The Run For A Million in Review: Weekly Performance Report Aug. 18
Performance ReportAug 18, 2026
Kole Price and Golden Coins rewrote reining’s record book at the Run For A Million in Las Vegas, capping a week that crowned champions across every Western performance horse discipline; cutting, cow horse, non pro and rookie ranks included.
Reining, Cutting, Cow Horse: The Run For A Million
Las Vegas, Nevada | August 11–15 | South Point Arena
The richest week in Western performance horse sports delivered on its promise, closing with a new world record and more than $1.9 million paid out across five days at South Point Arena.
Million Dollar Competition
Photo by Emily Carey
Kole Price and Golden Coins (Coin Toss LLC) shattered the 19-year-old world record for the highest reining score, marking a 237.5 to win the $500,000 Million Dollar Competition on Aug. 15. The previous record, a 236.5 set at the 2007 NRBC by Andrea Fappani and Custom Legend, had stood for nearly two decades—until Gabriel Borges and Spooks Gotta Ice tied it earlier in the same draw, four horses before Price and Golden Coins broke it outright. The win pushed Golden Coins’ lifetime earnings past $860,000. Read the full story here.
1. Kole Price and Golden Coins (Coin Toss LLC, 237.5, $500,000.00).
2. Gabriel Borges and Spooks Gotta Ice (Kathy Page, 236.5, $95,000.00).
3. Andrea Fappani and Alpha Viking (Alpha Quarter Horses LLC & Vargo Quarter, 234.0, $85,000.00).
4. (tie) Ben Beckett and Custom Made Whizkey (Rinck J. Heule, 231.0, $75,000.00) and Mirko Midili and Luk Skywalker (Janice Laney & Thiago Boechat, 231.0, $75,000.00).
$100K Open Shootout
Casey Deary and Perfect On Ice (Amy E. Medows)—partners for barely three weeks—topped the field with a 230.5, earning Deary and the stallion a spot in the 2027 Million Dollar Competition. Read the story here.
1. Casey Deary and Perfect On Ice (Amy E. Medows, 230.5, $29,154.60).
2. (tie) Gabriel Borges and Voodoo Flo Jo (Dean Raichel, 229.5, $14,154.77); Luca Fappani and Vintage Chex (Barbara H. Phillips, 229.5, $14,154.77); and Jason Vanlandingham and GPB Smokinvintagegun (Vaughn C. Zimmerman & Robert Santagata, 229.5, $14,154.77).
5. Peter DeFreitas and Dust Off Ya Gunns (Double Run Farm, 228.5, $10,140.73).
Five riders punched their tickets to 2027: Deary, Borges, Fappani, Vanlandingham and Peter DeFreitas.
Cow Horse Challenge
Erin Taormino and Hazardouz Material (Linda A. Mars) topped the fence work with a 222 in the reining and a 226 down the fence for a 448.0 total, earning $55,000 and pushing “Skeeter’s” lifetime earnings past $545,000. Read the story.
1. Erin Taormino and Hazardouz Material (Linda A. Mars, 448.0, $55,000.00).
2. Justin Wright and Snapdragons (Snapdragons Partners, 445.0, $40,000.00).
3. Sarah Dawson and Juliette Jonez (Linda Mars, 443.0, $32,000.00).
4. (tie) Shawn Hays and Cats Tell Secrets (Katalyst Performance Horses, 440.5, $23,000.00) and Boyd Rice and My Boots Are Royal (Moncrief Quarter Horses, 440.5, $23,000.00).
Also crowned: Landri Lisac topped the Youth Cow Horse Challenge aboard LOOKSLIKELUCKTOME (434.5); Trey Mitchell and SCR WimpyCrackinChic won the Cowboy Heritage Ranch Challenge (428.0); and Ashley Kelkenberg and Sparklin Nite topped the Race to the Slide (71.4).
Cutting Horse Challenge
Austin Shepard and Rollz Eh (Billy Lee Wolf), the 2025 NCHA Horse of the Year, marked a 231 for the win and $55,000—a repeat for Shepard, who also won the class in 2024 aboard Kittenish. Read about the win here.
1. Austin Shepard and Rollz Eh (Billy Lee Wolf, 231.0, $55,000.00).
2. (tie) Beau Galyean and Breykin Bad (Fults Ranch Ltd, 224.0, $36,000.00) and Adan Banuelos and Reyzin The Limit (Katie Gaughan Banuelos, 224.0, $36,000.00).
4. Michael Cooper and Vitanni (Theorem Ranch, 222.5, $25,000.00).
5. Kenny Platt and LBR Hangem (Shotty Syndicate, 222.0, $21,000.00).
Non Pro Cutting Challenge
Photo by Emily Carey
In the event’s inaugural year, Debbie Day and Kat Play (Dacole Investment Company) marked a 229 to win by 2.5 points and $27,500, pushing Day’s career earnings past $950,000. Read about Day’s win here.
1. Debbie Day and Kat Play (Dacole Investment Company, 229.0, $27,500.00).
2. Ali Good and Kolt 45 (OO Ranch LLC, 226.5, $20,000.00).
3. Sawyer Setnicka and Zigzagg (Greg Williamson, 223.0, $16,000.00).
4. Bill Cowan and Double Truble (Cowan Ranch Inc, 220.0, $12,500.00).
5. Jennifer Cooper and Bella Louella (Michael and Jennifer Cooper, 219.5, $10,500.00).
Non Pro Reining Challenge
Photo by Emily Carey
13-year-old Emanuel Gebert of Germany and Gunna Cash Ya (Story Book Stables) won a four-way run-off with a 224, earning $31,872.91. Gebert added the Youth Reining Challenge title on the same horse later in the week (220.5). Read about Gerbet’s special win here.
1. Emanuel Gebert and Gunna Cash Ya (Story Book Stables, 224.0 run-off, $31,872.91).
2. (tie) Gina-Maria Schumacher and Take Out The Trash (CS Ranch LLC, 223.5 run-off, $15,474.53); Allison Rae Thorson and Pale Light (Thorsport, $15,474.53); and Sarah Rose Jons and Let Err Rip (Sotol Investments LLC, $15,474.53).
Rookie Reining Challenges
Pedro Diano, 14, won Rookie 1 aboard Great Gotta Whiz (Alpha Quarter Horses LLC) with a 212.5; Christine Loper won Rookie 2 aboard her own Temptedtoshine with a 214, checking off a longtime goal in her final year of rookie eligibility. Read about the rookies here.
Las Vegas, Nevada | August 18–23 | South Point Hotel, Arena & Equestrian Center
The National Stock Horse Association’s marquee week opens Tuesday: Futurity, Derby, Open Two Rein Spectacular, Non Pro Bridle Spectacular and Non Pro Boxing Spectacular, billed as the “World’s Richest Horse Show,” plus the War Horse Challenge—same venue as The Run For A Million, one week later.
Looking Ahead
Reining: 100X Reining Classic — Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma | August 29–September 6 | Tulsa Expo Square
100X Shows brings the Invitational (an exclusive 3-year-old futurity, now in its 5th year) and the 100X Stakes (4-year-old only) to Tulsa, alongside the and Derby.
Reining: High Roller Reining Classic
Las Vegas, Nevada | September 11–17 | South Point Equestrian Center
First held in 2008, the High Roller Reining Classic keeps the South Point Equestrian center busy with Western performance horse events—this time in the reining variety.
Reined Cow Horse: Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity
Reno, Nevada | September 11–20 | Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
The Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity hits its 10-year anniversary under current ownership. Reno, Nevada has a deep history with reined cow horse, hosting the majority of Snaffle Bit Futurities since the 1970s before the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity relocated to Fort Worth in 2017. The Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity now carries the cow horse sport forward with its own annual event at the Reno Sparks Livestock Center.
The Weekly Performance Report publishes at the beginning of each week on HorseandRider.com.
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