Issuu

The Official Publication of the National Reining Horse Association | October 2026

The Run for a Million Kole Price and Golden Coins' Record-Breaking Run

The Oﬃ cial Publication of the NATIONAL REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION

October 2026 Vol. 54, Issue 8

nrha.com

EXECUTIVE

Billy Smith Commissioner Alisson Antunez Executive Assistant

ext. 108 ext. 129

ACCOUNTING

John Foy Chief Financial Officer Chris Mossman Senior Director of Accounting Debbie Shupe Accounts Payable Coordinator Casey Lofton Accounting Supervisor

ext. 109 ext. 104 ext. 107 ext. 133

CORPORATE RELATIONS

Christy Landwehr Senior Director of Corporate Relations

ext. 122

EDUCATION & OFFICIALS

Patti Carter Senior Director of Education & Officials

ext. 103

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Angie Honeywell Senior Director of ReinerSuite & Sales

ext. 123

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Maddie Weber Senior Director of Marketing Haley Carmen Senior Director of Communications

ext. 204 ext. 102

MEMBER & SHOW SERVICES

Christa Morris-Stone Assistant Commissioner Samantha Oldfi eld Senior Director of International Affairs & Development Kristen Liesman Senior Manager of Award & Show Services Krissy Colbath Senior Director of Member & Show Services Hannah Hughes Membership & Licensing Representativea Kiely Larson Member & Show Services Coordinator Lauren Dushay Manager of Affiliate & Events Katera McCurdy Administrative Office Coordinator

ext. 105 ext. 110 ext. 113 ext. 117 ext. 118 ext. 119 ext. 115 ext. 100

2026 NRHA Board of Directors Executive Committee Mike Hancock President (252) 903-3516 mikehancock@boddienoell.com

Casey Hinton Vice President (903) 821-9742 hintonreining@gmail.com

Karen Shedlauskas Director-At-Large (330) 565-0762 ksheds63@gmail.com

John Tague Director-At-Large (903) 821-9742 jptague@yahoo.com

Tom McCutcheon Director-At-Large (940) 390-7433 TMRHoffice@gmail.com

Ed Bricker Director-At-Large 412-551-7943 hootbricker@hotmail.com

Andrea Stillo Director-At-Large (817) 403-1630 andreastillo@hotmail.com

Board of Directors Jenny Ricotta Southwest (903) 267-5224 ricottaperformancehorses@ gmail.com Bundy Lane Southeast (252) 938-7705 bundylane68@gmail.com Mike Davis North Central (319) 404-2270 mdreiners@gmail.com Matt Murphy Northeast (703) 930-2760 safetymurph13@aol.com Kylie Warn Northwest (503) 703-8587 kyliewarn@yahoo.com

Travis Chapman Mountain (303) 518-3163 tmmedic@yahoo.com

Rudi Kronsteiner Europe 43-676-745-476-0 info@kronsteiner.de

Margaret Fuchs East Central (330) 717-8193 magmfuchs@aol.com

João Marcos South America 55-011-468-800-05 joaomarcos@arrudapires.com.br

Andre De Bellefeuille Canada (514) 578-5757 andre@versapro.ca

Jose Soto Soberanes Mexico 524-423-143-026 jsoto@cnn-law.com.mx

Rick Clark RHF (606) 232-7423 rick.clark@clarkspns.com

Pam Watson Oceania 61-042-422-949-7

Maik Bartmann Europe 49-172-624-801-6 info@vineyardranch.com

Andrea Stillo South Central (817) 403-1630 andreastillo@hotmail.com

pamela_watson17@hotmail.com

REINING HORSE FOUNDATION

Leslie Baker RHF Executive Director

ext. 106

Lisé Bulik RHF Sr. Coordinator of Development & NRHyA

ext. 138

NRHA REINER PUBLISHED BY 614 MEDIA GROUP Jack McLaughlin Editor-In-Chief

jack@614mediagroup.com

Maggie Valentine Associate Editor

maggie@614mediagroup.com

Mary McCarthy Associate Editor

mary@614mediagroup.com

andrew@614mediagroup.com Andrew Thomas Creative Director Dan Sileargy (614) 886-1320 National Sales Director anna@614mediagroup.com Anna Gerhard 614 Media Group Account Representative Lindsay Press lindsay@614mediagroup.com CEO, 614 Media Group

4 | NRHA REINER

The NRHA REINER is published by the National Reining Horse Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of the sport of reining. The NRHA REINER is the copyrighted property of the National Reining Horse Association. No information may be reproduced or used without the express written permission of the National Reining Horse Association. We welcome manuscripts pertaining to the reining horse, relevant to the performance horse industry and of interest to reiners. Manuscripts and pictures sent to the address below will be handled with care. Please enclose a SASE. The NRHA REINER is not responsible for incorrect information that may appear in any vendor advertisement. Persons or entities suspended for any reason are denied advertising privileges in the NRHA REINER until suspension is lifted. The NRHA REINER (ISSN0199-6762) is published by the National Reining Horse Association, 3021 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6125. Periodical postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK 73107 and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40028657 POSTMASTER: Send change of address to NRHA REINER, 3021 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6125. Please mail all advertising copy to NRHA REINER, 3021 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6125.

OCTOBER 2026

Table of Contents

October Spotlight The Run for a Million Big scores, bigger moments and a sport reaching new heights.

Features

MILLION DOLLAR COMPETITION

100K OPEN SHOOTOUT

NON PRO REINING, YOUTH

ROOKIE LEVEL 1

ROOKIE LEVEL 2

RACE FOR THE SLIDE

FAME NRHA HALL OF

TROTTING DOWN THE AISLE

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: MS DIAMONDS TX

MILLION DOLLAR MILESTONES

From the Commissioner

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: MONTANA SILVERSMITHS

100

Reining Horse Foundation

Event Coverage 100X BRAZOS SLIDE

102

In Every Issue

NRHyA

NRHA Event Calendar

125

Advertiser/ Stallion Indexes

129

ON THE COVER: 2026 The Run for a Million champion Kole Price with his son Krew and Golden Coins. Photo courtesy of Waltenberry.

6 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

SIRES

ICSI

FROZEN

COOLED

ICSI BOOKING

6000 2000

ICSI BOOKING

750 200

ICSI BOOKING

1500 500

FROZEN BOOKING

1000 500

ICSI BOOKING

500 200

FROZEN BOOKING

1000 500

COOLED BOOKING

500 200

MILLION $ CHALLENGE

400

ICSI BOOKING

2000 750

FROZEN BOOKING

2500 500

COOLED 2000 BOOKING 750

SUPER SALE

1000

ICSI BOOKING

1500 500

FROZEN BOOKING

1000 500

ICSI BOOKING

750 200

ICSI BOOKING

2500 1000

ICSI BOOKING

1000 200

FROZEN BOOKING

1000 500

COOLED BOOKING

500 250

MILLION $ CHALLENGE

400

ICSI BOOKING

4000 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

3500 1000

COOLED 3000 BOOKING 1000

SUPER SALE

2500

ICSI BOOKING

3500 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

3000 1000

COOLED 2500 BOOKING 1000

SUPER SALE

2000

ICSI BOOKING

2500 500

FROZEN BOOKING

2500 500

COOLED 2000 BOOKING 750

SUPER SALE

1500

ICSI BOOKING

500 200

FROZEN BOOKING

1000 500

COOLED BOOKING

SUPER SALE

400

ICSI BOOKING

3000 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

3500 1000

EARLY BOOKING

2000

ICSI BOOKING

3500 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

3000 1000

COOLED 2500 BOOKING 1000

SUPER SALE

2000

ICSI BOOKING

3500 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

3000 1000

COOLED 2500 BOOKING 1000

SUPER SALE

2000

ICSI BOOKING

2000 750

FROZEN BOOKING

2500 1000

COOLED 2000 BOOKING 500

SUPER SALE

1000

ICSI BOOKING

5500 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

5500 1000

COOLED 5500 BOOKING 2000

EARLY BOOKING

5000

ICSI BOOKING

6500 1000

FROZEN BOOKING

6000 1000

COOLED 6000 BOOKING 2000

EARLY BOOKING

5500

ICSI BOOKING

6500 2000

FROZEN BOOKING

7000 2000

EARLY BOOKING

5500

ICSI BOOKING

2500 500

FROZEN BOOKING

2500 1000

COOLED 2000 BOOKING 500

SUPER SALE

1000

ICSI BOOKING

1500 500

FROZEN BOOKING

1000 500

ICSI BOOKING

6500 2000

ICSI BOOKING

1500 500

FROZEN BOOKING

2000 500

COOLED BOOKING

SUPER SALE

1000

MILLION $ CHALLENGE FEE

500 250

1500 500

300

FEE WHEN BREEDING TO SENIOR STALLION 250

SUPER SALE AND EARLY FEES - run through Jan 31, 2027 or first 75 MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE FEE - runs through 2027 breeding season ICSI BREEDING - PAY ICSI FEE AND PAY BALANCE OF BREEDING FEE (LESS ICSI FEE) WHEN FIRST FOAL IS BORN FROZEN AND COOLED BREEDING - PAY BOOKING FEE AND PAY BALANCE OF BREEDING FEE (LESS BOOKING FEE) WHEN MARE IS CONFIRMED IN-FOAL)

MILLION DOLLAR SIRE

2 MILLION DOLLAR SIRE

CROMED OUT MERCEDES

HF MOBSTER

PLATINUM VINTAGE

TINKER WITH GUNS

NIC IT IN THE BUD

5 MILLION DOLLAR SIRE

8 MILLION DOLLAR SIRE

15 MILLION DOLLAR SIRE

SHINERS VOODOO DR

WIMPYS LITTLE STEP

H H H H H H

PALE FACE DUNNIT

SG FROZEN ENTERPRIZE

SILVER SPURS HAS AWARDED TO DATE

SILVER SPURS AWARDS CHAMPIONSHIP PAYOUTS ON ALL LEVELS CHECK WEBSITE FOR FULL DETAILS

the HIGHEST payouts IN reining HISTORY!!!

OPEN TO ALL OFFSPRING OF SILVER SPURS SIRES NO ENROLLMENT NEEDED * EXCLUDES PALE FACE DUNNIT

CHECK WEBSITE FOR FULL DETAILS AND AWARD AMOUNTS

ARIZONA

OKLAHOMA

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

PURCELL, OKLAHOMA

Office: 480.563.1966

Office: 405.600.1990

Email: AZoffice@SilverSpursEquine.com

SALE HORSE CONTACTS I BRETT: 602-386-6189 I SARAH: 405.600.1990

Email: OKoffice@SilverSpursEquine.com

www.SilverSpursEquine.com • www.SilverSpursSaleHorses.com

From the Commissioner

From San Luis Potosí to Las Vegas: Reining’s Momentum and Legacy

RHA’s momentum stretched from San Luis Potosí to Las Vegas, where records were rewritten and this year’s NRHA Hall of Fame class was announced. The NRHA Potosí Sin Límites International Reining Cup, held August 6–9 at Arena Potosí, brought riders, owners, breeders, and fans together in Mexico. It placed NRHA competition before a growing audience while recognizing Mexico’s longstanding role in our sport. Mexican horsemen, horsewomen, and breeding programs have contributed to reining for generations. The event built connections among competitors, introduced new fans to NRHA reining, and gave Mexican-bred horses and the people behind them an international platform. That is how our sport grows, by strengthening relationships and creating opportunities for more people to participate. Then came The Run For A Million in Las Vegas. For 19 years, the highest marked go in NRHA history stood at 236.5, set by Andrea Fappani and Custom Legend in 2007. This year, Gabriel Borges and Spooks Gotta Ice matched that score before Kole Price and Golden Coins entered the arena. Their 237.5 established a NRHA record and earned the $500,000 championship. The score will remain in the record book, but the moment represented more than one run. It reflected the depth of today’s competition and what becomes possible when talented horses, skilled riders, owners, breeders, and nominators work toward the same goal. As reining moves forward, the NRHA Hall of Fame keeps its history in view. This year, NRHA will welcome Mike Hancock, Tom McCutcheon, and Robert “Bob” Santagata. Each has shaped the association and the sport through leadership, competition, horsemanship, and service. Their impact extends beyond any one show

10 | NRHA REINER

or title. We see it in the horses they developed, the people they mentored, the programs they supported, and the time they gave to reining. That same spirit of recognition will continue at this year’s 60th Anniversary Foals R Us NRHA Futurity®, where we will recognize the breeders and nominators whose commitment helps make our sport possible. Their investment begins long before a horse enters the show pen, and their contributions remain part of every milestone reached there. San Luis Potosí, The Run For A Million, the Hall of Fame, and the 60th Anniversary Futurity tell one connected story. Reining is reaching new audiences, competitors continue to raise the standard, and NRHA remains committed to honoring the people who built the sport and those shaping its future. Growth and history are not separate parts of our story. One makes the other possible. That is the momentum we must continue to build: one horse, one run, and one generation at a time.

Billy Smith NRHA Commissioner We want to hear from you! Please send your feedback on this issue to reiner@nrha.com.

OCTOBER 2026

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Reining Horse Foundation

A Lasting Effect

ife doesn’t stop at the gate. That line has been on my mind lately as we’ve worked on a new video for the Reining Horse Foundation. The more I think about it, the more I believe it gets to the heart of why RHF exists. We love what happens inside the show pen. But some of the moments that matter most happen well beyond it. A family faces an unexpected crisis. A young reiner starts college with a scholarship helping make it possible. Someone who helped shape our sport is given the recognition that contribution deserves. Young people discover friendships, leadership, and opportunities that may influence them long after their youth showing years are over. People in the reining community choose to help. We saw that generosity again September 2 at the 100X Reining Classic in Tulsa. Just five carefully curated lots in the RHF Benefit Auction generated $22,000. Donors provided exceptional opportunities. Bidders responded. And in a matter of minutes, their generosity translated into meaningful support for RHF programs. Now we enter one of the most important fundraising periods of our year. Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch leads the way, bringing us together to celebrate the NRHA Hall of Fame and Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award while generating essential support for RHF programs. Since the event began in 2018, Sliders’ Night Out has generated $1.4 million in net proceeds for the Foundation. That number is worth considering for a moment. It represents far more than the success of a single event. It is the cumulative result of people choosing, year after year, to invest in this community and the work RHF was created to do. There will be invitations to attend, bid, sponsor, and give. Those things matter. But I hope the reason behind them matters even more. For 25 years, the Reining Horse Foundation has existed to care for and honor the reining community. The RHF Board of Directors and I have the privilege of seeing what those words mean when they become action. We see the opportunities scholarships create and the very real needs presented through Crisis Fund applications. We also see people quietly step forward with a gift because they understand that someone else may need help today—and tomorrow, it could be any NRHA member. That is the substance behind the fundraising. The show eventually ends. The trailers pull out. The lights go down. What you do for one another lasts much longer.

Leslie Baker, CFRE RHF Executive Director

Board of Directors RICK CLARK, PRESIDENT (606) 232—7423 rick.clark@clarkspns.com ANDREA STILLO, VICE PRESIDENT (817) 403—1630 andreastillo@hotmail.com DEBBIE CONWAY, SECRETARY/ TREASURER (281) 687-0724 debbiejconway14@gmail.com TERRI MAINEY, OFFICER (919) 623-6054 gameangel65@aol.com MIKE MCFARLIN, OFFICER (615) 293-4044 mmcfarlin@mwlginc.com JESSE BOYD (281) 979-9632 jesse.boy@icloud.com DIANA DUFFEY (970) 710-1244 diana.trftgllc@gmail.com PATRICK FLAHERTY (480) 220-6025 Flaherty.performance@gmail.com MIKE HANCOCK, EX OFFICIO (252) 903-3516 mhh@boddienoell.com AMY KIRBY (614) 203-0643 abkirby15@gmail.com JANICE LANEY (205) 639-7878 janiceflaney@gmail.com MORGAN MCCLURE (480) 789-9337 morgan@holdfast.me.uk ALLISON THORSON (419) 357-1488 athorson@thorsportfarm.com CHRISTY TRAUTMAN (608) 215-9542 cmtrautman@gmail.com BROOKE WHARTON (940) 357-1998 bmw@bmwquarterhorses.com BILLY WILLIAMS (503) 887-7171 billwilliams1330@gmail.com

To donate, visit reiningfoundation.com or contact RHF at (405) 946-7400, ext. 106, rhf@nrha.com.

16 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

ANDERSON BEAN | THE OFFICIAL BOOT OF THE NRHA

Youth Reining NRHyA

NRHyA News

Your NRHyA: Jump In, Step Up & Bring Your Crew You don't have to be a national champion, own the fanciest horse, or have been showing your entire life to be part of NRHyA. In fact, some of the best parts of being an NRHyA member happen outside the show pen.

START HERE

Not sure how to get involved? At your next show, find your youth advisor, an NRHyA delegate or officer, and ask one question: “How can I help?”

STEP UP: Become an NRHyA Delegate

JUMP IN: There's More to NRHyA Than Showing

Ready to take on more responsibility? Becoming a Regional Delegate is one of the best places to start. Delegates represent youth members in their region and connect with NRHyA officers and delegates from around the world. They participate in meetings, share ideas, and help promote NRHyA programs and activities.

Going to a horse show? Look for ways to get involved beyond your own classes. Attend a youth meeting or activity. Introduce yourself to another youth member. Volunteer at an event, join a fundraiser, or help your local affiliate. At national events, look for NRHyA contests, service projects, youth gatherings, and other activities.

You don't need years of leadership experience. Being a delegate is one way to gain it. You'll learn to work as part of a team, communicate with other members, and help turn ideas into action. It can also be a first step toward serving as an NRHyA officer someday.

There are plenty of ways to get involved, and you don't have to wait for someone to invite you.

You can also participate in the Varsity Reining Club, where many of the things you're already doing can lead to prizes and scholarships. Enroll and log activities like volunteering, participating in community service, art and photography—even good school grades can earn points.

22 | NRHA REINER

So, how do I become one? Let your affiliate youth advisor or NRHyA leadership know you're interested. Learn about opportunities in your region, attend youth meetings and get involved with your affiliate. And bring your ideas. Some great projects can start with a simple question: “What if we tried this?” OCTOBER 2026

DID YOU KNOW? You don't have to be the loudest person in the room to be a good leader. Good leaders listen, encourage others, bring ideas, and help get things done.

BRING YOUR CREW: Help Grow Reining Think about the first time you experienced reining. Someone probably introduced you to the sport, took you to a show, let you meet a horse, explained what was happening in the arena, or encouraged you to give it a try.

Now you can do that for someone else. Invite a friend to a show or youth activity. Introduce them to your barn friends. Explain what a rollback is—or why everyone suddenly gets very excited about a really good sliding stop. Your friend doesn't even have to ride a reiner yet. They might start by watching you show, helping at the barn or volunteering at an event. That first experience could be what gets them interested. And when you see someone new at a show or youth meeting, say hello. Invite them to sit with your group. Ask where they're from. Introduce them to someone else. A five-minute conversation can turn a new face into a new friend—and maybe even a lifelong reiner.

OCTOBER 2026

THE +1 CHALLENGE Bring one friend to a reining event or NRHyA activity this year. They don’t need a horse or any reining experience—just an invitation to come along.

Your Turn Try one new thing this year. Attend the meeting. Enter the contest. Volunteer. Become a delegate. Meet someone new. Bring a friend. Share an idea. You don't have to do everything. Just jump in somewhere. That's how opportunities—and friendships—begin.

NRHA REINER | 23

24 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

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Sa lo o

ou se

Come experience the captivating blend of history, charm and wonder that deﬁnes Oklahoma City. And while you’re there, ﬁnd new perspectives, unforgettable experiences and the most authentic people you will ever meet.

Sh ’s ty r te at

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News

Mezcalera Amazonas RA

ezcalera Amazonas RA, producer of small-batch, artisanal mezcal, has entered into a Corporate Partnership with the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), the world’s leading membership organization for the sport of reining. As part of the partnership, Mezcalera Amazonas RA will showcase its flagship mezcals, Metallic Style and Ruftify Leono, at the 60th Anniversary Foals R Us NRHA Futurity® and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship this year. “For our mezcal brand, becoming a Partner of NRHA represents much more than an opportunity for brand exposure,” says Ricardo Arreola González, owner of Mezcalera Amazonas RA. “It is the natural connection between two worlds that share the same values, heritage, and passion. Our brand was born in Mexico, inspired by its traditions, the authenticity of our land, and our desire to proudly share a product with the world that truly represents its origins. Mezcal, much like the horse, is part of a story built over generations, where knowledge, patience, dedication, and respect for tradition are essential to achieving excellence. Our connection with horses is an essential part of our identity. Through Rancho Las Amazonas, horses have become a way of life and a constant source of inspiration. In fact, our mezcals carry names that represent this story: METALIC STYLE and LEONO, two stallions that have left an important mark on our journey. For this reason, we see the NRHA as an organization whose philosophy and values strongly align with our own. Reining represents discipline, precision, talent, preparation, and an extraordinary connection between horse and rider. Behind every great performance are years of work, careful selection, dedication, and perseverance. Those same principles can be found behind a great mezcal: time, knowledge, respect for its origins, and a constant pursuit of excellence. We chose to become an NRHA Partner because we want our brand to be present in an environment that represents our values and allows us to connect with an international community that shares our passion for horses, competition, and excellence. We also see this partnership as an opportunity to share a part of Mexico with the world. We want every

26 | NRHA REINER

bottle to be an invitation to discover our culture, our traditions, and the richness of a spirit with centuries of history. For us, becoming part of the NRHA means supporting and celebrating a community to which we genuinely belong. We are not simply looking to place our brand in front of an audience. We want to build a meaningful connection between two passions that are deeply rooted in our story: exceptional horses and exceptional Mexican mezcal. Our journey with the NRHA represents the beginning of that connection. Tradition. Passion. Excellence. Legacy. Values that define reining and that also define the way we create our mezcal.” Metallic Style, known for its bold, smoky profile, and Ruftify Leono, prized for its smooth, agaveforward finish, will be featured in hospitality suites, events, and during finals at the 60th Anniversary Foals R Us NRHA Futurity® and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships giving attendees the opportunity to sample both and learn more about the mezcal-making process. “We’re excited to welcome Mezcalera Amazonas RA into the NRHA Corporate Partner family,” says Christy Landwehr, NRHA Senior Director of Corporate Relations. “Our members take pride in quality and authenticity, both on and off their horses. Mezcalera Amazonas RA embodies that same spirit, and we look forward to sharing their story with our community.” The partnership will include on-site branding at the Foals R Us NRHA Futurity® and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships and the 6666 NRHA Derby® Presented by Markel each year. It will also be integrated into NRHA digital and social media channels, and co-branded promotional campaigns designed to introduce Mezcalera Amazonas RA to reining fans across the country.

OCTOBER 2026

News

Reining Takes Center Stage on National Television

aturday, August 22, marked a significant day for reining, with the sport taking center stage on national television twice in a single day. The national exposure began on FS1 with Wild World of Western Sports, featuring the World Reining Continental Championship from BO Ranch. The episode gave viewers across the country a look inside the sport and showcased the horses, athletes and competition that define reining on an international stage. That evening, the spotlight shifted to CBS as The Run For A Million brought one of the most historic nights in recent reining history to a national broadcast audience. The program captured an unforgettable night in Las Vegas, where packed stands watched some of the sport’s best horses and riders continue to push the limits of competition. The night culminated with Kole Price and Golden Coins marking a 237.5—the highest marked go in NRHA history—to claim the $500,000 championship. The record-setting performance was the centerpiece of a night that reflected the continued momentum surrounding reining. The level of competition continues to rise, crowds are growing, and opportunities to showcase the sport to audiences beyond the traditional reining community continue to expand. Having two national television broadcasts dedicated to reining on the same day represented another important step in that growth. National broadcast opportunities provide a platform to introduce new audiences to the sport while showcasing its horses, riders, owners, breeders, and events on a larger stage. Strong viewership also helps demonstrate the audience behind reining and supports continued opportunities for national exposure. From the World Reining Continental Championship on FS1 to The Run For A Million on CBS, August 22 delivered a full day of national visibility for the sport. Two national broadcasts. One historic day for reining.

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 27

News

Get in the Game at 2026 NRHA Judging Contest

hink you know a +1 stop when you see one? How quickly can you spot a penalty? This time, put your reining knowledge to the test from the judge’s perspective. The NRHA Collegiate & Youth Reining Judging Contest returns to the 2026 Foals R Us NRHA Futurity® & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship—giving youth an opportunity to sharpen their eye, learn more about how reining is judged, and compete as a team. NRHA Affiliates and trainers: Find four youth, build a team, and bring them to Oklahoma City. Teams can be organized through an NRHA Affiliate, individual barn, 4-H or FFA program. Already judging horses through 4-H or FFA? Put those skills to work in reining. Contestants will evaluate reining runs, take a penalty clip test, and complete a written test based on NRHA judging materials. Along the way, they’ll gain a better understanding of what judges see—and why the score ends up where it does. Today’s youth judging contestants could even become tomorrow’s collegiate and NRHA judges. Build your team. Study up. Then see how your scores stack up. There are awards for champion and reserve teams and individuals.

QUICK FACTS WHO: The Youth division is for ages 13–18 TEAMS: Four members recommended; three may compete

ENTRY: $25 per contestant WHEN: Nov. 30- Dec 1. WHERE: Foals R Us NRHA Futurity®, Oklahoma City DEADLINE: Nov 9. LATE ENTRY DEADLINE: Nov 16. WHO CAN FORM A YOUTH TEAM : NRHA Affiliates, barns, 4-H and FFA programs

INDIVIDUALS: Individual entries are also accepted RESOURCES, DETAILS, AND ENTRY FORM: nhjtca.org

$6 MILLION SIRE The youngest stallion to achieve $1 million to $6 million in earnings Inferno Sixty Six is the youngest stallion in the world to reach $1 million to $6 million in earnings, while also achieving the title of World Record Holder in Value Appreciation at the JBJ Ranch & Família Quartista 5th Season Auction.

INFERNO SIXTY SIX

A direct descendant of the World’s Leading Reining Sire today — the renowned Gunnatrashya, with more than US$19 million in progeny earnings — Inferno Sixty Six has tremendous potential to carry on his father’s legacy. His maternal line also features Snip O Gun, one of the most influential broodmares in NRHA history, with progeny earnings exceeding US$1 million.

In the show ring, Inferno Sixty Six’s achievements made him reach more than US$205,000 in earnings. Among them: TOP 10 Sires 2021; 2019 NRHA Derby Open Champion and 2017 Cactus Reining Classic Champion; and 2015 NRHA Futurity L4 Reserve Champion. Now as a US$6 million sire, the potential of his genetics is proven through hundreds of offspring, with standouts including The Firemen, Inferno Thirty Five, Winding Inferno, and Surprizing Sixty Six. Together, they have already accumulated more than US$1.2 million in earnings. Inferno Sixty Six’s legacy was built in the show ring, validated through his progeny, and is already shaping the future of Reining genetics.

Gunnatrashya × Snip O Gun

THE YOUNG $1 MILLION SIRE Sire with Proven Genetic Versatility Americasnexttopgun, known worldwide as Maverick, stands out for reaching US$1 million in progeny earnings with his first generation, making him the horse that produced the most in a single year, not only in Reining, but across all Western disciplines. The son of WallaWallaWhiz and Americasnextgunmodel , an NRHA Million Dollar Dam, Maverick has built an accomplished competitive career, including the titles of 2022 NRHA Level 4 Open Derby Champion; 2020 NRBC Level 4 Open Derby

Champion; and 3rd Place at The Run For A Million 2022. As a sire, Maverick demonstrates his genetic consistency and ability to pass these traits on to future generations. At the 2025 NRHA Futurity, 19 offspring from his first generation competed, resulting in a Reserve Championship in the Level 4 Open. In the rankings, Americasnexttopgun is #1 Freshman Sire in Reining, with 35 winning offspring. More broadly, in Western Performance, he ranks #2 among Freshman Sires, demonstrating his genetic versatility by producing competitive athletes beyond the discipline in which he built his career.

AMERICASNEXTTOPGUN Walla Walla Whiz × Americasnextgunmodel

JBJ RANCH EXPERIENCE

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NRHA Hall of Fame

Relentless Bob Santagata, tireless supporter of reining at every level, will be inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame By Abigail Boatwright | Photography courtesy of NRHA

← Bob Santagata

t’s unusual for a kid growing up in Brooklyn, New York, to find his way into the Western horse world, but Robert “Bob” Santagata has made it his home. An NRHA member since 2004, Santagata’s dedication to reining extends far past his own horses and into promoting the sport and the association at every level of competition. As the NRHA $2 Million Owner looks forward to his induction into the Hall of Fame this fall, Santagata is grateful for the community he’s been part of for over two decades.

Hack Barn Origins Growing up in New York City, Santagata’s interest in horses was sparked by trail rides on rented horses at a local hack barn. Later, after buying some land, he purchased three horses—his favorite from the hack barn and two of the horse’s buddies. Santagata’s introduction to reining came at nearby Stony Ford Ranch, where Francis Mercier was the head trainer. Curious about the sport, Santagata went to see it for himself.

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OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame

“When I saw it, I said ‘Wow, I’d like to buy one of these, do you have any for sale?’” Santagata said. “He said ‘Yeah, we just happened to.’ He brought out a horse, I rode it, and I bought it. And that’s how it started.” That horse was Mark Him Mighty (Docs Tinhorn Gambler x Docs Missing), a 4-year-old sorrel gelding nicknamed “Scooter.”

Diving Into NRHA Santagata enjoyed riding Scooter, and the gelding was shown at several local shows, but Santagata never showed him in NRHA competition. When Mercier told him about the NRHA Futurity® in Oklahoma City, Santagata was all-in. “I said ‘Let’s go, let’s see what it’s all about,’” Santagata said. “I ended up buying a couple more horses at the Futurity and it grew from there.” After leaving Stony Ford, Mercier teamed up with Santagata to start a new barn at New Hope Farms in Port Jervis, New York. Santagata later founded Santa Hill Ranch, developing the 325-acre property in Campbell Hall, New York, into a stateof-the-art training, breeding and boarding facility. As his involvement in reining grew, so did his investment in the sport. In 2013, Santagata purchased The Kids Gotta Gun (Spooks Gotta Gun x Melimelo Kid), bred and nominated by Tami Lynn Julien, who would go on to earn over $104,000. Today, he is one of two stallions standing at Santa Hill Ranch, alongside Shiner On My Eye (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Flashy Lil Step), bred and nominated by Empire Ranch. Santagata became an NRHA Million Dollar Owner in 2021 and reached the $2 Million Owner milestone in 2023. That same year brought one of the highlights of his time in reining, when Santagata’s horse Best Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Best Stop) bred and nominated by Wagman Ranch Inc., and NRHA $5 Million Rider Jason Vanlandingham won The Run For A Million. For Santagata, though, the relationships he’s built through reining are what he treasures most. “I have a lot of f riends that I have made in reining that I am very close with,” Santagata said. “The reining shows are one big fun time for us. We go there, we eat dinners, we buy good horses, we try to win. We’re always together at the shows. We buy some horses together and we root for each other.” OCTOBER 2026

↑ Bob Santagata pictured with his first horse, “Aspen” around 2012.

Contributions When asked to describe himself, he pointed to his tenacity as a defining characteristic. “I’m the kind of person who just doesn’t take no for an answer,” Santagata said. “There’s nothing in this world that can’t be done if you want to do it, and that’s how I live my life.” That determination has carried into his support of reining. Santa Hill Ranch is an NRHA Corporate Partner and has been a significant supporter of the Reining Horse Foundation, giving at the Diamond level. Santagata is also a founding member of the Futurity Impact Group. He is a consistent supporter of NRHA Major events, as well as numerous affiliates and their local events. NRHA REINER | 35

NRHA Hall of Fame

↑ Jason Vanlandingham and Santagata’s Best Shine win the 2023 The Run For A Million. Photo by Waltenberry.

His support stretches well beyond the local and national levels. Santagata has been a supporter of the European Futurity in Cremona, Italy, as well as the Asociacion Noreste de Caballo de Reining (ANECR) and Reining Master Show Queretaro in Mexico. He has also hosted clinics at Santa Hill Ranch with top NRHA professionals to help build interest in reining on the East Coast and received the Markel Commitment Award in 2022. In their Hall of Fame nomination letter, Eleuterio and Leonardo Arcese of Arcese Quarter Horses pointed to Santagata’s ability to bring people together and make events better for everyone involved. Likewise, Gilberto Leal, a horse breeder and reining advocate from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, pointed toward Santagata’s focus on the people making up the reining community. “What distinguishes Robert most is not only his success, but the character behind it,” Leal said. “Throughout the years, he has earned the respect of those around him through his integrity, generosity, and genuine commitment to the people and the sport he cares about.” 36 | NRHA REINER

When asked why he’s so committed to supporting reining on such a broad scale, Santagata’s answer was simple: When he sees a need, he wants to help meet it. “The sport won’t sustain itself without sponsors,” Santagata said. His wife, Arlene Santagata, echoed that commitment in his Hall of Fame nomination application. “Bob Santagata is widely respected for his integrity, generosity, and professionalism,” Arlene wrote in his Hall of Fame nomination application. “He is known as a leader who is deeply committed to the success of the sport and the people within it. His contributions are driven by genuine passion, and he is regarded by peers as approachable, supportive, and dedicated to advancing reining at all levels.”

Looking Ahead With a barn full of trophies and awards, Santagata still has one accolade on his mind: an NRHA Futurity® Champion title. “I want to win the Futurity, that’s the goal,” Santagata said. “I’m still chasing it.” ■ OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame

Pushing Forward NRHA $2 Million Rider Tom McCutcheon, co-founder of the National Reining Breeders Classic, will be inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame By Abigail Boatwright | Photos courtesy of NRHA

orses are life, all day every day, for the McCutcheon family. NRHA $2 Million Rider Tom McCutcheon and his wife, NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Mandy, are completely immersed in the horse world, and so are multiple generations of their family. Together with Mandy, Tom has helped shape NRHA’s trajectory over the last 30 years, through breeding, training, selling horses, building and supporting premier equine events, and educating the equine community. It’s no surprise that he’s now being inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame.

Always Reining The youngest of three boys, Tom grew up in Wisconsin, and it wasn’t long before he too joined his father and brothers in the horse training business. Selftaught and highly motivated, Tom trained horses for several Western performance events, but once he was on his own, he steered clear of cattle events and honed in on reining. He became an NRHA member in the late 1980s, and spent his early years as a professional helping develop the sport in Europe, before building his business in Aubrey, Texas.

↑ Tom McCutcheon

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 37

NRHA Hall of Fame

↑ Tom McCutcheon and Gunners Special Nite (Gunner x Mifs Doll) owned by Turnabout Farm Inc and bred by Kim Sloan winning Gold at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

Going for Gold Tom’s accolades as a competitor are numerous: NRBC Open Champion, NRHA Derby® Reserve Champion, AQHA World Champion—the list is endless. McCutcheon is an internationally decorated rider, with two World Equestrian Games (WEG) team gold medals, WEG individual gold and silver medals, an FEI World Reining Championship title, and he was named USEF Equestrian of the Year. “As far as wins, I would say the 2010 gold WEG medal is probably the biggest one for me,” Tom said.

Investing in the Community Along the way, Tom has shared his knowledge and experience with many trainers who now join Tom at the top of the game, including his son Cade—now a $3 Million Rider, $2 Million Dollar Riders Duane Latimer and Fernando Salgado, Million Dollar Riders Gunny Mathison and Matt Palmer; and 2025 NRHA Non Pro Coach of the Year Debbie Brown. Tom has participated in reining clinics for professionals, non pros, and youth riders. “While training and showing techniques

38 | NRHA REINER

are extremely important, I believe what truly defines a person and a horseman is how they handle challenges and difficult situations,” Fernando Salgado said in his Hall of Fame letter of recommendation for McCutcheon. “One of the greatest lessons I learned from Tom was the way he supported me and so many others when things were not going well. I never saw him take the easy route or place blame on others. Instead, he always stood by the people around him, bringing out the best in them by giving them confidence, guidance, and support.” As a testament to his dedication to others, McCutcheon has created an online resource to help reiners across the world, in the form of the Tom McCutcheon’s Virtual Horse Help, an online education platform, and the YouTube series THE SHOW, interviewing top riders, trainers, and industry experts.

A Pioneer Not satisfied with making his mark only in the arena, Tom has worked with several leading breeders over the years, including Green Valley Ranch, Turnabout Farm, Oldenberg Farm, Cardinal Reining Horses, and his own operation with Mandy. OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame The couple started the Legacy Reining Breeders Sale in 2000, after they founded the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in 1997. “I’m very proud of the NRBC, and I think the early days of the NRBC have done so much to shape the industry,” Tom said. In his Hall of Fame recommendation letter, $10 Million Rider Andrea Fappani says the NRBC is one of Tom’s most transformative contributions to the sport. “The NRBC was a pioneering concept f rom the beginning—the first major reining event built around significantly increased payouts and a stallion incentive program focused on Derby-aged horses and the breeding programs that produce them,” Fappani said. “Under Tom’s leadership, the NRBC has grown to pay out over $31 million across its history, and it remains the largest added-money reining stallion incentive program ever created. Tom saw what reining needed before most people knew to ask for it, and then he built it.” Tom has also put his time and resources into NRHA itself, from serving on the NRHA Executive Committee twice, and other committees over the years, to helping create the foal nomination program in 2008, being a founding member of the Professionals Program, serving on the USEF Committee, and being a financial sponsor. “I feel like we’ve had a contribution to the direction of where the industry is today, and I think it’s pretty amazing,” Tom said. “There is no idea that comes to fruition without a bunch of other people agreeing with it, and helping it get there.”

↑ McCutcheon and team on the podium, taking gold at the 2010 WEG.

Leaving a Legacy Beyond his contributions to the sport, Tom considers his family his greatest accomplishment. Both his son, Cade, and daughter, Carlee, love horses and have pursued that passion. Carlee, 20, competes in show jumping at the Grand Prix level. Cade, 26, was named 2019 NRHA Up-and-Coming Professional of the Year, and is NRHA’s youngest Million Dollar rider, crossing the milestone at the age of 19. “The biggest thing for me is the fact that my kids love the horses, and I feel like they are in the horses for the right reasons,” Tom said. “We feel very blessed that our kids were born with the ability to be good at what they really love to do.” Carlee points out her dad’s work ethic and desire to chase excellence, always with integrity. OCTOBER 2026

“What makes my dad special is not just what he has accomplished, but how he has accomplished it,” Carlee said. “He truly has an incredible love for the horse. At the end of the day, that is why we all do this, but what makes him such a standout horseman is that his love for the reining horse is greater than his love for the sport itself. He has always instilled in my brother and me that the horses come first, no matter what. I feel incredibly blessed that I am able to share that same passion, respect, and care for the horse with my family.” “I am excited to see the continued growth of the industry, because 20 years ago, we’d all get together and say ‘How can it get any better?’” Tom said. “And 20 years later, it’s substantially better. I think you just continue to push it forward.” ■ NRHA REINER | 39

NRHA Hall of Fame

A Life of Service After decades of dedication and service to reining and the National Reining Horse Association, Mike Hancock cements his place in NRHA history as he joins the NRHA Hall of Fame. By Sarah Prather | Photos courtesy of NRHA

← Mike Hancock.

ike Hancock has spent 50 years at his “day job” with Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc., where he currently serves as Executive Vice President. Throughout his career, he has believed in the importance of sharing knowledge, investing in people, and giving back to help preserve and grow the company for future generations. Hancock has brought that same philosophy to reining and the National Reining Horse Association. With more than 50 years of involvement in the sport, both in the show pen and out, Hancock has dedicated countless hours to NRHA—serving on committees, task forces, boards and ultimately serving two terms as NRHA President. Now, that lifetime of service is being recognized with NRHA’s highest honor: induction into the NRHA Hall of Fame.

The Road to Reining Hancock grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and began riding horses at age 13. By 14, he was shoeing horses, and after watching barrel racing at a local show, he quickly became hooked on competition. A transition from barrel racing to Western pleasure and later halter, introduced Hancock to judged events. However, it wasn’t long before he discovered what would become his lifelong passion: reining. “It really intrigued me because of the horsemanship and the ability of the horses early on,” Hancock said. That interest became something more when Hancock attended the NRHA Futurity® in 1970 at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

40 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame Mike Hancock. Photo by Waltenberry. →

“Sid Griffith was riding Red Ant Snort, and he was running when I walked into the Coliseum at the Futurity,” Hancock said. “I heard the crowd go wild, and I decided that’s exactly what I wanted to do long-term.” Hancock hasn’t missed an NRHA Futurity® since.

A Family Affair That same year, Hancock met his wife, Bryan Boddie, while they were both showing in AQHA Youth classes. They married at just 19 years old, beginning a life together that would remain closely intertwined with horses and the reining community. Together, Mike and Bryan began breeding and showing horses while Mike worked fulltime at the family’s company. The couple later welcomed two daughters, Catherine and Rebekah, and family quickly became the cornerstone of the life they built together. Catherine caught the horse bug early, following in her parent’s footsteps and showing horses. With his younger daughter, Rebekah, Hancock shares a love of skiing, and she went on to become a certified ski instructor. Scuba diving became something all three could enjoy together. “I had something to do with each daughter, and then something to do with both of them, which is just a balance of life,” Hancock said.

Success in the Show Pen In 1981, Hancock earned his first bronze trophies in Ashland,

OCTOBER 2026

Kentucky. That same year, he won the Excello Cup in West Allis, Wisconsin, and the NRHA Non Pro Pre-Futurity in Louisville, Kentucky, aboard daughters of Bryan’s mares. Hancock’s involvement in the sport soon extended far beyond his own competition record. Earning his AQHA and NRHA judges’ cards awarded him the opportunity to travel the world—and provided something he values even more than the miles traveled or shows judged. “I got to travel around the world judging horse shows and making friends, who are still friends,” Hancock said. As a competitor, Hancock has enjoyed success across multiple ancillary and aged events with lifetime earnings of nearly $440,000. His record includes multiple reserve world championships and wins at the All American Quarter Horse Congress and NRHA Futurity®.

Leading the Way Hancock’s impact on reining extends well beyond the show pen and began locally when he served on the organizing committee for the first NRHA Derby®, held in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the early 1980s. Drawing on the skills and experience developed throughout his corporate career, he went on to promote the Carolina Classic Derby for 27 years. His record of service to NRHA is equally extensive. Hancock has served two terms as NRHA President, first in 2019–2020 and again in 2025–2026. He has served four terms on the NRHA Executive Committee and a total of 18 years—and counting— on the NRHA Board of Directors. His committee involvement stretches back to 1981. NRHA REINER | 41

NRHA Hall of Fame He has also served as President of the Reining Horse Foundation and was part of the committee that helped establish the Foundation’s youth scholarship program. After witnessing so much of NRHA’s history firsthand, Hancock still marvels at how far the Association—and the sport—have come. “I was fortunate to be on the board at the time when we created the first $100,000 guaranteed purse, in 1983,” Hancock said of one of the milestones he remembers most. “Later on, I was on the board when we guaranteed $250,000 and then $350,000. Those numbers were just a piece of the growth of the club that I was involved in. Today we’re giving $28 million in total purse worldwide.”

More than Milestones For Hancock; however, the numbers tell only part of the story. After more than five decades, his connection to reining remains rooted in the same two things that first drew him to the sport: the horse and the people. “It’s still the horse—I am so appreciative of the reining horse itself, but beyond that, it’s the people, friends, acquaintances and seeing that circle of friends grow,” Hancock said. That appreciation also created a desire to give something back to the organization and community that have been such an important part of his life. “There are three reasons anybody serves on any board: work, wealth, or wisdom,” Hancock said. “I would like to think that over time I have given a little bit of all three to the sport, because it’s just ingrained in my life, and my wife’s life as well.” In his Hall of Fame letter of recommendation, Nate Burchell said Hancock’s character and dedication have earned him the respect of his peers and made him a role model for generations of reiners. “When I think of what the NRHA stands for, I think of Mike Hancock,” Burchell said. “Few individuals have contributed to the organization and the sport of reining in as many ways or for as long. Mike has excelled as a competitor, served as an ambassador for the sport, volunteered countless hours in leadership roles, advocated for the interests of members, supported educational and charitable initiatives, and generously contributed to the growth of the reining community. Most importantly, he has done so

42 | NRHA REINER

with humility, integrity, and a genuine passion for helping others.” Hancock’s commitment to service also extends beyond NRHA. Outside of his career and the reining community, he has served on boards for local charitable organizations, a local independent school, and North Carolina Wesleyan University. For all the accomplishments and milestones surrounding Hancock’s Hall of Fame induction, the honor also comes during a deeply bittersweet chapter of his life. His beloved wife of 53 years, Bryan, passed away in late August. “She was right here beside me throughout,” Hancock said. It is a simple statement, but one that reflects a partnership spanning more than five decades. What began with two teenagers showing horses together grew into something much bigger—a shared life centered first and foremost on family. Together, they raised two daughters while building successful careers, a breeding program, and a lifetime of memories within the horse industry.

The Next Chapter While one chapter of Hancock’s NRHA leadership service is ending as his term concludes December 31, he has no intention of stepping away from the sport. He remains focused on committee work and his involvement with the Reining Horse Foundation, particularly the Dale Wilkinson Memorial Crisis Fund and the Youth Scholarship Program, an initiative of which he is especially proud. He is also looking forward to spending a little more time back in the show pen. “I’m not as competitive as I was 40 years ago, of course, but I’m still enjoying it,” Hancock said. “I’ve had good success even in the last few years showing, and that’s where I go to show and see friends.” For someone who has spent more than half a century watching NRHA evolve, induction into the NRHA Hall of Fame carries special meaning. Hancock thinks about the men and women who have received the honor before him—the people whose horses, leadership, vision and service helped shape the sport he has devoted so much of his life to. “To be associated with the people of this industry who have made it [into the Hall of Fame], and made a difference, is very special to me,” Hancock said. “I am more than happy, more than proud, to join the club.” ■

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame

A Dream Come True From an exceptional show career in both the Non Pro and Open ranks to Million Dollar Mare status, This Chicsdundreamin’s remarkable legacy has earned her a place in the NRHA Hall of Fame By Megan Arszman | Photos by Waltenberry Lawrence and Lexi. →

here are great show horses, and there are great broodmares. Few ever prove themselves to be both. This Chicsdundreamin did. She carried a college student into the upper levels of Non Pro competition, competed simultaneously in Open aged events with a young professional who would become one of reining’s most successful riders, and retired with more than $124,000 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. Then, her second career began. As a broodmare, “Lexi” produced a remarkable lineup of performers that eventually propelled her to NRHA Million Dollar Mare status. Now, the mare whose influence has stretched from the show pen to generations of reiners has earned another distinction: induction into the NRHA Hall of Fame. Bred by the late Joe Hayes, This Chicsdundreamin (Magnum Chic Dream x Hermosa Dun It) would go on to become the first $100,000 earner for Magnum Chic Dream, who is now a $15 Million Sire. But when George Lawrence first met her, none of those accolades had been written yet.

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 43

↑ Lawrence and Lexi at the NRHA Derby®

Lawrence, then a college student at Texas Christian University, purchased Lexi from Hayes as a 2-year-old, with the intent of training her and starting his own path competing in NRHA shows. “She was a really good mover and really good-minded,” said Lawrence. “She would go to the ground really aggressively, even as a young 2-year-old. You just say the word, and she’d fold herself in half.” Lawrence later called on a barn close to campus to ask about boarding so he could ride his mare before and after classes. While the barn owner didn’t normally accept boarders, an exception was made. There, Lawrence found himself riding alongside a young Casey Deary, now an NRHA $6 Million Rider. Deary would ride alongside Lawrence and help when asked. It didn’t take long for Deary to recognize what Lawrence had beneath him. “That mare was exceptionally good minded,” said 44 | NRHA REINER

Deary. “She tried her heart out and was the same day after day.” An infection prevented This Chicsdundreamin from being shown at the NRHA Futurity®, but when her 4-year-old year came around, Deary and Lawrence decided to try showing her together. What followed was unusual for even an exceptional horse. The mare amassed $124,609 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings while competing simultaneously in Non Pro and Open aged events. With Lawrence, she won the 2008 NRBC Level 2 Non Pro Championship and the 2009 NRBC Level 2 Non Pro Championship, while also proving her ability in the open divisions with Deary at the reins. “You don’t hear of a high-caliber horse performing consistently in aged finals for both Non Pro and Open... and as a baby, that’s exceptional,” said Deary. OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame

“I WISH WE COULD HAVE KEPT HER LONGER, BUT I KNEW SHE WAS DESTINED TO DO BIGGER THINGS.” At the time, Lawrence was still at the beginning of his own career with horses. It would take owning others later for him to fully understand just how unusual Lexi had been. “I don’t think we fully appreciated it at the time, but after owning other horses after her, I don’t think I can ever find that again. Her mind was amazing,” said Lawrence. “So many people loved seeing her happy expression in the show pen, and they knew how much heart she had to be able to make both the Non Pro and the Open Finals. She truly loved her job.”

A Dream Broodmare A fateful trip out West to the Reining By The Bay and High Roller Classic set up the next stage of life for This Chicsdundreamin. While Lawrence and Deary were in the midst of a string of shows, they stalled next to the Sean McBurney of Rhodes River Ranch. The connection would become important after Lexi was retired from showing at the age of 7. Sean McBurney contacted Deary looking for mares to purchase to breed to Whizkey N Diamonds, and they liked This Chicsdundreamin for the cross. By then, Lawrence had already begun thinking about Lexi’s future as a broodmare. He’d bred the mare twice, once to Einsteins Revolution and another to Wimpys Little Step. He was just getting those two started under saddle when McBurney made Lawrence and his young wife, Chloe, an offer that two fresh college graduates couldn’t refuse. For Lawrence, selling the mare was difficult. But he also knew the qualities that had made Lexi such an extraordinary show horse had the potential to carry into another generation. “I wish we could have kept her longer, but I knew she was destined to do bigger things,” said Lawrence. “She had everything to be a great

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broodmare. She was made well with good bones and good feet. Magnum Chic Dream is a great sire, and to have Hollywood Dun It on the bottom—it’s a great combination.” He was right. This Chicsdundreamin was crossed with exceptional sires such as Tinker With Guns, Gunnatrashya, Whizkey N Diamonds and Spooks Gotta Whiz. From those crosses came horses that succeeded at the NRHA Futurity®, NRBC, NRHA Derby®, AQHA World Championships and The Run For A Million. Her most notable offspring is likely Tinker with Dreams (by Tinker With Guns), owned by Diamond Dub Quarter Horses, bred and nominated by Rhodes River Ranch, who has more than $430,000 in LTE. Alongside $2 Million Rider Dany Tremblay, the 2014 sorrel stallion was 2023 The Run for a Million reserve champion, 2021 NRBC Level 4 Co-Champion, and AQHA World Champion in the Senior Reining. Trashinyurdreams (by Gunnatrashya), owned by Loren Booth, bred and nominated by Rhodes River Ranch, was the 2021 NRHA Open Level 3 and Level 2 Futurity Champion, and more recently Take Out The Trash (by Gunnatrashya), owned by CR Ranch LLC, bred and nominated by Judy Box, earned the 2026 NRHA Level 4 Non Pro Derby Championship. Out of 20 foals, 16 are NRHA money earners, with others earning money in AQHA Ranch events as well. We’re starting to see her impact as a granddam as her offspring continue to pass down the heart and grit of Lexi. Sadly, This Chicsdundreamin’s story was cut short when she passed from complications during surgery at the age of 19. Her loss came long before her broodmare career was complete, leaving behind not only a remarkable legacy, but the promise of what she still had left to give. ■

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NRHA Hall of Fame

Next Up NRHA Futurity® winner and Million Dollar Mare Americasnextgunmodel is headed to the NRHA Hall of Fame By Megan Arszman

↑ Americasnextgunmodel and Casey Deary. Photo by Waltenberry.

very reining professional searches for that one horse—the one whose talent can change the trajectory of a career, whose lessons follow a trainer long after the last trip through the show pen. For $6 Million Rider Casey Deary, that horse came in a powerful, striking package with the kind of presence that begged judges to sit up and take notice. Americasnextgunmodel would give Deary his first NRHA Futurity® Level 4 Open Championship, become an NRHA Million Dollar Mare and ultimately produce more than $1.7 million in offspring earnings. More than a decade after her own show career ended, her influence continues to multiply through generations of reining horses.

46 | NRHA REINER

Now, “Lily” will add another distinction to that legacy: membership in the NRHA Hall of Fame. But in 2011, none of that had happened yet. Bred and nominated by David Silva, Americasnextgunmodel (Gunner x Cee Dun It Do It) was purchased by Deary and his wife Nicole, alongside Dana Case, at the 2011 NRHA Two-Year-Old Sale. The purchase began as a way to memorialize a longtime family friend, John, who had always wanted to buy Deary a great horse to show. They found one. From the beginning, the partnership between Deary and “Lily” was a giveand-take. He says the mare taught him as much about horse training as he had taught her. Her talent was obvious. So was the power that came with it. OCTOBER 2026

NRHA Hall of Fame At their first show together, Deary wasn’t prepared to unveil everything that the mare had. “She was a little reactive, but incredibly talented. I was afraid to ask her to go full speed of what she was capable of,” Deary said. “She had so much ability, she was so powerful and so quick, I was afraid that if she became unharnessed, they might be picking up my body parts out of the arena.” There was no overlooking her. “Besides being beautiful, the way she used herself you could see what an athlete she was,” he added.

The Futurity That Changed Everything By the time the pair arrived at the NRHA Futurity®, the potential Deary had seen was beginning to turn into results. They won the first goround and tied the high composite score, putting Americasnextgunmodel squarely on the radar as one of the event’s standout 3-year-olds. The Arcese family took notice. They approached Deary about purchasing the mare before the finals, but Deary had a condition. “I had priced her the same to everyone who offered to buy her, with the same stipulation— that she got to stay in my barn as long as I wanted her,” said Deary. The Arceses agreed. They believed the mare could win the Futurity the next day, and they believed Deary was the right person to show her. They were right. With a score of 228, Deary and Americasnextgunmodel claimed the NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Championship. It was Deary’s first Futurity Level 4 title and the beginning of a new chapter for both horse and rider. For the Arcese family, however, Lily’s potential extended well beyond what she could accomplish in the show pen. “When you look at conformation, talent, trainability and willingness in a mare, that gives you the foundation to believe you can build a successful breeding program around her,” said Leonardo Arcese. “Americasnextgunmodel gave us that confidence.” The mare continued showing through her 5-yearold campaign before retiring from competition. Her first career had already made her an NRHA Futurity® champion. Her second would make her one of the defining broodmares of her generation.

Industry-Defining Broodmare NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Eleuterio Arcese had a plan for Americasnextgunmodel almost from the moment she joined the Arcese program.

OCTOBER 2026

In fact, according to Deary, he had already envisioned the cross that would eventually produce some of Lily’s most successful offspring before she even won her Futurity title. “When Mr. Arcese bought Lily the night before the Futurity, he said, ‘We’re going to breed that mare to Walla Walla Whiz and change the industry,’” Deary recalled. “He saw even before anyone else what could happen with that cross, and (Americasnexttopgun) was what we were trying to come up with. He had the foresight to look at her and say, this is what we’re going to do and know that it was going to work.” And work it did. The first three foals out of Lily and by the $5 Million Sire, Walla Walla Whiz, (Topsail Whiz x Shiney Walla Wanda), owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, bred by Terry and Jo Wiens, collectively accounted for more than $750,000 in lifetime earnings, including: • Americas Supermodel, a 2015 mare, owned by Whitmarsh Arcese Partnership, bred and nominated by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, earned $231,254; • Americasnexttopgun, a 2016 stallion, owned by Triple F Alliance, bred and nominated by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, earned $425,892 • Americasnextcovrgirl, a 2017 mare, owned by Maria Cecilia Fiorucci, bred and nominated by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, earned $132,441. Americas Supermodel became an NRHA Open Level 4 Futurity Finalist and AQHA World Champion. Lily’s second foal, Americasnexttopgun—“Maverick”— returned Deary to a major-event winner’s circle when the pair captured the 2020 NRHA Level 4 Open Derby Championship. Two years later, they added the 2022 NRBC Level 4 Open Championship. For the Arcese program, those results validated a breeding philosophy built around more than simply matching successful bloodlines. “It’s about developing the right crosses, whether that’s with one of our own stallions or an outside stallion,” said Arcese. “That takes experience, a great team and paying close attention to the details in each cross and what gives every foal its best opportunity.” For Deary, the success of the Walla Walla Whiz cross was evident not just on paper, but in the qualities Lily passed to her offspring. “The combination of Americasnextgunmodel and Walla Walla Whiz has been incredible,” Deary said. “Maverick is to me what every reining horse wants to be. He’s a great turner, great loper, plenty of stop, beautiful to look at, and he has an unusually kind attitude.” NRHA REINER | 47

NRHA Hall of Fame The offspring may not all be identical, but Deary recognizes pieces of Lily in them—the strength, the explosiveness and the dynamic ability that once made him cautious about asking the mare for everything she had. For the Arceses, producing that talent is only part of the equation. Its opportunity to flourish after leaving their program matters, too. “We’ve been very fortunate to also sell her offspring to owners who have put them in the right hands and given them the opportunity to succeed at the highest level,” Leonardo Arcese added. “We take a lot of pride in supporting those customers and watching those horses go on to build their own records.”

The Next Generation

↑ Belissimo and Casey Deary. Photo by Carolyn Simancik.

More The One Cross As exceptional as the Walla Walla Whiz offspring proved to be, Lily’s legacy would not be confined to a single cross. Amerciasnextgunmodel has produced elite individuals by Walla Walla Whiz, Magnum Chic Dream, In Like Flinn, Whizkey N Diamonds, Wimpys Little Step and more, demonstrating an ability to pass along the traits of a champion. One of the most recent examples came in 2025. Crossed on Magnum Chic Dream, (Smart Chic Olena x Sailin Barbee), owned by Viola Scott, bred by Guy A Du Ponchel, Lily produced Belissimo, owned, bred and nominated by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, who became the 2025 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champion. Once again, Deary was at the reins. “Belissimo is like his mother - quite, but incredibly strong and explosive in his maneuvers,” said Deary. “He is one who will make a great breeding horse also. To me, Belissimo proves what Lily can produce. She puts that dynamic ability on those horses. I think anybody could have trained Maverick (Americasnexttopgun). He could have fit in any barn you put him in. But, there are some like Super Model (Americas Supermodel) or Belissimo, knowing the mother helped me train those offspring.” It is a rare perspective for a trainer: to know a mare as a young prospect, guide her through the biggest moments of her show career and, years later, draw on those lessons while training the next generation. 48 | NRHA REINER

Americasnextgunmodel’s own record would be enough to secure her place in reining history: an NRHA Futurity® Level 4 Open Championship followed by a broodmare career that has surpassed $1.7 million in progeny earnings as of print. But perhaps the clearest measure of her influence is that the story no longer stops with her direct offspring. Her sons and daughters are beginning to establish legacies of their own. Americasnexttopgun recently joined the NRHA Million Dollar Sire ranks with only 13 foals currently competing, extending Lily’s influence into another generation of the sport. The mare purchased as a 2-year-old in memory of a family friend not only became Deary’s first NRHA Futurity® Level 4 champion, she became the cornerstone of a breeding vision for the Arcese family. Her offspring returned Deary to some of reining’s biggest winner’s circles. Now, those offspring are producing champions themselves. It is the kind of legacy that cannot be measured by a single run, a single championship or even a million-dollar milestone. “Americasnextgunmodel represents the qualities we want to build around,” said Leonardo Arcese. “Our goal is not just one successful generation. It’s to keep developing future generations around the traits that have proven their merit.” For Americasnextgunmodel , those generations are already taking shape. And the mare who first commanded attention with her beauty, power and unmistakable athleticism has earned a permanent place among the horses and people who have shaped reining: the NRHA Hall of Fame. ■ OCTOBER 2026

2017 AQHAAPHA MARE

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NRHA REINER | 49

50 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

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NRHA REINER | 51

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Over $1.4 Million Paid in 2025! Your horse may be eligible for Chrome Cash!

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The Run for a Million

Making History The Run For A Million saw the NRHA all-time high score matched, then broken, in one of the greatest displays of reining the sport has ever seen By Blanche Schaefer | Photos courtesy of NRHA

↑ Kole Price and Golden Coins join South Point General Manager, Ryan Growney on the casino floor after their record-breaking performance. Photo courtesy of The Run For A Million.

he packed South Point Arena crowd rose to its feet in a salvo of cheers as Gabriel Borges dismounted from Spooks Gotta Ice (SG Frozen Enterprize x Spooks Gotta Lady), owned by nominator Kathy Page, bred by Ubere Agropecuaria Eireli, removed his hat and bowed to his mount on the arena floor following an impressive 236.5-point run. The duo’s electric performance at The Run For A Million in Las Vegas matched the all-time NRHA high score set 19 years earlier by Andrea Fappani and Custom

54 | NRHA REINER

Legend (Custom Crome x Dry Doc Bobbie), owned and bred by Steven Simon. For nearly two decades, 236.5 had seemed untouchable. Now, it wouldn’t even stand alone through the next set. With the South Point crowd still buzzing from Borges’ historic run, Kole Price rode Golden Coins (Spooks Gotta Gun x Electric Cha Ching), owned by Coin Toss LLC, bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine, into the show pen. The pair delivered a breathtaking pattern to mark a 237.5, breaking the

OCTOBER 2026

Gabriel Borges rode Spooks Gotta Ice to a 236.5, tying the then NRHA record. Photos by Aubrey Malone →

NRHA record Borges had tied only minutes earlier. The arena erupted as Price flung his hat toward the rafters, stepped off Golden Coins and soaked in the moment with his new NRHA record-holding mount. In a matter of minutes, reining history had been rewritten. A benchmark that had stood untouched for nearly two decades was first matched, then surpassed, on a night when the sport’s best horses and riders seemed to continually raise the ceiling of what was possible in the show pen. The Run For A Million had already delivered a 234 from NRHA All-Time leading rider, Andrea Fappani and Alpha Viking (Gunnatrashya x Rock It With Sass), owned by Alpha Quarter Horses, LLC and Vargo Quarter Horses, LLC - bred and nominated by Alpha Quarter Horses, LLC, before Borges’ 236.5 and Price’s 237.5. By night’s end, the Million Dollar Competition had become more than a battle for its $500,000 championship—it was one of the greatest displays of reining the sport had ever seen. “We had the greatest reining that’s ever been held. A 234 in the first section with Andrea at draw No. 4, and then three times we thought it was over, that nobody’s going to beat that, and somebody bested it,” said TRFAM television commentator Steve Ross, an NRHA judge, professional trainer and clinician, and longtime radio and broadcasting personality in Western performance horse sports. “Kole crushed it on Golden Coins. The greatest run, highest score ever awarded, and nobody’s arguing that. There’s nobody Monday morning quarterbacking. It was every bit of the highest score ever. I’ve seen great runs over the years, but I don’t think I’ve seen one I could mark higher with the possibility of Gabe Borges, who was second. I cannot imagine having that run and being first runner up.”

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For Borges, the record score of 236.5 is something he’s specifically dreamed of reaching and kept in mind since he began reining more than 12 years ago. “One of my dreams and goals was to mark something like that. I have been working very hard to do it, and when it happened, it felt unreal. It meant the world to me to accomplish that,” said the Million Rider and native of Brazil who now trains out of Ardmore, Oklahoma. “It took me some time to figure out how big that was. The run felt really good and everything felt the way I wanted it to. When I heard the score, it was what I wanted to hear, but it took a couple of days to think we really did it. This is my dream, and I got it done.” Borges recalls being a young trainer watching Fappani’s run on Custom Legend to win the 2007 NRBC Open. He quickly learned throughout his career just how difficult it is to train a horse to execute a perfect reining pattern. NRHA REINER | 55

The Run for a Million

“I remember how powerful he was and how flawless. No penalties. He was so powerful from start to finish, and that’s the one thing that made me think, wow, this is so hard to do. To make it look that easy, going that strong,” Borges said. “When I watched those runs back then, when I started reining, it looked easy. When I started doing it, I figured out how hard it is to make it look that easy. Every single maneuver, with perfection, no penalties—I started chasing it, to be able to do that. Now I’m going to keep chasing the 238.” For 19 years, no one had matched the number Borges had spent much of his career chasing. When he finally did, it was enough for second. His 236.5 earned a $95,000 payday and a permanent place in one of reining’s most historic nights, even if the record itself belonged to him for only a matter of minutes. Borges was quick to put the outcome in perspective—and just as quick to give Price and Golden Coins their due. “I am happy for Kole; he had such an exceptional horse. It was one of those moments we don’t see every day. A horse like [Golden Coins] that has been so consistent and so phenomenal, and everybody knew he could break the record. To be part of this was great for me,” Borges said. “We all want to win it, but the biggest to me is getting everything out of your horse and maximizing your horse with no mistakes. That’s the win. We work hard to get there, and I appreciate every nice run when I see one. I know how hard it is to accomplish.” Price, especially, knew Golden Coins was capable of marking a record score. The 2020 stallion had won over $354,000 prior to TRFAM. Price and Golden Coins won the 2024 TRFAM Open Shootout, the 2025 NRBC Open Level 4, finished as reserve champions in the 2025 NRHA Derby® and won the 2026 NRBC Open Level 4 only a few months prior to TRFAM. As the 2021 TRFAM champion on Gunna Stop, Price was no stranger to the unique pressure of the event. He relished the opportunity to show a horse he knew could win it all. “I knew I definitely had the horse to win it, and I knew I probably had the horse on everybody’s radar,” said the $2 Million Rider based in Pilot Point, Texas. “I think if you’d said, what’s the one horse that has the most to lose? It’d be Golden Coins. That actually relaxed me, because it gave me confidence. I’d rather show up on a horse that 56 | NRHA REINER

↑ Golden Coins and Kole Price. Photo by Aubrey Malone.

I know and everybody else believes in. For some it adds pressure, but it gives me a lot of confidence.” He says the stallion’s biggest strength is the way he can execute a pattern with beautiful flow. Price wrote the word ‘FLOW’ over his thumb for their run that night to remind him to stay centered on showing Golden Coins as an individual and not get caught up in the adrenaline of a high-energy performance. “When I was sitting in center, if I looked down at my hand or his neck, I would see it,” Price explained. “He can do all the big maneuvers, but to me the cool stuff is the transitional stuff. The way his top line never changes. He uses his ears. His pattern has so much flow that it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a speed game with that horse. Obviously, you’ve got to run hard, but he’s got so much style that I wanted to keep in mind to remember his run. Why do they mark this horse? Pattern flow. I knew the music was going to be loud, and I knew everybody was going to hang it out there. What I didn’t want was to get caught up in the moment and run a different pattern than what has worked for that horse.” Golden Coins simply couldn’t have been better. Price’s relaxed, polished showmanship proved why OCTOBER 2026

The Run for a Million they both owned the new NRHA record score and $500,000 winning check. “My favorite part of the run was after my second turn, when I shut him off between the first shutoff and lead departure. He stood like a statue. He didn’t quiver. His ears didn’t quiver. He didn’t look around. He wasn’t vibrating. He was so intense, but so relaxed. It was like standing on a statue so everybody could look at him,” Price recounted. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that. It was the neatest part of my run.” From Ross’ perspective as a longtime industry professional in both the arena and broadcast booth, seeing horses content while performing maneuvers at an extraordinary level says a lot about the professionals who are training and showing them. “The thing I was most proud of as a reining horse trainer, as just a guy who loves horses and horses have given me a great life, is the horses looked so good, happy, engaged, healthy, not intimidated or scared,” Ross said. “I give the trainers a ton of credit that they’ve created a user-friendly horse that’s pleasing to the eye, which is what the judge’s handbook says they’re supposed to be. They make it look so easy because of these great horses.”

Borges says events like TRFAM incentivize trainers to save horses like Spooks Gotta Ice and Golden Coins for single big-money nights rather than showing them throughout the year. He credits event producer and founder Taylor Sheridan on the format and payout of TRFAM, which has contributed to how owners and trainers manage bigtime horses for bigtime stages. “The way Taylor organized it separates the best of the best to showcase in the finals. TRFAM is setting us up for excellence in a way where we have time to prepare our horses. They’ve organized the show to allow riders to bring the best out of our horses. TRFAM is $500,000 for first. That’s a lot of money, so you’re going to bring the best to that night,” Borges said. “I’m planning for next year already. The outcome is to bring excellence. It’s worth it to prepare your horse for that run and hold onto a good horse for a couple shows a year.” The format is also designed to be spectatorfriendly, especially for those outside the traditional horse show audience, which was one of Sheridan’s goals when he created TRFAM in tandem with the documentary series The Last Cowboy in 2019.

The Jog: A Million Dollar Tradition

efore The Million-Dollar Competition begins, every horse must first pass an important test: the jog. The mandatory veterinary inspection evaluates each horse’s fitness and soundness ahead of competition, helping ensure the equine athletes entering the arena are prepared to perform at the sport’s highest level. It’s a simple but meaningful moment— one that reflects the shared commitment of The Run For A Million and the NRHA to putting horse welfare first. With extraordinary athleticism comes an equally important responsibility to protect the horses at the heart of reining. ← Ground Jury Vets Otto Stanislaw, John Newcomb and Russ Peterson.

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NRHA REINER | 57

The Run for a Million

The event has seen much growth and expansion over the last seven years, including the addition of breakaway roping, cutting, cow horse, and Non Pro competition. One marquee addition in 2026 that augmented TRFAM’s reach was its broadcast of the Million Dollar Competition on CBS the following weekend. “There’s a ripple effect to these events, because everybody who was there, everybody who saw it on TV, if you’re involved in the sport, next time you go to the barn, you’re inspired. I promise you, every Non Pro reiner in the world rode Monday after The Run For A Million,” Ross said. “I felt a little added responsibility [as a commentator], because it was on CBS. Taylor’s sought after enough that it gives us a chance to get on there again next year. It’s a slow, steady drumbeat to grow our sport, like Drive To Survive did for F1 racing. The Last Cowboy and Yellowstone have done that for reining and

introduced it so people can learn about the players.” Price is honored and humbled to be a part of reining’s storied history as the sport grows and reaches more people than it ever has, thanks to events like TRFAM. “I think that was the greatest reining we’ve ever seen. For me to not only break the record but also win it in general means everything to me. Now, people’s first thought when they think of reining, they’re going to think of Golden Coins and Kole Price,” he said. “It used to be when I met people, it was easier just to show them a video of reining than it was to try to explain it, because no matter what I would say, they thought I was either racing horses or a bull rider. I always used to show Andrea’s run on Custom Legend, because it was the best run ever. It’s really special to me that hopefully Golden Coins is the run people will show to somebody new who’s never seen reining before.” ■ Kole and Krew Price collect their winnings. Photo by Aubrey Malone. ↓

58 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

The Run for a Million

Golden Coins: A Legacy Doug Carpenter Saw Coming

olden Coins historic victory at The Run For A Million carries a story that began long before he ever entered the arena. Legendary horseman Doug Carpenter first spotted Golden Coins as a baby in a pasture at Silver Spurs and immediately saw something special in him. Trusting Doug’s eye and recommendation, Cooper Smith purchased the colt based on Doug’s advice. Golden Coins would become one of the last horses Doug selected before his passing in 2020. Doug admired everything about him — his strength, his mind and, perhaps most importantly, his presence. After Doug’s passing, Cooper changed the name of the colt to Golden Coins in his honor. The name held special meaning. Doug believed in investing in things of lasting value, including gold. When he sold a horse and did well, he was known to buy a gold coin — something Cooper and Doug’s friends knew well. It seemed only fitting that a colt Doug believed so strongly in would carry a name that paid tribute to him. Years later, Doug’s eye proved right once again. Golden Coins went on to win The Run For A Million and set a new record for the highest score in NRHA history — an extraordinary accomplishment made even more meaningful as the sport Doug loved was showcased on national television. Those who knew Doug can only imagine how much he would have loved watching that moment: a horse he found as a baby making history on one of reining’s biggest stages. Doug Carpenter knew greatness when he saw it. With Golden Coins, he was right one more time. ↑ Doug Carpenter. Photo courtesy of NRHA.

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↓ Photo by Waltenberry.

MILLION DOLLAR COMPETITION Golden Coins and Kole Price Pedigree: (Spooks Gotta Gun x Electric Cha Ching) Owner: Coin Toss LLC Breeder: Silver Spurs Equine Score: 237.5 Million Dollar Competition: $500,000 Under the bright lights of Las Vegas at The Run For a Million, Kole Price and Golden Coins marked a 237.5 to establish the highest score ever recorded in NRHA history. The run also secured the $500,000 championship paycheck, capping a three-year partnership that had steadily gained momentum.

Before the event, Price looked at the depth of the field of horses, and predicted it would be a record-breaking event. While he didn’t know he would be the one to rewrite NRHA history, he had all the confidence in his partner, Golden Coins. “I kind of expected it. I didn’t necessarily say that I was going to be it, but I knew that if my horse was ready, he was going to be the one they were going to have to beat,” Price said. Golden Coins came to Price’s barn in May of his three-year-old year. The horse’s talent was apparent from the beginning, but early bobbles kept the team from immediate success. By his fiveyear-old year, the pieces began to come together. The duo went on to become back-to-back NRBC Level 4 Open Champions before Golden Coins went undefeated throughout his six-year-old year. Leading up to The Run For A Million, Price believed Golden Coins still had more to give. “At the NRBC, he was a 231.5 both times I showed him, and he was super easy to show,” Price said. “I thought I could challenge him a little harder, and that there was a lot more in the tank–obviously you never know if there is a 237.5 in there, but I did know there could be more plus 1 and ½ maneuvers on his score card than there are plus 1’s. It is freaky to think about a horse being that talented, but that is how he felt.” The journey was not built around a single breakthrough, but through years of studying, working, and putting himself in situations where he could learn from people ahead of him. “It is living proof that if you want to be in the category of somebody else, you’ve got to walk, talk, act like it and figure out what it is that they’re doing and study, study, study–then genuinely believe that you can do that too,” Price said. “You’re the only person that says you can’t do it–from a young kid who didn’t show his first reining horse until he was 19 years old to now being 36 and doing it. In order to get better, you have to be ok with getting yourself very uncomfortable and that is one thing I think I’ve always been very good at.”

RACE FOR A MILLION RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Spooks Gotta Ice

SG Frozen Enterprize x Spooks Gotta Lady

Gabriel Borges

Kathy Page

Ubere Agropecuaria Eireli

236.6

$95,000

Alpha Viking

Gunnatrashya x Rock It With Sass

Andrea Fappani

Alpha Quarter Horses, Alpha Quarter LLC, Vargo Quarter Horses, LLC Horses, LLC

234

$85,000

T-4

Custom Made Whizkey

Whizkey N Diamonds x Customized My Gun

Ben Beckett

Rinck Heule

McQuay Stables Inc.

231

$75,000

T-4

Luk Skywalker

Maytheforcebewhizyou x RS Athena Jac

Mirko Midili

Janice Laney, Thiago Boechat

Caracciolo/Lukacs

231

$75,000

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OCTOBER 2026

↑ Photo by Waltenberry.

100K OPEN SHOOTOUT Perfect On Ice and Casey Deary Pedigree: (SG Frozen Enterprize x Isnt She Perfect) Owner: Amy Medows Breeder: Amy Medows Score: 230.5 100K Open Shootout: $29,155 Casey Deary and Perfect On Ice had only three weeks to prepare for the $100,000 Open Shootout at the Run For A Million in Las Vegas. For Deary, the win was made even more special because of the history he shares with the stallion and his owner, Jack Medows. “We started that horse before Jack took him

home at the end of his 2-year-old year, and then I got to show him as a 4-year-old,” Deary said. “I’ve also helped Jack at shows the past several years, so I know the horse really well.” Jack did the majority of the training during the stallion’s developmental years. Deary and Jack have similar training programs, and with the stallion being so willing and great-minded, preparation for the Shootout was simple. “He is like a machine in the arena,” Deary said. “He is so simple to show with a great mind and is a humongous stopper. He can handle any ground.” Deary was quick to credit and thank Jack and the Medows family for trusting him with the horse. “There’s not a lot of guys that will hand over their last few years of labor and let me go use it, and I’m very thankful they did,” Deary said.

100K OPEN SHOOTOUT RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Voodoo Flo Jo

Shiners Voodoo Dr x Very Smart Flo Jo

Gabriel Borges

Dean Raichel

J Pearson

229.5

$14,155

Vintage Chex

A Sparkling Vintage x Chex Out The Cowgirl

Luca Fappani

Barbara Phillips

Bill Coburn

229.5

$14,155

GPB Smokinvintagegun

A Vintage Smoke x Gunners Best Stop

Jason Vanlandingham

Vaughn Zimmerman, Robert Santagata

GPB Ranch Enterprises, LLC

229.5

$14,155

Dust Off Ya Gunns

Gunnatrashya x One Mighty Aphrodite

Peter DeFreitas

Double Run Farm

228.5

$10,141

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 61

← Photo by Waltenberry.

NON PRO CHALLENGE, YOUTH CHALLENGE Gunna Cash Ya and Emanuel Gebert Pedigree: (Lil Joe Cash x Gunners Blonde Chic) Owner: Emanuel Gebert Breeder: Allison Sutton Non Pro Challenge Score: 218 (224) Youth Challenge Score: 220.5 Non Pro Challenge: $31,873 Youth Challenge: $4,000

Emanuel Gebert’s third trip to Las Vegas proved to be one to remember. In a nail-biting fourway runoff in the Non Pro, Gebert claimed the championship, scoring a 224 riding Gunna Cash Ya. They carried that momentum into the Youth Challenge, adding another championship to their successful week. In all, Gebert added a total of $31,872 to their lifetime earnings. After an overturn in his first Non Pro run—tying him with three other riders—Gebert knew what he could improve on. “I was happy, excited, and nervous all at the same time,” Gebert said. “I had an overturn in my first run, and I wanted to go in and clean up that maneuver.” Going into the runoff, Gebert relied on his preparation, and his trust in his horse. “Duke” proved to be reliable going into the youth, allowing Gebert to clean up his rundowns and ride with more confidence as he claimed the championship. “I tried not to be in the horse’s way,” he said. “He is so honest in the show pen, and I can really trust him 100%.” Gebert credits Story Book Stables, trainers Arno and Patrick, and most importantly, his family for helping him reach the top.

NON PRO REINING CHALLENGE RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE 218

EARNINGS

Take Out The Trash

Gunnatrashya x This Chicsdundreamin

Gina-Maria Schumacher

CS Ranch LLC

Judy Box

Pale Light

Pale Face Dunnit x Luz Del Conquistador

Allison Thorson

Thorsport

Ginger Schmersal

Let Err Rip

Magnum Chic Dream x Gunner Be Custom

Sarah Jons

Sotol Investments, Rodion LLC Cantacuzene Jr. JR

Cromedblack Gun MIL

Gunner Dun It Again x Cromedblackcielo FMM

Mandy McCutcheon

Tom & Mandy McCutcheon

Jamil Buchalla Filho

217.5

$10,393

Ruf Jewels

Not Ruf At All x Gotta Get A Diamond

Taylor Zimmerman

Vaughn Zimmerman

217.5

$10,393

(223.5) 218 (219.5) 218 (192.5)

$15,475 $15,475 $15,475

YOUTH CHALLENGE RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Dream On Whiz

Magnum Chic Dream x Ms Sassy Whiz

Trinity Bell

Joetta Bell

Hill Country Reiners, LLC

218

$3,000

Sea To Shiney Sea

Americasnexttopgun x Lil Shiney Cash

Harper Kiseljack

Josh Tishman

216.5

$2,000

All Bets In

High Roller Whiz x Spooks Chic Mya

Joy Deary

Casey Deary

Stuart Russell

216

Chics Guna Dream

Magnum Chic Dream x Gun Whiz It

Elouise Moffett

Loren Booth

Stephanie Nelson

214

62 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

The Run for a Million

← Photo by Waltenberry.

ROOKIE LEVEL 1 CHALLENGE Great Gotta Whiz and Pedro Diano Pedigree: (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shirleys Cashin In) Owner: Alpha Quarter Horses, LLC Breeder: Ambrosini Quarter Horses ASD Score: 212.5 Rookie Level 1 Challenge: $349

Pedro Diano and Great Gotta Whiz scored a 212.5 to claim The Run For A Million Rookie Level 1 Championship. The win was especially meaningful to Diano, but he is quick to give credit to his teammate. “The win means a lot, I had to compete against a lot of great people to get to Vegas,” Diano said. “If it wasn’t for my horse doing his best, I wouldn’t have gotten here.” Diano is already looking ahead, with big goals for the remainder of his reining career. “It means a lot to see the leaderboard and see my name on the top,” Diano said. “I hope that’s how it’s going to be next year. I want to try to win all the Non Pro levels of the [NRHA] Futurity, and also defend my title at TRFAM.” The 14-year-old credits his father, Gabriel Diano, for helping him develop as a rider and teaching him about reining. He also has a clear role model in Andrea Fappani. “My dad helped me train, taught me a lot about reining, and helped me get all the way here. Besides my dad, my idol is Andrea Fappani. One day I want to be as good as him.”

ROOKIE LEVEL 1 CHALLENGE RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Mr Selfie

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Juicy Shiner

Leila Palestrant

Elevation Sport Horses LLC

Smart Like Juice Inc

211

$275

Phantomlicious RD

Phantom Face x Bubblicious Gump BB

Lais Alexia Noordegraaf Hey

Ruediger Diedenhofen

210

$150

Golden Stitch

Magnum Chic Dream x Gotta Git Ya Dun

Trinity Tiffany

Aleisha Fotopoulos

Monica Hicks Mathison

210

$150

Whizzen In The Wind

Whizkey N Diamonds x Very Smart Flo Jo

Dakota Hultberg

Susan Pearson

J Pearson

210

$150

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 63

The Run for a Million

← Photo by Waltenberry.

ROOKIE LEVEL 2 CHALLENGE Temptedtoshine and Christine Loper Pedigree: (PS Mega Shine Chic x Misters Temptress) Owner: Loper Performance Horses, LLC Breeder: Adh-Mor Ranch Score: 214 Rookie Level 2 Challenge: $339

Christine Loper wanted to leave the Rookie division with a bang. After taking a year off f rom the show pen with her gelding, Loper and Temptedtoshine returned with their sights set on Vegas. The team turned that goal into reality to win the Rookie Level 2 Challenge. “I set the goal for Vegas because I felt like I had enough horse to make me competitive, and it was my last year in Rookie,” Loper said. “It was my last hoorah, and I was aiming for the stars.” Last fall Loper set the goal, and in January began riding with Cira Baeck as they prepared for the 2026 show season. “Cira Baeck has elevated my horsemanship— both my horse has gotten better, and I’ve gotten better,” Loper said. “To be honest I don’t think I could have done it without her.” Loper set her sights on qualifying with hopes of winning a buckle. She even hired a personal trainer to prepare physically for competition. When the hard work paid off however, she couldn’t believe it. “It truly was a surprise to me when they announced my score,” Loper said. “When you work so hard for something and then it happens, it is just amazing.”

ROOKIE LEVEL 2 CHALLENGE RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

212.5

$217

Great Gotta Whiz

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shirleys Cashin In

Pedro Diano

Alpha Quarter Horses, LLC

Ambrosini Quarter Horses ASD

Illshowuagoodtime

Show Your Guns x Lime A Rita

Emily Oliver

Arno Honstetter

212.5

$217

Golden Stitch

Magnum Chic Dream x Gotta Git Ya Dun

Trinity Tiffany

Aleisha Fotopoulos

Monica Hicks Mathison

212

$106

Xtra Step Doctor

Shiners Voodoo Dr x Xtra Ruby Step

Morgan Moore

Ixtul Quarter Horses, LLC

211

$90

Mr Selfie

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Juicy Shiner

Leila Palestrant

Elevation Sport Horses LLC

Smart Like Juice Inc

211

$90

64 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

Sliding to Victory: Eschewing the traditional reining scorecard, Race for the Slide is judged by two simple metrics: How fast can you go, and how far can you slide? In an event that manages to be both

exceptionally dramatic and incredibly simple, competitors’ total scores are calculated by adding together their top speed (measured with a radar gun) with total slide distance (measured using slide marks).

← Photo by Aubrey Malone.

RACE FOR THE SLIDE Sparklin Nite and Ashley Kelkenberg Pedigree: (Gunners Special Nite x Getaway Spark) Owner: Andrea Stewart-Pritchett Breeder: Bunkey Latimer Score: 71.4 Race for the Slide: $17,920

The Race To The Slide, presented by ThorSport Farm & Ranch, put one of reining’s most spectacular maneuvers, the sliding stop, front and center. With $70,000 added, the event challenges horses and riders to combine speed and the sliding stop. Scores are determined by the speed of the run down, and the length of the sliding stop. Ashley Kelkenberg and Sparklin Nite came out on top, earning a score of 30 for time and 41.4 for distance. “I chose him because he stops so big and so long,” Kelkenberg said. “It doesn’t matter how he runs, if he’s leaning, if he checks early, it doesn’t matter, he always stops.” That all-in approach is what makes The Race To The Slide exciting for spectators. The concept is simple to follow, but the stakes are high—one horse, one run, and one opportunity. “It is a really neat event because I believe it gives some of those older horses, like ‘Charlie,’ a purpose and a chance to be able to still win a lot of money,” she said. For Kelkenberg, the event provided an opportunity to showcase a horse she trusts and loves on one of reining’s largest stages, making the experience one she will never forget.

RACE FOR THE SLIDE RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Smart Chic 66

Inferno Sixty Six x Chics Vintage Flare

Kaleb Nicholson

Jimmy McDavid

67.7

$14,080

Spookadeous

Spooks Gotta Gun x Trash N For Chex

Jonathan J. Gauthier

Kary Key

66.7

$10,880

Dancing Inferno

Inferno Sixty Six x This Filly Dances

Tony Luna

Sergio Elia

66.3

$6,400

RLC Custom Shiny Gun

Lil Legend x Shiny Guns

Tony Luna

Luna Performance Horses

Juan Ramon, Ramos Sanchez

63.1

$5,760

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 65

Thanks to the hundreds of you who participated in 2025 and to these NRHA affiliates and select shows who volunteered to support your Reining Horse Foundation! • National Reining Breeders Classic • 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel • California RHA—The Challenge • High Roller Reining Classic • Cactus Reining Classic • Woodside Slide • Arizona RHA Shows Mother’s Day Slide Best of the West • The Run For A Million • Michigan Slide • SWRHA Futurity • 100X Reining Classic • Stampede Show & Derby Stakes • Southeastern RHA Carolina Classic and RHF Derbies

If every NRHA member would contribute $10 once each year to RHF, it would generate nearly $150,000!

Subject to change

Contact RHF for related marketing tools, if your affiliate or show is making this commitment 3021 W Reno Ave. • Oklahoma City, OK 73107 • (405) 946-7400 • rhf@nrha.com • reiningfoundation.com

Friendship l Leadership l Scholarship

Start Here

Begin your pattern for success with NRHyA

Go Anywhere

No matter your level, there’s a place for you—and opportunities to grow, compete and lead

Join NRHyA and keep continuous membership

68 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 69

A Vegas Wedding

Trotting Down the Aisle Kelsey Flessner and Cooper Smith tied the knot in a memorable, impromptu, barn aisle ceremony at The Run For A Million By Abigail Boatwright | Photos by Chelsea Schneider

↑ Kelsey Flessner and Cooper Smith are married at this year’s The Run for a Million.

ast-minute weddings are as much a part of Vegas culture as blackjack and nightlights. So it made perfect sense for Kelsey Flessner and Cooper Smith to get hitched in Las Vegas during The Run For A Million. What made their celebration on August 16 extra special was the location: their barn aisle at South Point Arena.

Hatching the plan Kelsey and Cooper met at a Quarter Horse show many years ago when Cooper’s dad was showing halter horses. They’ve been dating for 15 years, engaged for nine, and live in Whitesboro, Texas. The couple has a busy travel schedule, which made planning a wedding challenging.

70 | NRHA REINER

“When we were home, we just wanted to chill,” Kelsey said. “But we have a son who’s almost 2, and we thought ‘We need to really get around to doing this actually.’” The couple got their marriage license two weeks before The Run For A Million, just to have it. When NRHA $2 Million Rider Dany Tremblay showed their horse Americas Superstar, (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Americas Supermodel), owned by Smith Ranch, bred and nominated by Whitmarsh Arcese Partnership, in The Run For A Million class, ending up sixth, the couple and their friends were celebrating at the stalls after the awards ceremony like they do at every horse show.

OCTOBER 2026

A Vegas Wedding

Cooper suggested going to the chapel with Elvis to get married. But at that hour, getting folks to the chapel downtown would be a logistical challenge. “We just decided to do it right there,” Kelsey said. The couple is friends with Whitesboro neighbor and $5 Million Rider Jason Vanlandingham. They knew he was ordained, so they called him. He came down from his hotel room to help orchestrate the ceremony, graciously agreeing to officiate. “It was a very spur of the moment thing, which is funny to say since we’ve been together for 15 years, but the actual having the ceremony itself was not planned at all,” Kelsey said.

The Details Everything came together quickly: plants from a friend’s stall decoration, and flowers from a The Run For A Million neck wreath. “We deconstructed one of the wreaths for the petals, and had Lily [Walters] be our flower girl,” Kelsey said. “She threw the petals down the aisle, which was made of polo wraps. Everybody just pitched in a little bit to help get it together. From the moment we thought about it till the moment we actually had the ceremony was less than an hour.” Cooper borrowed a cowboy hat from a friend since he didn’t have one with him, and the couple simply wore the clothes they already had on. Their guests were members of the reining community already gathered at the stalls, while friends called others who had headed to the casinos to bring them back for the ceremony. “They said ‘Hey, come back to the stalls, come back. We’re having a wedding,’” Kelsey said. Kelsey had her 10-year-old engagement ring, and Cooper borrowed a ring just for the ceremony. “Everybody around just contributed a little bit here and there,” Kelsey said.

Proceedings Fred Tremblay walked Kelsey down the aisle. Jason did “a perfect, little, short, abbreviated vows and ceremony” and with a speaker brought over by a friend they had a first dance—to I Cross My Heart by George Strait—followed by a bouquet toss. “Everybody did a good job of making sure it was as official as it could be for the moment,” Kelsey said.

OCTOBER 2026

↑ Flessner and Smith share a dance as newlyweds.

After the ceremony, the celebration continued, with friends hanging out in the barn aisle together. The ceremony was filmed and posted on social media, where it was shared widely. The response has been heartwarming, Kelsey said. “The general consensus has been everyone saying ‘That’s so you guys. That’s perfect. It fits you guys,’” Kelsey said. “Everyone knows we’ve been together forever, and we were probably not going to get around to planning a wedding. So they told us ‘We’re just so glad you did it, and it’s amazing.’ The response has been very genuine and loving.” ■

NRHA REINER | 71

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NRHA REINER | 73

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OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 75

It Takes a Village

It Takes a Village Long before a champion reiner walks through the gate, a team of people has already spent years getting it there By Melidna Green | Photos courtesy of 6666 Ranch

great run might last two-and-a-half minutes. The work behind it can span years. By the time a horse walks through the gate, there’s a breeder who imagined the cross before the horse ever existed. Someone collected the stallion. Someone managed the mare. Someone was there when the foal hit the ground. There have been veterinarians and farriers, nutritionists and dentists, trainers and grooms. There are people who hauled feed, cleaned stalls, booked hotels, shipped semen, filed registrations and paid bills.

Most of them will never stand in the middle of the arena. But all of them, in some way, helped put that horse there. “To me, obviously, step one is the owners,” said Nathan Canaday, DVM, President of Operations at 6666 Ranch. “They’re the fun ones because for most of [them], it’s a dream come true. They’ve dreamt up the cross that they want to breed, they’ve done it, they did all the work financially and all the things to get the horse to the point where the trainer’s taking it and showing.”

↑ 6666 Ranch stands roughly 50 horses and performs around 2,300 breedings every year.

76 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

It Takes a Village

It’s a process Canaday knows at scale. NRHA Partner and title sponsor of the 6666 NRHA Derby® presented by Markel, 6666 Ranch stands approximately 50 stallions and performs around 2,300 breedings each year. Behind those numbers is a horse division with roughly 35 fulltime employees—and a staggering amount of coordination. “It takes a village to run the breeding farm,” Canaday said. There is a stallion manager and a groom, crews cleaning stalls and caring for the stallions, farriers tending to their feet and veterinarians overseeing their health.

↑ It “takes a village” to run a breeding farm, including work from critical positions like stallion managers and equine vets.

↑ 6666 Ranch in Lubbock, Texas.

OCTOBER 2026

Across the operation, another team is focused on the mares. “We have a breeding manager and a herd health manager,” Canaday said. “Between the two of them, they handle all the reproductive palpating and cycles and ordering semen on time and all of those logistics. The herd health manager takes care of the vaccines, the Coggins, all that kind of thing, plus coordinating any foaling logistics.” There are vet techs, stall cleaners and feeding crews. And each year, another 20 undergraduate interns come through 6666 Ranch in programs ranging from reproduction and veterinary experience to farrier apprenticeships and breeding and sale fitting. Those internships aren’t just extra hands. They’re building the ranch’s future workforce. Canaday estimates more than 75% of the full-time employees in the horse division started as interns.

NRHA REINER | 77

It Takes a Village He was one of them. And while all of that work is happening at the breeding farm, trainers are seeing the result on the other end. “Our breeders are doing such a fantastic job of raising horses that are capable of doing things that I never dreamed they’d be able to do,” said NRHA $6 Million Rider Casey Deary of Deary Performance Horses. “Kudos to our breeders for making the elite animals.” Of course, getting an elite animal into the training barn is only the beginning. “At this level, you can’t afford not to have every base covered,” Deary said. “If I don’t have a sound animal, it doesn’t matter how good my team is. I’m not going to beat anybody.” For Deary, covering every base means surrounding his horses with people who are very good at very specific things. He works closely with four veterinarians—and intentionally doesn’t rely on just one opinion. “They all look at things a little different,” he said. “I don’t just depend on one guy to make the decision; I make sure that everybody has looked at it from their particular pair of glasses.” The same attention goes into what the horses eat. Equine nutritionists have helped formulate the feeding program, but it doesn’t stop with one ration for the entire barn. Individual horses have individual needs, and each stall carries a sticker outlining that horse’s nutritional plan. “We have supplements that are versatile, but I can also go, ‘Hey, this one needs that, that one needs this.’ And so we formulate.”

78 | NRHA REINER

↑ A quality farrier is critical to ensuring reiners can perform at their peak. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

OCTOBER 2026

It Takes a Village

Then there are the details that aren’t so small when you’re asking a horse to perform at the highest level. Teeth, for one. “It doesn’t matter how well I feed them or how good a job I do; if their teeth are bothering them, I’m not going to get to 100%,” Deary said. He uses two farriers—one focused on his 2-yearolds and another on the rest of the horses—and brings in chiropractors, acupuncturists and other specialists as they’re needed. “They get far better care than I take of myself,” he joked. There is another team inside the barn, too. With 125 horses to ride each day, Deary can’t possibly put his own hands on every part of the process. He has 16 employees helping keep the operation moving, from saddling and warming up horses to noticing when something isn’t quite right and helping administer treatments. “When I come to the barn in the morning, I get

right on a horse and I stay on a horse the entire day,” he said. “I never leave the arena.” That only works because other people do. And some of the most important ones may rarely step foot in the arena at all. At 6666 Ranch, an entire office staff keeps the breeding operation moving behind the scenes. Two employees handle mare contracts and semen-shipping logistics. An accountant keeps the numbers straight between mare and stallion owners. An office manager spends months gathering mare status reports, reconciling breeding tallies, completing stallion breeding reports and making sure registrations get done. At Deary Performance Horses, that person behind the scenes has long been Casey’s wife, Nicole. She has handled show entries and billing, paid bills, managed schedules and booked hotels—the sort of work that’s easy to overlook until it doesn’t get done.

↑ According to Casey Deary, if a horse’s teeth bother them, the animal won’t be able to perform at its best. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 79

It Takes a Village

↑ All livestock recieve the best care at 6666 Ranch.

“She does the work of three people. She literally makes the entire thing operate single-handedly,” Deary said. “If it wasn’t for her being involved, I could possibly accomplish about 10% of what we accomplish.” Today, Nicole has more staff around her, but Casey said there isn’t much within the business that doesn’t still have her input. And the modern version of the village keeps expanding. There are photographers documenting the horses, website managers keeping information current and social media and communications teams telling the stories that come out of the barn and breeding shed. It’s a long list. But that’s the point. When a horse makes a spectacular stop in Oklahoma City, it’s easy to see the rider who asked for it. Harder to see is the breeder who planned the cross years earlier. The person who stayed up with the mare when she foaled. The veterinarian who caught something before it became a problem. The farrier 80 | NRHA REINER

who found exactly the right balance. The groom who noticed the horse wasn’t quite himself that morning. Or the person sitting behind a desk who made sure the entry was submitted in the first place. For 6666 Ranch, there’s a fitting connection in putting its name on the 6666 NRHA Derby® presented by Markel. The horses competing there are, in many ways, the end result of the same long process happening every day on breeding farms, ranches and training operations across the industry. Except “end” isn’t quite the right word. The horse business doesn’t really operate in endings. While one generation is walking into the show pen, someone somewhere is already choosing the cross for the next one. “And that’s the thing about the horse business,” Canaday said. “You’re planning three to five years in advance to try to see the results, you know, so you have to be patient. There’s no overnight success.” The spotlight may only find two of them. It took a village to get them there. ■

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 81

Corporate Partner Spotlight

MS Diamonds TX Creating Symbols of Achievement and Legacy By Simona Diale and NRHA Corporate Partner MS Diamonds TX

↑ Photo courtesy of International Horse Press.

“A

warding the owner of The Run For A Million Champion Horse with the MS Diamonds Championship Ring was a proud moment. History was made, and we were part of it,” says Oded Fein, owner of MS Diamonds TX, who presented the ring to Coin Toss LLC, owner of Golden Coins, the stallion who made history with NRHA $2 Million Dollar Rider Kole Price in the saddle in Vegas. The pair claimed first-place honors with a 237.5, the highest score recorded in the history of NRHA competition. “For us, this is ten carats of commitment to the sport of reining, brought to life by a spinning

82 | NRHA REINER

center ring inspired by the movement of the reining horses themselves,” adds Fein, who has been part of The Run For A Million since the event’s inaugural year in 2019. The impressive handcrafted ring features 121 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 9.83 carats, anchored by a yellow stone in tribute to the show that started it all. Like the championship itself, the ring is meant to make a statement. “One of the most important things is to recognize the owners. Everybody knows the horses and the trainers, but nobody knows who the owners are, and the industry is based on them. Without the owners, you have nothing.”

OCTOBER 2026

Where the Legacy Began Since 2016, MS Diamonds TX has recognized the NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champions— horse owner and rider—with the coveted Futurity Championship Ring, the first of its kind in the Western performance world. The work began with a vision to give reining champions something comparable to the championship rings associated with major professional sports. Over the past ten years, champions have been recognized annually at the NRHA European Futurity, The American Performance Horseman, the World Reining Championships, and The American Rodeo. Custom rings have also been produced for the 100X Shows, the Italian Reining Horse Association Futurity, and the ELEMENTA Masters, among others. A horseman and longtime supporter of western horses, Fein has made championship rings an important part of some of the most prestigious events in the western performance world. “For me, leaving a mark like this means a lot because it’s something that goes from generation to generation. A horse’s time will pass, but the legend stays. This ring is something that can stay in the family—jewelry and diamonds get passed from generation to generation for years,” Fein said about his designs, which incorporate details from the Western performance world. “This is something that will always stay with them. When somebody wears them, and people ask, ‘What does this represent?’ they have the story, and it’s a big deal.” Fein’s desire to recognize the contributions of horses, owners, and individuals never ceases. The annual NRHA Futurity Level 4 horse owners’ finalist handcrafted commemorative lapel pins, as well as the NRHA Judges Recognition Program, an initiative designed to honor the expertise and unwavering commitment of NRHA judges with 25 or more years of service with commemorative rings, are examples of his contributions.

Celebrating a Historic Milestone: The NRHA $10 Million Rider Ring The next chapter in MS Diamonds TX’s history is already in the works. Oded Fein is currently designing a one-of-a-kind ring to honor NRHA Hall of Famer Andrea Fappani, the first and only NRHA Professional to surpass $10 million in lifetime earnings—a milestone never before reached in the history of the association. As with every MS Diamonds TX creation, the NRHA $10 Million Dollar Rider Ring will do more than commemorate an achievement: It will tell a story. And Fappani’s is one that spans continents, decades, and an extraordinary list of milestones. Hailing from Italy, Fappani made NRHA history in 2001 when, at just 24 years old, he rode RR Star to the NRHA Open Futurity Championship, becoming the first international rider to claim the prestigious title. Five years later, in 2006, he crossed his first million-dollar mark, becoming the youngest NRHA Million Dollar Rider at the time. From there, the milestones continued: $2 million in 2010, $3 million in 2012, $4 million in 2015, $5 million in 2017, $6 million in 2020, $7 million in 2021, $8 million in 2023, $9 million in 2024, and, finally, the unprecedented $10 million mark at the 2025 NRHA Futurity. Now, Fein is translating that remarkable journey into a custom-made ring worthy of the achievement. Every element will be designed with purpose, incorporating details that reflect Fappani’s Italian roots, his career, and the milestones that have made him the most successful rider in NRHA history. The finished creation will be unveiled and presented to Fappani at the 60th edition of the NRHA Futurity, the event that has marked so many defining moments of his career. It will be a fitting setting to celebrate an extraordinary journey— from his first NRHA Open Futurity Championship in 2001 to becoming the first rider in NRHA history to surpass $10 million in lifetime earnings. View our jewelry at SLEIPNIRWORLD.com

“FOR US, THIS IS TEN CARATS OF COMMITMENT TO THE SPORT OF REINING, BROUGHT TO LIFE BY A SPINNING CENTER RING INSPIRED BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE REINING HORSES THEMSELVES.”

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 83

Million Dollar Milestones

Million Dollar “Baby” How Spooks Gotta Whiz moved from dominant competitor to exceptional sire, with his offspring already surpassing the $15 Million mark By Abigail Boatwright

n September, Spooks Gotta Whiz became NRHA’s newest $15 Million Sire. His rise as a sire has been meteoric—in fact, he’ll be soon nearing the $16 Million Sire mark. The 2007 bay stallion (Spooks Gotta Gun x Prettywhizprettydoes), was bred by Clint Haverty, and is owned by Michell Anne Kimball. “Baby’s” ascension as a leading reining horse sire has been as remarkable as the horse himself.

Playful Baby Michell Anne Kimball was a professional hunterjumper rider, but at a reining show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2009 she was searching for a horse. There, she chatted with Duane Hicks, the thenowner of Spooks Gotta Gun. “I was lamenting that I couldn’t find any Futurity horses for sale,” Kimball said with a laugh. “He said ‘Well, I happen to have two for sale in Texas,’ and so I flew from Vegas to Texas to try both of them.” One of them was Baby, and while she said he was “just so flirty and cute” she was more attracted to the stallion’s brother initially. “But he was pawing the wall saying ‘Come try me, come try me’ and I’d never seen a horse with a white blaze and blue eyes like him, and he was just adorable,” Kimball said. “So I said I would try him. He rode like a three-year-old, and was so fluid and responsive.” “I think he’s part corgi,” Kimball joked. Started by the late John Slack, Baby had a solid training foundation and off he went to Futurity training in California. Ultimately, he went to Jordan Larson in Texas nine days before he showed at the Futurity in Oklahoma City.

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↑ Spooks Gotta Whiz has surpassed the $15 Million Sire milestone. Photo by Rick Ford.

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Million Dollar Milestones

The Competitor Baby was easy to train, only spending 30 days with the trainer before he went to a show, and he didn’t stay in training year-round. “He didn’t require a lot of work,” Kimball said. “He would learn it, he would keep it, and he would just be there for the next time. He was just really consistent for a young horse, and a good partner.” Baby was paired with NRHA $8 Million Rider Shawn Flarida for much of his career. “He’s a great horse—one of the greatest ones I’ve ever rode,” Flarida said. “He’s really easygoing, very sweet. But when you ride him, he’s all business, wants to get his work done, and does not want to get in trouble. He has a unique personality—he knows how to separate his leisure time, and his time where he goes to work.” With her English riding background where horses aren’t started till they’re four, Kimball felt strongly that she wanted his career to look different than the typical track for a reiner. “I wanted to preserve him,” Kimball said. “I didn’t want him to get injured, and from the second he won the Futurity, I had a plan to get to the World Equestrian Games.” Baby only competed six times before he was retired at the age of six, and when he was seven, competed in FEI competition at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. “He won every horse show that he went to,” Kimball said. “I always joke that I only have all the big bronzes.” At the World Equestrian Games, Baby set two world records—he hit the highest individual score, setting a record in the reining for WEG. He also was the high scorer on the U.S. Team. Ultimately, Baby earned $345,138 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). This strategy of preserving Baby worked later on too, when Flarida rode him in a special exhibition run at The Run For A Million in 2024, at the age of 17. He went in sound and put forth an impressive performance, despite limited preparation time working around his breeding schedule.

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“The whole reason I sent him there is I wanted people who never got to see him show have an opportunity to see why they’re breeding to him,” Kimball said. “It was an opportunity to showcase the stallion who had been in the breeding shed for 10 years. It was an awesome opportunity to show that not every reining horse is finished when they’re eight years old.”

Spotlight on the Sire As a sire, Baby has a reputation of passing along his greatest attributes, and his personality quirks, too. From beautiful movement, to exceptional conformation. “He imparts all the best parts of him: his movement, his talent, his ability—freakish ability to stop—and his personality,” Kimball said. “He’s passing all of his best genes, and breeding to great mares.” Baby stood at Cinder Lakes Ranch in Valley View, Texas, for his first few years, and now stands at Oswood Stallion Station in Weatherford, Texas. Brock Malson, owner of Oswood, credits the late Rick Ford at Cinder Lake, and Kimball, for setting Baby up from success from early on in his breeding career.

↑ Photo by Cam Essick

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Million Dollar Milestones

↑ Spooks Gotta Whiz’s highest earning offspring—Mic Dropp and Andrea Fappani. Photo by Carolyn Simancik.

Malson says Baby never has a bad day. “He’s a horse that is first and foremost extremely good-minded, and probably equally as important, he has a lot of heart,” Malson said. “He passes on his talent, but his offspring all seem to want to go out and be show horses—they’re all really good-minded, and they have a lot of heart.” From his second foal crop, Andrea Fappani won the NRHA Futurity® with Spooky Whiz. “That really set it in motion,” Kimball said. Baby’s offspring are continuing to make an impact as well. At the 2026 6666 NRHA Derby® presented by Markel, nine of the 36 horses that made it to the Level 4 Open Derby Finals were Spooks Gotta Whiz offspring—more than any other sire. In the Level 4 Non Pro Derby Finals, nine of the 33 finalists were his offspring, which made him the most represented sire at the Derby. At the 2026 The Run For A Million, five of the 16 horses in the class were Baby’s offspring, and combined, they earned $114,750 at the event. Kimball feels Baby has changed the industry permanently, destined to leave a mark. “Everybody wants to have one,” Kimball said. “He books full every year. Nearly every top rider is riding them.” She plans to continue breeding him until it’s time for him to retire, most likely when he’s 24—in about four or five years. “He’s running around the pasture, he’s frisky, he’s happy, he’s healthy,” Kimball said. “He’s got no health issues of any kind, so I just want to keep it that way, and watch his offspring continue to thrive.” ■

Spooks Gotta Whiz Top Offspring Spooks Gotta Whiz’ top offspring by NRHA lifetime earnings is Mic Dropp, out of Dun Dry Whiz, with $352,224 LTE. He was bred by Clark Reining Horses LLC, and owned by Tim Anderson and Clark Reining Horses LLC.

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Baby’s second-highest earning offspring is Alpha Jac Sparrow, out of Chexanicki, with $344,411 LTE. He was bred by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC and is owned by Fritz Leeman.

Rounding out the top 3 earners, Outta Yur League, out of Shesouttayourleague has earned $320,825 LTE. He was bred by Curtis Performance Horses LLC, owned by Theorem Performance Horses LLC.

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Million Dollar Milestones

On a Hot One Redhot Walla passes an undeniable spark to her offspring, fueling a production record that surpassed the Million Dollar mark By Sarah Prather

← Redhot Walla has achieved Million Dollar Dam status. Photo by Veronika Photography.

edhot Walla officially joins the ranks of NRHA’s Million Dollar Dams. For current owners, Ixtul Quarter Horses, the milestone is a highlight of an already impressive broodmare career, and a testament to the mare’s ability to consistently produce talented performers. The 2011 mare (Walla Walla Whiz x Roosters Redhot), was bred by Liz and Richard Willett and nominated by Rhodes River Ranch. She established a record of her own before beginning her career as a broodmare, earning $74,765 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). After retiring from the show pen, Redhot Walla began her broodmare career with Tamarack Ranch. She now resides at Ixtul Quarter Horses in Weatherford, Texas, where she will continue her broodmare career under the care of manager Javier Mendez. “Tamarack has one of the strongest breeding programs out there,” Mendez said. “We are always trying to bring mares in to improve our broodmare herd. When we bought her, she had already produced $900,000.”

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Million Dollar Milestones

Ixtul Quarter Horses had been interested in Redhot Walla for more than a year before the opportunity to purchase her came to fruition. The decision was not an easy one for Tamarack, who had been responsible for much of the mare’s broodmare career, and shaped her offspring’s earnings to the million-dollar mark. “We have the same ambition, and we wanted to give them comfort that she would be coming to a good home, that we would care about her and continue her career as a broodmare,” Mendez said. “At the end of the day, they accepted, but it took us about a year from the idea to actually buying her. You get attached to them. It wasn’t an easy decision for them to make because they made up most of the mare’s career. Basically, getting that close to the million-dollar milestone is all on them.” For Ixtul, Redhot Walla checked several important boxes, including her pedigree. As a daughter of Walla Walla Whiz, she offers Ixtul the opportunity to make a variety of crosses in an industry where many leading stallions carry Gunner bloodlines. “Something I like about her is how she is bred,” Mendez said. “She is a Walla Walla Whiz, so we will be able to breed her to a lot of those stallions in the industry today. Right now, with how the stallion roster has been developing, it has a lot of Gunner

lines, so having a mare that is not Gunner, and you can breed, I think is really important to have today.” The mare has already proven her ability to produce successful foals from a variety of crosses. Her five highest-earning offspring are by four different stallions, including Inferno Sixty Six, Pale Face Dunnit, Magnum Chic Dream, and Platinum Vintage. More than pedigree, however, Mendez believes Redhot Walla passes along a special quality to her offspring–an undeniable spark. “I think she produces really talented horses,” Mendez said. “That run from The Fireman at the Futurity was electric, a lot of energy, a lot of talent, and I think that is what she passes on. I’ve seen some other horses out of her and I think that is what she produces. She has this spark on her babies that I think is what makes them different.” That spark has been most evident in Redhot Walla’s highest-earning offspring, 2021 stallion The Fireman by Inferno Sixty Six. Owned by Peter and Courtney Morgan and nominated by breeder Tamarack Ranch LLC, The Fireman won the 2024 NRHA Futurity® with Kaci O’Rourke, earning $350,000 in Level 4 Open and $70,000 in Level 3 Open. His $518,481 in NRHA LTE accounts for more than half of Redhot Walla’s million-dollar production record.

Kaci O’Rourke rides The Firemen to the 2024 NRHA Futurity® Championship - the first women to ever win the event. Photo by Carolyn Simancik ↓.

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Million Dollar Milestones

↑ O’Rourke and The Firemen. Photo by Carolyn Simancik.

The Fireman has continued to add to his record, finishing in the Top 10 at the 2026 National Reining Breeders Classic earning $21,500, before placing in the Top Five of the Level 4 Open at the 2026 6666 NRHA Derby® presented by Markel, where he added another $21,643 to his NRHA LTE. Redhot Walla’s second-highest-earning offspring is TA Dunit Redhot, a 2018 stallion by Pale Face Dunnit with $147,193 in NRHA LTE. Owned by Shoreline One LLC, bred by Tamarack Ranch, and nominated by Tim Anderson, TA Dunit Redhot and Addisyn Schmersal earned the 2024 NRBC Level 3 Non Pro Championship and Level 4 Non Pro Reserve Championship, collecting $38,000 between the two divisions. The pair also finished in the Top 10 of the Level 4 Non Pro at the 2021 NRHA Futurity®, earning $22,117. The mare’s third-highest earner is TR Dream About Me, a 2017 Magnum Chic Dream gelding with $135,772 in earnings owned by Steven Sandvig, bred and nominated by Tamarack Ranch LLC. Redhot Vintage, a 2018 gelding by Platinum Vintage gelding, owned by Sandy Vargo, bred and nominated by Tamarack Ranch LLC, ranks fourth with earnings of $85,511. While TR Hot Dream, another 2018 Magnum Chic Dream gelding, owned by Jesse Asumssen, bred and nominated 92 | NRHA REINER

by Tamarack Ranch LLC, rounds out her top five earners with $57,397 in NRHA LTE. With a million-dollar milestone under her belt, Ixtul plans to continue building on Redhot Walla’s already impressive production record. Mendez believes there is plenty of opportunity ahead for the mare and her offspring. “I think there are some other foals coming along in the show pen that will continue to increase her produce earnings,” Mendez said. Mendez recognizes there are many people involved in making a horse’s career, especially when one reaches a milestone like the NRHA Million Dollar Dam. “There are a lot of people involved in making this mare’s career as a broodmare,” Mendez said. “I thank everyone that has owned, trained, and taken care of Redhot Walla this far. At the end of the day, you need a lot of people to get these horses where they are, and especially to a milestone like this.” For Ixtul, the responsibility now is to continue what Tamarack started and give Redhot Walla every chance to build on her already remarkable legacy. “I think she is a really special mare, so hopefully she can be one that will go down into history,” Mendez said. ■ OCTOBER 2026

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Million Dollar Milestones

Cha Ching, Million Dollar Rings Electric Cha Ching’s proven offspring propel her to the Million Dollar Dam milestone, led by history-making stallion, Golden Coins. By Sarah Prather

↑ Electric Cha Ching joins the ranks of NRHA Million Dollar Dams. Photo by Veronika Equine Photography.

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Million Dollar Milestones

lectric Cha Ching officially joins the elite group of producers as one of the NRHA’s newest Million Dollar Dam. The milestone is a significant accomplishment for the mare, and another highlight for a breeding program focused on developing a select group of elite broodmares at Ixtul Quarter Horses. When Ixtul purchased Electric Cha Ching, (Jacs Electric Spark x Kipper Lady Nic), in 2025, she had produced approximately $460,000 in offspring earnings. In a short period of time, that number more than doubled, making Electric Cha Ching the second Million Dollar Dam owned by Ixtul alongside Redhot Walla. “Obviously it is a big accomplishment,” Ixtul Quarter Horses manager Javier Mendez said. “We have a big breeding program and we are always trying to improve and add better mares to our program. When we bought her she was at about $460,000 in offspring earnings, and in a really short time she crossed the million-dollar barrier.” For Ixtul, the decision to purchase Electric Cha Ching was influenced by the success of her offspring, Golden Coins. The 2020 stallion, by Spooks Gotta Gun, owned by Coin Toss LLC, bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine now has NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE)

OCTOBER 2026

totaling $854,636. At the time of purchase, Golden Coins had already established himself as an exceptional performer with Kole Price, and his continued success reinforced the potential Ixtul saw in his dam. Most recently, Golden Coins set the NRHA record at The Run For A Million in Las Vegas with a score of 237.5, the highest score ever recorded in NRHA. His ability to remain focused and consistent in the show pen is one of the qualities Mendez believes Electric Cha Ching passes on to her offspring. “I think the horses out of her are really trainable, their mind always seems to be in the right spot,” Mendez said. “That is the strongest thing about Golden Coins. He goes inside the show pen, and it is like he has never been shown. He never anticipates, he is always focused on the job and I think that is something that is really important.” While Golden Coins may be the most recognizable name on Electric Cha Ching’s produce record, Ixtul believes the mare has several qualities that make her a valuable addition to their broodmare program. Her pedigree, clean genetic panel, and ability to cross with a variety of stallions all played a role in the decision to purchase her. “One thing that helps a lot about her is how she is bred,” Mendez said. “There are Jacs

Electric Spark mares that are producing really well, and with all the Gunner bloodline on almost every single stallion in the industry, it helps a lot having a mare you can breed to almost every stud.” Similar to Redhot Walla, Electric Cha Ching’s top five offspring earners are by four different stallions, including Spooks Gotta Gun, SG Frozen Enterprize, Epic Titan, and Gunnatrashya. The 2020 SG Frozen Enterprize stallion, Froze - a 2020 Stallion by SG Frozen Enterprize, owned by Thorsport, bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine sits second on the mare’s top earning offspring with $111,417 in NRHA LTE. The stallion took Reserve in the NRHA Futurity® Level 4 Non Pro and won the Level 3 Non Pro to add $60,677 to contribute to the mare’s offspring earnings. The third, fourth, and fifth highest earners for the mare are SS ET Fone Home by Epic Titan, owned by Andrea StewartPritchett, bred and nominated by Silver Spurs Equine with $63,009 LTE, Tazorgunz by Gunnatrashya, owned by Tzvika Knaani, bred by Heritage Farms and nominated by Toyon Ranch LLC with $46,462, and Epic Night by Epic Titan, owned by CS Ranch LLC and bred by nominator Silver Spurs Equine with $24,602 LTE all to contribute to the mare’s overall producer earnings.

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Million Dollar Milestones

↑ 15-year-old Electric Cha Ching. Photo by Veronika Equine Photography.

At 15-years-old, Electric Cha Ching still has plenty of time to add to her production record. With the million-dollar milestone achieved, Ixtul plans to explore different crosses, and believes the mare will play an important role in their program for years to come. Ixtul understands it is a big responsibility and a privilege to own mares like Electric Cha Ching, and isn’t something they take lightly. “It makes us really, really happy,” Mendez said. “It is a big responsibility, because you want to keep them going and continue to grow their broodmare career. It is also a

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privilege to have them, have their babies, be able to see their babies grow, and train them. We can’t keep all of them, but it is always a really good spot to be in to own these mares and see their babies go all the way to the show pen.” For Ixtul Quarter Horses, that process is ultimately what makes the breeding program most rewarding. “At the end of the day, that process is what we enjoy the most,” he said. “The process of choosing what we are crossing the mare with, growing them, training them, and then hopefully winning with them, that is what is really exciting.”

With Electric Cha Ching now among NRHA’s Million Dollar Dams, and her offspring continuing to make history, Ixtul is looking forward to what the mare’s future generations will bring. The goal is already set on the next milestone. “I would like to thank Andy Fishburn of Heritage Farms for letting us be partners with him, then giving us the opportunity to own her 100%,” Mendez said. “I thank everybody that has been a part of her career, I thank them for taking her this far, and hopefully she can get to the $2 million.”

OCTOBER 2026

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Corporate Partner Spotlight

Crafted for the Ride Proudly crafting for champions since 1973 By NRHA Corporate Montana Silversmiths

↑ Photo courtesy of Montana Silversmiths.

or generations, the western buckle has represented more than a victory slide. It is a symbol of dedication and achievement; a lasting reminder that moments that are worn forever. Montana Silversmiths understands the responsibility that comes with creating those iconic symbols, which is why the partnership with National Reining Horse Association is valued beyond silver and gold. Headquartered in Columbus, MT, every Montana Silversmiths buckle begins with a simple

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sketch. Designing a buckle is a fine balance of silver artistry, with every detail considered to ensure the finished buckle tells a story. Talented designers draw inspiration from the spirit and authenticity of the American West, the beauty of the horse and the distinctive characteristics that should be celebrated. An NRHA buckle captures the precision and athleticism of the horse and rider while incorporating the identity and prestige of the association’s 60th Anniversary.

OCTOBER 2026

Corporate Partner Spotlight

INTRICATE DESIGN DETAILS ARE TRANSFORMED INTO TOOLING AND CRAFTSMANSHIP. LAYERS OF DETAIL ARE BUILT INTO THE PIECE, CREATING DEPTH, TEXTURE, AND VISUAL MOVEMENT. Building by hand is the next step. Intricate design details are transformed into tooling and craftsmanship. Layers of detail are built into the piece, creating depth, texture, and visual movement. The figure depicted on every NRHA buckle built is modeled after the coveted Lawson Trophy, originally created by the world-renowned artist Mehl Lawson. Sculpted out of clay then later scaled down to a sizeable figure, this process alone can take up to 80 hours. Making an NRHA buckle recognizable across any arena.

Buckles then proceed through a series of finishing steps. From paint to polishing, these steps breathe life into a buckle. As many as twentysix caring sets of hands will touch a buckle before it is sent out the doors of Montana Silversmiths to be awarded in the arena. From every bright cut and beveled line on a buckle, to the jeweler’s set stone, to the expertly painted areas, Montana Silversmiths creates buckles that you are proud to win, but proud to wear.

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100x Brazos Slide

Winners in Waco The Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, hosted some of reining’s biggest names for the 100X Brazos Slide By Megan Silveira | Photos by Cody Parmenter

LEVELS 4 AND 3 OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPIONS Blueyedboy and Franco Bertolani Pedigree: (Inferno Sixty Six x Blueyedgirl) Owner: Bruna Bertolani Breeder: Bruna Bertolani Score: 226 Level 4 Open Futurity: $19,318 Level 3 Open Futurity: $10,860

Franco Bertolani made his trip to Waco a winning one, capturing both the Level 4 and Level 3 Open Futurity Championships at the 100X Brazos Slide. Bertolani and his talented futurity mount rose to the occasion when it mattered most, delivering a standout performance to secure the top spot in both divisions. The sweep marked an impressive showing for the pair and added another major

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futurity title to Bertolani’s résumé. With the pressure on and a championship on the line, Bertolani put together the kind of run that showcased the precision, athleticism and confidence required to come out on top in a competitive field. Walking away with both the Level 4 and Level 3 titles made the trip to Waco one to remember.

OCTOBER 2026

LEVEL 4 OPEN FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

Gunna Stand Up

Shiners Voodoo Dr x Gunna Be Expensive

Chexagunner

3T 5

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Andrea Fappani

Leslie Weibel

Jackson Porath

225.5

$11,759

Gunner x Chexanicki

Cade McCutcheon

Vaughn Zimmerman

Toyon Ranch LLC

224

$8,189

Shine It Again

Gunner Dun It Again x Always Shine

Andrea Fappani

Tripol Ranch LLC

Eduardo Ribeiro

224

$8,189

Splash of Whiz

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Miss Major Flinn

Abby Lengel Page

Joseph Treib

223.5

$6,719

LEVEL 3 OPEN FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Splash of Whiz

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Miss Major Flinn

Abby Lengel Page

Joseph Treib

223.5

$6,611

All In On Red

Walla Walla Whiz x Gunnamakeyaloveme

Abby Lengel Page

BL Performance Horses

222

$4,329

Crush Ann It

PS Mega Shine Chic x Whiz Ann Tag

Duane Latimer

Lance Griffin

222

$4,329

Americasmalibumodel

Americasnexttopgun x Bingos Malibu Gal

Lucio Casalecchi

Hillis Ranch Reiners

222

$4,329

LEVEL 2 OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPIONS Americasmailbumodel and Lucio Casalecchi Pedigree: (Americasnexttopgun x Bingos Malibu Gal) Owner: Hillis Ranch Reiners Breeder: Hillis Ranch Reiners Score: 222 Level 2 Open Futurity: $7,905

LEVEL 2 OPEN FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Alpha Money Talks

A Vintage Smoke x One Last Corona

Gabriel Diano

Alpha Quarter Horses, LLC

221.5

$4,812

Diva In A Dually

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Winnie Mae Dual

Niv Bar-Am

Michael Lugo

Diane Beckmann

219.5

$3,351

CS Top Pick

SG Frozen Enterprize x Face Of A Gun Model

David Mor

CS Ranch LLC

219.5

$3,351

Twomillionquickly

Gunnatrashya x Twomilliondollarchex

Daniel Martins Cruz

AML Reiners

Pedro Hernandez

219

$2,750

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 105

LEVEL 1 OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPIONS Diva In A Dually and Niv Bar-Am Pedigree: (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Winnie Mae Dual) Owner: Michael Lugo Breeder: Diane Beckmann Score: 219.5 Level 1 Open Futurity: $4,632

LEVEL 1 OPEN FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Twomillionquickly

Gunnatrashya x Twomilliondollarchex

Daniel Martins Cruz

AML Reiners

Pedro Hernandez

219

$2,819

Catillac Black

Steppin On Sparks x Mob Rush

Santiago Cilleruelo

Matt Birkle

214

$1,963

Hollywoodsnexttopgun

Americannexttopgun x Trashysara

Noemie Joly

Jaqueline Crawford

Allison Chappell

214

$1,963

Sparks Amazing Grace

Spooks Gotta Spark x UB Amazingness

Catherine Johnson

Kevin Truax

213.5

$1,611

LEVEL 4, 3, 2 AND 1 NON PRO FUTURITY CHAMPIONS Lil Whizkey Gun and Courtney Goodman Pedigree: (Whizkey N Diamonds x Lil Gun Affair) Owner: Courtney Goodman Breeder: Loren Booth Score: 216.5 Level 4 Non Pro Futurity: $6,386 Level 3 Non Pro Futurity: $4,259 Level 2 Non Pro Futurity: $2,211 Level 1 Non Pro Futurity: $1,037 “I was so excited to finally get out there and show him for the first time. I knew what Cruise [Lil Whizkey Gun] was capable of, and I really wanted to do him justice and show everyone how special he is. “He honestly exceeded every expectation I had. He was so quiet and confident out there, but when I asked for more, he was right there. He turned big, stopped big and just felt like he was with me through the entire run. More than anything, I was proud of him and had so much fun showing him. It was one of those rides where you come out of the pen smiling because your 106 | NRHA REINER

horse gave you everything he had. This was my first futurity win, so to come out on top across all the levels made it incredibly special… I was the last horse in the pen, so when the score came in, I knew we had won. It was also an emotional moment because I lost my dad to cancer in March, and this was a show he was supposed to be at. He was always one of my biggest supporters, especially with my horses, and in that moment I really felt like he was right there with me. I know how proud he would have been, and that made the win mean even more.” OCTOBER 2026

100x Brazos Slide

LEVEL 4 NON PRO FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Kash Monay

A Vintage Smoke x Dancer Nic

Emma Emma Vanlandingham Vanlandingham

Diane Mesmer

215.5

$5,018

Electric Custom

Electric Snow x Custom Wow

Taylor Larson

Larson Performance Horses Inc

Judith Bottger

214.5

$3,877

Bewitchen Whiz

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Bewitchin Bella

Mandy McCutcheon

Tom & Mandy McCutcheon

Mandy McCutcheon

214

$2,281

Ranger 75

Patriot x Steppin On The Rest

Tamara Sloan

Redhead Reining LLC

212.5

$2,053

LEVEL 3 NON PRO FUTURITY RANK HORSE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Electric Custom

Electric Snow x Custom Wow

PEDIGREE

Taylor Larson

Larson Performance Horses Inc

Judith Bottger

214.5

$3,347

Pretty Enterprise

SG Frozen Enterprize x Wallys Enterprise

Anna Layne Harris

Delaina Harris

David Schlabach

213

$2,586

Ranger 75

Patriot x Steppin On The Rest

Tamara Sloan

Readhead Reining LLC

Redhead Reining LLC

212.5

$1,521

HF The Sailor Man

SG Frozen Enterprize x Xtra Voodoo Sailor

Wesley Brown

Jillane Brown

Heritage Farms

210

$1,293

Help Me Rhonda

Shiners Voodoo Dr x Corona Tag

Courtney Battison

210

$585

LEVEL 2 NON PRO FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE

EARNINGS

Electric Custom

Electric Snow x Custom Wow

Taylor Larson

Larson Performance Horses Inc

Judith Bottger

214.5

$1,756

Pretty Enterprise

SG Frozen Enterprize x Wallys Enterprise

Anna Layne Harris

Delaina Harris

David Schlabach

213

$1,300

Ranger 75

Patriot x Steppin On The Rest

Tamara Sloan

Readhead Reining LLC

Redhead Reining LLC

212.5

$650

Help Me Rhonda

Shiners Voodoo Dr x Corona Tag

Courtney Battison

210

$585

SCORE

EARNINGS

LEVEL 1 NON PRO FUTURITY RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

Pretty Enterprise

SG Frozen Enterprize x Wallys Enterprise

Anna Layne Harris

Delaina Harris

David Schlabach 213

$807

Hidden Jewels

Gunner Dun It Again x Lil Whiz Jewels

Lynda Weaver

Belar Farm

206

$461

Do I Look Vintage

A Vintage Smoke x Do I Look Trashy

Victoria Crettenand

Sergio Elia

205

WD Dreaminwithsparks

Spooks Gotta Spark x Chex With A Dream

Rilley Lynette Powell

Darry Hargrove

White River Ag Products Inc

201

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 107

LEVEL 4 OPEN DERBY CO-CHAMPIONS Berry Uniquely Dunn and Cade McCutcheon Pedigree: (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Gunna Kissya) Owner: David Silva, Sr Breeder: Sergio Elia Score: 229 Level 4 Open Derby (tie): $12,349

LEVEL 4 OPEN DERBY CO-CHAMPIONS Shes Got Magnitude and Nathan Piper Pedigree: (Magnum Chic Dream x Gee Golly Whiz) Owner: Lisa Klaus Breeder: Lisa Klaus Score: 229 Level 4 Open Derby (tie): $12,349

LEVEL 4 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

GPB Smokinvintagegun

A Vintage Smoke x Gunners Best Stop

Jason Vanlandingham

Vaughn Zimmerman, Robert Santagata

GPB Ranch Enterprises, LLC

227

$7,009

Hello Pretty Woman

Walla Walla Whiz x Americasnextgunmodel

Casey Deary

Arcese Quarter Horses USA

226.5

$6,008

Ziggy Rocks

Whizkey N Diamonds x Shes Got Good Guns

Dany Tremblay

Pastorino Hay & Ranch Supply, Inc.

Roxanne Koepsell

226

$4,673

Sparkling Face

A Sparkling Vintage x Face The Attitude

Nicole Renick Johnson

The Denim And Debt Partners

Hickory Creek Ranch LLC

226

$4,673

Pop Goes The Spark

Shining Spark x Sugar Pop Gun

Fernando Salgado

Vicente Bortoletto

Paddock Ranch

226

$4,673

108 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

100x Brazos Slide

LEVEL 3 AND 2 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS Sparkling Face and Nicole Renick Johnson Pedigree: (A Sparkling Vintage x Face The Attitude) Owner: The Denim And Debt Partners Breeder: Hickory Creek Ranch LLC Score: 226 Level 3 Open Derby: $9,838 Level 2 Open Derby: $5,045

LEVEL 3 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

RT Bentley

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shine Playgirl Shine

Mirjam Stilo

Mirjam & Andrea Stilo

Randle Tune

225.5

$5,989

Catching Sparks

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Spooks N Sparks

Leonardo Kellermann

Janice Laney

Tamarack Ranch LLC

224

$4,491

Vulcano

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Dun It In Silver

Franco Bertolani

Vulcano LLC

Diane Sibley

223.5

$3,850

Fortunefavorsthebold

Guns R For Shootin x Vintage Glamour

Jarvis Anderson

Scott Wallace

Harper Conner

222.5

$3,208

GT Major Money

Gunners Tinseltown x A Cowgirls Money

Leonardo Kellermann

Leslie Branca

Deana Nell

222.5

$3,208

LEVEL 2 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

Fortunefavorsthebold

Guns R For Shootin x Vintage Glamour

Jarvis Anderson

Scott Wallace

Harper Conner

222.5

$3,071

Be The One Again

Gunner Dun It Again x Walla Whizn Katie

Lucio Casalecchi

Robin Mazzocca

Andre Tripoloni

222

$2,303

Swooon

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Sheza Smart Wimpy

Sylvia Rzepka

Eric Mendrysa

Loren Booth

221.5

$1,864

HF High Voltage

Gunner x Electrinicki

Nimroid Vannietvelt

Michael Garnett

Diamond Dub Quarter Horses

221.5

$1,864

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 109

LEVEL 1 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS HF High Voltage and Nimroid Vannietvelt Pedigree: (Gunner x Electrinicki) Owner: Michael Garnett Breeder: Diamond Dub Quarter Horses Score: 221.5 Level 1 Open Derby: $2,085

LEVEL 1 OPEN DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

Jody Puno

220.5

$1,451

Gunna Make My Mark

Lil Joe Cash x ARC Gunna Mark Ya

Nimroid Vannietvelt

Pond Hill Performance Horses & Montgomery Reining Horses, LLC

Pale Face Vintage

Platinum Vintage x Chic Out My Gold

Wyatt Deary

Jody Puno & Puno Performance Horses, LLC

CowanSchmersal Partners

220

$997

Danger Zone

Americasnexttopgun x Dainty Little Step

Wyatt Deary

Jody Puno & Puno Performance Horses, LLC

Brooke Wharton

218.5

$816

This Chic Crushed It

PS Mega Shine Chic x Magnums Gold Chex

Eduardo Ramirez

Pond Hill Performance Horses

Wild Rose Ranch

217

$680

LOVE

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Love Em N Lena

Edo Winne

Thorsport

Camela Essick

217

$680

LEVEL 4 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS Cromedblack Gun MIL and Mandy McCutcheon Pedigree: (Gunner Dun It Again x Cromedblackcielo FMM) Owner: Tom & Mandy McCutcheon Breeder: Jamil Buchalla Filho Score: 223.5 Level 4 Non Pro Derby: $9,150

“When it was over, I was very, very happy. I’ve had some decent runs on that mare [Cromedblack Gun MIL] but never put together a run like I thought she could do. She has the ability to plus every maneuver, and I finally put it all together with no mistakes. “Honestly, relief is what I feel when something like that happens. It makes me feel good because a lot of people ask about her when I’m riding her 110 | NRHA REINER

around and notice she has a lot of maneuver, so to finally put it together was just relief. “I saw this mare last fall at the 100x in Tulsa, and she came in and stopped really big. She caught my eye right away and I was like, ‘That looks like a horse that would fit me.’ She’s small, she’s not a very big horse, so it makes for a perfect set-up for her and I.” OCTOBER 2026

100x Brazos Slide

LEVEL 4 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

Sundrop

Hollywoodstinseltown x Sheza Chic Olena

Blair McFarlin

221

$4,873

Gunna Dream On

Gunnatrashya x Starlight N Dreams

Andrea Stillo

Mike McFarlin

221

$4,873

SRH Allaboutattitude

Not Ruf At All x Face The Attitude

Emma Hillis

Hillis Ranch Reiners

Hickory Creek Ranch LLC

219.5

$3,580

Alpha One Top Whiz

Topsail Whiz x One Last Corona

Allison Thorson

Thorsport

Alpha Quarter Horses, LLC

219

$2,984

Froze

Sg Frozen Enterprize x Electric Cha Ching

Allison Thorson

Thorsport

Silver Spurs Equine

219

$2,984

LEVEL 3 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS Gunna Dream On and Andrea Stillo Pedigree: (Gunnatrashya x Starlight N Dreams) Owner: Andrea Stillo Breeder: Mike McFarlin Score: 221 Level 3 Non Pro Derby: $6,463

LEVEL 3 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

Not Ruf At All SRH Allaboutattitude x Face The Attitude

Emma Hillis

Hillis Ranch Reiners

Hickory Creek Ranch LLC

219.5

$3,934

Gunna Prosper

Gunnatrashya x Whizen Starlight

Lilly Walters

Diamond Dub Quarter Horses

George King

219

$2,951

Shez Gunna Belectric

Gunnatrashya x Sheza Electric Star

Rocco Arcese

Arcese Quarter Horses USA

Marc Gordon

218.5

$2,529

Ziggy Rocks

Whizkey N Diamonds Dana Pastorino x Shes Got Good Guns

Pastorino Hay & Ranch Supply

Roxanne Koepsell

217.5

$1,967

Gotta Queen

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiney Little Queen

Deanna Davidson

G2 Performance Horses

217.5

$1,967

Shine This Way

Colonels Shining Gun x Sail This Way

Carter Smith

Denise Holiman

217.5

$1,967

OCTOBER 2026

PEDIGREE

NRHA REINER | 111

100x Brazos Slide

LEVEL 2 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS SRH Allaboutattitude and Emma Hillis Pedigree: (Not Ruf At All x Face The Attitude) Owner: Hillis Ranch Reiners Breeder: Hickory Creek Ranch LLC Score: 219.5 Level 2 Non Pro Derby: $2,754

LEVEL 2 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

Gunna Prosper

Gunnatrashya x Whizen Starlight

Lilly Walters

Diamond Dub Quarter Horses

George King

219

$1,676

Shez Gunna Belectric

Gunnatrashya x Sheza Electric Star

Rocco Arcese

Arcese Quarter Horses USA

Marc Gordon

218.5

$1,257

Gotta Queen

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiney Little Queen

Deanna Davidson

G2 Performance Horses

217.5

$1,018

Shine This Way

Colonels Shining Gun x Sail This Way

Carter Smith

Denise Holiman

217.5

$1,018

112 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

100x Brazos Slide

LEVEL 1 NON PRO DERBY, LEVEL 4 NON PRO HORSE DERBY CHAMPIONS SHEZ GUNNA BELECTRIC and Rocco Arcese Pedigree: (Gunnatrashya x Sheza Electric Star) Owner: Arcese Quarter Horses USA Breeder: Marc Gordon Score: 218.5 Level 1 Non Pro Derby: $1,340

LEVEL 1 NON PRO DERBY CHAMPIONS RANK HORSE

PEDIGREE

RIDER

OWNER

BREEDER

SCORE EARNINGS

Gotta Queen

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shiney Little Queen

Deanna Davidson

G2 Performance Horses

217.5

$787

Shine This Way

Colonels Shining Gun x Sail This Way

Carter Smith

Denise Holiman

217.5

$787

Krypttonite

Gunners Special Nite x Genuinely Jo

Jennifer Vannietvelt

Pond Hill Performance Horses

217

$524

Gotta Custom Spook

Spooks Gotta Whiz x Custom Spook Berry

Joy Deary

Casey and Joy Deary

Jenna Kellmer

215

$466

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 113

THANK YOU

PARTNERS! TITLE PARTNERS

CORPORATE PARTNERS

Join the NRHA Family! For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Christy Landwehr at clandwehr@nrha.com or (405)946-7400 x 122. 114 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

RANCH PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 115

Dates to Remember October 1 Deadline for partner/sponsors for Futurity amenities for more information contact Christy Landwehr at clandwehr@nrha.com

Since 1984

Final Foals R Us NRHA Futurity® payment & rider designation due

October 5-7 International Judges School (Japan) Contact Patti Carter at pcarter@nrha.com for more information

October 28-November 1 NRHA European Derby (Lyon, France) for more information visit nrhaeuropeanderby.com

October 30-November 1 Judges School (Oklahoma City, OK) Contact Patti Carter at pcarter@nrha.com for more information

November 23-December 5

Mother’s Day Slide May 8-15

Inside Slide July 19-25

Best of the West Sept 26-Oct 3 Approved Shows

Sun Circuit Feb 27-Mar 7

Cactus Classic Mar 12-20

Foals R Us NRHA Futurity® and Adequan® NAAC

November 26 RHF Thanksgiving Buffet (Oklahoma City, OK) Advance ticket purchase is recommended. For more information visit nrhafuturity.com/events

December 2 Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch (Oklahoma City, OK) The public is invited to make reservations. For more information visit reiningfoundation.com/sno

December 3 NRHA Markel Futurity Sales For more information visit nrha.com/sales or email sales@nrha.com

NAAC qualifiers Best of Luck in OKC!

Trainers Directory Ben Balow

Ph: 602-989-2098 4100 Reining Horse Rd, Skull Valley, AZ balowtraining@gmail.com

Tucker Clark

Ph: 520-273-8230 2035 N Conestoga Ave, Tucson, AZ tucker270@aol.com

Jim Greendyk

NRHA Affiliate Championship Schedule

October 3-10 Northwest (Nampa, ID)

October 5-11 Southwest (Nampa, ID)

October 9-11 North Central (Lincoln, NE)

Ph: 623-225-4846 30644 N 156th St, Scottsdale www.jimgreendykhorses.com www.reiningmasterclass.com

Adam Hendrickson

Ph: 303-834-0000 15828 E Jomax Road, Scottsdale, AZ hph1776@yahoo.com FB:/adam.hendrickson.606134

Martin Muehlstaetter

Ph: 480-686-2919 27101 N 148th St, Scottsdale muehlstaetter@aol.com FB: /muehlstaetterperformancehorses

Marco Ricotta

Ph: 940-206-2561 15419 E Rio Verde Dr, Scottsdale ricottaperformancehorses@gmail.com www.ricottaperformacehorses.com

Linde Von Koeding

Ph: 940-445-7629 30515 N 144th St, Scottsdale lindevk89@gmail.com IG: lvkperformance

www.AZRHA.com

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 117

118 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 119

Advertiser Index

Adequan® 69 AGAVA 88 Anderson Bean

APHA 52 Arcese Quarter Horses

IFC, 3

Arizona Reining Horse Association

117

Cassell Equine Insurance

113

Cinch/Miller International

30, 81

Clark Reining

72-75

Elementa 49 Equine IVF

Back Cover

Foals-R-Us 12-13 Golden Coins

Hart Trailer

Ixtul IBC JBJ Ranch

Markel 7 Morgan Reiners

Morton Buildings

11, 51

Muehlstaetter Performance Horses

NCRHA 116

13. DeFreitas Performa Performance Horses

Peter DeFreitas 1823 Quail Hill Rd. Whitesboro, TX 76273 Phone: 603-686-0073 Email: defreitasperformancehorses@gmail.com Training · Sales · Showing Located at Humphrey Quarter Horses

Nelson, Tami

NRHA Futurity 53 ®

NRHA Markel Futurity Sale

102

NRHA Sire & Dam Breeders Incentive Program

103

NRHyA 68 Oswood Stallion Station

14-15

Platinum Performance

Reining Horse Foundation

66-68

Reliance In Vitro

32-33

Ron Anderson

Roto Harrow

Santa Hill Ranch

Schmersal Reining Horses

Shenandoah Ranch

Silver Spurs Equine

8-9

SWRHA 118-120

120 | NRHA REINER

Thorsport Partnership

Tim Anderson/ 21 Ranch

Truax Investments

Visit OKC

OCTOBER 2026

Stallion Index

Stallion Index A Sparkling Vintage

A Vintage Smoke

Alpha Viking

Americasnexttopgun

14, 31

ARA Rebel King

ARC Gunnabeabigstar

Belissimo 14 Best Shine

Bet Hes Blu

Bet Hesa Boon

Big Chex to Cash

Boom Shernic

Boomernic 8 Chic Dreamin

Colonels Dancing Gun

Conquistador Whiz

Cromed Out Mercedes

8,9

Custom Dreams

Customize My Dream

Docs Hickory

Down Right Amazing

Einsteins Revolution

Electric Code

Electric Snow

Electric Wind

Epic Titan

Flexing Guns N Town

Gangsta Sixty Six

Golden Coins

Gotta Nifty Gun

OCTOBER 2026

Gunnabebigtime 89

Ruf Lil Magnum

Gunnastepya 14

SG Frozen Enterprize

8,9

Gunnatrashya 3,14

Shiner on My Eye

Headlinner 13

Shiners Voodoo

Heart Stoppin

Shiners Voodoo Dr

8,9

HF Mobster

8,9

Shining Spark

Hickory Holly Time

Snap Dun The Bases

HS Marshal

Snip O Lution

Ifwhizswereguns 8

Spooks Gotta Gun

Inferno Sixty Six

Spooks Gotta Ice

Jacs Electric Spark

Spooks Gotta Spark

Late Night Stopper

Spooks Gotta Whiz

Like A Diamond

Spooks Grand Slam

15, 17

Lil Catbaloo

Ten Thirty

Lil Joe Cash

The Firemen

Luckie Moonstone

The Kids Gotta Gun

Magnums Custom Dream

The Midnight Train

Metallic Casanova

Tinker With Dreams

Tinkers With Guns

8,9

Mic Dropp

72,73,74,75, 87

15 24, 12

Mister Montana Nic

Trashadeous 8

Modern Gun

Tricked Out Spook

Nic It In the Bud

8,9

Walla Walla Dun It

13, 99

Walla Walla Whiz

2, 15

No Smoking Required One Time Pepto

Whizkey N Diamonds

Pale Face Dunnit

8,9

Wimpys Little Step

8,9 12

Payaso Rojo Gunner

Wimpys Littlecolonel

Picture Perrfect

13, 20

Xtra New Pal Voodoo

Platinum Vintage

8,9

Ricato Suave

Rowdy Yankee

Zak 34

NRHA REINER | 121

122 | NRHA REINER

OCTOBER 2026

NRHA REINER | 123

YOU’VE SPENT YEARS BUILDING YOUR PROGRAM

Every great breeding program is built on decisions.

NOW BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION. ICSI

OOCYTE ASPIRATION

NATIONWIDE SERVICES

The mares you believe in. The stallions you choose. The cross you plan. The genetics you want to carry forward.

PLANNING YOUR 2027 BREEDING PROGRAM?

LET’S BUILD THE FUTURE TOGETHER 346-458-ICSI

EquineIVF.com

Building the Future

ONE EMBRYO AT A TIME

Reiner | October '26