Jack Medows & Tribbiani Win Level 4 Non Pro Championship at 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel
Consistency has been the name of the game for Jack Medows and stallion Tribbiani throughout the week at the 6666 National Reining Horse Association Derby presented by Markel. Initially tying for the Non Pro Derby preliminary lead and winning the $20,000 Colston Paving Inc. Non Pro 4-Year-Old Stakes Championship on Tribbiani and the $15,000 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Horse Derby on Jewells, it seemed like Medows’ week couldn’t get much better.
Then it did.
Riding Tribbiani from the sixth hole in a deep 36-horse Final, Medows posted a score of 221.5 that couldn’t be touched, and he held strong to earn the Non Pro Level 4 Derby Championship and $30,000. He also finished tied for eighth on Jewells (Gunner x Surprizentheprincess).
“I tried to take it one maneuver at a time. I don’t want to get ahead of him because he’s so quick and reactive. I wanted to take each maneuver as they were and let him do the rest,” Medows said.
The run-in pattern number 10 was demanding for the competitors – especially after enduring a week of hot, humid temperatures.
“It was hot, so it was hard to tell what was too much and what was not enough,” Medows said. “So, we made sure he felt good the first few days [after the prelims], and then we went back to work on Wednesday, making sure we were not rusty on any maneuvers.”
According to Medows, they rode around midday, trying to keep Tribbiani, or “Joey,” accustomed to the heat. The four-year-old stallion is sired by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya and out of Chicsdreamofdiamonds. He was bred and nominated by Amy Medows.
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