The 2026 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity runs Nov. 16 to Dec. 12 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
The National Cutting Horse Association’s Futurity is the sport’s biggest stage for 3-year-old cutting horses. Nearly four weeks of go-rounds, semifinals, and finals crown champions in the Open, Non-Pro, and Amateur divisions, plus their Intermediate and Limited levels.
The show returns to the Will Rogers Coliseum in 2026 after renovations moved the 2025 Futurity to the John Justin Arena. The Open Finals close the show on Saturday night, Dec. 12.
A total of 695 Open entries are drawn for the first go-round, which starts Monday, Nov. 16.
Table of contents
NCHA Futurity fast facts
- Dates: Monday, Nov. 16, to Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026
- Location: Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76107
- Arenas: Will Rogers Coliseum (Futurity classes); W.R. Watt Arena (NCHA World Finals)
- Open entries: 695
- Open Finals: Saturday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m., Coliseum
- Draw: 2026 NCHA Futurity Open draw
2026 NCHA Futurity schedule
The Open first go-round runs Nov. 16 to 21, and the Futurity wraps with the Non-Pro Finals on Dec. 10, Open Semifinals on Dec. 11 and Open Finals on Dec. 12. All classes are in the Will Rogers Coliseum and all times are Central.
The schedule below comes from NCHA’s tentative 2026 schedule, which may change based on entries; check NCHA’s Futurity page for updates.
NCHA Futurity show schedule
| Date | Time and arena | Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 16 to Sat., Nov. 21 | 8 a.m. daily, Coliseum | Open, Intermediate Open, Limited Open 1st go-round |
| Sun., Nov. 22 to Tues., Nov. 24 | 8 a.m. daily, Coliseum | Open, Intermediate Open, Limited Open 2nd go-round |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | 10 a.m., Coliseum | Intermediate Open Finals |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | 2 p.m., Coliseum | Limited Open Finals |
| Thurs., Nov. 26 to Sat., Nov. 28 | 8 a.m. daily, Coliseum | Non-Pro, Intermediate Non-Pro, Limited Non-Pro 1st go-round |
| Sun., Nov. 29 to Mon., Nov. 30 | 8 a.m. daily, Coliseum | Non-Pro, Intermediate Non-Pro, Limited Non-Pro 2nd go-round |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Intermediate Non-Pro Finals |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | Noon, Coliseum | Limited Non-Pro Finals; Amateur, Intermediate Amateur, Limited Amateur 1st go-round begins |
| Wed., Dec. 2 to Sat., Dec. 5 | 8 a.m. daily, Coliseum | Amateur, Intermediate Amateur, Limited Amateur 1st go-round |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Intermediate Amateur Semifinals |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Noon, Coliseum | Intermediate Amateur Finals |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | 4 p.m., Coliseum | Limited Amateur Finals |
| Tues., Dec. 8 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Amateur Semifinals |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Non-Pro Semifinals; Amateur Finals |
| Thurs., Dec. 10 | 5:30 p.m., Coliseum | Non-Pro Finals |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | 2 p.m., Coliseum | Open Semifinals |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | 6 p.m., Coliseum | Open Finals, presented by Metallic Cat |
NCHA World Finals schedule
The NCHA World Finals, with title sponsor Bosque Ranch, run alongside the Futurity in the W.R. Watt Arena.
| Date | Time and arena | Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 27 | 6 p.m., Watt Arena | Non-Pro 1st go-round; Open 1st go-round |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | 6 p.m., Watt Arena | Non-Pro 2nd go-round; Open 2nd go-round |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | 9 a.m., Watt Arena | Unlimited Amateur, $25,000 Novice, $50,000 Non-Pro, $5,000 Novice Non-Pro, $4,000 Rider 1st go-round |
| Mon., Nov. 30 | 9 a.m., Watt Arena | Unlimited Amateur, $25,000 Novice, $50,000 Non-Pro, $5,000 Novice Non-Pro, $4,000 Rider 2nd go-round |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | 9 a.m., Watt Arena | $5,000 Novice, $75,000 Amateur, $25,000 Novice Non-Pro, $25,000 Amateur 1st go-round |
| Tues., Dec. 1 | 6 p.m., Watt Arena | Non-Pro 3rd go-round; Open 3rd go-round |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | 9 a.m., Watt Arena | $5,000 Novice, $75,000 Amateur, $25,000 Novice Non-Pro, $25,000 Amateur 2nd go-round |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | 6 p.m., Watt Arena | Non-Pro 4th go-round; Open 4th go-round |
2026 NCHA Futurity results
Full results tracking to come.
How to watch the NCHA Futurity: livestream and tickets
Video West Live Scoring is NCHA’s streaming platform for all NCHA-produced events in 2026, so the Futurity livestream runs through NCHA’s Watch Live page.
- Livestream: Video West Live
- Draws and results: NCHA Futurity page
- Finals tickets: Tickets for the Non-Pro Finals, Open Semifinals and Open Finals, plus a three-day pass for Dec. 10 to 12, are sold through Prekindle.
NCHA Futurity history and past champions
The first NCHA Futurity was held Nov. 13, 1962, in Sweetwater, Texas, where Buster Welch won the Open on Money’s Glo with a 224. The show has since grown into a multimillion-dollar event; the 2025 Futurity and World Finals were projected to pay well over $5 million.
In 2025, Beau Galyean rode Minkish to the Open title with a 226 for owners Jackpot Farm and Ellen Carter, a win worth $343,144.55.
| Year | Open Futurity champion | Rider | Owner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Minkish (Metallic Rey Mink x Blackish) | Beau Galyean | Jackpot Farm and Ellen Carter | 226 |
| 2024 | Too Hot To Tagg (Hashtags x Too Hot) | Kenny Platt | JH Nail Ranch Inc. | 227 |
| 2023 | Lone Woolf (Metallic Rebel x A Little Reylena) | Wesley Galyean | Billy Wolf | 228.5 |
| 2022 | Phil N Dangerous (Hottish x Lil Maddy Rey) | Lindy Thorn | Misty Greeson | 228 |
| 2021 | Janie Wood (Stevie Rey Von x Junie Wood) | John Mitchell | Slate River Ranch | 230 |
NCHA Futurity FAQ
When is the 2026 NCHA Futurity? The 2026 NCHA Futurity runs Monday, Nov. 16, through Saturday, Dec. 12.
Where is the NCHA Futurity held? The Futurity is held in the Will Rogers Coliseum at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
When are the NCHA Futurity Open Finals? The Open Finals are Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. Central, following the Open Semifinals on Friday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m.
How can I watch the NCHA Futurity? NCHA’s livestream runs on Video West Live, linked from the NCHA website.
How old are NCHA Futurity horses? The Futurity is limited to 3-year-olds.
Who won the 2025 NCHA Futurity? Minkish and Beau Galyean won the 2025 Open Futurity with a 226.
What is cutting?
Cutting showcases a horse’s cow sense and athleticism. Under NCHA’s judging guidelines, each horse and rider have 2 1/2 minutes to work, and judging begins as the team crosses the time line. The rider separates a single cow from the herd, and the horse works to keep it from returning.
- Credit: Judges award credit for herd work, controlling a cow, degree of difficulty and courage.
- Penalties: Penalties cost 1, 3 or 5 points, according to NCHA’s official judges card. Failing to make a deep cut into the herd costs 3 points; losing a cow, a horse quitting a cow and turning tail each cost 5.
- Scoring: Each judge’s score starts at 70 and moves up or down based on credits and penalties. Most scores fall between 60 and 80.
At a major event like the Futurity, five judges score each run. The high and low scores are dropped and the remaining three are added together, so an average run scores a 210 (70 x 3). The full rules are in the 2026 NCHA Rule Book.
The Futurity is limited to 3-year-olds, so it is the first major test for young cutting horses and a showcase for the industry’s top trainers and bloodlines.