gunners-special-nite
Gunners Special Nite, better known as Bailey, recently received another level of success as a sire in the National Reining horse Association. • Photo by John Brasseaux.

Gunners Special Nite Achieves New Sire Milestone

Gunners Special Nite is making quick work of reaching new NRHA Million Dollar milestones. In the last four years, the son of Colonels Smoking Gun (Gunner) climbed the ladder of success from one to now four million. 

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) recently announced the stallion recently became one of its newest NRHA Four Million Dollar Sires. He reached the milestone at the end of 2020.

Sire Power

Just after reaching $3 Million in September 2019, offspring of the horse nicknamed “Bailey” wasted no time chipping away at $4 million. In the 2019 NRHA Futurity Open finals, Guns And Dynamite (out of Chic Olena Starbuck x Smart Starbuck) was Reserve Champion in Levels 4, 3 & 2 with Cade McCutcheon in the saddle.

Gunners Special Nite has always paired well with the name McCutcheon. In 2010, NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Owner Tom McCutcheon, Cade’s father, reined the 2004 stallion to an Individual and Team gold medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) for Team USA. The McCutcheon family continues riding horses out of this show-stopping stallion, a partnership that shined at the 2020 NRHA Futurity. NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon rode Shining At Nite (out of A Shining Sidekick x Starbucks Sidekick) to the Futurity Level 4 Non-Pro Championship – and a $60,000 first-place paycheck.

Leading NRHA Earners

Bred by Kim and Deborah Sloan and raised by Tim and Colleen McQuay, Bailey was later purchased by Turnabout Farm, Inc. He stands at Tom McCutcheon Reining Horses in Aubrey, Texas.

Gunners Special Nite’s top offspring (in the NRHA):

  • National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open Champion Modern Gun ($221,043, out of Taris Modern Design x Mr Boomerjac):  
  • NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion Guns And Dynamite ($180,606, out of Chic Olena Starbuck x Smart Starbuck)
  • High Roller Reining Classic Derby Level 4 Non-Pro Champion Baileys Not Painted (PT) ($140,984, out of Darlins Not Painted[PT] x Smokin Chic Olena[PT])
  • NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open finalist Lenas Shining Gun ($106,184, out of SL Lenas Chick x Lena Spark): 
  • NRHA Derby Level 2 Open Champion Special Made Whiskey ($93,916, out of Starlight Acres x Paddys Irish Whiskey)