The Level 4 Open Finals at the NRHA Futurity are set, and this year’s field showcases both proven programs and rising junior sires in a deep, competitive lineup. Thirty horses advanced to Sunday night’s championship, including multiple entries from legendary trainers, several international competitors, and standout first-crop offspring from sires beginning to establish their legacy.

Among them, Casey Deary leads the way, advancing three horses to the Level 4 Finals, including Maverickbuzthetower—the top composite scorer from the semifinal rounds.

Deary and Maverickbuzthetower Lead the Semifinals

Casey Deary and Maverickbuzthetower set the pace in Oklahoma City after posting a leading composite score of 449 in the Level 4 Open Futurity Semifinals. Their scores—a 225.5 in the first go and a 224.5 in the second—secured the highest combined total of the round and helped propel Deary’s advance into Sunday’s Level 4 Finals.

Maverickbuzthetower, a gelding by Americasnexttopgun and out of Chics Vintage Flare, gained additional attention earlier this week when he was purchased by Taylor Sheridan of Bosque Ranch Performance Horses during the event. The gelding was originally owned by Deary’s farrier, Glenn Spradling, who not only raised and nominated him but also owns a full sibling weanling from the same cross.

For Deary, the horse’s talent has always been evident.

“He’s been a great horse all year long,” Deary told Steve Ross at the Hart Trailers Sports Desk. “My horse shoer owned him, let me geld him, let me do what I need to do to get him ready. He’s such a natural athlete he made my job easy.”

Deary emphasized that nothing about the gelding’s style is forced.

“He’s so pretty the way he goes around—pretty ears, soft neck,” he said. “There’s nothing hard for this horse. That look—that’s him. That’s how he travels all the time. That’s what makes him so cool.”

Even small adjustments during the semifinal run showed how easily the horse responds.

“I had to back off in the first turn to catch his cadence, and then he let me stand on him the second way,” Deary added. “He just locked in.”

Americasnexttopgun Offspring Continue Futurity Momentum

Maverickbuzthetower’s performance is part of a larger storyline unfolding at this year’s Futurity: the fast-rising sire presence of Americasnexttopgun. The stallion—known as “Maverick”—will be represented by four horses in the Level 4 Finals, more than any other sire in the lineup.

“You’re seeing him validated as a sire,” Deary said. “We had 11 in the Level 4 semifinals out of 75. Maria [Luiza Michelin Fagundes] won the non-pro go-around on a Maverick filly. I don’t know what more we can ask for a junior sire to come out swinging like that.”

Two of Deary’s three finalists—Maverickbuzthetower and Belissimo—are Maverick offspring, and another made the finals through Deary’s assistant rider.

Other stallions demonstrating depth this year include Inferno Sixty Six, A Vintage Smoke, Magnum Chic Dream, and Spooks Gotta Whiz, all represented by multiple Level 4 finalists.

Finals Field Highlights Rising Sires and Top Programs

From the rider side, Deary and Andrea Fappani lead the finals with three entries each, followed by two-horse appearances from Jason Vanlandingham, Arno Honstetter, and Luca Fappani. Last year’s NRHA Level 4 Futurity winner, Kaci O’Rourke, is also back for this year’s finals on two horses. The field also brings notable international representation, with finalists from the United States, Brazil, Italy, Austria, Uruguay, Australia, and Germany.

Meet the Level 4 Open Finalists and See the Draw for Sunday Night

With scores resetting for the finals, every entry starts fresh, making Sunday’s championship wide open. Fans can tune in live, with free streaming available on Ride TV or at nrhafuturity.com. The Level 4 Open Finals begin at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Dec. 7, when the full finalist order will run in draw sequence. With positions officially set, here’s a look at who made it back for the final round:

NRHA Level 4 Open Finals Draw