Gunner Makes History Again


National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Famer and All-Time Leading Sire, Gunner, has reached yet another historic milestone as the only NRHA $15 Million Sire.


National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Famer and All-Time Leading Sire, Gunner, has reached yet another historic milestone as the only NRHA $15 Million Sire.


Tonight was a fitting finale to aged event classes at the 6666 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby presented by Markel. In its 45th edition, the show shattered records and paid out more money across the Open Derby levels than ever before. With such an impressive sum on the line, All Nite Partier and Cade McCutcheon secured the coveted $100,000 Level 4 Open Derby Champion’s check with a huge 231.5.


The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is thrilled to announce a monumental achievement for Gunners Special Nite, who has officially become an NRHA $7 Million Dollar Sire. This historic milestone solidifies Gunners Special Nite’s position as one of the most influential sires in reining history and is a testament to his exceptional qualities that are consistently passed on to his offspring.


As champions were crowned at the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel, two sires also reached a new milestone, with their offspring demonstrating extraordinary talent – continuing their legacies among NRHA’s leading sires.


By the 50th draw in the NRBC Open Classic, there was already a 226.5 to set the bar for the rest of the day’s competitors. By the time the 121 runs completed, 14 runs were a 225 or above, with Cade McCutcheon and Varsity Blu (Wimpy Chic x Flo N Blu Boon) taking the lead with a 229.5. The bay stallion was bred by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC, and is owned by Frank and Susan Costantini, Rick Clark and Brent Clark, and Joe Wolfe. McCutcheon leads the Level 4 headed into Day Two’s runs.


In 1984, Tom McCutcheon recorded his first earnings in the National Reining Horse Association while competing in an event in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2006 he passed one million dollars in lifetime earnings, and then in early August 2022, crossed the next million-dollar milestone.


The 25th edition of the National Reining Breeders Classic is in the books, with a record-breaking number of horses competing in the three rings of the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas.
As the final results were tallied, it was NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook whose offspring had collected the most money in the Classic, including the preliminary rounds and finals of both the Open and Non Pro. Smart Spook foals were responsible for winning more than $95,366 during the week in Katy, Texas.


For a quarter-century, most everyone has had a favorite Gunner story or special memory. It might be the mighty moves of an astonishing athlete. It could be a joyful recollection of seeing him in the Norick Arena entrance in Oklahoma City as the crowd erupted in cheers the moment his floppy-eared profile came into sight. It might simply be an unforgettable run burned into someone’s memory – because there were plenty of those. It might be the magic at the birth of one of his foals.


Less than a year after his offspring passed four million dollars in earnings, Gunners Special Nite has made it to the next level of National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar milestones. That makes the flashy sorrel one of only nine sires in history to cross the $5 Million threshold.