Into the herd
The horse and rider quietly ride into the herd, select one cow, and cut it off from the group, letting the unpicked cattle return to the herd behind them.
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Thursday Night • South Point Arena, Las Vegas
Non Pro Cutting Horse Challenge
$125,000 Added • One Go • August 13
The National Cutting Horse Association's top Non Pro competitors take the big stage in Las Vegas, one go, for lucrative prize money and awards.
$125,000Added Money
15Qualified Riders
One GoNo Second Round
Aug 13Thursday • 6:00 PM
The Format
New for 2026. The Non Pros take the big stage.
In 2026, The Run For A Million expanded its cutting horse events with the addition of the $125,000 added Non Pro Cutting Horse Challenge, bringing the National Cutting Horse Association's top Non Pro competitors to Las Vegas.
Non Pros are the sport's owners and amateurs. Under NCHA rules they cannot be paid to train or show cutting horses, and they compete on horses they own. Same herd, same clock, same lights as the pros, with $125,000 added on the line.
The Non Pros open Thursday night at South Point Arena at 6:00 PM, with the $250,000 Cutting Horse Challenge to follow at 7:30 PM.
The Field
Qualified riders
Fifteen earned the trip to Las Vegas.
15 Qualified • The Winter BashJC
Jennifer Cooper
Texas
TQ
Todd Quirk
Louisiana
SB
Stuart Bozeman
Texas
KG
Kristen Galyean
Oklahoma
AG
Ali Good
Texas
DD
Debbie Day
CF
Cade Fults
Texas
EQ
Elizabeth Quirk
Louisiana
BM
Bonnie Martin
GV
Grace Vangilder
SM
Stacie McDavid
Texas
SS
Sawyer Setnicka
Texas
WC
William Cowan
EH
EJ Huntley
NM
Nancy Martin
Texas
The Sport
What is cutting?
The term cutting refers to the act of separating one cow from a herd of cattle. The sport involves a horse, a rider, and a herd. Cattle are herd animals, and one cow will instinctively try to return to the group. Keeping it away requires incredible intelligence and physical ability on the part of the horse.
This is the only equine competition where the horse is required to think for itself.
The rider lets go
Once the cow is separated, the rider is no longer allowed to use the reins. From this moment, the run belongs to the horse.
The horse takes over
A trained cutting horse thinks on its own, anticipating and reacting to every move the cow makes to keep it from rejoining the herd, until the rider decides to let it go.
Judges score each run on many factors, including degree of difficulty and how well the horse anticipates and reacts. The Run For A Million is the richest event in the history of reining and the most exciting and thrilling event in cow horse and cutting.
Thursday • August 13 • 6:00 PM
Fifteen Non Pros. One go each. Thursday night starts here.
Every run streams live from South Point Arena.