2011 NRHA Champion Chooses Tom Balding Bits & Spurs 

For Immediate Release: Dec. 7, 2011 

Oklahoma City, Okla. - Andrea Fappani's lifetime NRHA earnings soared past $2.75 million as the Italian-born reiner snared two NRHA titles and another top-10 finish at the 2011 NRHA Futurity, which concluded Dec. 3 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. And he did it all with Tom Balding bits.

In the big Saturday night finale, Fappani went to the podium aboard Lil Joe Cash, a three-year-old stallion owned by Russell Giles of Waco, Texas. The first to ride in the Futurity's Open-division finale, Fappani and Lil Joe Cash combined for 227.5 points, a score that stood up despite the efforts of the 30 horses and their riders that followed. One of those horses, a mare named Spook Off Spark, was piloted to the reserve open world title by than none other than Fappani. It was the first time in the history of the NRHA Futurity, which began in 1966, that a rider won both the Open and the Open Reserve Champion titles. All told, Fappani claimed more than $270,000, pushing his career lifetime earnings close to the $3 million mark. Only Shawn Flarida has surpassed the $3 million mile mark.

The win in the marquee Futurity event followed another title earlier in the week. On Thursday, Dec. 1, Fappani of Scottsdale, Ariz., claimed the No. 1 spot in the $100,000-added NRHA Open World Championship Shootout aboard Tinker With Guns owned by Rancho Oso Rio LLC. The horse is the same one that carried Fappani to the winner's podium this past summer at the 2011 NRHA Derby, the sport's second most prestigious competition next to the Futurity. The duo scored 231.5 points to claim a $31,000 payoff in the World Championship Shootout. In second place was Shawn Flarida, Springfield, Ohio, the winningest rider in NRHA history with more than $4 million. Flarida scored 229.5 points on Whizkey N Diamonds owned by Rhodes River Ranch. Not coincidentally, both riders had their winning horses equipped with Tom Balding bits, the choice of leading competitive stock horse trainers and riders.

Fappani's bit of choice for the Futurity was a Tom Balding Ace of Spades. Flarida said he chose a Tom Balding Equalizer for the World Championship Shootout.

Tom Balding bits and spurs are the choice of champions. Despite the fact that the Sheridan-based bit and spur maker doesn't have paid endorsements, more than half of the qualifiers for this year's NRHA Futurity ride with Tom Balding Bits and Spurs. They choose the equipment for one reason: performance. When there are hundreds of thousands of dollars and championship titles on the line, these riders know they can count on their hardware.

 Congratulations to Andrea Fappani and to all the other successful riders at the NRHA Futurity who put their trust in Tom Balding Bits & Spurs!