This week in the Western performance horse industry, the NRCHA’s Snaffle Bit Futurity takes over headlines as it enters its final stretch, and the SWRHA Futurity show in Ardmore, Oklahoma, highlights reining futurity horses as the industry enters the most exciting time of the year.
Over the weekend, the Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort closed out the performance events with ranch sorting action taking over Henderson Arena and social media alike.
What Happened October 12-18
Reined Cow Horse: Snaffle Bit Futurity Finalists Determined
The 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, presented by Metallic Cat, runs October 9-24 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. Three-year-olds show herd work, rein work and cow work, with their preliminary efforts determining who advances to the clean slate finals later this week.
Check out who made the Open finals at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity here.
Non Pro Finalists (Top 5)
Ranch Sorting: Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort
The Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort ran October 16-18 at Henderson’s Arena in Jackson, Ohio, an official satellite event of the All American Quarter Horse Congress with $15,000 in added cash and prizes, Congress medallions and four Gold Shootout classes. It’s streaming on demand on Ride TV.
Reining: SWRHA Futurity in Ardmore
The Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity & Show opened October 16 at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Oklahoma, with $224,150 added. For the third year, the marquee aged events came first, on the opening weekend, with the Non Pro Futurity on Friday and the Billingsley Ford Open Futurity on Saturday.
This Week October 19-25
Reined Cow Horse: Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals Week
Finals week at the Will Rogers Memorial Center began Monday with the Non Pro and Non Pro Boxing cow-work prelims. From there:
Reined Cow Horse: NRCHA Big Guns in Cowtown
Fort Worth, Texas | October 21 | Cowtown Coliseum, Historic Fort Worth Stockyards
A new NRCHA Foundation fundraiser: top rodeo athletes and NRCHA professional coaches in a fence work showcase, competing for prize money, bragging rights, and athlete-selected charities.
Reining: SWRHA Futurity and Show Continues
The Ardmore show runs through Friday, October 23, with a full slate of ancillary classes, which include the last SWRHA year-end points of the season.
Looking Ahead
Ranch Events, Reined Cow Horse: Stock Horse of Texas World Show
Abilene, Texas | October 27-November 1
The Western Horseman Stock Horse World Championship, Stock Horse of Texas’s marquee year-end event, combining reining, cow work, trail and rail patterns into a single stock horse format.
Ranch Events, Reining: AQHA World Championship Show
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | October 29-November 21 | OKC Fairgrounds
The Markel AQHA World Championship Show runs alongside the Adequan AQHA Select World Championship Show, Adequan Level 2 Championships and AQHA Level 1 Champion of Champions.
Technically an all-around event, the Ranch Sorting and Reining classes are the focus of the festivities.
Find more information on AQHA’s site.
Cutting: NCHA Futurity
Fort Worth, Texas | November 16–December 12 | Will Rogers Memorial Center
The Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity for 3-year-olds; the companion Futurity Sale falls during the final week, November 29–December 5.
Ranch Sorting: Cinch RSNC All-Star Super Sort
Las Vegas, Nevada | November 20–22
Join the CINCH RSNC family for the All Star Super Sort at the South Point Casino and Hotel.