gilson, who was an NRHA Derby Level 3 Open Finalist on another Moran-owned horse, Anniespackinapistol. “I liked the way she showed. I like how she’s bred, too. Lauren Booth at Booth Ranch owns My Lucky Moonstone, and that’s this mare’s grandmother.”

While Moran found Derby Non Pro success with a new horse, Bill Coburn of Sherman Oaks won with an old friend, a 6-year-old stallion he had bred, Nics Little Bud (Nic It in The Bud X Chex Out The Cowgirl) to the Prime Time Non Pro Co-championship. He also finished fifth behind Moran in the Level 3 Non Pro Finals, earning $7.968 combined.

“”He’s pretty cool horse,” admitted Coburn, who owns the stud’s mare. “He’s pretty feely — by Nic It In The Bud — but he’s also pretty good-minded, a good combination.”

With a 219, Coburn and Nics Little Bud tied with Michael Jeffcoat of Waurika, Okla., riding Spooks Gotta Run (Spooks Gotta Gun x Prettywhizprettydoes). Jeffcoat’s 2008 stallion earned more than $56,500 in NRHA competition prior to the finals, while Nics Little Bud had $90,000 NRHA lifetime earnings.

The co-champions earned $1,890 each and split the other prizes, including an NRHA Lawson trophy.

Coburn stables Nics Little Bud in Moorpark with Danny Gerardi, whom he formerly trained under. An emergency room physician at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Coburn has returned to the sport after a hiatus to study, train, and establish his profession.

“Now I’m getting back into it after a number of years,” said Coburn. “It’s a complete diversion, that’s for sure, but I just enjoy the sport.”

He said. “I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s challenging. It’s one of those things that you never completely master, so you’re always working at it.” He also breeds Quarter Horses, primarily cutters, keeping a small number of broodmares with Jack and Jody Elliott in Orland.

“I like to ride the babies, too, and bring them up,” Coburn said. “Like this particular colt. He came out of my own breeding program. That’s what I enjoy doing — definitely not a big-time thing. Very small time. But I do enjoy it.”

In this year’s NRHA Derby open go-round, more than 500 entries competed for a spot in the finals with 72 of the top-scoring horse-and-rider teams invited back to Saturday night’s event.

After numerous leader changes, one entry cleared the rest of the field by one-half point: HF Mobster (Gunner x Dun Its Black Gold) and NRHA Million Dollar Rider Jordan Larson (Whitesboro, Texas) with a 228.5. Heritage Farms owns the 2008 stallion that has earned $45,400 so far in his career. Most recently, he and Larson finished in fourth place finish at the 2013 National Reining Breeders Classic.

The NRHA Derby Championship paid $60,000 ($57,000 to the owner and $3,000 to nominator Rhodes River Ranch).

CFR Centenario Wimpy (Wimpys Little Step x Miss Hollywood Whiz) and Franco Bertolani (Aubrey, Texas) jumped to the top of the Level 3 open division with a 226. They ended the finals with the championship and a fourth place finish in the Level 4 open division. Domencio Lomuto’s 2008 stallion added more than $44,400 to his current $46,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings.

Late in the first section, Dunit A Lil Ruf (Lil Ruf Peppy x Bueno Poco Dunit) and NRHA Professional Ann Salmon (Tioga, Texas) earned a score of 223 to lead the level 2 open division. They held on to that lead and won the Level 2 open championship for a paycheck of $10,996. In 2012, Dunit A Lil Ruf and Salmon were finalists in Levels 1-3 at the NRHA Derby. To date, the 2007 mare has earned $19,199 in NRHA competition, and Salmon has won in excess of $100,170 in her NRHA career.

Spin N Wimp (Wimpys Little Step x Spinning Beauty) and Mirjam Giraudini-Stillo marked a 219.5 to match their go-round score and win the Level 1 open division finals. The 2007 gelding is owned by Andrea Stillo and has over $40,500 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. Spin N Wimp has been shown primarily in Europe racking up wins at the Italian Reining Horse Association Futurity (4-Year-Old) and German Breeder’s Futurity. The Stillo’s recently brought him from their native Italy to their ranch in Tioga, Texas.

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