NRHA Professional Brian Bell has crossed the $3 million mark in National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Lifetime Earnings. Bell achieved this milestone following his performances at the 2024 All American Quarter Horse Congress & All Star Reining Stakes.
Bell and Cooper Smith’s Dunitthemodernway took sixth place in the Level (L) 4 Open Futurity of both events, while Bell and I Dream Of Stopping, co-owned by Bell and Wallace Wood, secured seventh place finishes. These placements solidified Bell’s status as an NRHA $3 Million Rider, just three years after he crossed the $2 million mark at the same show.
A native of Valley View, Texas, Bell owns and operates Brian Bell Performance Horses and has been a fixture in the reining world since he began competing as a youth with NRHA in 1991. He became an NRHA Professional in 2006, steadily building a reputation as one of the sport’s top talents. Bell was named the 2023 NRHA Professional Horseman of the Year, an accolade he earned after winning the 2023 NRHA Futurity. In a memorable runoff, Bell and Wallace Wood’s Crystalized Whizkey—affectionately known as “Disco”—claimed the L4 Open championship. The duo has accumulated nearly $600,000 in NRHA lifetime earnings.
Bell’s top-earning finishes since crossing his last milestone include:
- 2023 NRHA L4 Open Futurity Champion aboard Crystalized Whizkey (Whizkey N Diamonds x Lonely At The Top), bred by Curtis Performance Horses LLC, nominated by Rhodes River Ranch, owned by Wallace Wood, earning $332,500
- 2024 100X Cowtown Classic L4 Open Stakes Champion aboard Crystalized Whizkey earning $150,000
- 2023 All Star Reining Stakes L4 Open Futurity Champion aboard Crystalized Whizkey earning $38,000
- 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress L4 Open Futurity Champion aboard Crystalized Whizkey earning $32,294
- 2024 North American Reining Stakes L4 Open Derby Champion aboard Vintage Couture (Platinum Vintage x Couture Tag), bred, nominated, and owned by George & Carol Bell, earning $30,000
Crossing the $3 million threshold marks yet another highlight in Bell’s impressive career, which continues to inspire and elevate the sport of reining.