The 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, presented by Metallic Cat, runs Oct. 9 to 24 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
The National Reined Cow Horse Association’s richest event brings hundreds of 3-year-old cow horses to town for two weeks of herd work, reining and cow work preliminaries and finals. The event highlight is the Open Finals, which take place Saturday, Oct. 24.
Table of contents
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, whether you are in the stands or watching from home.
- Dates: Friday, Oct. 9 through Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
- Location: Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76107
- Arenas: John Justin Arena, Watt Arena, Will Rogers Coliseum
- Open Finals: Herd work Wednesday, Oct. 21; rein and cow work Saturday, Oct. 24, 4 p.m., Will Rogers Coliseum
- Sale: Western Bloodstock sale, Oct. 23 and 24 (preview Oct. 22), W.R. Watt Arena
2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity results
Find Snaffle Bit Futurity results from the open, non pro and boxing futurities right here.
2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity schedule
The Open Futurity runs its rein work prelims Oct. 9 to 11, herd work prelims Oct. 12 to 15 and cow work prelims Oct. 17 and 18, with the Open Finals on Oct. 24. All times are Central and come from the NRCHA show and special events schedules dated Sept. 22, 2026; check NRCHA’s event page for changes.
Show schedule
| Date | Time and arena | Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 9 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Rein Work: Open Futurity Level 1 only (sets 1-9); Open Futurity prelims (sets 10-15) |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Rein Work: Open Futurity prelims (sets 16-30) |
| Sun., Oct. 11 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Rein Work: Open Futurity prelims (sets 31-44) |
| Mon., Oct. 12 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Herd Work: Open Futurity Level 1 only (sets 1-8) |
| Mon., Oct. 12 | 11 a.m., John Justin | Non Pro Bridle; Box Drive |
| Tue., Oct. 13 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Herd Work: Open Futurity prelims (sets 9-18) |
| Tue., Oct. 13 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Non Pro Hackamore; Intermediate/Limited Non Pro Boxing |
| Wed., Oct. 14 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Herd Work: Open Futurity prelims (sets 19-28) |
| Wed., Oct. 14 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Non Pro Boxing; Non Pro Two Rein; Youth Cow Horse |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Herd Work: Open Futurity prelims (sets 29-37) |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Rein Work: Non Pro Boxing Futurity; Non Pro Futurity prelims; Youth Boxing |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | Noon, Coliseum | Herd Work: Non Pro Boxing Futurity |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Open Hackamore prelims |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Herd Work: Non Pro Futurity prelims |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Cow Work: Open Futurity Level 1 only (sets 1-9); Open Futurity prelims (sets 10-22) |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Cow Work: Open Futurity prelims (sets 23-44) |
| Mon., Oct. 19 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Cow Work: Non Pro Futurity prelims; Non Pro Boxing Futurity; Open Two Rein |
| Tue., Oct. 20 | 4 p.m., Coliseum | Finals Herd Work: Non Pro |
| Tue., Oct. 20 | 8 a.m., John Justin | Open Bridle prelims |
| Wed., Oct. 21 | 8 a.m., Coliseum | Finals Herd Work: Intermediate/Limited Open; Finals Herd Work: Open |
| Wed., Oct. 21 | 8:30 a.m., John Justin | Cowdogs N Cowtown Shootout |
| Thu., Oct. 22 | Noon, Coliseum | Finals Rein Work: Non Pro Futurity; Finals Rein Work: Intermediate/Limited Open; Finals Cow Work: Non Pro Boxing Futurity; Finals Cow Work: Non Pro Futurity |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 1 p.m., Coliseum | Open Hackamore Finals; Finals Cow Work: Intermediate/Limited Open; Open Bridle Finals |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 4 p.m., Coliseum | Open Finals: Rein Work and Cow Work, presented by Metallic Cat |
Special events and sale
| Date | Time and place | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sun., Oct. 11 | 10 a.m., John Justin Sale Arena | Cow Horse Church |
| Tue., Oct. 13 | 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Will Rogers Hall | Youth Meeting; Non Pro Meeting |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | 6:30 p.m., John Justin | Youth Cow Horsin’ Around Class |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | 5:30 p.m., John Justin | Youth Buckaroo Class |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | 5:30 p.m., Will Rogers Hall | Professionals Meeting |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 6:30 p.m., John Justin | Youth Costume Leadline |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 6 to 9 p.m., Will Rogers Hall | NRCHyA Neon Dance Party |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | 10 a.m. and 1 to 5 p.m., Sheep Barn | Western Watercolor Class; Poster and Pumpkin Painting |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | 10 a.m., John Justin Sale Arena | Cow Horse Church |
| Mon., Oct. 19 | 6 p.m., Will Rogers Hall | Non Pro and Non Pro Boxing Draw Party |
| Tue., Oct. 20 | 7 p.m., Round Up Inn | Open Draw Party |
| Wed., Oct. 21 | 7 p.m., Cowtown Coliseum | Big Guns in Cowtown, presented by the NRCHA Foundation |
| Thu., Oct. 22 | 10 a.m., Watt Arena | Western Bloodstock Sale Preview (Tough Enough to Wear Pink day) |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 9 a.m., Watt Arena | Western Bloodstock Sale: Select 2-Year-Old Sale, then Select Yearling and Broodmare Sale Session I (Military Day, wear red) |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 9 a.m., Watt Arena | Western Bloodstock Sale: Select Yearling and Broodmare Sale Session II |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 2:30 p.m., East Coliseum Lot | Open Finals Kickoff Party |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 8:30 p.m., East Coliseum Lot | Open Finals After Party |
How to watch the Snaffle Bit Futurity: livestream and tickets
The NRCHA website hosts the livestream, provided by Equine Promotions. The Open Finals will be available on-demand on RIDE TV.
- Interviews: The EQN Sports Desk posts NRCHA interviews on RIDE TV.
- Live scores and results: NRCHA show results and draws and scoring.
- Finals tickets: On sale through Prekindle.
Snaffle Bit Futurity history and past champions
The NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity began in 1970 with 27 horses and has grown to hundreds of entries. Les Vogt and Wrong Key were part of a tie for the first Open title that year.
The Futurity was held in Reno, Nevada, for most of its history. In June 2016, the NRCHA announced a move to Fort Worth, and the 2017 show was the first at Will Rogers. The move came with a bump in the Open champion’s check from $100,000 to $125,000.
| Year | Open Futurity champion | Rider | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bowie Nights (mare) | John Swales | Bar One Land & Cattle LLP |
| 2024 | Life By The Drop (mare) | Chris Dawson | Holy Cow Performance Horses TX LLC |
| 2023 | ReysmHigh (gelding) | Corey Cushing | Heather J. Vatcher |
| 2022 | Tornado Jonez (gelding) | Lee Deacon | Brandy Ragland |
| 2021 | Zak 34 (stallion) | Justin Wright | Melissa Fischer |
NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity FAQ
When is the 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity? The 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity runs Oct. 9 to 24, 2026.
Where is the Snaffle Bit Futurity held? The Futurity is held at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, where it has been held since 2017.
When are the 2026 Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Finals? Open Finals herd work is Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the Will Rogers Coliseum. Open Finals rein and cow work starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Coliseum.
How can I watch the Snaffle Bit Futurity live? The NRCHA website hosts the livestream, provided by Equine Promotions. The Open Finals will be available on-demand on RIDE TV.
How much does the Snaffle Bit Futurity Open champion win? The Open champion earns $125,000, and the event pays out more than $1 million in total.
How old are Snaffle Bit Futurity horses? The Futurity is for 3-year-old horses shown in a snaffle bit.
Who won the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity? John Swales rode Bowie Nights, owned by Bar One Land & Cattle LLP, to the 2025 Open title.
What is reined cow horse?
Reined cow horse tests a horse’s ability to work cattle and to perform a precise reining pattern, rolled into one composite score. Open Futurity horses compete in all three events, and their scores across herd, rein and cow work are added together to decide the champion.
- Herd work: Horse and rider cut a cow from the herd and keep it from returning, much like a cutting run.
- Rein work: The pair performs an assigned reining pattern with circles, spins, lead changes and sliding stops. Futurity prelims use Pattern 8, and the finals use Pattern 11.
- Cow work: Often called fence work, this is the signature event. The horse boxes a single cow at one end of the arena, turns it on the fence down the long side, then circles it in both directions in the middle of the pen.
The Futurity is limited to 3-year-olds, so it is the first major test for young cow horses and a showcase for the industry’s top trainers and bloodlines.