CRHA Hall of Fame 2006

The Board of Directors of the California Reining Horse Association began discussing the formation of a CRHA Hall of Fame, patterned after the NRHA Hall of Fame, in 2004. A CRHA Hall of Fame committee was formed, a Charter and Induction Criteria were written and approved by the Board and the first two honorees were inducted at the club’s Annual Awards Banquet on January 21, 2006.
2006 Hall of Fame Inductees
Gary & Ardyce Lindsley	Gary & Ardyce Lindsley Two standouts from the dedicated core group who started the California Reining Horse Association are Gary and Ardyce Lindsley. The Lindsleyís had a ranch in Chino, CA which they still own today. Their involvement with horses started when Gary purchased a Western pleasure horse for Ardyce. That horse now 31 years old is still at the Lindsleyís ranch today. Trainer Larry Gimple showed the horse in open classes before first Ardyce and then Gary showed the mare in amateur classes. Gary got interested in reining and started with trainer Gary Ferguson. Sandy Noble was another non-pro reiner training with Ferguson. The Lindsleyís credit Richard Nolan with encouraging the group to start an NRHA affiliate. This led them to distribute a flyer to local reining trainers including Lance DeForest, Jimmy Flores Jr., Penni Gerardi, Joe and Donna King and Roberta McCarty. The Lindsleyís single out Gerardi, McCarty and Noble as principals in getting the CRHA started. Not coincidentally, McCarty and Noble were the first two inductees in the CRHA hall of fame and they are now followed by Gerardi and the Lindsleys. The group managed their expenses carefully and got the club off the ground with a lot of hard work from the core group of volunteers. Their showcase event, the Challenge, soon exceeded their expectations and helped get the club going. That show remains the showcase event for the CRHA to this day. Ardyce served as treasurer and Gary as president. The Lindsleys operate an electrical contracting company. They are less involved with horses today but still keep open cow horses in training with Doug Williamson. They are actively involved with their family in the annual speed trials at the Bonneville salt flats.
Penni Gerardi	Penni Gerardi Penni Gerardi is well known in todayís reining horse industry as a longstanding top professional trainer and open exhibitor. Coming out of a difficult childhood and a broken home, Penniís grandparents gave her sister and her a horse to help them get through those difficult times. When her grandparents became ill and could no longer afford to support the horse, Penni still a teenager took on odd jobs to support both herself and her horse. She also started picking up horse training skills from local trainers in the Simi Valley area where she lived. Soon she found herself working for legendary trainers Jack and Linda Baker who in return helped her train and show her non-pro horses. Penni was very successful winning at such famous venues as the Cow Palace and Del Mar. During her non-pro years in addition to working for the Bakers, Penni had a job at the Simi Valley Community Hospital and made show clothes. She turned professional in 1982 and won the Hackamore Stake at Del Mar that year. Two years later a horse in training with her won the AQHA amateur reining world championship. That same year she won a big open class at an NRHA show in Dallas, Texas. Through that and other major shows she became friends with top reining trainer Tim McQuay and top non-pro Richie Greenberg. Greenberg later bought a mare named Darlene Dillon from Penni and went on win the NRHA non-pro world championship on her. During that time Penni was influential in converting West Coast trainers such as Jim and Roberta McCarty from the stock horse style to the reining style of training and showing. From 1989 through 1991 Penni won the Ladies Class at the NRHA Futurity. She has been a finalist in the NRHA Futurity Limited Open on four occasions including on her stallion Top Dun by Hollywood Dun It. And in addition to all her training and showing accomplishments, Penni has also been one of the most important contributors to the growth and success of reining on the West Coast and in particular the CRHA.