Michael Cooper piloted Red N Milds (Metallic Rey Mink x One Red Mist), owned by Wheeler Dealer Cutting Horses, to the 4-Year-Old Open Classic Championship at the 2026 NCHA Super Stakes in Fort Worth, Texas. The pair marked a 223.5 in the finals to claim the title and a $77,514.70 paycheck.
Heart of a Champion
From the first go-round, Red N Milds proved she belonged at the top of the leaderboard.
“This mare is kind and playful,” Cooper said. “She’s one of the sweetest horses I’ve ever been around… She loves her job.”
The 2022 mare delivered consistent performances throughout the preliminary rounds, tying for third in the first go with a 221 before backing it up with a 220 in the second round.
She kept the momentum rolling in the semifinals, marking a 222 to top the round and secure the highest aggregate score heading into the finals.
Drawing first in the second set of cattle in the finals, Cooper and the young mare set the bar with a commanding 223.5. The score held through the remainder of the class, with second-place finishers Gottii and Tarin Rice marking a 220.
Comeback Kid
While the championship run made it look easy, the road to the Super Stakes title wasn’t without setbacks.
Cooper has worked with Red N Milds since she was a 2-year-old and had high hopes for her heading into the fall of 2025.
“That mare, there was no doubt I was going to show her at the futurity,” Cooper said. “She was by far the coolest, neatest, easiest futurity horse I’ve had in maybe forever.”
Just 12 days before the NCHA Futurity, those plans came to a halt when the mare developed an abscess in a milk vein, forcing Cooper to withdraw from the event.
Once recovered, however, the mare quickly proved she hadn’t missed a step.
The duo returned with a reserve championship at the Abilene Spectacular before continuing their momentum at the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity, where Red N Milds claimed the 4-Year-Old Open title.
With the Super Stakes victory, the young mare’s lifetime earnings now sit just shy of $190,000.
4-Year-Old Results
| Place | Horse | Sire | Dam | Location | Owner | Rider | Score | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red N Milds | Metallic Rey Mink | One Red Mist | Weatherford, Texas | Wheeler Dealer Cutting Horses, LP | Michael Cooper | 223.5 | $77,514.70 |
| 2 | Gottii | CR Gotcha Covered | Misplaced Cat | Natchez, Mississippi | Todd Carpenter | Tarin Rice | 220 | $67,121.97 |
| 3 (tie) | Call Me Stevie | Stevie Rey Von | Call Me Catniss | Arroyo Seco, New Mexico | Julie & Michael Magness | Tarin Rice | 219 | $50,754.50 |
| 3 (tie) | Get Um Talkin | Smooth Talkin Style | Just U Babe | Castle Rock, Colorado | Robert Tregemba | Kenneth Platt | 219 | $50,754.50 |
| 3 (tie) | Hustlerz Ambition | Badboonarising | Sofie Rey | Orange, California | Rockin R Ranch | Scott Amos | 219 | $50,754.50 |
| 6 | Nu Rebelion | Metallic Rebel | Special Nu Baby | Madill, Oklahoma | Lloyd Dennis Cox | Kathleen Moore | 218 | $40,698.41 |
| 7 | Loaded Dice | Once In A Blu Boon | One Rowdy Kitty | Decatur, Texas | EVX Partnership LLC | Jesse Lennox | 216.5 | $35,985.94 |
| 8 | Silent Thunder | Kit Kat Sugar | Ava Rey | Channing, Texas | XIT Ranch LLC | Jesse Lennox | 216 | $31,273.47 |
| 9 (tie) | Bad In A Good Way | Badboonarising | Adelle | Weatherford, Texas | Carol Anderson Ward | Clayton Carter | 215.5 | $22,311.34 |
| 9 (tie) | Worth Thee Wait | Smooth Talkin Style | All Spice | Aspen, Colorado | SMF Cutting Horses LLC | Adan Banuelos | 215.5 | $22,311.34 |
| 11 | Minkish | Metallic Rey Mink | Blackish | Sugar Land, Texas | Jackpot Farm / Ellen Carter | Beau Galyean | 214 | $20,922.89 |
| 12 | Cool Sangria | Cool N Hot | Ichi Sangria | Whitesboro, Texas | EE Ranches Inc | James Payne | 213.5 | $19,997.25 |
| 13 (tie) | Secret Rebel | Metallic Rebel | One Little Secret | Weatherford, Texas | Gary & Michelle Reichart | Paul Hansma | 212 | $18,608.80 |
| 13 (tie) | Tappadero | Metallic Rey Mink | Laguna Girl | Granbury, Texas | Russ & Janet Westfall | Russ Westfall | 212 | $18,608.80 |
| 15 | Merryweather | Dual Reyish | Metallic Merry | Algonquin, Illinois | Rocking V Horses | Cara Brewer | 211 | $17,220.34 |
| 16 | IRR Durty Crow | Reyzin The Cash | Spookys Smarty Pants | Carbondale, Colorado | Iron Rose Ranch | Adan Banuelos | 209 | $16,294.71 |
| 17 | Playy Dual | Dual Reyish | Play Miss Boonsmal | Saratoga, Wyoming | OCR Investments LLC | William Moore | 208 | $15,369.07 |
| 18 | First Chance | Dual Reyish | Cat O Connor | Whitesboro, Texas | Billy Wolf | Cade Shepard | 205 | $14,443.43 |
| 19 | The Marksmann | Sannman | SDP Hicapoo Cat | Lexington, Oklahoma | Travis & Paige Phillips | James Payne | 193 | $13,517.80 |
| 20 (tie) | Dragon It | Dont Stopp Believin | Hershay Kiss | Weatherford, Texas | Philip & Mary Ann Rapp | Ryan Rapp | 0 | $11,666.53 |
| 20 (tie) | If You Got The Money | Reyzin The Cash | Merada Mirage | Wichita Falls, Texas | Dillon & Kellee Crumpler | Justin Chalmers | 0 | $11,666.53 |
| 20 (tie) | Kolt 45 | Rollz Royce | CR One Time Catty | Alvarado, Texas | 00 Ranch | Ali Good | 0 | $11,666.53 |