Million Dollar Rider

The NRCHA’s second Million Dollar Rider was also inducted in 2006. Bob Avila is an incredible ambassador for this industry and is a three-time NRCHA Open Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion and a World’s Greatest Horseman. In addition to his NRCHA accolades, Avila is a National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity Champion, a multiple AQHA World Champion and an AQHA Professional Horseman of the Year.

Hall of Fame Inductee

Bob Avila was born into a horse family. Riding everything from his father’s rope horses to his mother’s pleasure horses, he learned to appreciate many different aspects of horsemanship. Bob showed his first horse at the age of five and from that moment on, he was hooked on showing.

At age 20, Bob went to work for NRCHA Hall Of Fame member, Tony Amaral and eventually went out on his own. Bob has since won over 37 World or Reserve World Championships in events ranging from Reining and Working Cow Horse, to Western Riding and Halter.

He is an NRCHA Million Dollar Rider, a three-time Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, and a two-time Worlds Greatest Horseman Champion. He won the Magnificent 7 Reined Cow Horse competition three times and was the first person to be awarded the AQHA Professional Horseman of the Year, and is one of only two people to win the Open at both the NRCHA and NRHA Futurities.

Bob’s show career has truly been one for the ages, but what really makes him stand out, is the trainers that have mentored under him. Bob believes one thing above all else – you’re nothing without your horse.