Category Archives: History

The reining and equine industry lost an incredible horseman on January 18. Clark Bradley, Ohio, was a two-time NRHA Open Futurity Champion, winning those coveted titles in 1968 and 1974. He was inducted to NRHA’s Hall of Fame in 1994.

Clark also served as President of NRHA, as President of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association and as a National Director for the American Quarter Horse Association.

The accomplished horseman collected numerous All-American Quarter Horse Congress wins in western pleasure, reining, roping and cutting, and was an AQHA, NRHA and NSBA judge.

Bradley was an instructor at the University of Findlay for 26 years, and became an active coach with the University’s western equestrian team in 1996. He has helped coached several national championship teams and two reserve national championship squads.

The NRHA family sends our sincerest condolences to Clark’s loved ones and friends.

Full Obituary:

Clark Rickard Bradley

July 30, 1945 – January 18, 2022

Clark passed away at his home in Newark, Ohio, where he and his wife of 25 years, Bonnie Bradley, had recently moved.

Clark was born in Hilliard, Ohio to Bailey “Stretch” Bradley and Betty Rickard Bradley. He graduated from Hilliard High School and from the Texas Christian University Ranch Management Program. He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, completing boot camp training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC.

He spent his life dedicated to the training of horses, showing horses, teaching, judging and mentoring future horse trainers.

For over 30 years Clark was an instructor in the University of Findlay Western Equestrian Studies Program and was Assistant IHSA Coach, winning multiple IHSA National Championships. He represented AQHA, NRHA and NSBA as he judged horse shows all over the world. He judged the AQHA World Championship Show 4 times and the NRHA Derby 3 times. He conducted horse training clinics throughout the US and Canada as well as youth and adult horsemanship and reining schools for over 40 years.

Clark was honored by the horse industry as the 2001 AQHA Professional Horseman of the Year, NRHA Hall of Fame in 1994, All American Quarter Horse Congress Hall of Fame in 2008, the recipient of the Southern Belle Living the Mission Award in 2013 and in 2015 was presented the AQHA Most Valuable Professional by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association.

Clark served the NRHA as President, member of multiple committees, was on the board of Directors for over 25 years and a NRHA Futurity Live Webcast commentator. He won the NRHA Reining Futurity 2 times. He served the OQHA with 2 terms as President, Director for over 40 years and became an Honorary Director in 1988. AQHA was a large part of Clark’s professional life. He served on the Show and Contest Committees for 31 years and was past Chairman for the Show Committee and the Show Council. He was a member of the Professional Horsemen Council and Chairman for the Animal Welfare Committee.

Over the course of Clark’s career, he and his clients showed horses to wins in NRHA, the All American Quarter Horse Congress and AQHA from reining to cutting to ranch riding and many other disciplines. Clark was highlighted in several publications through the years such as the AQHA Journal, NRHA Reiner, Western Horsemen, OQHA News, Quarter Horse News, Performance Horse and University of Findlay Publications.

Clark is survived by his wife, Bonnie, son CR Bradley of Collinsville, Texas (wife Rose), stepdaughter Brianna Stone of Newark, Ohio (husband David), grandsons Cooper, Tanner and Austin. Sisters, Coralie Davis of Tyler, Texas, Mary Bradley of Granbury, Texas, Marilyn Kay Crowson of Louisville, Mississippi, and brother Bill Bradley of Mt Vernon, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, the family is honoring Clark’s request that donations be made to the AQHA Professional Horsemen Endowment. Gifts can be made securely online or be mailed to:

American Quarter Horse Foundation

Professional Horsemen Endowment

Memory of Clark Bradley

PO Box 32111

Amarillo, TX 79120

Celebration of Life for Clark Bradley

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Ohio Quarter Horse Association

6325 Quarter Horse Drive

Columbus, Ohio 43229

On New Years Eve 2021, Carol Rose announced that National Reining Horse Association Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark had been laid to rest on December 27.

Immediately, condolences and memories began to flood the pages of social media, telling how the palomino stallion, by Genuine Doc out of Diamonds Sparkle, had affected their life.

Shining Spark became the cornerstone of Rose’s breeding program for decades, but before he left his indelible mark in his progeny, he proved his prowess in the reining arena.

He began his career with NRHA Hall of Famer Bob Loomis, who piloted the colt to a sixth-place finish at the 1992 NRHA Futurity, and followed that with a reserve title at the Lazy E Classic in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Then, NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Tim McQuay took the reins, and the duo won the 1993 American Quarter Horse Association Junior Reining Horse World Championship. The next year, they followed that up with the NRHA Derby championship. All totaled, Shining Spark won $62,674 in NRHA and AQHA competition.

McQuay and Shining Spark had incredible chemistry, so when Rose was deciding who to send Shining N Sassy (out of Sassy O Lena), there was no question who would be first choice. The mare, who would become Shining Spark’s highest money earning, and McQuay won the 2008 NRHA Open Futurity Championship.

Shining Spark was not only a Four Million Dollar sire for NRHA, he held the same title for the National Reined Cow Horse Association. His offspring excelled in a variety of disciplines, including reining, reined cow horse, cutting, barrel racing, halter, pole bending, breakaway roping, heading, heeling, ranch sorting, team penning, steer stopping, and more.

Shining Spark will be inducted to NRCHA’s Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2022.

The passing of Shining Spark December 27 at the age of 32 did signal the end of a charmed life but thanks to modern science a whole new generation of Shining Spark foals have been born or will be born in future years. (Having been born before an AQHA Rule modification which limited the length of time foals of deceased stallions could be registered following the stallion’s death, he is still a viable option for breeding.)

Certainly, his legacy lives and as Carol Rose has often said, “You just never know where the next champion will come from.”  

Shining Spark’s Top Five Money Earners:

• Shining N Sassy (out of Sassy O Lena) $232,672.33
• Miss Rey O Shine (out of Miss Rey O Lena) $159,714.73
• Shine On Line (out of Oaks Little Diamond) $110,660.29
• Just Gotta Shine (out of Zans Pretty Penny) $104,078.90
• Sailing Spark (Topsail Maid) $94,282.23

When Not Ruf At All won the 2013 National Reining Horse Association Futurity Open Championship, owner Vaughn Zimmerman, of Missouri, was propelled into the elite ranks of NRHA Million Dollar Owners

The success of Not Ruf At All and Zimmerman has gone hand-in-hand, and in 2021, when Not Ruf At All became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire, Zimmerman surpassed two million dollars as an owner.

Zimmerman first became interested in horses decades ago. Although the venture began as a hobby, he soon began to focus on halter and pleasure horses. In the 1990s, he met reiner Kenny Eppers, and Zimmerman focused his sights on reining.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to breed and raise winning horses in so many different areas. I’ve had racehorses, halter horses, pleasure horses, but the reiners have held my interest for the longest time,” Zimmerman recalled.

A discerning eye quickly led to success, and by 1996, Smart Little Jewel (Smart Chic Olena x Gay Freckles Rio), ridden by Eppers, had given Zimmerman his first NRHA Open Futurity Finalist. In 1999, NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Todd Bergen showed Zimmerman’s Roosters Wrangler (Gallo Del Cielo x Hustlers Sugar) to a reserve championship at the NRHA Futurity.

In the late 1990s, Zimmerman turned his focus to breeding, with headline stallion Skeets Peppy. The son of legendary sire Peppy San Badger was an NRHA Open Futurity Finalist and claimed the NRHA 1999 Open Reserve World Championship. He went on to win more than $77,000 in competition, and his foals have won money in multiple associations, including more than $885,000 in NRHA.

In 2012, Zimmerman and NRHA Professional Jason Vanlandingham teamed up, when Vanlandingham piloted Zimmerman’s Wimpys High Bid (Wimpys Little Step x Lucky Little Jewel) to the Level 3 Open Futurity reserve championship and fifth place in the Level 4.

That same year, a young prospect named Not Ruf At All, by A Sparkling Vintage out of All Ruffed Up, was catching eyes in Zimmerman’s barn.

Bobby Avila had taken the stallion through his early training, then the Zimmermans decided to offer Not Ruf At All in the 2012 NRHA Futurity Prospect Sale. When the reserve wasn’t met, they decided Vanlandingham would be the right fit for the big-stopping colt.

From that point, the Zimmerman program began to domino. Vanlandingham and Not Ruf At All first won the Tulsa Reining Classic Open Futurity Championship, then went on to win the High Roller Classic. The pair were the odds-on favorite at the 2013 NRHA Futurity, and they didn’t disappoint. Vanlandingham and Not Ruf At All had marked a 225 to take the Open title, winning more than $200,000 for the year and pushing Zimmerman more than $20,000 past the million dollar threshold as an owner.

Not Ruf At All and Vanlandingham continued to win, and the pair went on to earn more than $456,501, but ultimately, it was time for the next stage of Ruf’s career. “We hated to see him quit showing. He’s the best show horse we’ve ever owned,” Zimmerman admitted.

Not Ruf At All was more than ready to excel in his new role as a breeding stallion. “The first crops were small because we weren’t standing him to an open book. But soon we were seeing strong support from people around the globe – even Europe. People have a lot of choices because they can breed to established studs – so when you’re in the proving stages and they support you, it means a lot,” Zimmerman explained.

In the beginning, Zimmerman bred his own set of broodmares to the young stallion, and the first foals came of age in 2018.

Not Ruf At All’s highest money earner is Excessive Rufness (Smokin Lady Gunner), a 3-year-old owned by Zimmerman. Winning the inaugural Invitational Futurity with Vanlandingham boosted his earnings over the $100,000 mark. Another Zimmerman-owned standout by the stallion is Its All About Ruff (out of Dun Pretty Nifty), with $73,715 in lifetime earnings.

Zimmerman was inducted to NRHA’s Hall of Fame in 2018. Throughout the years he has been a staunch supporter of the reining industry, serving on the Board of Directors for NRHA, for the Reining Horse Foundation, and by being a longtime NRHA Corporate Partner.

Although he never showed himself, Zimmerman’s family has seen much success in the show pen. Both his sons, Matt and Justin, have NRHA earnings. Justin has been the most active in the show pen with earnings nearing $77,000, including a Level 3 Non Pro NRHA Futurity reserve championship.

Justin’s son, Jacob, and daughter, Taylor, are both active in reining. Jacob, whose lifetime earnings exceed $81,000, won the 2020 NRHA Futurity Level 2 Non Pro Championship and Level 3 Non Pro Reserve Championship on Rufin Up The Chics (Not Ruf At All x Ms Playalotta Chic). Taylor, whose biggest victories in NRHA competition include multiple Level 4 Non Pro finals qualifications at all the major NRHA events, has lifetime earnings of $255,642.

Zimmerman Performance Horses is located on 150 acres just outside Springfield, Missouri. With a 40,000 square foot, the state-of-the-art facility can easily accommodate not only the breeding and foaling of broodmares but also the training of their two-year-olds and personal show horses. With the assistance of Zimmerman Performance Horses’ resident trainer, Bobby Avila, Jr., the young prospects are started, evaluated, and sent on to the open trainer who can best develop the abilities of each individual.

For more information about Zimmerman, visit NotRufAtAll.com.

With the airing of the December 17, 2021 episode of The Last Cowboy on the Paramount Network, reining fans around the globe were able to watch history be made at The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge. Although the event was held August 21, a media embargo meant fans had to wait to learn who the winner was until the final episode of The Last Cowboy aired.

In a run-off for the Championship, Kole Price bested NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida for his first premier event win and accompanying check for $500,000.

That historic paycheck pushed Price to more than one million dollars in lifetime earnings. “Being a million-dollar rider has always been one of my biggest goals. The way I see it, that achievement puts you in an elite class of trainers,” he said. “It’s a blessing to have it happen so fast. My mentality has always been that if I thought I could do something, I’d just go as hard as I can to see if I could get it done quicker.”

So what was it like for Price to watch the most pivotal moment of his career play out on the hit show? “It was very incredible because I knew there were a lot of people outside the horse world who now know how special that event is. I think I was so caught up in the moment while I was there that I didn’t get to fully enjoy it because I was so worn out, so getting to watch it and relive it was really special,” he shared.

It was a rapid rise to the top for Price, whose first reining earnings were recorded in 2009, when he piloted SLJ Hope Hes Smart (Smart Like Juice x Navahope) to a fourth-place finish in the Limited Open at Minnesota’s Winona Horse Show. The check was less than $38, but it was the building block for a career that now includes titles at several major events, including the NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby, and the National Reining Breeders Classic.

Price, who grew up in Illinois, showed Percherons until he was around 10 years old, and began training outside horses at 13. It was when he saw a video of NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire and earner of more than $185,000, Wimpys Little Step (who had been trained and shown by Flarida) that Price became a fan of reining.

In his drive to learn more about the sport, Price secured an internship during his high school and college years with NRHA Professionals Brent Loseke and Mike Davis. He then spent five years with NRHA Professional Gabe Hutchins before starting his own business in 2015.

It was at the 2018 NRHA Futurity that Price qualified all three of his entries back to the Level 4 Finals. Capitalizing on that success, he finished as the L4 Open Reserve Champion on Isnt She Perfect (Walla Walla Whiz x Miss SIlvergun) for total earnings of $130,352.

Then came Gunna Stop (Gunnatrashya x Stop Little Sister), owned by Amber Gokey. With fellow NRHA Professional Austin Roush at the reins, the talented colt had won more than $70,000 at the 2018 NRHA Futurity across Open Levels 1–4.

Price began showing the stallion in 2019, earning an L4 Open Reserve Championship at the High Roller Reining Classic. In 2020, the pair continued their winning ways, taking the L3 Open Championship at the NRHA Derby for $22,303. In 2021, the pair qualified for The Run For A Million at the Cactus Reining Classic.

The Run For A Million Championship earned Gunna Stop a place in the history books as the highest-earning horse of all time at $672,762.

“Growing up I would watch horses like Wimpys Little Step and Wimpys Little Chic, and it was just a dream that I’d get to ride horses like that and have a horse win that much. To have it happen … that hasn’t really set in yet,” he said. “The way everything happened, all together, it’s like I checked off a lot of items on the checklist all at once.”

Price’s lifetime earnings as 2021 draws to a close are $1,111,343, and he’s already looking ahead to the next million. “Long-term, I would love to be NRHA’s Leading Rider. I always want to be the best at whatever I do,” he said. “From day one, winning the NRHA Futurity has always been my main goal. I wake up at 5 a.m. each morning, and my ringtone is ‘Run for the Roses.’ That’s my inspiration every day – even those that I’m tired, worn out, and sore. I feel like if I can get an extra hour on everyone else, it will add up eventually.”

Price thanked his wife Kelsey, the Gokey family, Gunna Stop, and Taylor Sheridan. He added a special thank you to the multitude of friends and family that traveled to Las Vegas to cheer him on. “I probably had 40 people from my hometown in Illinois who came out to support me. That was so special to me,” he said.

Price’s top 10 wins include:

• 2021 The Run For A Million Championship (Gunna Stop) – $500,000
• 2018 NRHA Futurity L4 Open Reserve Championship (Isnt She Perfect) – $130,352
• 2020 NRHA Derby L3 Open Championship (Gunna Stop) – $22,303
• 2021 NRBC L4 Open 6^th (Gunna Stop) – $21,000
• 2018 NRHA Futurity L4 Open 12^th (KR Ima Trashya) – $20,392
• 2014 NRHA Futurity L3 Open Reserve Championship (FM Shine N Tag Chex) – $20,330
• 2021 NRBC L4 Open 9^th (Trendsettter) – $15,500
• 2020 NRHA Futurity L3 Open Reserve Championship (Four Oh One K) – $14,619
• 2021 NRHA Derby Tamarack Ranch Open Stakes (Trendsettter) – $14,004
• 2020 NRBC L3 Open Reserve Championship (Gunna Stop) – $12,978

Less than a year after his offspring passed four million dollars in earnings, Gunners Special Nite has made it to the next level of National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar milestones. That makes the flashy sorrel one of only nine sires in history to cross the $5 Million threshold.

Bred by Kim and Debra Sloan and raised by Tim and Colleen McQuay, the son of NRHA 13 Million Dollar Sire out of Mifs Doll (by Mifillena) was later purchased by Turnabout Farm, Inc. NRHA Professional Marcy Starr and NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner Tom McCutcheon rode him to over $219,000 in earnings by way of an NRHA Futurity Reserve Championship and top finishes at other major events. In 2010, McCutcheon piloted the 2004 stallion to Individual and Team gold medals for Team USA at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

With such a show presence and pedigree, his strength as a sire was predictable and he has delivered a pattern of excellence. McCutcheon noted, “Great mindedness and consistency are what he passes on to his foals – along with the physical ability. With top open horses like NRBC Champion Modern Gun and NRHA Futurity Reserve Champion Guns And Dynamite leading the way, his foals have carried him to this incredible siring level.”

Gunners Special Nite’s 462 foals have average earnings of $10,854. His leading performers are: 

• Modern Gun (Taris Modern Design) $272,025
• Guns And Dynamite (Chic Olena Starbuck) $209,565
• Baileys Not Painted (Darlins Not Painted ) $142,640
• Lenas Shining Gun (SL Lenas Chick) $131,010
• Gunnersrufride (Lil Ruf Showgirl) $102,205
• Special Made Whiskey (Starlight Acres) $96,566
• Into The Nite (Chexy Dun It) $94,355
• Gunners Specialolena (Dolly Jac Olena) $94,095
• Hollywood Nites (Dun It For Chex) $93,034
• Gunners Brite Nite (Stiletto Tag) $86,650

Gunners Special Nite stands at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses in Aubrey, Texas. Learn more about him at GunnersSpecialNite.com.

For a quarter-century, most everyone has had a favorite Gunner story or special memory. It might be the mighty moves of an astonishing athlete. It could be a joyful recollection of seeing him in the Norick Arena entrance in Oklahoma City as the crowd erupted in cheers the moment his floppy-eared profile came into sight. It might simply be an unforgettable run burned into someone’s memory – because there were plenty of those. It might be the magic at the birth of one of his foals.

From his 1996 futurity debut, Gunner’s stage presence and charisma were irresistible. Since then, generations of foals have followed and many have managed to sprinkle their own stardust. With the conclusion of the 2021 NRHA Futurity, his sons and daughters pushed him past yet another milestone and made him the National Reining Horse Association’s first $13 Million Sire.

His is a mighty legacy, as he literally changed the face of reining. Before him, excessive chrome and white faces were not common, as classes were filled with palominos, duns and buckskins.

Gunner had to do it the hard way, as his rejection by the American Quarter Horse Association for excessive white meant he and his foals could only receive American Paint Horse Association registration. Ultimately, like other quarter horse discards of the era, he was able to get his AQHA papers, but regardless of the initials on the papers, he continued to make history.

The son of Colonelfourfreckle out of Katie Gun was bred by Eric Story, then sold to Pam and Paul Rohus who took him to Clint Haverty. Clint and Gunner won the 1996 APHA World Show Open Reining Futurity as well as the NRHA Futurity reserve title. Under the ownership of Debra and Kim Sloan, they added the 1997 APHA Junior Reining world title and tied in 1998 for reserve in the National Reining Breeders Classic. In 2001, Gunner won the United States Equestrian Team Open Reining Championship with Bryant Pace in the saddle.

The stallion ended his show career with lifetime earnings over $173,000.

Gunner became an NRHA Hall of Fame inductee in 2003, then two years later the Sloans sold the stallion to Tim and Colleen McQuay. He lived out his life at McQuay Stables in Tioga, Texas, until his passing in 2013.

Of course, the story of that life continues to unfold. Gunner progeny have kept the magic alive and new foals and generations keep excelling years after his death, thanks to the foresight of the McQuays who collected semen prior to his passing.

NRHA Hall of Fame Inductee and Two Million Dollar Rider Tim McQuay says he is constantly overwhelmed by Gunner’s success. “When his foals were first and second in the NRHA Futurity (Americasnextgunmodel and Gunners Tinseltown in 2012), that’s the stuff you can’t even dream about. Gunner has definitely become our retirement program,” he said.      

With 967 competing offspring and average earnings per foal of $12,695, his top earners are:

• Tinker With Guns (Tinker Nic) $344,117
• All Bettss Are Off (Wimpys Little Chic) $307,418
• Gunners Tinseltown (Miss Tinseltown) $305,307
• Americasnextgunmodel (Cee Dun It Do It) $289,486
• No Smoking Required (Icing Required) $252,158
• Gun Dun It (Dun It In Tinseltown) $220,391
• Gunners Special Nite (Mifs Doll) $219,737
• Gunnatrashya (Natrasha) $218,046
• Always Gotyer Gunsup (Always A Dunit) $171,401
• Miss Silver Gun (Miss Taris Rey) $167,888

In what might be one of the quickest jumps to the next tier on the National Reining Horse Association’s Million Dollar Sire roster, Gunnatrashya sailed past the Six Million Dollar mark during the NRHA Futurity. As the year comes to a close, the stallion, by NRHA 13 Million Dollar Sire Gunner and out of Natrasha, sits at No. 7 on NRHA’s Leading Sire list with $6,788,072 in offspring earnings.

Gunnatrashya, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, first became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire in 2017, less than three years after his first foal crop entered the show pen. In every subsequent year, the stallion, owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, has passed another million-dollar milestone. Thanks to major event championships, Gunnatrashya actually surpassed two in 2021.

The stallion, a former Open Futurity Champion himself, sired Ten Thirty, who won the historic $350,000 Level 4 Open Futurity Championship check with Casey Deary at the reins.

Gunnatrashya also sired Trashinyurdreams, who won Open Levels 3 and 2 and finished fourth in the Open Level 4 with Jesse Beckley, worth $120,652.

There were 18 Gunnatrashya offspring competing in the Open Futurity Finals, for total earnings of $671,856. The stallion was also well-represented in the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals, with eight entries earning $93,690. All totaled, Gunnatrashya foals were responsible for more than $765,545 in the aged event alone.

Gunnatrashya offspring also made waves at The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge. Kole Price piloted Gunna Stop (Stop Little Sister) to the $500,000 championship check, making Gunna Stop the highest-earning reining horse in history.

Gunnatrashya, bred by Katarina Dorminy, had just as successful a show pen career as he has had in the breeding shed. With NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame Inductee Shawn Flarida at the reins, Gunnatrashya was the 2009 NRHA Open Futurity Champion, the 2010 NRHA Open Derby Champion and the 2009 All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity Champion. Even with limited showing, he accumulated more than $218,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings.  

Gunnatrashya’s top-earning offspring are:

• Ten Thirty (out of Dainty Little Step): $369,059
• ARC Gunnabeabigstar (out of Wimpys Little Chic): $298,999
• Super Marioo (out of HA Chic A Tune): $290,267
• Inferno Sixty Six (out of Snip O Gun): $205,690
• Gunna Stop (out of Stop Little Sister): $172,762
• ARC Gunna Mark Ya (out of Shiney Miss Marker): $163,877
• Gunnabebigtime (out of Big Time Jazzy): $147,486
• Gunnarickashay (out of Rondas Tio): $147,229
• Loveya (out of Love Em N Lena): $131,861
• Trashinyurdreams (out of This Chicsdundreamin): $124,986

Gunnatrashya now stands at NRHA Corporate Partner Oswood Stallion Station in Weatherford, Texas. You can learn more about Gunnatrashya at ArceseQuarterHorses.com, or at OswoodStallionStation.com/Gunnatrashya

Congratulations to Gunnatrashya and Arcese Quarter Horses USA.

Photo (first) by Cam Essick 
Photo (second) by Waltenberry

With earnings of $23,014 at this year’s National Reining Horse Association Futurity, Mandy McCutcheon became only the fifth rider in reining history to earn more than $3 million in the show pen.

McCutcheon, of Aubrey, Texas, joins a very small group of riders, including Seven Million Dollar Rider Andrea Fappani, Six Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame inductee Shawn Flarida, Four Million Dollar Rider Craig Schmersal, and her father, NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame inductee Tim McQuay.

“I didn’t realize there were only four others to win that much. That’s pretty cool,” she said. “It’s so special to be there with my dad. I can say, 100 percent, that’s the most important part to me.”

McCutcheon, also an NRHA Million Dollar Owner, is the glue that holds one of reining’s dynasties together. Her husband, Tom McCutcheon, is an NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner. Their children are following in their parents’ well-worn footsteps. Cade McCutcheon is now an NRHA Million Dollar Rider with an NRHA Futurity Championship and a The Run For A Million Co-Championship under his belt. Carlee McCutcheon competes in both English and reining, where, at just 16 years old, she’s won more than $125,000.

McCutcheon is quick to thank those who helped her reach this new level. “The list of people to thank is so long. I obviously thank my parents, Tom, and Cade, and all our help. My team is so big and large, and we have great people that work for us. There have been people who have been in and out of our program over the years who are longtime friends and supporters, and they’ve all had a hand in this,” she said.

When asked what, aside from her incredible support staff, has made her career so incredible, McCutcheon recalled something her father once told her. “My dad always says that the good Lord just blessed him with the ability to do this, and I think that there is something to be said for that,” she shared.

McCutcheon was born into the quintessential horse show family. Her parents, NRHA Hall of Fame members Tim and Colleen McQuay, both excelled in different arenas. Colleen focused on the hunter/jumper world, while Tim concentrated on reining.

“The best advice I ever received was from my parents, they’ve always said that the main thing is to just show the horse you have under you. That horse might not have the ability to win it that day, but if you show that horse to the best of its ability, you’ll get the best results that day.” She added, “You might just get the best ride out of that horse, and sometimes you might even win because you rode the horse the way it needed.”

For years, McCutcheon split her time between the two disciplines. In the English arena, she won championships at some of the most elite hunter and jumper shows in that world. She was the reserve junior hunter champion at the Harrisburg National Horse Show, and also won the Winners Stakes there. She won the United States Equestrian Team Youth Talent Derby at Gladstone, New Jersey, and came back a few years later to win the USET Futures Championship there. She also won two AQHA jumping world championships.

Eventually, McCutcheon decided to focus on reining, an event in which she began to compete at just 10 years old.

She won her first NRHA Futurity Non Pro Championship in 1993 on Hollywood Striker (Hollywood Dun It x Strike Zone), and to date has won 10 Non Pro Futurity championships.

She’s also won the National Reining Breeders Classic Non Pro Championship eight times and has five NRHA Derby titles to her name.

She became the first non pro and first female Million Dollar Rider in 2007 and passed $2 million in 2014.

With more than three decades of reining in the books, McCutcheon added there are a few runs that stand out above the others. “I can’t forget when I won the (2012) NRBC on Always Gotyer Gunsup up. We marked a 231 or something crazy like that. Also, my run on JLosa at this year’s NRBC stands out, not because it was out of this world, but because that mare tried to be so good for me and it was so much fun,” she said. “There are all different runs and horses that are memorable. This year I was riding one of Cade’s horses, and he showed so good for me after having a bad day before. It’s the little things like that that are special. It’s not always about the win – sometimes it’s the small, personal victory that means the most.”

Even with a lifetime of world-class competition under her belt, McCutcheon admits to still feeling the nerves when it’s time to ride into the arena. “Why would I do this if I didn’t get nervous and excited about it?” she asked. “The adrenaline rush and the thrill of it are two of the things that keep me coming back every year.”

What else drives McCutcheon? “It’s the horses. The love of those horses is the main thing, but so are the people. This is what we do. This is our life,” she said.

McCutcheon’s next goal? “I guess four million,” she quipped. “Actually, now the more important and most fun thing to me is to watch my kids be successful. Whatever I can do to help them be successful in either arena – Cade in reining and Carlee in reining and jumping – that’s my priority in life. When Tom and I do well, that’s just icing on the cake,” she said.

With a record payout exceeding $2.8 million, the National Reining Horse Association Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships made history. Thanks to that historic payout, it also unofficially pushed multiple horses and individuals into new tiers of earnings, including sires Smart Spook and Shiners Voodoo Dr.


Smart Spook – Seven Million Dollar Sire

With Daniel Schloemer and Tracy Burmley’s earnings in the first section of the NRHA Futurity Open Finals, Smart Spook unofficially became NRHA’s newest Seven Million Dollar Sire. Prior to the Open Futurity Finals, Smart Spook was approximately $5,000 away from that achievement, then Schloemer and Bar Hoppin Spook (out Gunners Bar Fly) and Brumley and Spy Games (out of Little Lectric Spark) won more than $10,000 across three Levels.

Smart Spook, a 20-year-old stallion, is by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire and Hall of Fame inductee Smart Chic Olena and out of Sugarplum Spook. Owned and bred by Rosanne Sternberg, the sorrel stallion was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2015.

Before entering his career in the breeding shed, Smart Spook enjoyed a successful career within the show pen, earning more than $403,149 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings. The stallion’s top finishes include:

• 2004 NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity Champion ridden by Shawn Flarida
• 2005 NRHA L4 Open Derby Champion ridden by Flarida
• 2005 AQHA Junior Reining World Champion ridden by Flarida
• 2007 & 2009 FEI World Reining Masters Gold Medalist ridden by Rudi Kronsteiner

The stallion’s first class of money-earning offspring was foaled in 2006. Since then, the sire has produced 15 foals with more than $100,000 in NRHA LTE including five NRHA Futurity Champions and one NRHA Derby Champion.
Smart Spook’s top-performing offspring include:

• Custom Spook (Custom Spinderella) $235,749
• Patriot (Dunit A Lil Ruf) $232,998
• Shine N Spook (Ebony Shines) $219,826
• Spooks N Jewels (Whiz Jewels) $200,115
• Red Stripe Spook (Ms Red Capri) $179,766

Shiners Voodoo Dr – Two Million Dollar Sire

Shiners Voodoo Dr became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire during the 2019 NRHA Futurity, and his offspring have continued to perform and win in reining competition. Prior to the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Futurity Finals, the flashy palomino stallion was $36,000 from reaching the next rung on the Million Dollar Sire ladder.

While four Shiners Voodoo Dr offspring competed in the first section, there was only one who would compete in the Level 4 Finals – but it was a good one.

The foal, Shiner On My Eye (out of Flashy Lil Step), was trained and shown by NRHA Six Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida. The pair had already earned more than $31,000 for the year, including the All American Quarter Horse Congress Open Futurity Reserve Championship. When the results were tallied, Flarida and Shiner On My Eye (owned by Robert Santagata) had tied for fourth in the Level 4 and took reserve in the Prime Time for total earnings of $72,205. The pair’s success secured Shiners Voodoo Dr’s spot on the Two Million Dollar Sire list.

By NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Shining Spark and out of Voodoo Chic, Shiners Voodoo Dr, fondly referred to as “Voodoo,” earned more than $85,900 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings during his show career. The stallion, bred by Rogers Heaven Sent Ranch, is owned by Silver Spurs Equine.

Shiners Voodoo Dr’s top-performing offspring include:

• Shiner On My Eye (Flashy Lil Step) $106,609
• Xtra New Pal Voodoo (Wimpys New Pal) $81,893
• Warlocks Last Step (SDP A Lasting Step) $81,432
• Shiners Voodoo (BR China Rose) $75,354
• Smart Voodoo Doctor (Smart As Sister) $62,376

Researching sire records is easy, just go to ReinerSuite.NRHA.com to sign up or log in.

The reining industry lost a legend Nov. 24, 2021, when National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame member Jack Brainard passed just a few months after celebrating his 100^th birthday. Jack passed peacefully with his wife Kathy at his side.

Jack was inducted to NRHA’s Hall of Fame in 2009, but his connection to NRHA has spanned the Association’s life. He attended the NRHA foundation meeting, served as a director its first year, and proudly sported member number 19.

He gave back to the industry in many ways, authoring three training books, and holding judge’s cards for NHRA, the National Cutting Horse Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, and various other breed associations.

“Legendary seems too small of a word for a horseman like Jack Brainard. He is very much a part of the foundation of the sport of reining,” shared NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter. “Generations of horsemen and women have learned, directly or indirectly from Jack, and he has made an impact on a countless number of careers. Our industry would not be what it is without him. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Read more about Jack’s storied career here => https://westernhorseman.com/culture/flashbacks/jack-brainard-a-horseman-at-heart/?fbclid=IwAR1iJeJcb3S9KLArQSJbGCRqY4VwckAUuQCUmUV3ZsjCuonDGCzf8dtcufo