In 2026 the Cutting Horse Challenge brings some of the National Cutting Horse Association’s best riders and horses to go head-to-head, one go, for lucrative prize money and awards.
The top 15 finishers from the 2025 Brazos Bash, held at the Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, will qualify to compete in TRFAM Cutting Horse Challenge.
Any age horse is eligible to compete. If the horse is 3, 4, 5/6, or 7 & Up, their first go-round score in the Open will be counted as their qualifying run. The riders with the top 15 scores entered in the qualifier will advance to the 2026 Run For A Million.
Only 15 riders will advance to TRFAM Cutting Horse Challenge. The tie breaker will be calculated by adding the scores of all five judges together. If there is still a tie, a runoff will be held. The entry fee for the qualifier will be $1,500.
For more information on the Brazos Bash, visit the website at https://brazosbash.com/
The term cutting refers to the act of separating one cow from a herd of cattle. The sport of cutting involves a horse and a rider and a herd of cattle.
Cattle are herd animals. One cow will instinctively try to return to the group. Knowing that, a horse and rider team will quietly ride into the herd, select and “cut” off, or separate, one cow from the group (letting the unpicked cows return to the herd behind) and then prevent that cow from rejoining the herd – until they decide to let it go. Keeping the cow separated requires incredible intelligence and physical ability on the part of the horse. Once the cow is separated, riders are no longer allowed to use their reins. Trained cutting horses are required to think on their own and anticipate and react to the cow’s moves.  The competition is judged based on many factors – difficulty and how well the horse anticipates and reacts. This is the only equine competition where the horse is required to think for itself.
