Shawn Flarida
In any given show season, Shawn Flarida travels from his facility in Springfield, Ohio to more than twelve NRHA shows. His reward has been multiple NRHA World Championship titles, top ten placings, and USET titles. Following his spectacular win at the NRHA Derby, Shawn is the NRHA’s all-time leading money earner with more than $3 million in NRHA lifetime earnings.
Early on, Shawn was successful as a trainer. He took two horses to the 1990 NRHA Open Futurity finals, and in 1991 he won the NRHA Derby Limited Open Reserve Championship. Since that first win in 1994, Shawn has won the event a total of six times, and finished as the reserve champion five times. He also has won more than 25 Congress Open event championships.
In 2002, Shawn’s career hit another milestone when he qualified San Jo Freckles, owned by Michael Harper, for the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, riding for Team USA. Shawn captured the individual gold medal and helped his team, which included Craig Schmersal, Scott McCutcheon and Tom McCutcheon, also capture the team gold medal.
As the wins added up, so did Shawn’s NRHA rider earnings. In 2002, he added a big chunk of change to his record when he captured the NRHA Open Futurity title – his first – on Wimpys Little Step, owned by Mark Schols. The $175,000 paycheck for the win brought him close to becoming an NRHA Million Dollar Rider, and in 2003, he became the third rider to earn that distinction.
By 2006, Shawn was winning consistently, and started capturing the top two spots at the shows. He did that at both the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic with Walla Walla Whiz, and Western Whiz, and at the Congress Open Futurity with Senor Tejano Whiz and BR Sheza Cameo Jac. Earlier in the year, won his first NRBC Championship on Einsteins Revolution. He also finished second at the NRHA Derby on KR Lil Conquistador. With all the winnings adding up fast, in late October 2006, Shawn hit another huge milestone – becoming just the second NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider.
At the end of 2008, Shawn surpassed the $3 million mark, becoming the first NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider.
You can find the latest news about Shawn, show results and upcoming schedule on his website: TheGreenShirt.com
