Between the reined work and the fence work at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity finals, five veterans stepped into the arena for the 3rd Annual War Horse Challenge, presented by War Horses for Veterans.

The Challenge, which originally started at the National Stock Horse Association event in Las Vegas, gives veterans and first responders the chance to work with top cow horse trainers and compete in a reined cow horse run on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Each rider works with a seasoned professional to prepare for the event. Learning everything from the basics of reined work to reading cattle and making a fence turn.

The War Horse Challenge highlights the horsemanship, teamwork, and resilience that define both military and Western traditions. For the veterans who ride in it, the event represents a new kind of mission—one built around focus, trust, and the powerful connection between horse and human.

Training With Purpose

At its heart, War Horses for Veterans gives service members and first responders a place to reconnect—with themselves, with others who’ve served, and with the horse. Founded in 2014 and based in Stilwell, Kansas, the nonprofit hosts weeklong, all-expenses-paid sessions that combine horsemanship, teamwork, and camaraderie.

Participants start on the ground, learning to communicate with their horses through pressure and release before ever putting a foot in the stirrup.

As Jake Greenlief, the organization’s Director of Operations, explained during an EQN Sports Desk interview, “When we start on day one, we start in the round pen, and we try and just teach them basic groundwork, pressure and release. By day two, we’re walk, trot, and loping.”

A Marine Corps veteran who served in the infantry from 2008 to 2017, Greenlief brings first-hand understanding of the veterans he works with each week. His experience—combined with his horsemanship—helps bridge the gap between military precision and life after service.

Trainer Taylor Gillespie, an Army veteran, has a similar story. After serving in Afghanistan, he returned to his roots in reining and cow horse, eventually building a successful training business before joining War Horses for Veterans full-time in 2025. Today, Gillespie’s role blends professional training with mentorship, and he was among the five NRCHA professionals who helped guide this year’s War Horse Challenge competitors.

WATCH THE ENTIRE SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY FINALS PLUS THE WAR HORSE CHALLENGE ON RIDE TV.

The Healing Power of Horses for Veterans

For many participants, the connection formed through horsemanship runs deeper than learning to stop, turn, or work a cow—it’s about rebuilding trust, patience, and purpose.

“We like to talk about how the horse is a mirror, right, to the human, right? So, it gives immediate feedback,” explained Jake Greenlief in his EQN Sports Desk interview. That instant reflection helps the War Horses for Veterans team see how each participant reacts under pressure, frustration, or uncertainty.

“We can see a lot of the anger and frustration, with just simple groundwork and simple round pen work,” Greenlief said. “That’s when we can start figuring these guys out and which horse to pair them with to challenge them.”

Each day begins with shared chores and meals and ends with evening discussions led by military chaplains who help guide one-on-one and group conversations.

“You’ll get yoked 250-pound dudes crying about it,” said Taylor Gillespie, describing how veterans open up about the challenges of life after service—from lost teammates to strained family relationships. “Whether it’s a struggle with a marriage, maybe a divorce, or the relationship with their kids—the military service takes a toll on our personal lives. Just getting those guys sitting down together and talking through it helps.”

The horses, Gillespie added, are often the catalyst for those breakthroughs. Working with a thousand-pound animal requires focus, vulnerability, and calm—traits that many veterans find help quiet the noise of transition and reconnect them to a sense of control.

Each week ends with riders who are not just more capable horsemen, but also more connected—to themselves, to one another, and to the sense of mission that never truly leaves them.

Inside the 2025 War Horse Challenge at the NRCHA Futurity

That same hands-on, fast-paced approach carries into the War Horse Challenge, where selected riders take what they’ve learned in the program and apply it in a show-pen setting. Riders competing in the Challenge worked alongside NRCHA professionals including Matt Koch, Taylor Gillespie, Russell Dilday, Chris Dawson, and Kyle Noyce, who volunteered their time, horses, and expertise to teach and mentor participants.

Over several days, the veterans refine their reining maneuvers, work cattle, and build confidence in their horses. The result is a run that showcases not only horsemanship but the discipline, teamwork, and composure each rider carries from their time in service.

When it came time for the event to begin, the stands were filled with supporters who understood that what they were watching was far more than another cow-horse competition.

Five veterans—Mark Nutsch, Rick Hodges, Ryen Overlin, Heath Patrick, and Dave Kientzy—each made their way into the arena, putting their training and teamwork to the test. Every run represented weeks of preparation, guidance from professional trainers, and countless hours in the saddle.

When the dust settled, it was Mark Nutsch aboard Stylish Metallica (Metallic Cat x Stylin Barbie) who claimed the top score of 220. Close behind were Rick Hodges on Blue Bloods Matrix with a 214.5, and Dave Kientzy on White Lightnin scoring 211.0.

This wasn’t Nutsch’s first time earning top honors—he also won the inaugural War Horse Challenge when it debuted in Las Vegas.

Reflecting on this year’s performance, Nutsch joked that the slow start caught him off guard, but once the cow picked up speed, everything came together. He added that working with Chris Dawson was an incredible experience and that he enjoyed all of the riding time he got to put in at the Dawsons’ ranch in Perrin, Texas, preparing for the event.

A Horse Soldier’s Story

For Mark Nutsch, victory in Fort Worth was more than a win—it was a return to the saddle that once carried him through one of America’s most defining military campaigns.

Nutsch served in the Army as a Ranger Regiment and Special Forces officer, leading ODA-595, one of the first U.S. Special Forces teams deployed to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Operating on horseback in rugged terrain, he and his team worked with local resistance forces to drive out the Taliban and al-Qaeda in missions that changed the course of the war.

Their story inspired the book Swords of Lightning, the film 12 Strong, and the documentary Legion of Brothers.

Today, Nutsch continues to serve in a different way—supporting his Afghan allies, mentoring veterans, and building the Horse Soldier Bourbon brand he co-founded with his teammates. Competing in the War Horse Challenge brought him back to the foundation that started it all: the partnership between a rider and a horse.

The Mission Continues

The War Horse Challenge may only last a few minutes in the arena, but its impact stretches far beyond show night. Each ride represents resilience, recovery, and the belief that purpose can take new forms long after military service ends.

As the program grows, War Horses for Veterans continues to rely on the generosity of the equine community and supporters who believe in its mission.

“We’re completely run off of donations. We don’t do any federal grants because we don’t want to have any strings attached,” Gillespie explained. Events like the Challenge—and programs like War Horses for Veterans—exist thanks to the generosity of those who give back.

To learn more, apply, or donate, visit warhorsesforveterans.org.

Final War Horse Challenge Results: