Von A Gun, Shane Steffen Run Away with 2026 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship

Shane Steffen and Von A Gun are the Open Futurity champions at the 10th annual Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity, held Sept. 11–20, in Reno, Nevada, with a record 668-point composite.

The Stevie Rey Von stallion marked a 220.5 in the herd, topped the reining with a 221.5, and won cow work by six points with a 226. He finished 10.5 points ahead of second place, the largest margin of victory in Reno’s 10-year history. For the effort, Von A Gun earned $40,000 for owner and breeder KanDu Ranch.

For Steffen, it confirmed what he’d believed since he started Von A Gun, who’s known as “Moe.” He’s the first progeny out of the mare he rode to the 2023 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman title, Gunna Be A Smartie.

Gunna Be A Smartie’s Legacy

KanDu Ranch bred Von A Gun before Steffen and Gunna Be A Smartie won the 2023 World’s Greatest Horseman, and the colt was foaled that same year. As a weanling, he moved to Steffen’s place in Powell Butte, Oregon, and has been started and trained by Steffen the entire way.

“I’ve always felt like he was a very talented and gifted horse,” Steffen said. “So, it was just a matter of making sure that I was challenging him enough to keep his mind moving forward and happy, but not overdoing it [physically].”

Steffen sees similarities between Moe and his dam in the “try” department.

“A lot of times, the things that she did wrong were because she was trying too hard, and he does the same thing,” Steffen said. “Once you slow them down, build their confidence and say, ‘Hey, this [thing] is all I’m after,’ they get better and better. Both Moe and Gunna Be A Smartie have a lot of heart, are real smart on a cow, and are big stoppers.”

The win belongs to KanDu Ranch as well. Steffen has ridden for the ranch for years, showing its open-caliber homebreds, while the owners’ daughter, Elizabeth Kania, showed with him as a non-pro for several seasons.

“They’ve just been a huge, huge blessing and a big part of my program,” Steffen said.

A Cause for Celebration

Steffen threw his brown-and-tan felt hat more than once in Reno, and not only after he and Moe marked 226 down the fence.

“The cattle were tough,” Steffen said. “In the herd work, if they saw a hole, they were taking it.”

Steffen had lost cows on three runs before he stepped into the herd on Moe. When the stallion marked 220.5 without a loss, the hat came off.

Futurity Horses Require Trust

With the herd work finished, Steffen found himself focused on one training principle with the reining and fence work ahead: trust the horse you’ve trained.

At Moe’s first show, the NSHA Pre-Futurity in August, Steffen felt he didn’t show him to the best of his ability. They adjusted a few things at home, the biggest change coming in Steffen’s own mindset.

“The 3-year-old deal, to me, is always trying to trust them rather than micromanage them,” Steffen said. “I felt like I was a lot better about doing that in Reno than I did in Vegas. They always feel different in the show pen than they do at home, so you just need to trust that they’re going to do their job.”

In the reined work, Moe pulled out his Gunna Be A Smartie-style stops to top the field with a 221.5-point run.

But the best came last, with Steffen and Moe’s fence work. When the cattle crew let the cow in, Steffen recognized it from the herd work and liked his chances.

“When I stepped to the cow in the boxing, it was honoring me,” Steffen said. “The cow ran well, and Moe read the turn well. Going back for the second turn, you had to ride clear by [the cow], and that horse let me ride him all the way by. He read it well and came through [the turn] good. He’s fun because when you go circle, he’s always hunting that cow. He was just there with me all the way.”

The 226 showed the maturity Steffen has seen in Moe from the start.

“He’s very mature for his age as far as reading a cow,” Steffen said. “From day one going down the fence, he’s been getting himself into spots that a normal 3-year-old doesn’t do.”

Next up is the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in Fort Worth, Texas, where Steffen plans to stay the course.

“I feel like he’s a special horse, and I got a real good shot at doing well down there,” Steffen said. “But there’s a lot of other good horses and good trainers, and it’s just a matter of who has the best show down there and whose turn it’s supposed to be.”

He plans to keep a clear head.

“Just trust the horse that you’re riding,” he said, “and know that God’s got the big picture in mind, and he’s going to place us where we’re supposed to be.”

2026 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship Results

Find full 2026 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity results here.