Saturday Night • August 15 • South Point Arena, Las Vegas

Million Dollar Competition

$1,000,000 • One Go • August 15

Sixteen riders earned their way here through a season of qualifiers. One go-round, all out, for one million dollars, with $500,000 to the champion.

$1,000,000The Purse
$500,000To The Champion
16Qualified Riders
Aug 15Saturday • 6:15 PM
Doors open 4:30 PM
Million Dollar Competition begins 6:15 PM
The Run For A Million Buckle Ceremony presented by Honda 8:30 PM
Full week: Official Schedule

The Format

Sixteen riders. One go. A million dollars.

The Million Dollar Competition at The Run For A Million is limited to sixteen riders, each of whom had to qualify at one of three events in the 2025 to 2026 show season. There are no invitations and no exceptions: every spot in Saturday night's draw was earned in the show pen.

These riders compete in a one go-round, all out competition for $1,000,000, with the champion receiving $500,000. The event is NRHA Category 11 Approved and runs on Pattern 10.

The field draws positions Friday at the Million Dollar Competition Draw Party presented by Arcese Quarter Horses/Oswood Stallion Station, then signs autographs Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Million Dollar Competition Rider Autograph Signing presented by Cinch, both on the Live Festival Stage.

The Field

Qualified riders

Sixteen names, sixteen earned spots. Each card shows where the ticket was punched.

16 Riders • Every Spot Earned
BB
Ben Beckett
2026 The Qualifier
GB
Gabriel Borges
2026 The Qualifier
TD
Trevor Dare
2026 The Qualifier
CD
Casey Deary
2025 TRFAM
AF
Andrea Fappani
2025 TRFAM
AF
Alessandro Frassa
2025 Equita Lyon
AH
Arno Honstetter
2026 The Qualifier
FM
Francesco Martinotti
2026 The Qualifier
CM
Cade McCutcheon
2026 The Qualifier
MM
Mirko Midili
2026 The Qualifier
MM
Martin Muehlstaetter
2026 The Qualifier
KP
Kole Price
2025 TRFAM
FS
Fernando Salgado
2024 CRC
GS
Gina Schumacher
2025 TRFAM
DT
Dany Tremblay
2026 The Qualifier
JV
Jason Vanlandingham
2025 TRFAM

The Sport

What is reining?

Reining is a judged event designed to show the athletic ability of a ranch type horse within the confines of a show arena. In NRHA competition, contestants run a pre-selected, approved pattern from the NRHA Handbook, and every maneuver counts.

One go-round. All out. For one million dollars.

The Circles

Speed on a loose rein

Small slow circles and large fast circles, joined by flying lead changes at the center of the arena, prove control at every speed.

The Spins

360 degrees in place

The horse plants and spins in place through full 360-degree turns, judged on cadence, correctness, and speed.

The Slide

The hallmark stop

Rollbacks over the hocks and the sliding stops that are the hallmark of the reining horse, run at full speed on Saturday night's biggest stage.

The NRHA Judging System is recognized as the leading format for judging an equine event, combining technical and stylistic elements with degree of difficulty. The Run For A Million is the richest event in the history of reining, and Pattern 10 is Saturday night's test.

Saturday • August 15 • 6:15 PM

One go for one million dollars.

In-arena seats for Saturday night are sold out, but every run streams live from South Point Arena.