The Run For A Million (TRFAM) is the most lucrative event in Western performance horse history, offering an unprecedented $1 million purse. At the heart of the action, 16 elite reiners will face off in the prestigious Million Dollar Competition. Beyond that headline class, qualified cutting and reined cow horse riders will compete for their own purse in the Cow Horse Challenge and Cutting Horse Challenge.
Million Dollar Competition
16 riders will qualify for the 2025 Million Dollar Competition at The Run For A Million by placing at one of three key events during the 2024–2025 season:
- Top Five from the 2024 TRFAM Open Shootout (Las Vegas, NV)
- Winner of the 2024 Equita Lyon (Lyon, France)
- Top 10 from the 2025 Open Qualifier at the Cactus Reining Classic (Scottsdale, AZ)
This high-stakes, one-round showdown offers a total purse of $1,000,000, with $500,000 awarded to the champion.
Qualified Riders:
- Casey Deary
- Andrea Fappani
- Luca Fappani
- Arnaud Girinon
- Casey Hinton
- Arno Honstetter
- Matt McAuslan
- Cade McCutcheon
- Wade McDonald
- Matt Mills
- Nathan Piper
- Kole Price
- Marco Ricotta
- Craig Schmersal
- Dany Tremblay
- Jason Vanlandingham
Think You Know The Run For A Million? Take the Ultimate Trivia Challenge
Cow Horse Challenge
15 of the NRCHA riders will compete in the 2025 Cow Horse Challenge. To qualify, they needed to place in the Top Five at one of three premier events:
- NSHA Pre-Futurity (Las Vegas, NV)
- NRCHA Western Derby (Scottsdale, AZ)
- NRCHA Hackamore Classic (Tulsa, OK)
Qualified Riders:
- Brendon Clark
- Corey Cushing
- Zane P. Davis
- Chris Dawson
- Sarah Dawson
- Clayton Edsall
- Shawn Hays
- Matt Koch
- Shadd Parkinson
- Abbie Phillips
- Boyd Rice
- Erin Taormino
- Kyle Trahern
- Clay Volmer
- Justin T. Wright
Cutting Horse Challenge
The top 10 finishers from the Brazos Bash are heading to Las Vegas. These NCHA riders will compete for $200,000 in the 2025 Cutting Horse Challenge.
Qualified Riders:
- Adan Banuelos
- Michael Cooper
- Beau Galyean
- Cody Hedlund
- Matt Miller
- Tosten Peterson
- Kenny Platt
- Grant Setnicka
- Austin Shepard
- Cade Shepard
Cowboy Heritage Ranch Challenge
One cowboy from each ranch will compete in the 2025 Cowboy Heritage Ranch Challenge. They will show in a reining pattern, a cow work run, and steer stopping.
Ranches:
- 6666 Ranch
- Las Tunas Ranch
- O RO Ranch
- Pitchfork Ranch
- R.A. Brown Ranch
- Singleton Ranches
- Tongue River Ranch
- Wagonhound
- XIT Ranch
![[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #35942](https://s3.amazonaws.com/wp-s3-horseandrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20105738/EDCC-Unbranded-14-300x200-1.jpeg)
