As a third generation reiner, the sport is clearly embedded deep in her genes, but Carr’s childhood was also spent surrounded by horses and watching her mother, Coreena Carr, and grandmother, Norma Collins, compete. Either way, for Carr it seems that her future success in the sport was unquestionable.
“I grew up with horses and have always been drawn to them,” explained Carr. “After my first reining show when I was six years old, I never turned back; reining has become my passion. I love the precision and adrenaline of reining, the feeling you get when you enter the ring, as you’re running your circles, sliding, or spinning. I love the feeling of wanting that perfect maneuver and the hours that go into preparation to get that.”
Lately, the horse that Carr has been perfecting those maneuvers with is Chicota Whiz (Lokota Chic x East Otie Whiz), an eight-year-old Quarter Horse mare owned by Coreena and known simply as “Chicota”.
Brianna Carr of Okotoks, AB is making waves in the reining world with Chicota Whiz.
Photo Credit: HD2 Sports
“I have been riding her on and off since she was four, but [in 2018] I actually rode her with the hopes of showing,” said Carr. “She is a very curious and playful horse with a ton of heart and try.”
Carr and Chicota diligently worked with top coaches, Locke and Deb Duce of High River, AB, to make their dream of competing a reality. Their hard work paid off in spades, as the pair earned an impressive four American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) national championship titles in 2018.
Later in the year, just weeks after her 15th birthday, Carr made her debut at the 2018 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity in Oklahoma City, OK, under the guidance of coach, Dallas Schwerdt of Fairview, AB. There, Carr competed in seven classes and left the competition with three top-10 jackets and two buckles, earned as reserve champion of the North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) Youth 14-18 class and a top-10 NAAC Silver Spurs Equine Rookie of the Year finisher.
“Two years ago I attended the Futurity to watch. It was amazing, but nothing compared to showing there,” said Carr of her experience. “It was so cool, I can’t even put it into words. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was kind and respectful, and people were very willing to help, and very supportive.”
Carr and Chicota Whiz had an incredible showing at the 2018 National Reining Horse Association Futurity, held just weeks after Carr’s 15th birthday in Oklahoma City, OK.
Photo Credit: Waltenberry
At the Futurity, Carr also had the opportunity to rub shoulders with top reiners in North America and watch the best in the business challenge patterns with professional precision and skill.
“I would love to visit and meet more of my role models,” said Carr. “My top role models in this sport are trainers, Casey Deary and Matt Mills. I would love to be like them through my ways of training and showing.”
Marching determinedly towards her goal of showing young horses in futurities and derbies, Carr plans on attending several competitions in 2019. Her schedule includes the Best Little Derby in the West, the Level 1 AQHA Championship, and the Ford AQHYA World Show. And with one record year already tucked underneath her 2018 NHRA Futurity reserve champion belt buckles, Carr is poised to challenge the 2019 season with similar success and prove that she was born to rein.