With his petite frame, luxurious hair, refined head, big dark eyes and friendly nature, Topsails Rien Maker (Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay x Toby Gay Bar) resembled a child’s dream pony more than a fierce reined cow horse. But the talent and tenacity within the stallion’s compact sorrel body propelled him to undisputed status as one of the NRCHA’s most unique, highest-achieving and universally beloved equine athletes.

Foaled in 1999, bred by the Stellato Revocable Trust of Redding, California, he was purchased by Dana Roulet, who placed him in training with NRCHA Professional Russell Dilday when the stallion was two. Dilday, with longtime family friend Kevin Cantrelle, bought “Slider” from Roulet in 2003, in what would become one of the reined cow horse industry’s most memorable partnerships. Together, Dilday and Slider won titles in every phase of NRCHA competition. They were best known for their brilliant all-around bridle horse performances, claiming a record three World’s Greatest Horseman championships in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Topsails Rien Maker’s $335,612 in lifetime earnings made him the NRCHA’s top money-earning horse for a five year span, from mid-2010 until mid-2015. The stallion charmed an even wider audience in 2012, when he became the first Breyer reined cow horse model, traveling across the country in his role as an ambassador for his sport. In his breeding career, Topsails Rien Maker sired 192 AQHA-registered foals, and of those, 42 are money-earners, with more than $108,000 in reined cow horse and $110,000 across all disciplines.

Although kidney disease cut his life short in May 2016, at age 17, Topsails Rien Maker will forever be remembered by his legions of fans in the reined cow horse industry and beyond.