When the last horse rode out of the historic Will Rogers Coliseum at the 2022 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity®, presented by Metallic Cat, it closed the door on a record-breaking year for NRCHA premier event entries and purses awarded, and did so in style. For the third straight year, the annual futurity saw a rise in entries, and in 2022 more than $1,000,000 was awarded in added money and prizes in Youth, Non Pro and Open classes during the show.
The final of the five annual premier NRCHA events produced by the nationwide organization brought the top 3-year-old horses to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete for the largest cow horse futurity purse to date, with the Open Futurity Champion Tornado Jonez, owned by Brandy Ragland and shown by Lee Deacon, being awarded $200,000, and the Non Pro Champion Debbie Crafton, taking home $40,000.

Fifteen years ago, NRHA Professional Jared Leclair accepted a raw-boned 2-year-old into training. With a royal pedigree and phenomenal confirmation, the colt showed outstanding promise as a performance prospect, but that is where Leclair’s plans for the colt ended. Even still, Leclair made a deal with the colt’s owner, Danny Dugan, and joined in a partnership for the ownership of Electric Code.

The 2022 Stock Horse of Texas Western Horseman World Championship Show saw 3,066 entries compete in twelve divisions for the chance to earn the title of all-around World champion from October 26 through October 30 at the Taylor County Expo in Abilene, Texas. When the dust settled from the last of the 650 cattle worked during the show, competitors walked away with not only bragging rights but also $43,680 and another $69,185 in prizes.

AQHA has received word of the death of AQHA Past President and American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Dr. Glenn Blodgett. “Doc Blodgett” was a man of few words, with even fewer to waste. When it came to his profession, practice and passion, Dr. Blodgett deemed it best to keep it simple.

In the fall of 2022, Arno Honstetter rode the talented mare Ms Dreamy, owned by Frederick Christen, to finish fifth place at The Run For A Million presented by Teton Ridge. The $60,000 prize – the second largest in the German native’s career, was enough to push him to the precipice of a major milestone – a million dollars in earnings.

It had been seven months since Lillie Keenan (USA) had jumped internationally in the United States when she met her stallion Agana van het Gerendal Z for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Las Vegas (USA). She received a warm homecoming when she recorded her first career World Cup victory, besting a six-horse jump-off before a packed crowd Saturday night at the South Point Hotel.

In front of a full house, with standing space only, the 2022 edition of the Italian Futurity literally had the crowd in the Veronafiere stands cheering at the top of their voice from the first to the last horse-and-rider combination: Manuel Cortesi and July Joe Snap. When the duo closed their emotional and powerful run, a 227 appeared on the scoreboard accompanied by a standing ovation. The $216,013-Added Level (L)4 Open Futurity Championship was theirs.

FORT WORTH – The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) is deeply saddened to share the unexpected passing of NCHA Director of Judges Sam Rose of Gainesville, Texas, earlier this morning, November 18, 2022.

Excitement ran high tonight in Verona, Italy, as the IRHA/NRHA 4-year-old Open Futurity finalists gave all they had to clinch the titles and paychecks up for grabs in the highest-paying 4-year-old Open Futurity ever offered in Europe.

Level of competition ran deep, scores rose, and so did the public’s cheers as some of Europe’s best horses and riders performed in the Veronafiere Arena. Half way through the second section, the loudest cheering was for Poland’s Lukasz Czechowicz and CSG Kenzo (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Colonels Shining Gun x Shiner Brimolena) who thrilled the fans with his powerful yet smooth ride. From the first stop and back, through the fast and precise spins, to the speed transitions and imperceptible lead changes, Czechowicz’s mount stopped deep in the ground raising the dirt which resulted in the highest score of the evening, a 227.5, and the win in both the $ 144.390-Added Level L(4) Championship as well as the $ 38.654-Added L3 title.