The summer show season is rolling hard, with the NRCHA’s Hackamore Classic wrapping up and the NCHA’s Summer Spectacular Open Finals weekend all taking place July 13–19, 2026.
Kenny Platt had a Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth that won’t be forgotten quickly. Riding LBR Hangem to a 226 in the Classic Challenge Open and Get Um Talkin to a 224 in the Derby Open, Platt swept both marquee Open championships at the NCHA Summer Spectacular in a single day.
In Tulsa, the NRCHA Hackamore Classic wrapped Saturday with Tyler Merrill and Life by the Drop winning the Open title in a tiebreaker and Debbie Crafton claiming her fifth straight Non Pro championship — a record that stands alone in the event’s history.
Table of Contents
What Happened July 13–19
Cutting: NCHA Summer Spectacular — Open Finals
Fort Worth, Texas | July 10–August 2 | Will Rogers Memorial Center
The Classic Challenge and Derby Open divisions ran their championship rounds Saturday, July 18. Non-Pro week begins this week. Find NCHA Summer Spectacular results here.
Classic Challenge Open Finals
- 1. Kenneth Platt and LBR Hangem (Shotty Syndicate, 226, $36,106.83). Read the story here.
- 2. (tie) Brandon Westfall and PRF Shesa Rebel (KT Ranch LLC, 221, $28,748.24) and Michael Cooper and Vitanni (Candy and Greg Abshire, 221, $28,748.24).
- 4. (tie) Clay Johnson and Nicole L G (Buck Creek Quarter Horses LLC, 218.5, $18,931.80), R L Chartier and Rambl Rose (Anderson Cattle Co, 218.5, $18,931.80) and Adan Banuelos and Reyzin the Limit (Kate Gaughan Banuelos, 218.5, $18,931.80).
Classic Challenge Int. Open Finals
- 1. Thomas Bray and Magick Madness (J+ Ranches LLC, 225, $11,915.25) — Bray won by nearly 9 points in the finals. Read the story here.
- 2. Clay Johnson and Tagmykitty (Buck Creek Quarter Horses LLC, 216.5, $11,524.59).
- 3. Clay Johnson and Reychel Royce (J T & Sandra Neal, 216, $11,133.93).
- 4. Clay Johnson and Nicole L G (Buck Creek Quarter Horses LLC, 215, $10,743.26).
Derby Open Finals
- 1. Kenneth Platt and Get Um Talkin (Robert Tregemba, 224, $62,251.08).
- 2. James Payne and Victoreyas Secreyt (Kathleen Moore, 223.5, $52,403.93).
- 3. Cade Shepard and Maccan (Khader Daoud, 220, $42,556.78).
- 4. Austin Shepard and My Kinda Mink (Belle Terre Ranch, 218.5, $32,709.64).
- 5. Michael Cooper and Red N Milds (Wheeler Dealer Cutting Horses LP, 217.5, $27,588.49).
Derby Int. Open Finals
- 1. Cooper Clark and Alll Inn (Iron Rose Ranch, 221, $16,427.22) — Clark’s first major NCHA win, on a Reyzin the Cash stallion out of 2021 NCHA Open Horse of the Year All Spice. Read the story here.
- 2. (tie) Justin White and Cleopaatra (Rocking W Ranch, 216, $14,293.34) and Frank Bowen and Metallics Easy Money (Ronney & Alana Coleman, 216, $14,293.34).
Reined Cow Horse: NRCHA Hackamore Classic
Tulsa, Oklahoma | July 12–18 | Expo Square
The Hackamore Classic wrapped Saturday after a week of rein work, herd work and cow work at Expo Square. Full NRCHA Hackamore Classic results here.
Open Hackamore Champion
Tyler Merrill and Life by the Drop (Stevie Rey Von x Sheza Dancing Diamond), owned by Holy Cow Performance Horses of Weatherford, Texas, won the Open title in a tiebreaker; both Merrill and Jordan Williams (aboard Tazzy Es Savvy) finished with identical cumulative scores of 880.5.
Under NRCHA rules, the higher fence finals score breaks the tie: Merrill’s 225 gave him the championship. The 2021 mare—a 2024 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity champion with Chris Dawson—earned $35,000 for the Open, $11,000 for the Intermediate Open and $2,500 in the Open Mare Incentive, pushing her lifetime earnings past $327,000. Read the story here.
Non Pro Hackamore Champion
Debbie Crafton of Ordway, Colorado and SJR Sumkinda Mist (SJR Diamond Mist x Sumkinda Pinkcadilac) claimed the Non Pro championship with a cumulative score of 659, finishing 10 points clear of the reserve champion. It is Crafton’s fifth consecutive Non Pro Hackamore Classic title — no other competitor has won five in a row. Read the story here.
Open Bridle Champion
Ryan Gallentine and One Ata Time (One Time Pepto x Hip Hip Sue Rey), a 2017 stallion owned by Steven Mattson, swept the Open Bridle divisions with a composite score of 665.5—including a 227 in the fence finals — earning more than $30,800 and punching Gallentine’s ticket to the 2027 Run for a Million.
The Open Bridle served as an 2027 RFAM qualifying event; the five spots went to Gallentine, Lee Deacon, Boyd Rice, Matt Koch and Cayley Wilson. Read the story here.
This Week July 20–26
Cutting: NCHA Summer Spectacular — Non-Pro Week
Fort Worth, Texas | July 10–August 2 | Will Rogers Memorial Center
The Open championships are decided; Non-Pro week opens today. Non-Pro first goes run through July 23, with finals July 24. Amateur and Youth divisions follow through August 2. Follow results here.
Reining: 100X Brazos Slide
Waco, Texas | July 17–26 | Extraco Events Center
Midway through its 10-day run at the Extraco Events Center. The marquee class is the $50,000 Clark Reining Horses and 21 Reining Horses Super Slide.
This Thursday, the new TRHA Youth Shootout runs alongside the Green Reiner Shootout — the winner earns a round-trip to Rome to compete at the Tuscany Reining Horse Association event in October.
Looking Ahead
Ranch, Reining: AQHYA World Championships
Oklahoma City, OK | July 31 – August 9 | OKC Fair Park
Ten days out. The AQHA Youth World Championships open July 31 for a 12-day run, featuring reining, ranch horse and performance classes. Find more information here.
Cutting, Cow Horse, Reining: Run for a Million
Las Vegas, Nevada | August 11–15 | South Point Arena
Three weeks out. The Cutting Horse Challenge ($200,000 purse, August 13), the Cow Horse Challenge, a $125,000 Non Pro Cutting Challenge and a $50,000 Breakaway Roping Showcase are all on the card. Info and tickets at therunforamillion.com.
The weekly Performance Report publishes at the beginning of each week on HorseandRider.com.