Boyd Rice and Metallic Rebel stallion Halreycious Rebel secured the 2026 NRCHA Kimes Ranch Derby Open Championship on Saturday, June 6, following a toasty round of preliminaries and finals in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Rice put together a 664.5 composite to earn $60,000, adding another major title to a résumé that already includes victories in the Snaffle Bit Futurity, World’s Greatest Horseman and Hackamore Classic.
The Hall of Fame member in both the National Cutting Horse Association and National Reined Cow Horse Association secured the title with a 220 in the herd work, a 221 in the rein work and a 223.5 in the cow work.
The fence work score proved decisive, giving Rice the tiebreaker advantage over Russell Probert and Stuck N Overdrive after both teams finished with a 664.5 composite score.
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Halreycious Rebel’s Consistency Pays Off at the NRCHA Derby
One of Halreycious Rebel’s biggest strengths throughout the Derby was his consistency.
While rising temperatures challenged competitors throughout the week, Rice never felt the need to change much about the 5-year-old stallion’s routine as he prepared him for the finals.
“The heat didn’t bother him one bit,” Rice said when asked about the weather throughout the show during his EQN Sports Desk interview. “He’s a horse that has a lot of energy, so I didn’t have to worry about that.”
In fact, Rice kept the horse’s preparation relatively simple before the finals.
“I didn’t work him on a cow at all the day of the finals,” Rice said. “I just reined on him that morning and then came in and started showing him.”
Rice’s approach to the finals paid off when it mattered most.
Fence Work Delivers NRCHA Derby Championship for Halreycious Rebel
The stallion, by Metallic Rebel and out of CR A Little Peek (by Halreycious), delivered a stylish fence work run that moved Rice to the top of the leaderboard.
While the cow never became overly aggressive, Rice said the run played directly into Halreycious Rebel’s strengths.
“When the cow came in there, I was just kind of waiting on her to get a hold of me, and she just really never did,” Rice said. “She acted like she was going to be a little slow. So, I just kind of tried to stay away from her and let her work me a little bit.
“I started to get a little bit more aggressive and see if I could push the cow across. After that, I knew she was going to stay on the fence for me, and then the cow just got better.”
The performance highlighted the stallion’s ability to stay connected to a cow while maintaining the form and precision that judges reward.
“That’s where this horse really gets his points because he uses his body and his nose so good on a cow,” Rice said. “It was just spot on. Everything was tight and right on that cow.”
Those qualities, combined with the stallion’s athleticism and eye appeal, have made him a consistent contender throughout his career.
“He just has so much form and eye appeal that you can mark a lot of points on him,” Rice said. “He’s just an unbelievable athlete.”
A Comeback Worth Celebrating
Rice’s journey with Halreycious Rebel began long before the Derby finals.
He first received the horse as a yearling. Rice’s son-in-law, Daniel Sanchez, started the colt before Rice took over training duties in January of the horse’s 3-year-old year.
The pair went on to finish fifth at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, but their momentum was interrupted when the horse suffered an injury that woul leave him on a stall rest for a bit.
“He got his leg hung in the fence, and it took us about six months to get all that straightened out,” Rice said.
The setback could have derailed many horses. Instead, Halreycious Rebel returned to competition and continued to develop into one of Rice’s top performers.
“He’s just been pretty spot-on ever since then,” Rice said.
Check out all of the winners at the 2026 NRCHA Kimes Ranch Derby.
The Story Behind “Jim Paul”
Around Rice’s barn, Halreycious Rebel is rarely called by his registered name.
Instead, everyone knows him as “Jim Paul.”
The nickname traces back to owner Bob Grieve, who spent time riding with legendary horseman Jim Paul. When Grieve later purchased the colt and sent him to Rice’s program, they decided to name the stallion Jim Paul in honor of the Hall of Fame trainer.
Rice admits he wishes he had thought to make his official name.
“I got to thinking about it, we should have changed that horse’s registered name to Jim Paul,” Rice said. “After I showed him, we couldn’t change it.”
While the registration papers never changed, the nickname remains a fitting tribute to the horse’s story and the people connected to him.
Always Chasing the Next Goal
Though the Derby championship fills one of the few remaining gaps on Rice’s résumé, he doesn’t view the win as a finish line.
Instead, it serves as another milestone in a career built on setting goals and continually trying to improve. After decades of success and championships at some of the NRCHA’s biggest events, Rice said he still approaches each season with something new to pursue.
“I set goals and I strive for them and try to better myself all the time as a horseman,” Rice said.
That mindset carried him through a demanding NRCHA Derby and into the winner’s circle.
“[In the finals] I was just trying to be real smooth and get the biggest check I could,” Rice said. “It just worked out that it was the big one.”
Rice plans to continue showing Halreycious Rebel this season, with the pair expected to make their next appearance at the Hackamore Classic in Tulsa this July.