The management team behind The Run For A Million has announced a highly accomplished and respected panel of judges for The Qualifier. The one-day competition is the final opportunity for riders to earn a place at TRFAM, scheduled for August 15, 2026, at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Qualifier will be held March 21 at Bosque Ranch and features $100,000 in added money. With no margin for error, competitors face a straightforward challenge: deliver under pressure or go home. Only nine riders will advance, earning the final positions in the 2026 The Run For A Million field.
Given the stakes, TRFAM management team prioritized experience, consistency, and credibility when selecting officials for this event. The judging panel chosen for The Qualifier represents more than a century of combined experience judging the most elite and important reinings in the world, along with more than $1 million in combined lifetime earnings in the National Reining Horse Association.
Not just another show, the Qualifier warrants a judging team that understands pressure, precision, and the level of performance required to succeed on the sport’s biggest stage. That means that each judge selected brings extensive experience as a competitor and judge, ensuring the competition will be judged with fairness and consistency.
Judges for The Qualifier
- Donnie Bricker – Gainesville, Texas
- Ed “Hoot” Bricker – Evans City, Pennsylvania
- Dean Latimer – Marietta, Oklahoma
- Rick Weaver – Fairview, Pennsylvania
- Richard Pokluda – Whitesboro, Texas
- Equipment Judge – Don Flohr – Ada, Oklahoma
- Judges Monitor – Pat Wickenheiser – Agua Dulce, California
The Battle for the Final Nine
No frills. No extras. Just the toughest reiners on the planet battling for the final nine spots in the 2026 The Run For A Million. Every maneuver matters. Every decision counts. When the dust settles in Weatherford, only nine will move on to Las Vegas.
The road to the million runs through Bosque Ranch.
