The 2026 All American Quarter Horse Congress kicked off Saturday, Sept. 26, and it’s settling in for a month-long stay at the Ohio Expo Center. Opening weekend belonged to the reiners, with reining action continueing thorugh Oct. 5 with futurity prelims and finals on deck before the show shifts toward ranch classes, roping, hunters and the pleasure pen.
Details to Know
- What: 2026 All American Quarter Horse Congress, hosted by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association
- When: Sept. 26 through Oct. 24, 2026
- Where: Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio
- By the numbers: More than 28,000 entries, more than 500,000 visitors expected and over $5 million in purse and prizes
- Getting in: The horse show and trade show are free. Parking runs $25 a day ($15 Mondays and Tuesdays, free Wednesdays), or $75 for an event-long pass
- Ticketed events: Freestyle Reining and Congress PBR
What’s Already Happened
Freestyle Reining lit up the Coliseum. On Saturday, Sept. 26, the NRHA Open and Non Pro Freestyle Reining filled the VS Code Red Coliseum for one of the Congress’ traditional sellout nights. Keith Ceddia of Centerburg, Ohio, topped the Open class aboard SLS Hells Fury (Inferno Sixty Six x Nu Chex Star) to take home $5,896.51 for owner Sammy Simmons. Taylor Zimmerman earned the Non Pro Championship while riding Its All About Ruf (Not Ruf At All x Dun Pretty Nifty) for Vaughn Zimmerman for $1,040.63. Zimmerman also earned the Open Reserve Championship for an additional $4,682.52.
The first derby title is decided. Sunday brought the NRHA Open Reining and the All Star Reining Stakes Open Derby, Levels 1 through 4. In 2025, the Level 4 Open Derby ended in a rare three-way tie on a 225 between Benjamin Beckett on Custom Made Whizkey, Cade McCutcheon on Varsity Blu and Kole Price on Swooon.
This year, Cade McCutcheon took the top spot in the All Star Reining Stakes Level 4 Open Derby on All Nite Partier (Gunners Special Nite x Topsail Survivor) for Sotol Investments LLC, earning $17,661.15. McCutcheon also tied with Brandon Brant for the Reserve Congress Championship on Tamarack Ranch’s TR Designer Genes (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Taris Designer Genes). Brant rode Gotta Be Big Time (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Shes Big Timin) for owner Robert Rosenfeld for $9,406.49.
Those placings also carried over to the NRHA Open Reining where McCutcheon and All Nite Partier took home an additional $5,141.23 for the Championship. McCutcheon and Brant again tied for a $2,738.26 Reserve Championship.
Ranch riding got rolling. Senior, Amateur and Level 1 ranch riding ran all weekend alongside the 4- and 5-year-old stakes, with the Non Pro and Amateur Ranch Riding Stakes on Monday, Sept. 28.
What We’re Watching
Futurity Week in the Coliseum
The NRHA Open Reining Futurity prelims start Tuesday, Sept. 29, and continue Wednesday, with the All Star Reining Stakes and Oswood Stallion Advantage futurities running alongside. The Level 4 and 3 Open finals are Saturday, Oct. 3. The bar is high: in 2025, Andrea Fappani and Gunners Smokin Chex marked a 230 to collect $100,000 for Clark Reining Horses LLC.
Non Pro Reiners Take Their Turn
Non Pro futurities and stakes go Friday, Oct. 2, and the All Star Non Pro Derby and NRHA Non Pro Reining follow Oct. 4 and 5. Last year, Kelsey Price rode Slimm Shadyy to a 222 for the Level 4 Non Pro Futurity, and Lexi McCutcheon and Disco Ball won the Level 4 Non Pro Derby on a 220.5.
Congress Cutting & Ranch Sorting
The Congress Cutting satellite show runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 4 at the Bullen Equestrian Center in Eaton, Ohio. The Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort also heads to Ohio, Oct. 16-18, bringing three days of ranch sorting action to the Henderson Arena in Jackson, Ohio.
Ranch Trail and Working Western Rail
The Open Ranch Trail Stakes and Amateur ranch trail classes go Wednesday, Sept. 30, followed by Senior and Non Pro Ranch Trail Stakes and the Open Working Western Rail Stakes on Thursday, Oct. 1. Youth ranch riding wraps up Oct. 2 and 3.
Outside the Show Pen
The Congress trade show is one of the largest equine shopping events in the country, with hundreds of vendors selling tack, Western wear, trailers, art and more. The free Pro Horsemen Perspective Live Series is also running throughout the show.
Don’t Miss Out: Follow Along
Results, draws and scoresheets are posted at quarterhorsecongress.com.