The 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® presented by Metallic Cat brought fierce competition and plenty of celebration to Fort Worth, Texas, October 9–24. For more than two weeks, the best of the best in reined cow horse showed up and showed out, making this limited-age event as memorable for its camaraderie as its championship performances. History was made and new champions were crowned, with plenty of fun along the way.
Open Futurity
Corey Cushing earned his fifth Snaffle Bit Futurity® championship with a 665 composite score aboard Candy Shopp (Smooth Talkin Style x Shiney Nickel x Smart Boons), owned by Gianna Hansen. The pair topped the 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Open division.
Cushing opened the Open Futurity finals with an impressive 225, putting him in a strong position from the start. A 220 in the reined work kept him in contention, and another 220 in the cow work sealed the deal.
Intermediate and Limited Open Futurity
Lanham Brown riding Rebel De Rosa (Metallic Rebel x Rosa Del Pepto x One Time Pepto) owned by R.A. Brown Ranch took home both Intermediate and Limited Open championship titles. Along with it, Brown and Rebel De Rosa were placed as Reserve in the Open Futurity.
This was the first time Brown, the 2023 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Non Pro Champion, entered the Open, and he left as the Intermediate, Limited Open Champion and the Reserve Open Champion. These wins, and the money that comes with them, moved Brown out of the Non Pro division.
Non Pro and Non Pro Boxing Futurity
Crue Dowers riding Daisy Jane (Metallic Cat x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey) secured the Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro championship titles with a 656 composite score. Similar to his sister Tuli Dowers’ 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Non Pro Boxing Futurity championship, Crue Dowers and Daisy Jane entered the Non Pro Futurity as a late entry after his father, Nick Dowers, and the mare did not advance to the Open Futurity finals. Crue is now marked in reined cow horse history as being the youngest competitor to win the title of NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Non Pro Champion.
Madison Jones and Scooter Miss (Scooter Kat x Play Miss Metallic x Metallic Cat) won the Non Pro Boxing Futurity championship title with a composite score of 877.5, being Jones’ first NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® as a competitor. Her husband, Jared Jones, also showed Scotter Miss in the Open Futurity finals.
Level One Open Futurity
Dylan Steeley riding Sugar Rey Von (Stevie Rey Von x Cowboys Sugar C251 x Ima Son O Sugar), owned by A Bar Ranch LLC, took home the Level 1 Open Futurity Championship with a composite score of 643. The pair marked 212 in the herd work, 215.5 in the reined work, and 215.5 down the fence to secure the title.
Events
On October 21, the NRCHA Foundation’s first ever Big Guns in Cowtown charity event took place at Cowtown Coliseum. Twenty-two elite rodeo athletes paired with NRCHA Professionals to test their cow horse skills. Each athlete competed for $55,000 donated to their charity of choice, plus bragging rights and $30,000 in prize money. Professional tie-down roper Haven Meged teamed up with NRCHA $3 Million Rider Justin Wright to claim the Big Guns in Cowtown championship at Cowtown Coliseum. Sponsored by Ray Shell Ranch, the team competed on behalf of Golden Circle of Champions, helping raise awareness and funds to support children battling pediatric cancer. Big Guns in Cowtown raised over $300,000 for the NRCHA Foundation and the athlete selected charities.
During this year’s NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, War Horses for Veterans hosted a Cow Work Challenge, presented by Don Bell | Icon Global. War Horses for Veterans is a nonprofit performance horse program for combat veterans and first responders. Josh McElroy, Brady Cook, Mason Frisbee, Bill Norman, and Patrick Miller competed in the challenge. McElroy claimed the win with a 221.5. NRCHA Professionals Matt Koch, Chris Dawson, Russell Dilday, Kyle Noice, Brendon Clark, and Taylor Gillespie coached the riders leading up to and during the Cow Work Challenge.
The 2026 Western Bloodstock NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® Sale saw strong results, highlighted by the sale’s high-seller Heartbreak Express, consigned by Beverly L. Servi, who brought $200,000. Across the two-day sale, 83% of horses that were offered found new ownership, averaging $32,053. The five highest sellers averaged $156,000. Support for young horsemen remained part of the weekend’s business, with donated breedings totaling $81,000 for the National Reined Cow Horse Youth Association [NRCHYA].
The 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® awarded nearly $2.5 million in total payouts across limited-age event and horse show classes, with Futurity payouts alone exceeding $1.9 million. Horse show competitors also took home more than $440,000 in earnings. NRCHA extends its sincere appreciation to the sponsors whose continued support and dedication make events of this caliber possible. With another successful Snaffle Bit Futurity® in the books, NRCHA looks forward to an exciting 2027 show season and invites competitors, members, and fans to join us for another year of NRCHA Premier Events.
