Craig Schmersal
Craig Schmersal, 34, is the 6th all-time leading NRHA riders with career winnings of nearly $1.5 million. Craig has won numerous AQHA and NRHA Open World Championships.
Craig took two horses back to the 2008 NRBC Open Classic Finals, and both horses finished in the Top Ten. His highest scoring horse, Boom Schernic, marked a 226.5 - landing in 4th place. Riding Sparkling Waves, Craig marked a 224 for an 8th place finish. Craig also rode Mr Dual Rey to a score of 226.5, earning the USEF and CRI Reserve Championships. Mr Dual Rey is owned by Holly Casey.
Craig took two horses to the finals at the 2007 NRHA Open Futurity: Boom Shernic and Once A Von A Time. At the AQHA Congress this year, Craig was Reserve Champion in the Open Futurity riding Boom Shernic. Earlier in the fall, he won the Open Futurity at Las Vegas riding Conquistador Lilstar. At the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic Slide Zone Open, Craig slid into first on Mr Dual Rey - yet another win for this pair. In the Rocky Mt. Summer Slide Open Futurity, Craig rode two of his horses (Boom Shernic and Once A Von A Time) to tie with himself for first, and won the Stallion Stakes Open Futurity on Once A Von A Time. In the spring of 2007, Craig continued to show his young horses to their advantage taking all three entries back to the NRBC Classic Derby Open finals (Sparkling Waves, Gunners Lil Smarty, and Peppy Dun Hollywood. He then rode Sparkling Waves and Peppy Dun Hollywood into the NRHA Open Derby finals, ending up 7th on Sparkling Waves.
In 2006, Craig ended a successful year riding Sparkling Waves (by Tidal Wave Jack) to a 4th place finish in the toughest NRHA Futurity field yet. Craig rode Mr Dual Rey to win the Senior Reining at the 2006 AQHA World Championship Horse Show. He hit the jackpot at the Las Vegas Reining Classic in September 2006, winning both the Open Futurity (riding Lethal Surprise) and the Open Derby (riding Mr. Dual Rey). Earlier in the summer, he won the Open Futurity Stallion Stakes at the Rocky Mt. Summer Slide on Sparkling Waves.
In 2005, Craig won the gold medal at the FEI World Reining Masters Finals riding Tidal Wave Jack. The competition included the top riders from 17 countries. Read more ... By the end of the year, Craig had become the youngest NRHA Million Dollar Rider in 2005, and only the 7th rider to achieve this status.
You can read more on Craig's website.
