Yesterday marked an unforgettable conclusion to the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® in Fort Worth, and history was made. From the exciting outdoor kick-off and watch-parties, sponsored by Top Fuel Ranch, to the high-stakes competition in the arena, and right into the after-party, sponsored by Metallic Cat, the energy was off the charts.
On top of that, the prestigious NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Western Bloodstock Sale set the stage for the next generation of champions.
Together, these moments made the final day of the Futurity a true celebration of where the sport has come from and where it’s going.
Want to check out scores from the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®? Visit NRCHA Scoring, sponsored by Wagonhound Land & Livestock, by click here.
Open Futurity Champion
Very seldom does the winner of the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® not bring tears to eyes, people to their feet and leave the walls of the arena reverberating with cheers and screams.
When John Swales and Bowie Nights were crowned champions, few dry eyes could be found, not just in the John Justin Arena, but across the entirety of the cow horse community.
With an astounding Open Futurity finals composite score of 662 (R: 220/H: 217.5/C: 225), John and Bowie Nights (Metallic Cat x Lil Bit Reckless x CD Royal) locked up the championship that would write the kind of story dreams are made of—dreams now turned into reality.
“I don't think it's really set in yet,” he said. “It's pretty amazing. It’s unreal.”
While the thought of the two-time NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman® champion winning the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® isn’t far-fetched, the circumstances the Swales and Volmer families overcame to get John to Fort Worth could be described as such.
When John’s sister, Veronica Swales, was badly injured in August at the National Stock Horse Association Pre-Futurity in Las Vegas, the cow horse world was shaken to its core. A champion of the 2024 NRCHA Stallion Stakes and with more than half a million dollars in NRCHA earnings, Veronica has been blazing a trail to the top of the industry. She had rightfully earned her place among the best trainers and was a strong contender for the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® title aboard Bar One Land & Cattle LLP–owned mares Bowie Nights and Jelly Time (Bama Jelly x Ultra Time x One Time Pepto).
When that opportunity was no longer within reach due to her injuries and recovery, the torch was passed to John to catch-ride the prospects on NRCHA’s biggest stage.
“Ronnie and I grew up together riding, and I think we have similar styles,” John said. “I think she's probably a lot better horse trainer than I am, but they felt very easy to just get on and go.”
The Swales family hails from Canada, and while Veronica now lives in the U.S., John still resides in Alberta. As a result, the NRCHA Million Dollar Rider wasn’t able to ride the mares until a week before the Futurity; however, that didn’t stop him from qualifying for the finals.
Jelly Time had a respectable finals, placing 22nd in the field of 33 horses, but it was Bowie Nights who rose to the occasion and topped the stacked group of standout horses. The 2022 mare earned a 217.5 in the herd work, a 220 in the reined work and a massive 225—the highest score of the night—in the cow work to contribute to their composite score of 662.5 and clinch the win.
“When I trotted down there and they turned that black cow in there, I thought, ‘You know what? Let’s just roll with this and see what happens. Nobody likes a coward,’” Swales said of his cow work run, one of the last of the night.
With that final run, Swales and the mare sealed the championship deal, accompanied by the $200,000 check. The pair also won the East West Equine Mare Incentive, worth $5,000.
“This mare is so special,” Veronica said. “I have her 3/4 sister, Spanish Nights (Metallic Rebel x Lil Bit Reckless x CD Royal). when we found out about this mare, I literally told Clay [Volmer, Veronica’s husband] that we had to buy her and that she would be today's Futurity champion.”
While Veronica wasn’t the one riding the mare to the winner’s circle, the victory felt just as special—if not more so.
“I couldn't have it any other way with my brother winning it on my horse,” Veronica said. “I'm very fortunate that he came down and changed his schedule to be here for me and to show my horses. And I’m very thankful that I got to be here and cheer on all my friends and be here to watch him win it.”
Consistency and horsemanship defined the runs that led to the Intermediate and Limited Open Futurity titles at the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®.
Claiming the Intermediate Open Championship was Constellations (Dual Reyish x Playguns Star x Playgun), owned by Lazy T Ranch and shown by Zane Davis. The talented stallion, bred by Cara Brewer, earned a total of 656.5 points with scores of 220 in the reined work, 216 in the herd work and 220.5 in the cow work.
In the Limited Open, Metallic Sannrey (Sannman x What A Rey x TR Dual Rey), owned by Ruth Nixon and shown by Trapper Lowndes, captured the championship with a composite of 657 points. Bred by SDP Buffalo Ranch, the stallion delivered scores of 220 in the reined work, 221 in the herd work and 216 in the cow work.
Both teams demonstrated the grit and feel that define success in the reined cow horse arena, rightfully earning their places among this year’s champions.
