Cody Stark not only won his first reining belt buckle on Friday, April 16, he won two.

Riding Craig and Ginger Schmersal’s Blazing In Black in the National Reining Horse Association ancillary classes at the 2010 National Reining Breeders Classic, Cody marked a 144.5 to win the Limited Open (2) and Rookie Professional (2) as well as the Gist Silversmiths high-point trophy buckles for the divisions.

“I guess I’ll need to replace this one,” Cody said, looking down at his 1999 roping champion buckle. “I’ve been reining for years but these are the first buckles I’ve ever won.”

Friday’s win earned him $297 in the Limited Open and $312 in the Rookie Pro. Cody and “Oprah” had also placed second earlier in the week in the Ancillary Limited Open (1) and Rookie Professional (1), earning $515 for both classes.

Cody has been an assistant trainer at the Schmersal Ranch in Overbrook, Oklahoma, for about a year and jumped at the opportunity to show Oprah at the NRBC ancillary classes.

“She’s an awesome mare,” he said. “She just takes good care of me. Craig’s son, Nick, also shows her in the youth and she does awesome for him, too. I can’t say enough good about her.”

By Rowdy Yankee and out of Topsail Blaze, the 8-year-old mare has lifetime earnings of almost $42,000.

“Actually, she was out in the broodmare pasture for two years and she turned out open last year,” Cody said. “Nick needed a horse to start riding, so we brought her in and turned out that she was still on. I’m actually riding a 2-year-old out of her right now by Wrangler Whiz Chic who is really, really cool.”

Although Cody is probably finished showing Oprah for the week, she’ll be going into the East Arena again on Saturday, April 17, when 14-year-old Nick Schmersal shows her in the youth ancillary classes.

“She was really good for me today and I kept her quiet and calm for Nick to show tomorrow, so I didn’t want to do too much,” Cody said. “Now I’ll be tuning on Nick before he goes in.”

Each Ancillary class high-point Champion receives a Gist buckle.

Reserve in the Limited Open (2) and Rookie Professional (2) was Linde Von Koeding riding Matacorp Ltd.’s Bonjour Bijou, a 4-year-old mare by Wimpys Little Step and out of Holly Little Lena. Linde marked a 142.5 to earn $204 in the Limited Open (2) and $215 in the Rookie Professional (2).

The National Reining Breeders Classic, celebrating its tenth anniversary at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In just thirteen years, the NRBC has grown to include upwards of 230 subscribed stallions and in 2009, there were over 2,800 enrolled foals. Annually, the payout at the National Reining Breeders Classic exceeds $1.3 million. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.