The Reining Field: Precision and International Depth
The Fantasy Run For A Million reining roster brings together one of the most competitive open division fields in the sport. Andrea Fappani is the field's most decorated active competitor — a rider whose multiple major title credits and consistent pattern quality make him the benchmark against which all reining picks are measured. Casey Deary brings technical precision and a competitive record built on consistent top-5 finishes at major events. Cade McCutcheon's family heritage and individual title record place him firmly in the elite tier.
The depth of the reining field extends through professional competitors from across North America and Europe. Matt Mills and Nathan Piper represent the competitive core of North Texas reining, while Luca Fappani, Wade McDonald, and others from the Scottsdale area bring Arizona program credentials. The international dimension — Arnaud Girinon from France, Dany Tremblay from Canada, Arno Honstetter from Germany — makes this field genuinely global in its competitive scope.
The Cow Horse Field: Versatility and Composite Excellence
The cow horse roster represents the multi-phase demands of reined cow horse competition as a genuine all-around test of horsemanship. Corey Cushing anchors the field as one of the most decorated active NRCHA professionals — a rider whose composite scoring record reflects the consistent excellence across all three phases that defines elite cow horse competition. Boyd Rice and Chris Dawson add depth from North Texas and Arizona respectively, while Erin Taormino and Zane Davis extend the Arizona and Texas depth of the field.
The cow horse roster also features professionals representing a broader geographic range than the reining field. Shawn Hays's California base and fence work tradition, Shadd Parkinson's versatile all-around profile, and the North Texas contingent of Matt Koch, Brendan Clark, and Clay Volmer create a field that spans the full geographic range of competitive cow horse.
The Cutting Field: Instinct and Strategic Intelligence
The cutting roster features some of the most accomplished active NCHA professionals in the sport. Adan Banuelos enters as the most dominant active cutting competitor in the field — a rider who has built his record on consistently committing to difficult cattle and producing elite-level athletic performances. Beau Galyean's multiple NCHA title credits and consistent results make him the field's second anchor, while Austin Shepard's long career and sophisticated horsemanship represent the depth of experience the cutting field brings.
The cutting roster extends through an impressive range of North Texas professionals — Weslay Galyean, Kenny Platt, Kody Porterfield, Monty Buntin, Michael Cooper, Bradey Davis, and Tosten Peterson — alongside geographically distinctive competitors like Kory Pounds from Arizona, Spud Sheehan from the Texas Panhandle, and Cade Shepard from North Carolina.
What Makes This Field Compelling for Fantasy
The Fantasy Run For A Million field is compelling for fantasy purposes precisely because of its depth across all three disciplines. This isn't a field dominated by two or three names with the rest of the picks representing obvious drop-offs — it's a genuine competitive environment where the margin between first and fifth in each discipline class can be razor-thin, and where second-tier picks have legitimate paths to top-3 finishes that produce meaningful fantasy points.
That competitive depth also means that the knowledge advantage of a fan who researches the field carefully — reading rider profiles, understanding each competitor's competitive background and current form, and thinking carefully about which horses are likely to peak at this specific event — is genuinely meaningful. The full rider database and top riders by discipline page are the best starting points for building that knowledge base before finalizing your fantasy team selections.
Getting to Know Each Rider
Every profiled rider in the Fantasy Run For A Million database has an individual profile page that covers their competitive background, hometown, discipline specialization, and fantasy value analysis. These profiles are educational overviews rather than official biographies — they provide the context you need to make informed fantasy selections without claiming to be authoritative sources on riders' official records or achievements.
Start with the discipline-specific roster pages — reining, cow horse, and cutting — to browse the full field by discipline, then dive into individual profiles for the riders that stand out as potential picks. The top riders page provides a ranked view across all three disciplines that makes cross-discipline comparison easier when building your seven-slot roster.