Oklahoma City, OK – December 9, 2009 – Celebrities and professional bull riders set to the Oklahoma State Fair Arena to test their skills on highly-trained reining horses during the Reining Horse Sports Foundation’s (RHSF) 4R Performance Horses Celebrity Slide benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oklahoma. The RHSF welcomed celebrities including Emmy award wining actor William Shatner, jewelry designer David Yurman, Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett, TLC’s design show star Christi Proctor, and Tulsa Morning Anchor Kristin Dickerson; plus four of the world’s greatest professional bull riding celebrities, including JW Hart, Cody Lambert, Adriano Moraes and Mike Lee. Sgt. Danny New of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command rounded out the field to help pay tribute to the men and women of the military. As well as having the top reiners in the NRHA as their coaches, eleven Make-A-Wish children served as honorary coaches for the celebrities. The special event was held in conjunction with the 2009 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The evening was a great success for the RHSF and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oklahoma. Everyone in the house was touched as the Make-A-Wish kids were introduced and escorted into the arena by their team member celebrities and top NRHA reiners. The audience had the opportunity to hear the kids talk about their illnesses, as well as their excitement about being involved in the Celebrity Slide as an honorary coach. Their families, RHSF Directors and many Make-A-Wish volunteers spent the day with the kids making every moment special.
Obviously the night was all about the Make-A-Wish kids, but there was a hint of competition in the air as the new reiners wanted to show off their new found skills and see who could take home bragging rights as the best celebrity reiner. Lyle Lovett took top honors in the class for the second year with Kristin Dickerson and Sgt. Danny New among the top three competitors.
Lovett rode 2008 NRHA Derby finalist Smart And Shiney with NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Tim McQuay sharing his expertise with Make-A-Wish coach Asha assisting. “It’s such a wonderful opportunity to meet these children. And it’s truly a testament to what NRHA is all about,” commented Lovett after his run.
The rest of the field put on an amazing display of Reining with a whole lot of fun in the mix riding to songs each child selected for them. Their generosity showed through with each smile and hug they gave the kids. And the reining horses played their part well helping each rider learn more about the sport thanks to their owners who donated them for the evening.
The heart-touching evening ended with a Celebrity VIP Reception that allowed all the children, their families and celebrities to enjoy more time together and bask in the glow of a wonderful day. The reception was hosted by the RHSF and 4R Performance Horses. Guests paid $100 a ticket for an up close and personal visit with the celebrities. A benefit auction and surprise live entertainment from Lyle Lovett, Randy Paul and Paul Bogart ended the day on a high note.
Below is a list of Make-A-Wish kid coaches, celebrities, NRHA coaches and reining horses.
Make-A-Wish Child / Celebrity / NRHA Professional / Horse and Owner
1. Chason / JW Hart / Brian Bell / Whiskeys Hustler owned by Doug McClelland
2. Luke / Mike Lee / Pete Kyle / KR Tee Totally Cool owned by Jessica Williams
3. Tucker / Christi Proctor / Terry Thompson / Lil Santana owned by Amber Vincent
4. Asha / Lyle Lovett / Tim McQuay / Smart And Shiney owned by Lyle Lovett and Tim McQuay
5. Laura & Isaac / William Shatner / Mike Flarida / Better Not Rest owned by Ann Admonius
6. Lane / Cody Lambert / Casey Hinton / Paid By Corona owned by Carlie Thompsom
7. Dakota / Adriano Moraes / Marco Ricotta / Dun It Last Nite owned by John and Mary Wade Gilbert
8. Austin / Kristin Dickerson / Jared Leclair / RR Superstar owned by Daniel Dugan
9. Kylie / David Yurman / John Rosi / Chicken Enchilada owned by David Yurman
10. Davin / Sgt. Danny New / Bryant Pace / A Grand Prize owned by John Hayes and Rick Darling
