Kim Dooley and Country Custom Win 2010 NRBC Non Pro Championship
The 2010 National Reining Breeders Classic Non Pro Championship was decided in an exciting run-off between two dynamic Non Pro competitors. Coming in as draw 5, Samantha Griffin piloted Dun Playin Tag to a 222.5 – taking an early lead. That lead held until draw 20, when Kim Dooley and Country Custom, by Custom Crome out of Calatrava, jumped up to tie with another 222.5.

Dooley had been an NRBC Non Pro Co-Champion in 2006 with Mandy McCutcheon – but this year she decided that, rather than split the title, she’d run it off instead. “You always wonder how it could have turned out. I said ‘Why not?’ I would have been happy with Reserve, too. I think Samantha felt the same way,” she said. “I had confidence and figured my horse had enough left.”

Griffin went first in the run-off and her smooth stops and fast spins resulted in a 222. “Sam’s a great rider and she put down a great first run. I said it was going to be tough to beat, but we’d just do our best,” noted Dooley.

Their best was what was needed, and amidst hoots and whistles the Scottsdale, Arizona, Non Pro went for it. When the score – a 223 – was announced, Kim was ecstatic. “It’s amazing! He did great and I’m really proud of him.”

The bounty of prizes that the Non Pro Championship came with – from a year’s use of a beautiful 2-horse slant Featherlite from Twin Cities Featherlite to SmartPak products to a trophy saddle sponsored by Pard’s – were beautiful accompaniments to the biggest prize of all: The Non Pro Championship came with a big check, written to the tune of $40,908. “I couldn’t believe how much money it paid this year,” she said.

“The NRBC has always paid great – but wow! If I could only come to one show a year, it would definitely be this one. This is only my second time to show Charlie (Country Custom) so it was really surprising.”