Makayla Cowan marked a 217.5 to win the Non-Pro Derby at the 2026 NCHA Summer Spectacular aboard Side Kic, a 4-year-old gelding her family bred and raised, and earning $25,324 in the process.
“I’m Ecstatic. I have no words to describe right now,” Cowan said. “It’s just a dream come true. This is my first big Non-Pro win at a Triple Crown. And this is only the second time I’ve made big Non-Pro finals.”
Cowan, 22, has been on a cutting horse longer than she can remember. Her mother rode while pregnant with her, and her father put her in the saddle in front of him before she was big enough to ride alone.
A Horse She’s Known Her Whole Life
Side Kic (Stevie Rey Von x Shes Full of Hope x Smart Mate) was bred and raised at Cowan Ranch, an operation Bill and Michelle Cowan established in 1999 near Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Cowan showed Side Kic’s mother while the mare was still in the show pen, and she has shown several of his siblings.
“He has the biggest heart,” she said. “He’s very tiny, but he has the biggest heart. He’s so consistent, and he’s going to try like 100% all the time.”
Knowing the family gave her a read on him “Side Kic” before she ever walked into the herd with him.
“I know how they are—all sweet animals, have a big heart,” Cowan said. “He’s a lover of love, obviously. But they were all very smart and willing to try.”
Survive the Set
Cowan came into the NCHA Summer Spectacular Non Pro Derby Finals off a 219 in the first go and a 214 in the second. Her plan for the last round was not complicated.
“The game plan was to survive this set,” Cowan said. “These finals were one of the toughest finals I’ve seen in a while, and I just wanted to be really smart, really clean, and have a nice run and get a good check.”
That meant one thing in the herd: choosing cattle that would stay put.
“I wanted cows that weren’t going to jump out of the arena, ones that weren’t going to run me over, ones that wanted to stay in front of me,” Cowan said.
By the third cut, Cowan knew the gelding had done his job, even if she didn’t yet know how it would mark.
“I just started smiling,” Cowan said. “I didn’t know if we had pulled it off, but I was just so proud of that horse for getting through it, holding all those cows and trying so hard. We cut our last cow with a lot of time left and I was like, ‘Come on, buddy.’ He’s had a very long show. But he has showed up every single time.”
She had Shane Carlon, her trainer, in one corner and Lance Cooper in the other, with Clay Johnson and Lloyd Cox turning back. Brett Stiles prepaed Side Kic all week.
At 4 years old, the gelding has plenty of runway left, and so does the rider who has been in his family’s corner since before he was born.
2026 NCHA Summer Spectacular Non Pro Derby Results
| Place | Horse | Score | Owner | Rider | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Side Kic | 217.5 | Cowan Ranch, Inc. | Makayla Cowan | $25,324.90 |
| 2 | Kevlarr | 217.0 | Wesley & Kristen Galyean | Kristen Galyean | $21,860.14 |
| 3 | Pagani | 216.0 | EJ Huntley | EJ Huntley | $18,395.38 |
| 4 | Xxplosive | 215.5 | Glover/Galyean Partnership LLC | Kristen Galyean | $16,259.37 |
| 5 | Audeycious | 215.0 | Wesley & Kristen Galyean | Kristen Galyean | $14,787.74 |