Fresh off his 2025 Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Championship, Myles Brown proved his momentum was no fluke, piloting the 2022 stallion Painted Shadows to a dominant victory in the Tres Osos Open Derby with a composite of 662 (218 herd / 219.5 rein / 224.5 fence).
The score was untouchable across the open, intermediate, and limited levels of the derby, and when paired with the Chrome Cash bonus, Brown added $83,972 to the homegrown stallion’s earnings.
“It was something we were hoping for,” Brown said. “But I try not to expect much. I was just trying to execute our plan.”
A Fence Run That Sealed It
While “Arnold” was solid across all three events, the fence work is what slammed the door on the field with a 224.5 that showcased his athleticism and feel.
Brown admitted the run wasn’t perfectly by the book, either. After receiving a new cow, he boxed the “limousine-looking heifer” and started around the corner. When she checked up, Brown adjusted by riding to her hip, pushing the heifer out into the arena instead of down the fence for an open field turn.
“[Arnold] was very electric, and just ran up there, open-field turned that cow and crushed him for the second turn,” Brown said.
It was the kind of performance Brown believes sets Arnold apart.
“He’s just kind of got that it factor,” Brown said. “He can go do stuff that’s hard and make it look easy.”
From Homebred Hope to Open Standout
Arnold’s rise is especially meaningful for Brown and his family, who have been invested in the colt from the very beginning.
Brown started the stallion himself after the family raised him out of Miss Scarlets Cat, a mare Brown purchased as a yearling in 2015 from the late Brenda Michael. Brown trained the mare and made the open finals on her in 2017—his own breakout moment.
“We’ve been excited about [Arnold] since before he was born,” Brown said.
Brown believes the stallion strongly reflects his dam’s best traits.
“A very good brain, extreme athletic ability, and a really strong work ethic,” Brown said. “They don’t do it because you ask them to—they do it because they want to.”
The barn name “Arnold” also carries personal significance. The colt is named after preacher Arnold Murrey, part of a naming theme Brown used with his futurity horses.
The Right Time to Step Into the Open
Despite long-term open ambitions, Brown has largely honed his horsemanship in the non pro ranks. After achieving his goal of winning the Non Pro Futurity in 2025, the timing finally felt right to fully step into open competition.
“I’ve always had my eye on the open,” Brown said. “When I finally [won the Futurity], I already had the plan to move… when it’s right, it’ll be right.”
So far, the move looks well-timed. Brown noted Arnold has now been shown five times, winning four of those outings.
“Lord willing, I think we’re just getting started,” Brown said.
Family, Faith, and Forward Momentum
Brown credited much of the operation’s success to his wife, Jaylee Brown, an accomplished competitor in her own right. At the 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, she won both go-rounds of the ranch rodeo barrel racing while five months pregnant.
“She’s everything, and I wouldn’t be anywhere without her,” Brown said.
The Browns are based in the Texas Panhandle near the Stinnett, while maintaining ties to a substantial family cattle operation with roots stretching into Throckmorton. The program is deeply family-driven, with relatives—including fellow reined cow horse competitor Lanham Brown—actively involved in the Western performance horse industry.
That foundation has helped position both Brown and Arnold for long-term success. With Arnold earning more than $130,000 in just a handful of shows, Brown knows the young stallion has already exceeded expectations—though he’s careful not to look too far ahead.
“This horse doesn’t owe us anything,” Brown said.
For now, however, Arnold keeps delivering.
And if Fort Worth was any indication, the Tres Osos sweep may be only the beginning.