Wimpys Little Step

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Since 1970, the Americana Group has operated a single Wimpy restaurant within the Arab League nation of Kuwait. By January 2022, the chain expanded to three locations. As of March 2023, Americana Group has four locations in Kuwait.The Wimpy brand was established in 1934 by Edward Gold, when he opened his first location in Bloomington, Indiana, under the name Wimpy Grills. The name was inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar. Gold did not open his first Chicago area location until two years later in 1936, after opening units in five other Midwestern cities. By 1947, the Chicago Tribune reported that the chain had 26 units, and expected to sell eight million hamburgers annually in the Chicago area.

According to a 1978 Chicago Tribune article, Gold’s company Wimpy Grills Inc. of Chicago, had 25 locations in the United States at its peak, but only seven locations remained at the time of his death in 1977. The chain vanished within the United States after Gold’s death because no one had purchased the rights and trademark to the Wimpy name from Gold’s estate.Wimpy is a fast-food chain that was founded in the United States. It found its success internationally, mainly in the United Kingdom and South Africa. It has changed between being a table-service establishment and counter-service establishment throughout its history.

Competition from other chains was difficult, and the assets of Wimpy Colombiana Ltd were sold to competitor Presto (Frayco) in 2008, thus ending the presence of the chain in the country.
Restaurateur Heinrich Lobenberg opened the first Wimpy restaurant in West Germany under a franchise license from Wimpy International at the Bochum Hauptbahnhof in December 1964, exactly seven years before the first McDonald’s in West Germany, with plans to open up to 300 units in West Germany. Lobenberg had cofounded the then five-unit Kochlöffel chain just three years before in Lingen. There are no verifiable records that Lobenberg opened a second Wimpy unit or how long the Bochum restaurant operated before it closed. A food historian writing in 2014 believes that Wimpy’s failure to survive in Cold War era West Germany was caused by West German consumers of the 1960s preferring to eat familiar German-style chicken meals at the local Wienerwald chain instead of getting an unfamiliar American-style hamburger sandwich at Wimpy. At that time, Wimpy “was regarded with mere curiosity”.Wimpy International opened its first South African location in Durban in 1967. The South African restaurants were sold to Bakers SA Ltd in the late 1970s, which in 1987 sold the South African chain to Pleasure Foods, then known as Juicy Lucy SA. Famous Brands Limited, then known as the Steers Holdings Limited, acquired Wimpy when it bought Pleasure Foods in 2003.

The Wimpy brand returned to the United Arab Emirates when Kuwait-based Americana Group opened three locations within the city of Abu Dhabi in December 2022. The Wimpy licence in Australia was held by Happysnaks Pty Ltd and was owned by restaurateur and entrepreneur Oliver Shaul. The first Wimpy bar opened in Sydney in November 1964, owned and operated directly by Happysnaks. Subsequent Wimpy bars operated as franchises. Wimpy had branches in New Zealand, including Rotorua, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Paraparaumu, Wanganui, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Taupo and Napier. These were all rebranded in 2002. One store remained in Rotorua trading as Wimpy, although it was not part of the franchise chain. The last Wimpy in New Zealand was put up for sale in May 2008.

What color is big Chex to cash?
Big Chex to Cash is a stunning dappled palomino American Quarter Horse stallion who has earned more than $220,000 in prize money and multiple national reining championships!
By the end of that year, he was able to open three more locations within Paris. By 1966, he began to expand outside the capital, starting with Lille. Within a short time, Borel had 20 locations; 15 in Paris and five in the rest of the country. Borel’s company was so successful that the French newspaper France-Soir called the French franchise “public enemy number 1” for introducing American hamburger cuisine and fast food to French public at large. Although successful, Borel was forced to close the chain in 1969, owing to a disagreement he had with Lyons, the British parent company.

As of June 2023, the company remains headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, where it has 453 outlets, this is followed by the United Kingdom with 66 outlets. In 2017 and 2020, the company announced plans for nationwide expansion in the United Kingdom. There is one outlet each in Kuwait, Egypt and Lesotho.

In a 1955 newspaper column, Art Buchwald, syndicated writer for the Washington Post, wrote about the recent opening of a “Wimpy’s Hamburger Parlor” on Coventry Street and about the influence of American culture on the British.
Although Wimpy outlets have decreased in numbers in the United Kingdom, they are still found in many towns and cities, including Huddersfield, and at seafront/seasonal locations, such as Felixstowe, Clacton-on-Sea, Clarence Pier in Southsea. By the beginning of the 21st century, most Wimpys were found in less desirable low-rent locations that primarily cater to pensioners and others on a fixed income, rather than the high street locations of former times. Another big change from earlier times was that most locations were now franchises and not company-owned operations.Wimpy was one of the first fast food restaurant chains to open in India’s free market economy. With a run of initial success, Wimpy was often touted as the first icon of ‘Westernization’ in India. A few of the restaurants which were still in business were located in Punjab until 2002.

In February 1990, the remaining 216 table service restaurants were purchased by a management buyout, backed by 3i. These were locations that were considered less desirable by Grand Metropolitan. At the time of the buyout, there were also 140 franchised locations outside of the United Kingdom. In October 1999, Wimpy rolled out a chain of restaurants known as Dr. Beaks, to take on brands such as KFC.
In July 1977, the business was acquired by United Biscuits. In 1978 the long-running Mr Wimpy advertising character was introduced. starting in Brighton. The fast food chain coined its name from J. Wellington Wimpy in the Popeye cartoon strip, so used Mr Wimpy, an exaggerated beefeater figure, to advertise and promote their product, including employing people to wear Mr Wimpy suits outside the restaurants. By the end of the 1980s, Wimpy was beginning to lose ground to McDonald’s, which had opened its first restaurant in the country in 1974, and so the new management of Wimpy began to streamline the business, by converting some of the traditional table service restaurants to counter service. When United Biscuits decided to divest its restaurant division in 1989, it sold the business to Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo). At the time of the sale, there were 381 locations in the United Kingdom. Grand Metropolitan had acquired Burger King the previous year, and it began to convert the counter service restaurants to Burger King since it had a greater global brand recognition.

A second management buyout occurred in May 2002, backed by the Bank of Scotland. At the time of the sale in 2002, there were approximately 300 locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.Wimpy has been in Ireland on two occasions, in the 1960s and 1970s, and in the early 2000s. In the 2000s, petrol station chain operator Petrogas took on the master franchise for Ireland, and operated a large number of sites until 2010.

Most have been replaced by Grill’n’Fill own-branded areas – selling virtually identical products – or Burger King, for which Petrogas had obtained the franchise. Petrogas terminated its master franchise agreement with Wimpy International in 2010.
Buchwald wrote, “Food served at the table within ten minutes of ordering and with atomic age efficiency. No cutlery needed or given. Drinks served in a bottle with a straw. Condiments in pre-packaged single serving packets.” In addition to familiar Wimpy burgers and milkshakes, the British franchise had served ham or sardine rolls called torpedoes and a cold frankfurter with pickled cucumber sandwiches called Freddies.

In 1954, Gold sold a licence to J. Lyons and Co. to use the Wimpy name in the United Kingdom. Wimpy Grills Inc. of Chicago later formed a joint company with Lyons called Wimpy’s International Inc. in 1957. Wimpy’s International was based in Chicago and allowed the brand to operate Wimpy Grills in the rest of the world.
On 26 October 1981, Kenneth Howorth, an explosives officer with London’s Metropolitan Police, was killed whilst attempting to defuse a bomb planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in the basement of Wimpy’s in Oxford Street.In May 1961, French businessman Jacques Borel opened his first Wimpy restaurant in Paris after obtaining an exclusive franchise to operate Wimpy restaurants in France. His restaurant was the first hamburger restaurant in France and predated the opening of the first McDonald’s restaurant by a decade.

Wimpy entered the Israeli market in the 1960s, and for a time dominated the hamburger restaurant market. The Israeli subsidiary also operated branches in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and Iran, as well as Sharm el Sheikh within the then-Israeli occupied Sinai. Before its final failure and pullout in the 1980s, Wimpy was joined in an emerging market for hamburger restaurants by Burgeranch (since 1972) and MacDavid (since 1978). Wimpy restaurants were infamous in Israel for poor product flavor, sanitation and hygiene; however, the chain did pioneer hamburger restaurants in Israel.The company was sold to United Biscuits in 1977, and then to Grand Metropolitan in 1989. Grand Metropolitan began to phase out the Wimpy Bar in the United Kingdom, rebranding many of them as Burger King (which it also owned) because Burger King had the greater brand recognition amongst consumers, and to aid market competition against McDonald’s. Following various buyouts, Wimpy was sold to Famous Brands in 2007. Famous Brands had operated the South African Wimpy franchise for a number of years, and the acquisition made it the parent company.In Colombia, Wimpy was established in 1976, being one of the first international fast food chains operating in the country. The first Wimpy restaurant in the country began operations with the inauguration of Unicentro, the first mall-type shopping centre in Bogotá, in April 1976.During the late 1970s and 1980s there was a Wimpy restaurant in the Zamalek area of Cairo, but this subsequently closed. In 2021 the opening of a new Wimpy in Cairo was announced, and it opened on 30 June. As of March 2023, Americana Group has 12 locations within the Cairo region of Egypt.

The chain was founded in Bloomington, Indiana, by Edward Gold in 1934 as Wimpy Grills, with the chain in the United States hitting its peak with 26 locations in 1947. In 1954, Gold signed a license with J. Lyons and Co. for them to operate Wimpy Bar across the United Kingdom, with further international agreements a few years later through its subsidiary company, Wimpy International. By 1977, there were only seven Wimpy locations in the United States, which all folded following Gold’s passing in that year. Despite the brand’s demise domestically, the chain would peak at 1,500 international locations the following year.
By 1971, there were 70 Wimpy bars around Australia, the most successful being in Hindley Street, Adelaide. Unable to compete with McDonald’s, the Wimpy brand was withdrawn in 1975 and most Wimpy bars became independent fast food outlets.

In 1963, the Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn obtained a license from Chicago-based Wimpy International to open the first Wimpy restaurant in the Netherlands on Leidsestraat in Amsterdam. A second restaurant opened the following year on Damrak. Although there are no verifiable records showing when the last Wimpy closed in the Netherlands, it appears that Wimpy may have left the Netherlands by 1969 since Albert Heijn ceased to mention Wimpy in their corporate annual reports after 1969. In 1971, Albert Heijn later helped McDonald’s to open its first restaurant in Europe by opening a McDonald’s franchise in Zaandam.
Famous Brands acquired the United Kingdom-based Wimpy in February 2007, thus becoming the parent company for the chain and beginning to collect the franchise fees from the other franchises.The joint company eventually grew to 1,500 locations, with Gold later selling his share to Lyons prior to his death. After obtaining full control of the international licensing outside of the United States, Lyons and its successors handled global franchising through their United Kingdom-based subsidiary Wimpy International Ltd. This arrangement ceased when Wimpy UK became a subsidiary of the South Africa-based Famous Brands in 2007. The South African company started to handle worldwide franchising duties directly from Johannesburg.

Lyons obtained a licence to use the Wimpy brand in the United Kingdom from Edward Gold’s Chicago based Wimpy Grills Inc. and, in 1954, the first “Wimpy Bar” was established at the Lyons Corner House in Coventry Street, London. The bar began as a special fast food section within traditional Corner House restaurants, but the success soon led to the establishment of separate Wimpy restaurants serving only hamburger-based meals.
On 27 February 2007, Famous Brands, which owns the Wimpy franchise in South Africa, announced that it had acquired Wimpy UK. Having acquired the brand, Famous Brands has rebranded Wimpy in the United Kingdom, to bring it in line with Wimpy South Africa. The “new” logo is the one that had been used by Wimpy UK from the 1960s until the 1980s. In November 2009, Famous Brands began to upgrade its 170 locations in the United Kingdom to resemble United States-style diners. As of July 2022, 67 restaurants remain in the United Kingdom.

How much is Wimpy's Little Step worth?
See how this NRHA $12 Million Dollar Sire and NRHA Hall of Fame member stole the hearts of everyone who has met him and became one of the greatest show and breeding horses in reining history. Cached
It was while at Bergen’s that Fappani got his first big chance at success. A young American Paint Horse Association registered colt named RR Star (Like A Diamond x RL Miss Kitty) was in the barn, and Fappani was handed the reins. At the 2001 NRHA Futurity, Fappani piloted RR Star to the Open title, becoming one of the youngest Open Futurity Champions ever at just 24 years old, just two years after becoming an NRHA Professional. “That was the peak of my career as an assistant trainer,” he said. “RR Star was a huge challenge to train, and I think the reason we were successful was because I was hard-headed. He wound up being an amazing horse for me, and put me on the map,” Fappani shared. “Custom Legend still holds the record for the highest score ever, a 236.5, in a run-off at the NRBC. He will always be a special horse to me.” There is one horse that Fappani says is the quintessential “Fappani” horse, and that’s NRHA Million Dollar Sire Lil Joe Cash, on whom Fappani won the 2011 NRHA Open Futurity Championship. “I always use Lil Joe as the example of what I want. He clicked with my program from day one, and we just melted together at the beginning,” he remembered.NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter congratulated Fappani on the momentous achievement. “Undoubtedly, this milestone has great meaning for Andrea and his family,” he said. “In addition to his personal sense of achievement, it tells us so much about the trajectory of our sport. The momentum, excitement, and our visibility continue to grow. A milestone of this magnitude is something the entire industry can celebrate.” In fact, their two sons, Jeremy and Luca, are the accomplishments he is most proud of. “They are our greatest achievements. We told them it didn’t matter what they wanted to do, if it was horses or not. All that mattered was that they put their mind to it,” he said. “I am proud of how committed they are.” There is no part of Fappani’s program that hasn’t been subject to his intense scrutiny, and that includes the people who he works with daily, his assistant trainers. “I’ve had some great ones over the years. The first few years aren’t as much fun, but you do it for the passion of the horses and because you want to learn. It’s a lot of hours and not much exposure,” he said. “Even though they aren’t in the arena making it happen, they’re a big part of the program.” Luca, now 17 years old, is following in his father’s footsteps and has already won more than $388,000 in competition. Jeremy, 15, is a successful motocross racer. “Luca puts horses in front of everything else. He keeps great grades in school, but he will ride a couple before he goes to school, then comes back, rides more, and then does his homework at night. Jeremy is the same way,” he said. “Watching them, I know they are going to be successful in life, no matter what they decide to do. I never pushed them to pick something early on. I just told them to put everything they’ve got into it. It’s fine if they change their mind and want to do something else; I just want them to learn how to do things the right way.” The Fappani legacy of hard work has been passed down through generations. “I remember when my father would tell me stories about his dad and his grandpa. They started with five cows, three generations before, and by the time I left Italy, my father had the biggest dairy farm in Europe. He built a huge legacy. I wanted one of my own,” Fappani said.Bergen, of Eagle Point, Oregon, recalled, “Andrea was so focused, and reining was all he thought about. He was very serious about what he was doing. It doesn’t surprise me at all he has gone on to be so successful. He is one of the most driven people I have ever been around.” With recorded NRHA earnings well into the millions, it’s apparent the work has paid off. Prior to the 2021 NRHA Futurity, Fappani was just $207,000 from passing the $7 million mark and was close behind NRHA All-Time Leading Rider Shawn Flarida. Fappani experimented with different sports but never found anything that gave him the same feeling as being horseback. “I never thought I was that good at anything else. Horses gave me confidence to get past my shyness. It was easy for me, even at an early age, to communicate with them, and teach them a trick or a maneuver, or whatever it was,” he said. “That sparked my interest in training and eventually showing.”“My dad introduced me to horses when I was about four years old, and I began taking lessons. He wanted me to have a hobby that we could share together,” Fappani recalled.There are a few owners whose names are almost synonymous with Fappani’s, one being NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner and Hall of Fame inductee Eleuterio Arcese of Italy. In 2011, Fappani piloted Arcese’s Spook Off Sparks (Smart Spook x Setting Off Sparks) to the Open Futurity Reserve Championship, then in 2020, Fappani piloted All Bettss Are Off (Gunner x Wimpys Little Chic) to the NRHA Open Futurity Championship. “Mr. Arcese saw me growing up in Italy and has always been a part of my career. His remarkable breeding program has given me some amazing horses to ride,” Fappani said. “I’m proud that over the years I have been able to win on some of his really good ones.”

Fappani soon found himself on the West Coast, riding with Bergen and NRHA Futurity Champion John Slack. “I took a chance and came to the United States as a Non Pro. I also rode with Brett Stone at the Stone Ranch for a few months,” he shared.
“Todd came to the Italian Futurity; it must have been around 1995. He saw me riding, and said he would give me a job if I ever wanted to come work in the United States. I felt he saw something in me, and maybe there was something more in the back of my mind,” he said.When he was 14 years old, Fappani began to spend summers in the United States and Canada to learn from different trainers. “I wanted and needed to learn as much as I could and to be better all the time. I think that was a big part of my success later on…it’s not that I can’t look back and be happy with what I’ve done, but I never want to get complacent. I want to always strive for more both with the horse, with my personal life, and everything else,” he said.

The most important person to his career is even closer, and that’s his wife, Tish. “She takes care of everything so I can concentrate on what I like to do, which is training horses and spending all day in the arena. She organizes everything and raised our two great boys. I wouldn’t want her job; she does so much,” he said.
With each reserve title paying $125,000, plus an additional $9,906 won on his third entry, Fappani unseated Flarida to become only the fourth All Time Leading Rider. That accomplishment has only been achieved by three NRHA Hall of Famers – Bill Horn, Tim McQuay, and Flarida.

What happened to Wimpy's UK?
The “new” logo is the one that had been used by Wimpy UK from the 1960s until the 1980s. In November 2009, Famous Brands began to upgrade its 170 locations in the United Kingdom to resemble United States-style diners. As of July 2022, 67 restaurants remain in the United Kingdom.
“Shawn has always been a person I looked up to, because he wants to win so much, and has been able to stay competitive for so long. There’s just something special about him and his program, and I have talked to him about it, studied it, and learned as much as I could,” he said. “He has won so much that it’s obvious he has something figured out that I feel like I myself don’t have yet. He can deal with pressure; he can get the best out of his horses and get them to peak at the right time. Those are all special qualities.”“Those five years in Oregon changed everything for me. Todd showed me so much about what needed to happen on a horse to be successful and he is the person I would say has had the biggest impact on who I am,” Fappani said.

At the time, western performance equine events were almost non-existent in Europe. “Most everything in Europe was English riding, and jumping in particular. I took to it pretty fast. That’s how I started and what I did for the first two or three years before a friend introduced us to reining,” he said. “He told us there was something amazing that we needed to check out. I took my first reining lesson at eight years old, and never looked back.”
“Andrea was already very talented on a horse, but just like any young trainer, he had to find a way and find a program. Once he got ahold of that and understood that part of it, the possibilities were endless with him,” Bergen shared.

Fappani also credits Two Million Dollar Owner Pat Warren of Rancho Oso Rio, the Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters of Fappani Performance Horses, for his success. “Twelve years ago, I came to Arizona to manage this ranch, and I think, together, we have won more than a million dollars on horses that were born and raised here,” he said. Standout Rancho Oso Rio-owned horses include NRHA Open Derby Champion Tinker With Guns and Custom Spook, earner of more than $235,000.
In 1998, Fappani returned to Italy to complete the military service required of all Italians. When that was completed, he surrendered his non pro status and returned to Oregon to work with Bergen full time.For Fappani, who says he was a small and skinny kid, the demeanor, training, and athleticism of the American Quarter Horse was the perfect fit. “That first lesson on a reining horse gave me a lot more confidence than what I had with the horses I was riding at the time. I was a bit timid, so those big warmbloods were intimidating to me,” he admitted. “I was comfortable with the reining horses and was able to create a whole new personal relationship with them. That’s why I stuck with it.” It’s Fappani’s desire to never stop learning from the horses and honing his horsemanship skills that have made each and every one that has stepped foot into his arena significant. “The ones that are more challenging, that I might not have won as much on…those are the ones who made me a better trainer and horseman. Those are the ones that made my program stronger, made me change my approach, and gave me a much different perspective.” He added, “I’m going to remember them because they made me better.” His parents, particularly Sergio, instilled a sense of responsibility and a work ethic that fostered a drive for greatness. If Fappani would put in the work and do well in school, Sergio promised Andrea would have the opportunities to learn as much as he could. That mindset fostered a drive for greatness, and as long as Fappani put in the work and did well in school, Sergio promised Andrea would have the opportunities to learn as much as he could.

Who owns Wimpy?
Famous BrandsWimpy / Parent organizationFamous Brands Limited is a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa, with head offices situated in Midrand, Johannesburg. The company is Africa’s leading quick-service and casual dining restaurant franchisor. The company’s global footprint of franchised stores totals 2,824 stores. Wikipedia
For Fappani, his owners have become like family, and they trust him explicitly with the care and training of their horses. “They’ve always understood that I put the horse first and not myself, and they trust me to make the decisions. That means a lot because I don’t have that weight on my back. I do things the way I want them done, and it’s paying off. I believe that’s what has allowed my program to succeed,” he said.

The National Reining Horse Association’s newest All Time Leading Rider, Andrea Fappani, said recently, “My father always felt that if we were going to do something, we were going to do it all the way. It wasn’t only for fun; it was about work and responsibility, but with that came a lot of reward.”
On Saturday, December 4, Fappani showed three horses in the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals, tying himself for the Reserve Championship on Winding Inferno (Inferno Sixty Six x Wind Her Up Chic, owned by Teton Ridge) and Mr Farenheit (Magnum Chic Dream x Wimpy Little Girl, owned by Morin/Vandorp). For Fappani, the moments following the completion of the Futurity L4 finals were emotional. He said, “This means so much. It’s what I have been working on all my career. It wasn’t so much the number, seven million, it was more the accomplishment of coming from another country, setting my mind to it, and becoming the best I could be. It’s a great feeling. It’s been a long way and a lot of hard work, and both my family and my help have sacrificed a lot to help me get here.” NRHA President Rick Clark said, “Andrea is an amazing horseman who has worked so hard at it. Who would have thought seven million dollars would ever be achievable? I think he is showing us all that the sky is the limit. On behalf of NRHA’s Board of Directors and Staff, I congratulate Andrea and his incredible family.” In fact, Fappani says he’s learned from almost every assistant trainer he’s had. “One thing I tell people is that you can learn something from everybody. I truly believe that anyone who has a passion for a horse has something that they’re good at. They may not be great at everything, but there is something you can learn from them,” he said. So how does it feel to surpass Shawn on the leading rider list? “It’s something that I never thought could be done. I am happy I achieved it. I told my family that if I only get past Shawn for a year, or even just a month can be in that same league, because I know him and how hard he’s worked to get where he’s at,” Fappani said.Other notable owners and horses include Manuel Bonzano and Big Chex To Cash (Nu Chex To Cash x Snip O Gun, LTE $194,260), Steve Simon and Custom Legend (Custom Crome x Dry Doc Bobbie, LTE $228,364), and Michael and Michelle Miola’s Platinum Vintage (A Sparkling Vintage x Starjac Miss, LTE $249,908), SG Frozen Enterprize (Frozen Sailor x RS Rose SJ, LTE $274,083), Chic Dreamin (Magnum Chic Dream x Skeets Red Dunit, LTE $247,272), Epic Titan (Gunner x Princess In Diamonds, LTE $82,298), and Custom Cash Advance (Custom Crome x Cash In Roan, LTE $228,607). Professionals that have passed through his barn include Marco Ricotta, Arno Honstetter, Luke Gagnon, and Adam Hendrickson. NRCHA Professional Nick Dowers also spent some time at the Scottsdale ranch. “He only worked for me for a little bit, but I learned more from him than he learned from me,” Fappani said. A turning point in Fappani’s career came when he met Todd Bergen, a young reining trainer who would eventually garner more than two million dollars in earnings in both the NRHA and the National Reined Cow Horse Association.

What is the average height of a reining horse?
Reining Horse Size Reining horses tend to be on the smaller side, averaging between 14.2 hands to 15 hands. Their small stature helps keep their center of gravity low to the ground.
In 2003, Fappani and his wife Tish set out on their own. “The big question to me had always been was I good enough to win the Futurity. Then when I reached that goal, I thought I should just put my head down and see if I could get to the top. It’s been a process ever since, and what has pushed me to keep going,” he said. “You know, winning a year-end deal was never enough for me. For me it was always the big picture of getting better, having better clients, developing consistent show horses for my clients, and creating a business that represented excellence. I wanted to connect my name and my brand to a real professional way of doing things.”

The intensity, drive, dedication, and commitment all began in the late 1970s on a dairy farm in Bergamo, Italy. Fappani’s parents, Sergio and Maddalisa, were fourth-generation dairy farmers. It would have been the natural step for the young man to follow in the well-worn and successful footprints of his parents, but a different desire drove him.
By the time Fappani was in his late teens, he was getting help from several trainers spending time in Italy, including Jim Kiser, Don Boyd, and Mike Davis. “There were a lot of Americans in Italy at the time training for Italian owners, and I was fortunate to learn from them,” he said. “Their help played a big part in my upbringing and were the basis of what I developed later in my own program. I learned a lot of pieces from different people, and I feel lucky that I had those opportunities.”Fappani listed his veterinarian, Dr. John Newcomb, farriers Randy Toon and Arek Boulding, and marketing manager Cam Essick and her husband Jim, as valuable team members who have been with him for 19 years. Another long-time team member at 15 years is equine dentist and veterinarian Dr. Roy Mausling.

Who rode Wimpy's Little Step?
RC Fancy Step, winner of the All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity, also ridden by Shawn Flarida, placed 4th in the finals, followed by Wimpys Little Buddy, ridden by Andrea Fappani and Wimpys Little Boss, ridden by Todd Sommers. The first foal crop is well on its way to $1 million in earnings!
Wir nutzen Cookies auf unserer Website. Einige von ihnen sind essenziell für den Betrieb der Seite, während andere uns helfen, diese Website und die Nutzererfahrung zu verbessern (Tracking Cookies). Sie können selbst entscheiden, ob Sie die Cookies zulassen möchten. Bitte beachten Sie, dass bei einer Ablehnung womöglich nicht mehr alle Funktionalitäten der Seite zur Verfügung stehen.Sein Vater ist kein geringerer als NU CHEX TO CASH, der mittlerweile selbst NRHA $ 3 Mio Sire ist: Er selbst hat LTE von $ 57.000 und wurde 2002 World Champion Interm. und Ltd. Open. Zu seinen erfolgreichsten Nachkommen zählenAccording to Lomuto, this milestone is one of the most important steps of the stallion’s career. “To me, reaching one million so fast is something exceptional, and is an achievement that is unbelievable,” he said. “Since the beginning, I have worked together with Franco on the training side and Giorgia (Codeluppi) on the breeding side to create something special with him. I think he’s the only horse with a fashion brand under his name—it’s a worldwide sportswear brand.”

Who owns Inferno 66?
Inferno Sixty Six’s highest-earning foal is 4-year-old Winding Inferno (out of Wind Her Up Chic), owned by Teton Ridge. The stallion has won more than $191,000, including a co-reserve championship at the 2021 NRHA Futurity and a reserve championship at the inaugural Invitational.
When Inferno Sixty Six was born in 2012, owner Domenico Lomuto posted the newborn’s photo on social media with the caption “First step last night for the Futurity Champion 2015!”

Who is the best reining rider in the world?
Driven to Greatness — Andrea Fappani Becomes NRHA Leading All Time Rider and Crosses $7 Million Milestone. The National Reining Horse Association’s newest All Time Leading Rider, Andrea Fappani, said recently, “My father always felt that if we were going to do something, we were going to do it all the way.
In 2020, Inferno Sixty Six’s first foals hit the show pen. Now, less than two years later, he has become the latest stallion to become a National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Sire.There may be some movement in that list in the coming week as the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel has 15 Inferno Sixty Six’s in the Open preliminaries and 13 in the Non Pro. Hutton did, however, have an embryo out of Snip O Gun by Gunnatrashya, the 2009 NRHA Futurity Champion. “I didn’t even know who Gunnatrashya really was, but I knew that he was owned by Arcese and he’s an Italian guy. I said I would buy the embryo and that would become my reining horse,” he shared. His second high-money earner is the 2021 NRHA Futurity Level 4 and Level 3 Non Pro Champion Surprizing Sixty Six (out of Dun With Surprizes) with $101,610. Rounding out the top three is Starfire Sixty Six (out of Wind Her Up Chic), who was ridden to a top-five finish at the 2020 NRHA Futurity.

Lomuto thanked his wife and co-owner of Inferno Sixty Six, Cristiana, and daughter, Giulia, for their support and patience, and Franco and Georgia for everything they’ve done for Inferno. He added a special thank you to Inferno Sixty Six’s vet, Marcelo Grilo, who has been with the stallion from the beginning.
Inferno Sixty Six’s highest-earning foal is 4-year-old Winding Inferno (out of Wind Her Up Chic), owned by Teton Ridge. The stallion has won more than $191,000, including a co-reserve championship at the 2021 NRHA Futurity and a reserve championship at the inaugural Invitational.Inferno Sixty Six now stands at NRHA Global Event Partner Toyon Ranch, owned by John Tague, in Pilot Point, Texas. “I think they are great with him and are doing a fantastic job. John is a super person, and he handles things as I like from a managerial style,” he said. “I contacted her to try to buy a mare I picked out from her website—Snip O Gun—but I didn’t know anything about the mare. Everything was a blank screen,” he recalled with a laugh. “She asked me, ‘Are you serious?’ and then explained to me what kind of mare Snip O Gun was.” Lomuto had just gotten his start in reining when he decided he needed to purchase another horse. His first horse was a Nu Chex To Cash, so he began perusing Tammye Hutton’s Hilldale Farm website when a mare caught his eye.The flashy stallion, by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya out of Hall of Fame mare and Million Dollar Dam Snip O Gun, has been poised for success from the beginning.

That prediction was pretty accurate, as Inferno Sixty Six, piloted by Million Dollar Rider Franco Bertolani, tied for the high score of the 2015 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Finals. The pair were edged out of the championship in the run-off by a scant half-point, but that didn’t matter. Bertolani and the stallion accumulated lifetime earnings of more than $205,000 in just three years of competition.
GonnaBeALilRockstar Bay Roan AQHA colt Feb 6,2018 Currently NOT For Sale Little Shining Sun AQHA Points with very limited showing ISayo Docs My Alibi AQHA Points with very limited showing, Versatility Ranch Horse Champion AQHA World Show Qualifier 2017 Bob Acre Girl Full Sibling to earners of $27,000+ NCHA LTE Offspring 3 AQHA points and […]Sayos Nu CowboySorrel AQHA ColtBorn April 17th, 2015This is one big, strong, stout colt. On this one I have no doubts of him reaching 15 hands or more which is unusual for the “Sayo” colt. This guys is super easy to be around and handle and just loaded with natural talent and strength.SOLD. Thank you […]

Fall is Here!!! Just love those crisp mornings on horseback! With August being a packed full travel month, I started off September at home! The monsoons were still in full swing, and there was cattle work to be done. While I was at home Amber and Isidro Espinoza stopped by on their way to […]So much to be thankful for… but I am ready for Santa and all his reindeers. Parked in Oklahoma! That was my entire November. I and my two weiners (Mucki and Bazi) were nearly freezing our butts off but we loved every minute of it! The month started out with the AQHA World Championship Show. […]

The 14-year-old stallion by Hall of Fame inductee and Million Dollar Sire Nu Chex To Cash and out of Leolita Step has an impressive show record himself. He won the 2002 NRHA Futurity and has earned over $185,000 in just three NRHA competitions with current NRHA Four Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida. With only five performing foal crops, he has already proven his ability to pass his talent on to future generations. He is owned by Xtra Quarter Horses, LLC in Purcell, Okla. where he currently stands.
This is simply an amazing property all the way around. Located in Queen Creek, Arizona you are only 30 minutes away from the airport but have the privacy of country living with all the conveniences of town close by. This property belongs to a good friend of mine and I have have personally had the […]Can You Believe it is September? The first day of Fall is only twenty-two days away! So this month, we were at the AQHA Youth World Show in Oklahoma City, the Buckeye Reining Series in Springfield Ohio, and the AQHA Select World Show in Amarillo, Texas. All the shows brought forth amazing riders and horses! It is always fun to follow up with our Excel Supplements customers. It warms my […]
Since facebook seems to be having issues and is not letting me a load the album of pictures that we took today I guess I will just loaded them on my site (-:
“Compiled from historical timeline by area rancher Fred Noon.” Pre History Geological studies of Arivaca show evidence that there was a large body of water held back by a sedimentary or shale dike. The Arivaca townsite is situated on this ancient geological feature, which today still forces water to the surface in the Arivaca Creek. […]Yeah, yeah, yeah…..it has been a while since I have blogged. A long while, but I totally blame it on being busy. So where to start? In a nutshell the horses, kids and I headed south to Arivaca, Arizona after school got out with at the end of May. Good by to Hagerman and some […]Born March 28, 2014 Bay AQHA Filly SOLD!! Nu Chex To Cash LTE’s over $61,000, #1 All-Time AQHA Reining Point Earner, NRHA Multiple World Champion, NRHA Futurity Champion Sire, NRHA 2 Million Dollar Sire First Deposit The Royal Jewels AQHA World Show Qualifier, 1992 AQHA High Point Jr. Working Cowhorse 4th, OFFSPRING 82.5 […]
What is the highest score in reining?
According to the AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations Rule 481, “Scoring will be on the basis of 0-infinity, with 70 denoting an average performance.
If you follow horse racing and happen to catch the Caulfield Cup, or the Ascot, or any other National or international event. Do you often wonder how the race horses are trained? Well, if not, not to worry, below, you’ll read an overview of how these wonderful runners are taught to do what they do […]The sire’s top offspring also include: Wimpys Little Buddy ($236,500, NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby and NRBC level 4 open finalist; NRBC level 4 non pro finalist and Reining by the Bay Derby level 3 open champion and owned by Madalyn Roberts); Wimpys Tonnob ($109,400, NRHA Futurity level 3, 2, and 1 open champion owned by Ann Admonius) and Yellow Jersey ($101,800, NRHA Open World Championship Shootout champion, NRHA Futurity level 4 open finalist, Italian RHA Derby level 4 open champion owned by Robert Thompson).

Take a look at this flashy little girl. She has plenty of size to her already and is about as pretty and correct as it gets. Do not miss out on this fancy little girl loaded with color, size, conformation and breeding. Thank you and Congratulations to Brianna Cheatham on the purchase of this nice […]
Already an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee, his offspring at the recent High Roller Reining Classic helped him achieve this elite status in the NRHA record books. Wimp Daddy (out of Cody Kay Quixote and owned by Carlos Gonzalez) earned more than $11,600 and Show Me The Buckles (out of Sunset Whiz and owned by Rebeca Martin) racked up more than $6,200. Nearly a dozen of his offspring combined forces to earn the final few thousand dollars needed.I have never had a fancy barn and my colts have always grown up outside and there have been times where I have pouted about that just a little but the more I think about it the more grateful I am for that. Most of the time being born out in the pasture provides […]
Tabitha Smith Reining, Working Cow Horse, Cutting Quarter Horses. Breeding horses out of own daughters of GREATS such as Smart Little Lena, Smart Chic Olena, Bodee Boonsmal, Haides Little Pep, Reminic, Gallo Del Cielo, Peppy Boy 895, CD Olena, Teninolena Badger, Major Vaquero, Lance Jones, Bueno Fritzinic, and CD O Cody just to name a few.
Can You Believe it is August? Seriously, this year is flying by and last month was no different! On the horse front, we were at the Sacramento Horse Expo in California, the NRHA Derby in Oklahoma, Oregon Reining Horse Association Show in Oregon, and the Sonoita Horse Show in Arizona. Mucki and I visited sponsored […]Wimpy’s offspring include some of today’s top reining horses. Wimpys Little Chic (out of Collena Chic Olena) is the first horse in NRHA history to win the NRHA Futurity, National Reining Breeders Classic, and NRHA Derby consecutively. The seven-year-old mare owned by Arcese Quarter Horses was the first horse to top $500,000 in NRHA earnings. As of today, she has won over $514,800 in NRHA competition making her NRHA’s current lifetime earnings leader. RC Fancy Step (out of Sonita Wilson), owned by Buffalo Ranch, is an NRHA Derby, All American Quarter Horse Congress and three-time Wimpys Little Step Derby champion, as well as an Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games team gold medalist with over $351,000 in earnings.

Holiday Time, Here I Come!!! Looking forward to sharing what I am thankful for. I love my neck of woods in Southern Arizona, and this October did not disappoint. Thanks to the rains, the desert terrain blossomed into a world of color. I got down and dirty picking prickly pear, working with cattle and photographing […]2006 AQHA Mare Chexy Step Chiq­ui­ta (Showrecord), sired by Hall of Famer- mul­ti­ple Open Futu­ri­ty Cham­pi­on- and $12 Mil­lion Dol­lar Sire Wimpys Lit­tle Step (by Hall of Famer- and $3 Mil­lion Dol­lar Sire Nu Chex To Cash) x Pro­duc­ing Mare Chexy Lit­tle Lena, sired by Open Res World­cham­pi­on Lucky Lit­tle Lena (by Hall of Famer and NCHA Triple Crown Cham­pi­on him­self- $27Million Dol­lar Sire- 17 World Cham­pi­ons- and 11 Reserve World Cham­pi­ons Pro­duc­er Smart Lit­tle Lena).

Super­horse aktu­al­isiert und ergänzt regelmäßig die Infor­ma­tio­nen der Besitzer zu den ange­bote­nen Pfer­den. Diese wur­den sorgfältig recher­chiert und gewis­senhaft zusam­menge­fasst. Trotz­dem kön­nen sich die Dat­en zwis­chen­zeitlich verän­dert haben. Deshalb kann eine Haf­tung oder Garantie für die Aktu­al­ität, Richtigkeit und Voll­ständigkeit der zur Ver­fü­gung gestell­ten Infor­ma­tio­nen — ins­beson­dere fremder Infor­ma­tio­nen — nicht über­nom­men wer­den. Poten­tielle Käufer soll­ten die Richtigkeit der hier präsen­tierten Infor­ma­tio­nen über­prüfen, ins­beson­dere wenn sie als Grund­lage für Geschäfte dienen. Siehe auch AGB Fir­ma Super­horse / Impressum.
SUPERHORSE bietet Ihnen stets die wichtig­sten Infor­ma­tio­nen an die es über diese Blut­lin­ien zu bericht­en gibt, den­noch übernehmen wir keine Garantie über die Voll­ständigkeit unser­er Angaben.

They came to victory in OKC with The Tradition Futurity Reserve Championship and the All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity Championship titles already on their show record. They went home with one more title – the most coveted in the reining stallions industry: NRHA Open Futurity Open Division Champions.Wimpys Little Step is the only Stallion to produce a horse to win NRHA Futurity, NRBC, and NRHA Derby back to back; Wimpys Little Chic, from the stallions first foal crop! Wimpys Little Chic is the all-time NRHA #1 leading money earner. In the NRHA Open Futurity Finals, Shawn Flarida came as close to perfection as a reiner can get. He guided Wimpys Little Step to a score of 233 and a standing ovation from the extremely enthusiastic crowd. Everything went right. Every maneuver was in the plus column. Shawn’s skill, talent and confidence were matched only by his three-year-old stallion’s skill, talent and confidence. They performed as one, setting the highest score ever recorded at an NRHA event. ​This amazing sire’s first foal crop saw 6 NRHA Futurity Open L4 finalists, including the NRHA Futurity Champion. The sire produced 32 money earning offspring, bringing in a combined $750,000+.

For more information on similar topics, see my other Michigan State University Extension articles on “Tips for perfecting your pattern” and “Tips from a judge’s perspective.”
According to the AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations Rule 481, “Scoring will be on the basis of 0-infinity, with 70 denoting an average performance. Points will be added or subtracted from the maneuvers on the following bases, ranging from plus 1.5 to minus 1.5 : -1.5 extremely poor, -1 very poor, -0.5 poor, 0 average, +0.5 good, +1 very good, +1.5 excellent. Maneuver scores are to be determined independently of penalty points.”As stated above, maneuver scores are given separately from penalty scores. The horse can receive penalties, but if the horse looked good while doing it they can receive a positive maneuver score of 0.5 to 15.

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Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Quentin Tyler, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.I hope this information is useful when you are preparing your reining pattern for the show, and that you are able to better understand the placings and score sheets at the end of the day. Understanding how your classes are evaluated is crucial to becoming an informed, successful exhibitor.Should be aggressive yet willing and perfectly controlled on light rein. Relatively quiet mouth and tail with impeccable manners. Any “free thinking” shall be penalized.

It’s becoming increasingly popular for exhibitors to show in pattern classes. More often than not, many of these patterns may be known far in advance. This provides opportunity for studying, learning and practice. Show day is here, you get to the show, perform for the judge, and it goes wonderfully. Then you hear your placing and it’s not quite what you expected. You wonder what went through that judges head. Well, read on to discover just that! In this article, we will discuss reining.Reining is a scored class based on a scoring system established by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). Every horse and rider combination starts with a score of 70, and for each maneuver they can receive positive or negative maneuver points. There is also the possibility for them to incur penalty points. Reining is judged on three main concepts: functional correctness, maneuvers and attitude.With a penalty score zero or disqualification, the rider will be unable to be used for the class, but will be able to compete in remaining classes of the day.According to the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations page 159 Rule 480, “To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement. The best reined horse should be willfully guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. Any movement on his own must be considered a lack of control. All deviations from the exact written pattern must be considered a lack of or temporary loss of control and therefore faulted according to severity of deviation. Credit will be given for smoothness, finesse, attitude, quickness and authority in performing the various maneuvers while using controlled speed.”

But Wimpy’s destiny was not to be merely a farm horse to the stars. As a colt, Wimpy was richly-colored, well-proportioned, balanced, and strong. He never went through an awkward phase, says Watson. As a two-year-old coming three, his looks, disposition and athleticism caught the eye of Mark Flarida, who shoes horses for Double Run Farm. He called his brother, Shawn, and encouraged him to come take a look.The 2007 NRHA Open Futurity Champion wasn’t decided until the very last run of the night when NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida edged out the highest score of the evening, aboard Wimpys Little Chic. When his score of 231.5 was announced on Saturday night you could hear the cheers, whistles and applause throughout the barns.

Watson chose “The Andy Griffith Show” as the theme for bestowing barn names on the five foals, giving the first-born palomino the nickname “Andy,” after the show’s star. Watson described Andy (who is now more commonly called “Wimp” or “Wimpy”) as “a sweetheart from day one.”

“We went back and forth for 30 days,” says Schols. “It was the first reining horse she’d bred, and she didn’t want to give him up. Finally, I said, ‘Monica, I really don’t need the horse, and I think you really don’t need the money. But Shawn needs the horse. Let’s at least do the horse justice and get him to Shawn.”“He never acted like a stallion, as some do even when they are babies. He was trail ridden around like any ol’ farm horse. Whenever someone came by and wanted to ride, they’d ride him,” she said. One of those riding guests was actress Katie Holmes (now

Who is the best reining horse?
Here are the top reining sires of 2021 who are passing on their superior pedigree:Lil Joe Cash. … Gunners Special Nite. … Inferno Sixty Six. … Shiners Voodoo Dr. … Smart Spook. … Spooks Gotta Whiz. … Magnum Chic Dream. … Gunnatrashya. 2006 sorrel (Colonels Smoking Gun – Natrasha by Trashadeous)
“He told me that he was a really, really nice horse and goodminded and that I ought to take a look at him,” recalls Flarida. “I saw Dan Huss riding him at Raleigh, North Carolina, in the opening round and thought he looked really good. He was just so big and strong and confident, even as a young horse. He really made a lasting impression on me.” Flarida called his long-time friend and client Mark Schols, saying, “I’ve got a horse, but the dang thing is yellow!”

Both Horse and rider performed flawlessly. There were five judges marking each run. The high and low scores were dropped while the remaining three were tallied for the final score. Flarida’s average was a phenomenal 77.5 plus from each judge for final score of 233.
The win made NRHA history twice, the highest score ever recorded within the NRHA and it also marked the first time an NRHA Open Futurity Champion had ever been sired by another NRHA Open Futurity Champion.