Success in the show pen at the 2024 The Run For A Million (TRFAM) created additional National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) million-dollar milestones to celebrate.
Jason Vanlandingham made history as the first rider to win TRFAM’s Million Dollar Competition in back-to-back years, earning a place on the prestigious list of NRHA $4 Million Riders exactly one year after crossing the $3 million mark at the same event. Vandlandingham is now the fifth NRHA Professional to reach this milestone.
He earned the 2024 Championship on Gunnabebigtime (Gunnatrashya x Big Time Jazzy), which also propelled the stallion’s sire to $13 million in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE). NRHA Hall of Famer Gunnatrashya is now the third NRHA $13 Million Sire, achieving it within the same year as his previous million-dollar milestone. The 2006 stallion was bred by Katarina Dorminy and is owned by NRHA $3 Million Owner Arcese Quarter Horses USA.
Vanlandingham’s top wins pushing him over the NRHA $4 Million Dollar Rider mark:
- 2024 TRFAM Million Dollar Competition Champion earning $500,000 aboard Gunnabeabigtime, bred and owned by Tami Nelson
- 2024 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel Level (L) 4 Open 4th place, Tamarack Ranch Open 4-Year-Old Stakes Champion and Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Novice Open Derby Champions earning $61,584 aboard Plus Me Im Shiny, bred by Upstream Inc., nominated by Layla Choat, owned by 2Star Investments LLC
- 2023 NRHA L4 Open Futurity 5th place earning $72,252 aboard Slide Me Sum Shine, bred and nominated by Daniel Beale, owned by Michael Garnett
- 2023 Southwest Reining Horse Association L4 Open Futurity Champion earning $20,500 aboard Slide Me Sum Shine, bred and nominated by Daniel Beale, owned by Michael Garnett
Gunnatrashya’s top earning offspring include:
- Gunnabebigtime (out of Big Time Jazzy), bred, nominated, and owned by Tami Nelson, $862,903 NRHA LTE
- Gunna Stop (out of Stop Little Sister), bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Toyon Ranch LLC, owned by Amber Gokey, $672,762 NRHA LTE
- Andiamoe (out of Wimpys Little Chic), bred, nominated, and owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA, $438,139 NRHA LTE
- Ten Thirty (out of Dainty Little Step), bred and nominated by Brooke Wharton, owned by Rancho El Fortin, $418,788 NRHA LTE
- Super Marioo (out of HA Chic A Tune), bred and nominated by Hillis Akin Family Partnership, owned by Tom and Mandy McCutcheon, $338,891 NRHA LTE
Reining is experiencing significant growth in both added money and participation, as evidenced by how quickly these two athletes have reached major milestones. The increasing prize pools and rising number of competitors are pushing the sport to new levels, allowing top riders to achieve career-defining earnings faster than ever before. This surge reflects the growing popularity and support for reining, creating more opportunities for athletes to excel and reach new heights in their careers.