Congress Continues, Brazos Bash is Underway, and Snaffle Bit Futurity is Coming: Weekly Performance Report Oct. 6

The fall show season is fully underway, with a bulk of Western performance horse events complete at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, a concentration of cutters at the Brazos Bash in Weatherford, Texas, and the NRCHA’s Snaffle Bit Futurity ready to begin later this week.

Big headlines include Casey Deary and Spooks Gotta Whiz mare Upgrayed winning more than $180,000 at the Congress thanks to a chart-topping 224.5-point run and the lion’s share of the Oswood Stallion Station incentive.

In the ranch horse pen, Bud Lyon and Sumac Gunnabeflashy swept the Senior and Open divisions for Leslie Vagneur Lange. In Weatherford, Texas, the Brazos Bash locked in its 15 qualifiers for the 2027 Run For A Million Cutting Challenge and moved into Open finals.

Table of contents

• What Happened September 28–October 4All-American Quarter Horse Congress Wraps UpCutting: Brazos Bash Run For A Million Qualifier
  • All-American Quarter Horse Congress Wraps Up
  • Cutting: Brazos Bash Run For A Million Qualifier
• This Week October 5–11Cutting: Brazos Bash Open Finals and Non Pro WeekReined Cow Horse: NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity
  • Cutting: Brazos Bash Open Finals and Non Pro Week
  • Reined Cow Horse: NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity
• Looking AheadRanch Sorting: Cinch RSNC Congress Super SortRanch Events, Reined Cow Horse: Stock Horse of Texas World ShowRanch Events, Reining, Reined Cow Horse: AQHA World Championship Show
  • Ranch Sorting: Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort
  • Ranch Events, Reined Cow Horse: Stock Horse of Texas World Show
  • Ranch Events, Reining, Reined Cow Horse: AQHA World Championship Show

What Happened September 28–October 4

All-American Quarter Horse Congress Wraps Up

Reining: Futurity Finals Crown Their Champions

Columbus, Ohio | September 26–October 24 | Ohio Expo Center

The Congress Open Futurity finals ran this week, and the biggest check went to Casey Deary and Upgrayed. Upgrayed won the Level 4 final with a 224.5, good for $50,000 in the All Star Reining Stakes, another $50,000 in the NRHA Open Reining Level 4 Futurity and $83,214 in the Oswood Stallion Advantage, a combined $183,214.

Kaci Jo O’Rourke and Im Gunna Bee, Cade McCutcheon and Spooky Booo and Kole Price and Bad Companyy tied for second on a 223.5.

Jordan Larson and Sixty Six Stops won Level 3 on a 223.5 for $40,941 between the All Star and NRHA classes, with Brandon Brant and Smokin Enterprise (David R Schlabach) second.

The Non Pro Futurity belonged to a pair of horses. Sweet Baybe James (Bundy Lane) and Emma Lane won Levels 1 and 2 on a 220 and added the Oswood Level 3 for $26,532, while Ronny Colston and Dust (Kevin Colston) won Level 3 and tied for the Level 4 title with Mandy McCutcheon and Suzy Que (Tom and Mandy McCutcheon) on a 220.5. Suzy Que then took the Oswood Level 4 for $55,476.

2026 Congress Reining Champions: Futurities, September 26–October 4

Find full Congress results here.

Ranch Events: Sumac Gunnabeflashy Sweeps the Open and Senior Classes

Columbus, Ohio | September 26–October 24 | Ohio Expo Center

The Congress ranch classes wrapped up with Bud Lyon and SUMAC Gunnabeflashy (Leslie Vagneur Lange) at the top of nearly every board. The 2017 gelding won the Open Ranch Trail Stakes ($6,119) and the Open Ranch Riding Stakes ($4,777), swept the Senior Ranch Riding, Senior Ranch Trail and Senior Working Western Rail classes, and was reserve in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes. That is eight wins across the AQHA and NSBA classes.

Jimmy Daurio and David Renier’s Cowpuncher Cadillac won the Open Working Western Rail Stakes ($5,790) and the Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited ($3,184).

Gunnatrashya, Wimpys Little Step Lead Money-Earning Sires in Congress Ranch Classes

Lyon also won the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity aboard his own Mis American Pie ($5,403) and the 4 & 5 Year Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes on CBK Lyle Loves It (Kalyn Sanders), with Whiskey Glassus (Colleen D Kurtz) second. Shannon Quinlan Hill, who tied Lyon at the World Equestrian Center’s Championship Show, won the Junior Ranch Riding on Daytona Five Hundred (Debbie Kuffer). For the sire angle, see Emily Carey’s Gunnatrashya, Wimpys Little Step Lead Money-Earning Sires in Congress Ranch Classes.

2026 Congress Ranch Riding Champions

2026 Congress Working Western Rail Champions

2026 Congress Ranch Trail Champions

Cutting: Brazos Bash Run For A Million Qualifier

Weatherford, Texas | September 28–October 13 | Bosque Ranch Headquarters

The Brazos Bash was the only place to earn a spot in the 2027 Run For A Million Cutting Challenge, and 15 riders punched their tickets with the highest first go-round scores in Weatherford, Sept. 28–Oct. 2.

The top mark came in the 4-Year-Old Open, where Adan Banuelos scored a 227 on Reyzin Hotty Toddy (Reyzin The Cash x Cats Red Rosita x High Brow Cat) for owner Booner M Beck.

2027 Cutting RFAM Qualifiers Determined at Brazos Bash

Horse credits are Horse&Rider’s best match from the published first go-round results and have not been confirmed by The Run For A Million.

This Week October 5–11

Cutting: Brazos Bash Open Finals and Non Pro Week

Weatherford, Texas | September 28–October 13 | Bosque Ranch Headquarters

James Payne won two of the four Open finals for owner Kathleen Moore. Payne and Victoreyas Secreyt won the 4-Year-Old Open with a 223 for $30,000, edging Ryan Rapp and Graceful Mvp (Henrietta Armstrong) by a point, and came back to win the 7 & Up Open on Nice Work Babe with a 231 for $31,000, a $61,000 day.

Kenny Platt and LBR Hangem (Shotty Syndicate) won the 5/6-Year-Old Open on a 231 for $30,000, three points clear of Boyd Rice and Von Katness (Weatherby Ranch). Both horses were among the RFAM qualifiers. In the 3-Year-Old Open, Ryan Rapp and Stopp And Stare (Beechfork Ranch) won on a 221 for $21,000, and the horse added the 3-Year-Old Open Chrome Cash for $2,705.

2026 Brazos Bash Open Finals Champions

Reined Cow Horse: NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity

Fort Worth, Texas | October 9–24

The NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity presented by Metallic Cat opens Friday in Fort Worth, with hundreds of 3-year-olds expected over the two-week run. The Western Bloodstock sale runs alongside, finals tickets are on sale through the NRCHA, and Big Guns in Cowtown follows on October 21.

Stay tuned for more information about the Snaffle Bit Futurity, including schedules, what we’re keeping an eye on, and full results coming soon.

Looking Ahead

Ranch Sorting: Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort

Jackson, Ohio | October 16-18 | Henderson’s Arena

A $15,000 added event with cash, prizes, and All American Quarter Horse Congress medallions up for grabs, running three days with Gold Shootout action and livestreamed on Ride TV.

Ranch Events, Reined Cow Horse: Stock Horse of Texas World Show

Abilene, Texas | October 27–November 1

The Western Horseman Stock Horse World Championship, Stock Horse of Texas’s marquee year end event, combining reining, cow work, trail and rail patterns into a single stock horse format. Entry and scratch deadline is October 2, with late entries accepted through October 9 for a $100 fee.

Ranch Events, Reining, Reined Cow Horse: AQHA World Championship Show

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | October 29–November 21 | OKC Fairgrounds

The Markel AQHA World Championship Show runs alongside the Adequan AQHA Select World Championship Show, Adequan Level 2 Championships and AQHA Level 1 Champion of Champions. Technically an all-around event, but keep coverage to the ranch and reining classes.

The Weekly Performance Report is published at the beginning of each week on HorseandRider.com.