The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) proudly announced NRHA Professional Marco Ricotta as the newest NRHA $1 Million Rider. Originally from Tuscany, Italy, Ricotta joins an elite group of reining professionals who have achieved this milestone in their NRHA careers.
Ricotta’s passion for reining began when he would ride a scooter to the barn at 14 years old. That passion led him to become an NRHA Professional, a role in which Ricotta has consistently impressed audiences with his talent and horsemanship. Throughout his career, he has ridden numerous champions and claimed victories across various NRHA divisions.
Ricotta’s impressive resume includes recent success on Savage Love (SG Frozen Enterprize x Miss Whizzletown x Hollywoodstinseltown), a horse that holds special meaning to the Ricotta family. The Ricotta-bred, -owned, and -nominated 2020 stallion is out of a mare nominated and owned by Ricotta’s wife, Jenny. Miss Whizzletown’s NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) of $104,940 were earned exclusively with the Ricottas at the reins.
“I came from Italy, so I was dreaming, and those dreams came true,” said Marco. “To be a little trainer, this means a lot. I say all the time, ‘We got lucky.’ We raised this mare [Miss Whizzletown] from day one, and she was an orphan. We both showed the mare, and we were successful, and she produced some babies, and it all looks like it is working. Overall, they are all show horses and winning, and that doesn’t happen often.”
Savage Love, known as ‘Lucifer’ because he is devilishly handsome, and Marco earned ninth place in the Level 4 Open and third place in the Level 3 at the 2023 NRHA Futurity. Recently, the pair scored a 225.5 to finish third at the 100X Level 4 Open Cowtown Classic Stakes to help push Marco over the NRHA $1 Million Rider mark. His ability to build successful partnerships with the horses he breeds, trains, and competes with, including Savage Love, has been instrumental in his achievements and makes the journey even more meaningful to him.
“With all the prize money coming up lately, becoming a million-dollar rider is something you can achieve quicker than compared to the past. I am old school and achieved it check by check,” said Marco. “With Savage Love, I don’t have the clients to provide me what I need to compete at this level compared to the larger trainers who are overloaded with horses, so we decided to keep him, and it has worked out.”
Throughout his career, Marco’s top finishes are:
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