When Down Right Amazing (Colonels Smoking Gun x Shesouttayourleague), better known as ‘Amazing,’ entered the Dickies Arena in Ft. Worth, Texas, for The American Performance Horseman, the weight of history followed him through the gate. The 2017 stallion was less than $50,000 away from becoming the first reining horse to ever earn $1 million in lifetime earnings.
With longtime trainer and rider Casey Deary aboard, he didn’t just get the job done, he delivered under pressure. It was a performance that not only won the event for the third year in a row, it cemented Amazing’s place as the sport’s all-time leading money-earner.
A Million-Dollar Heart
For Debbie Good of DAG Ventures, LLC, who’s owned the stallion since he was just three days old, it was more than a victory. It was the culmination of a journey that started with a colt she raised and ended with a horse that changed her life, and the sport, forever.
“I was holding my breath with every maneuver,” Good said. “He was doing it so perfectly, but you also know anything can happen out there. Still, he came in there and laid it down like he always does.”
Amazing has always shown up. Not just in the show pen, but at home, too. In the kind of moments that don’t come with prize money or spotlights. He’s the horse Good’s mother can safely pet. The one who stood quietly during a prayer circle at a Bible study at Deary’s ranch. The one Deary’s daughters rush to after a run, kissing his nose before even congratulating their dad.
“He’s just a kind soul,” Good said. “He hears the fans, and I think he really feeds off that. He has his mother’s heart, and that’s not something you can train into one.”
Casey Deary and Down Right Amazing’s Career
The journey hasn’t been without grit. When Amazing made his major reining debut as a 3-year-old at the 2020 NRHA Futurity, Deary rode him to a third-place finish—all while recovering from a broken neck and wearing a neck brace.
“I broke my neck the Friday before the Futurity, and I rode that horse on Monday,” Deary recalled. “Left for the show Tuesday. I showed three horses in the semi finals, two horses made the finals, and Amazing ended up third that year.”
It wasn’t just Deary’s determination that made it possible, it was also Amazing’s mind.
“That horse has always been golden-minded,” Deary said. “He’s a soldier and he’s always been that way. He’s never been the horse that came out and spooked or shied at stuff.”
That kind of brain is what sets the great ones apart. While many 3-year-olds might have faltered under the pressure of the industry’s biggest stage, Amazing was consistent with every ride. He stayed calm, willing, and locked in.
That attitude laid the foundation for what would become one of the most decorated careers in reining history. After the Futurity, Amazing went on to win nearly every major title available including:
- 2024 NRBC Level 4 Open Classic Champion
- 2024 The American Performance Horseman Reining Champion
- 2023 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open Champion
- 2023 NRBC Level 4 Open Classic Champion
- 2023 The American Performance Horseman Reining Champion
- 2022 The Run For A Million Reining Open Shootout Champion
The First Reining Horse to Earn $1 Million
He didn’t get to $1 million by chasing massive checks. He got there by showing up, time after time. His largest single paycheck? Just $100,000.
Deary acknowledges that more horses will reach the $1 million milestone in the future—but few will get there the way Amazing did.
“I think with the way the industry is going, we will see multiple horses cross that $1 million mark,” he said. “But I don’t think you’ll see it as often with a horse whose biggest check was $100K. I think you’ll see it with horses that won $350,000 to $500,000 checks.”
The American Performance Horseman Three-Peat
Winning The American Performance Horseman is no small feat, but winning it three years in a row? That takes something special.
“It was really special,” Deary said. “I had full confidence he was able to do that. He’s sound and healthy and loves his job.”
As Deary and Amazing entered the arena, owner Debbie Good sat quietly in the stands, eyes fixed on every move.
“I was holding my breath with every maneuver,” Good said. “He was doing it so perfectly, but I also know other horses in there are great horses and then you have to factor in things like the ground and the noise of the arena. So we had challenges. All the horses had challenges, but he came in there and just laid it down.”
Now, with the million-dollar milestone achieved and a historic three-peat at The American Performance Horseman secured, a new chapter begins.
“We’ve talked about retirement,” Good said. “He’s definitely earned it. Now we get to start a second journey. The one with his babies. And I’m just so thankful to everyone who’s believed in him along the way.”
