Western performance horse industry news stretched across the U.S. in mid-September, with the Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity, High Roller Reining Classic in Las Vegas and Legacy Reining Breeder’s Sale in Aubrey, Texas, garnering the largest headlines this week.
Elsewhere in the country, the World Equestrian Center Championship Show crowned ranch riding champions, and the All American Quarter Horse Congress is moving into focus, starting Sept. 26.
Get the rundown of what’s happening in the Western world, including what’s on the calendar next with the Weekly Performance Report.
Table of contents
What Happened September 14–20
Reined Cow Horse: Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity
Reno, Nevada | September 11–20 | Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
Shane Steffen and Von A Gun (Kandu Ranch) topped the Open Futurity Composite at 668 for $40,000. Phillip J. Ralls and Karmas A Mitch (Jordyn N. Hall) finished second at 657.5 for $21,500, and Nicholas S. Dowers and Cureyous George (Jim and Linda Schrack) were third at 655 for $14,500.
Marisa Julian swept the Non Pro Futurity aboard her own Sheza Lil Chili Pep, topping all four Composite divisions with the same 647 score: the Non Pro Composite for $9,000, the Intermediate for $3,000, the Limited for $1,735 and the Level 1 for $3,240, a combined $16,975.
In the Non Pro division, Mason Beal and Imthekingofdiamonds (Beal Ranches LLC) tied Jayson J. Fisher and Royal Spots Hot (Jayson and Teresa Fisher) for second at 646, worth $4,250 each.
The Futurity capped a big week for Justin Wright, who swept the Open Derby Composite podium earlier in the run with three different horses, Rsr Closing Time, Skooby Do and Stevies Blondie, worth a combined $46,980, as covered in last week’s edition.
2026 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Futurity Composite Results
| Place | Horse | Rider | Owner | Score | Won (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Von A Gun | Shane L. Steffen | Kandu Ranch | 668 | $40,000 |
| 2 | Karmas A Mitch | Phillip J. Ralls | Jordyn N. Hall | 657.5 | $21,500 |
| 3 | Cureyous George | Nicholas S. Dowers | Jim and Linda Schrack | 655 | $14,500 |
| 4 | Reyz Little Peppy | Brandon C. Buttars | Kristine Getzie | 654 | $10,680 |
| 5 | Snickerss | Justin T. Wright | Justin and Amber Wright | 653.5 | $8,275 |
Find the full Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity results here.
Reining: High Roller Reining Classic
Las Vegas, Nevada | September 11–17 | South Point Equestrian Center
The Fappani family put on a clinic at the High Roller Reining Classic’s Open Crown Jewel Futurity. Luca Fappani and On Tour (Neiberger Performance) topped the Level 4 Open division at 223 for $32,250, with Jason Vanlandingham and Vintage Kobe (Vaughn C. Zimmerman) second at 222.5 for $19,630.
Luca’s father Andrea Fappani added three more paychecks in the same class, tying for third aboard both Bigg Dreamz (Devin K. Warren) and Spooked By Design (Juston Palmer) at 221.5, then finishing fifth aboard Gunner Git A Vintage (Villa Di Roma) at 220, a combined $38,560 for Andrea alone.
Andrea Fappani had doubled up earlier in the week too, tying Gennaro Lendi and Smoken Barbie (Marc and Kathy Gordon) for the Level 4 Open Aged Event Derby championship aboard Hypnotyze (Diane E. Yoder) at 226, worth $6,226 apiece. Between the two classes, the father-son duo earned $77,037.
On the Non Pro side, Krista Marshall held up as the show’s Non Pro headline: Marshall winning both the Level 4 Non Pro Aged Event Derby aboard Gunnabea Chic Magnet and the Non Pro Crown Jewel Futurity aboard Thee Batman.
2026 High Roller Reining Classic Open Crown Jewel Futurity Results
Level 4 Open
| Place | Horse | Rider | Owner | Score | Won (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | On Tour | Luca Fappani | Neiberger Performance | 223 | $32,250 |
| 2 | Vintage Kobe | Jason Vanlandingham | Vaughn C. Zimmerman | 222.5 | $19,631 |
| 3 (tie) | Bigg Dreamz | Andrea Fappani | Devin K. Warren | 221.5 | $13,671 |
| 3 (tie) | Spooked By Design | Andrea Fappani | Juston Palmer | 221.5 | $13,671 |
| 5 | Gunner Git A Vintage | Andrea Fappani | Villa Di Roma | 220 | $11,217 |
Find the full High Roller Reining Classic results here.
Ranch Events: World Equestrian Center Championship Show
Ocala, Florida | September 15–20 | World Equestrian Center
The week’s biggest ranch check came in the $50,000 NSBA Open Senior Ranch Riding, where Shannon Quinlan Hill and Debbie Kuffer’s EverybodysTalkinAtMe tied Bud Lyon and Sumac Gunnabeflashy (Leslie Vagneur Lange) at the top, both scoring 248.
Matt Gouthro rode Erika Collins Sterling’s Xtra Wimpys Catalyst to third at 243.5, and Jennifer A. Burton topped the companion Limited Open division aboard her own Great Red Spook AC at 240.
Lyon’s tie capped a big week in the ranch pen: he also swept the top two spots in the $10,000 NSBA Open 3-Year-Old Ranch Riding, winning aboard Its Sho Time, owned by Lee Orr, and finishing runner-up on Jennifer Dawson’s SS Got My P H D. Jennifer Burton and her own HezRealClever topped the companion Limited 3-Year-Old division.
On the Non-Pro side, Erika Collins Sterling and her own Xtra Wimpys Catalyst won the $10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro Ranch Riding out of a 16-horse field, with Sydney Sargent and her own Woodford On Ice second. Sargent and Woodford On Ice came back to win the companion Limited Non-Pro Ranch Riding outright.
2026 WEC Championship Show Ranch Riding Results
| Class | Place | Horse | Rider | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 NSBA Open Senior | 1 (tie) | EverybodysTalkinAtMe | Shannon Quinlan Hill | Debbie Kuffer |
| $50,000 NSBA Open Senior | 1 (tie) | Sumac Gunnabeflashy | Bud Lyon | Leslie Vagneur Lange |
| $50,000 NSBA Open Senior | 3 | Xtra Wimpys Catalyst | Matt Gouthro | Erika Collins Sterling |
| Limited Open Senior | 1 | Great Red Spook AC | Jennifer A. Burton | Jennifer A. Burton |
| $10,000 NSBA Open 3-Year-Old | 1 | Its Sho Time | Bud Lyon | Lee Orr |
| $10,000 NSBA Open 3-Year-Old | 2 | SS Got My P H D | Bud Lyon | Jennifer Dawson |
| Limited 3-Year-Old | 1 | HezRealClever | Jennifer Burton | Jennifer Burton |
| $10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro | 1 | Xtra Wimpys Catalyst | Erika Collins Sterling | Erika Collins Sterling |
| $10,000 NSBA All-Age Non-Pro | 2 | Woodford On Ice | Sydney Sargent | Sydney Sargent |
| Limited Non-Pro | 1 | Woodford On Ice | Sydney Sargent | Sydney Sargent |
Reining: Legacy Reining Breeders Sale & Designer Sale
Aubrey, Texas | September 18–19 | ThorSport Ranch
The Legacy Reining Breeders Sale results are in from ThorSport Ranch in Aubrey, Texas, where the 26th annual sale wrapped up September 18–19, 2026.
This year’s event kicked off with something new: the 1st Annual Legacy Designer Sale, a black-tie evening auction held the night before the traditional daytime sale, offering a curated selection of prospects, broodmares, and proven performers from top reining breeders in a dinner-service setting.
The Designer Sale brought in $2,320,000 across 31 lots, averaging $89,230, with the sale median settling at $78,750.
The highest seller across the two-day event was a 2-year-old stallion named Dun Deja. He’s sired by Gunner and out of Dun Its Deja Vu, making him a full brother to Gunner Dun It Again.
2026 Legacy Designer Sale Top Results
| Hip | Horse | Consignor | Sire & Dam | Price | Buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Dun Deja | Toyon Ranch | Colonels Smoking Gun x Dun Its Deja Vu | $270,000 | Jose Briseno |
| 22 | Tr Caught You Lookin | Tamarack Ranch | Inferno Sixty Six x Electric Genes | $200,000 | Christina Anderson |
| 20 | Flying Elvis | Smith Ranch | Patriot x Crystalized Whizkey | $155,000 | Tamarack Ranch |
| 4 | Gunnabepatriot | Smith Ranch | Patriot x Topsail Survivor | $150,000 | Rick Clark |
| 16 | Chicsoutta Gettagun | Turnabout Farm | Gunners Special Nite x Chic Olena Starbuck | $130,000 | Marla Byrne |
| 21 | Girlz Walla Have Fun | Mathison, Justin and Monica | Walla Walla Whiz x Girlz On Fire | $125,000 | Don Bell |
Find the full Legacy Designer Sale results here.
This Week: Sept. 21–27
Ranch Events, Ranch Sorting, Reining: All American Quarter Horse Congress
Columbus, Ohio | September 26–October 24 | Ohio Expo Center
The Congress opens this week, running its full slate of AQHA, RSNC, NRHA and NCHA-sanctioned classes over four weeks at the Ohio Expo Center, the largest single-breed horse show in the world.
The Weekly Performance Report publishes at the beginning of each week on HorseandRider.com.