Shawn Flarida, National Reining Horse Association’s leading rider, all-time money earner, and member of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fame, will speak at the University of Kentucky (UK) Ag Equine Programs’ next Distinguished Industry Lecture Series at 6 p.m. EDT on April 27 in the Gluck Equine Research Center’s auditorium on the UK campus. Sponsored by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, the event is free and open to the public.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity to our students. It’s a real privilege to be able to learn from one of the most decorated reiners ever and a top-notch horseman to boot,” said Jill Stowe, PhD, director of UK Ag Equine Programs, part of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. “Plus, we are excited to expand the breadth of the lecture series by hosting our first guest representing Western riding disciplines.”

Flarida is the first-ever Five Million Dollar Rider. He has five NRHA open futurity championships to his name and has won the All-American Quarter Horse Congress futurity 11 times.

Additionally, he was an individual and team gold medal winner at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, riding for Team USA. In 2010 he was the high scoring rider in the World Equestrian Games team competition and led team USA to the gold medal