The Run For A Million returns to South Point Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas Aug. 11-15, billed as the richest event in the history of reining and one of the biggest weeks on the calendar for cutting and cow horse. Qualified fields are now set across four marquee competitions: the Million Dollar Competition, the $250,000 Cutting Horse Challenge, the $250,000 Cow Horse Challenge and, new this year, the Breakaway Roping Showcase.
Qualifiers:
Cutting Horse Challenge
The Cutting Horse Challenge opens the week’s marquee nights Thursday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at South Point Arena, following the Non Pro Cutting Challenge at 6 p.m. The purse stands at $250,000, run as a single go-round with no averaging.
Each rider walks to the herd once, under the lights, with judges weighing degree of difficulty and how well the horse anticipates and reacts to the cow’s movement.
The 15-rider field qualified at the 2025 Brazos Bash at Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, where the top 15 finishers punched their tickets to Las Vegas.
Qualified riders:
- Adan Banuelos
- Monty Buntin
- Cullen Chartier
- Michael Cooper
- Bradey Davis
- Beau Galyean
- Wesley Galyean
- Tosten Peterson
- Kenny Platt
- Kory Pounds
- Kody Porterfield
- Tarin Rice
- Spud Sheehan
- Austin Shepard
- Cade Shepard
Cow Horse Challenge
The $250,000 Cow Horse Challenge takes the arena Friday, Aug. 14, with the cow work portion beginning at 7 p.m. at South Point Arena. The night also includes the Youth Cow Horse Challenge at 6:30 p.m. and the Cowboy Heritage Ranch Challenge at 6:45 p.m. ($30,000 purse).
Qualifying spots were split across three events:
- 2025 National Stock Horse Association Pre-Futurity in Las Vegas, Nevada — five spots
- 2026 National Reined Cow Horse Association Stallion Stakes in Las Vegas, Nevada — five spots
- 2026 National Reined Cow Horse Association Derby in Scottsdale, Arizona — five spots
Competition culminates in the fence work. Each rider enters the arena as a single cow is released, boxing it at the arena’s end to establish control before letting it run the fence. Riders must turn the cow at least once in each direction, then circle it in the center of the arena both ways, with judges scoring for control, difficulty and form.
Qualified riders:
- Todd Crawford
- Chris Dawson
- Nick Dowers
- Shawn Hays
- Kelby Phillips
- Boyd Rice
- Shane Steffen
- Tucker Robinson
- Erin Taormino
- Kyle Trahern
- Jordan Williams
- Jake Telford
- Justin Wright
- Sarah Dawson
- Shadd Parkinson
Breakaway Roping Showcase
New in 2026, the Breakaway Roping Showcase joins The Run For A Million lineup in partnership with Premier Women’s Rodeo and Ultimate Calf Roping. Twenty competitors will chase a $50,000 added purse Friday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m. at South Point Arena, with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and an awards ceremony following at 8 p.m.
The 20-woman field is split between eight invited champions and 12 qualifiers:
- Five automatic spots went to reigning champions across PWR’s Pro, Challenger and Limited divisions, the PWR Championship Event champion and the 2025 WPRA world champion.
- Three more went to the current PWR leaderboard leaders, one from each division.
- Ten qualifiers advanced on aggregate from the Hamilton LCQ at Circle T Arena in Hamilton, Texas, on May 10.
- Two qualifiers advanced on aggregate from the PWR Championship at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, May 12-15.
Invited:
- Martha Angelone (2026 PWR World Champion, Pro)
- Kaitlyn Torres (2026 PWR World Champion, Challenger)
- Clementine Teague (2026 PWR World Champion, Limited)
- Arina Dee Haugen (2026 PWR Championship Event Champion)
- Taylor Munsell (2025 WPRA World Champion)
- Hailey Jo Hall (PWR Pro Leaderboard No. 1)
- Jessie Hemphill (PWR Challenger Leaderboard No. 1)
- Cheyenne Claxton (PWR Limited Leaderboard No. 1)
Qualified:
- Sarah Angelone (Hamilton LCQ)
- Amy Ohrt (Hamilton LCQ)
- Ricki Engesser Fanning (Hamilton LCQ)
- Timber Allenbrand (Hamilton LCQ)
- Lari Dee Guy (Hamilton LCQ)
- Rylee George (Hamilton LCQ)
- Jackie Crawford (Hamilton LCQ)
- Kennzie Nixon (Hamilton LCQ)
- Blake Weekley (Hamilton LCQ)
- Amber Crawford (Hamilton LCQ)
- Kirsten George (PWR Championship, Fort Worth)
- Harley Pryor (PWR Championship, Fort Worth)
Million Dollar Competition
The Million Dollar Competition caps the week Saturday, Aug. 15, at 6:15 p.m. at South Point Arena, with $1 million on the line and $500,000 going to the champion. The field is capped at 16 riders, each of whom had to qualify through one of three routes over the 2025-26 show season:
- 2025 The Run For A Million in Las Vegas, Nevada — five spots
- 2025 Equita Lyon in Lyon, France — one spot
- 2026 Qualifier — nine spots
A 16th rider, Fernando Salgado, advanced through the 2024 CRC.
Qualified riders:
- Ben Beckett (2026 Qualifier)
- Gabriel Borges (2026 Qualifier)
- Trevor Dare (2026 Qualifier)
- Casey Deary (2025 The Run For A Million)
- Andrea Fappani (2025 The Run For A Million)
- Alessandro Frassa (2025 Equita Lyon)
- Arno Honstetter (2026 Qualifier)
- Francesco Martinotti (2026 Qualifier)
- Cade McCutcheon (2026 Qualifier)
- Mirko Midili (2026 Qualifier)
- Martin Muehlstaetter (2026 Qualifier)
- Kole Price (2025 The Run For A Million)
- Fernando Salgado (2024 CRC)
- Gina Schumacher (2025 The Run For A Million)
- Dany Tremblay (2026 Qualifier)
- Jason Vanlandingham (2025 The Run For A Million)