Learn more about The Last Cowboy riders who qualified for the Million Dollar Competition at the 2021 The Run For A Million, which is the focus of the show’s second season, which airs on CMT.
Brian Bell
Valley View, Texas
Bio: One of the sport’s newest EquiStat Elite $2 Million Riders, Brian Bell has twice finished second in the NRHA Futurity. He grew up riding horses and became a professional trainer in 1995.
Earnings: $2,020,750
Horses: Mr Royal Hollywood, Cee Mr Stop and Gunnabebigtime
Casey Deary
Weatherford, Texas
Bio: Casey Deary grew up in Texas riding horses, and in recent years seems to have specialized in riding multiple generations of champions. His two top The Run For A Million contenders in 2021 are offspring of the mare he guided to the 2012 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open title, Americasnextgunmodel. He’s also ridden both winners out of his second NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Champion, Shesouttayourleague.
Earnings: $2,452,356
Horses: Americasnexttopgun, Americas Supermodel
Andrea Fappani
Scottsdale, Arizona
Bio: An Italian native, Andrea Fappani is one of the all-time leading trainers in the sport of reining. He’s won the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open three times (RR Star[PT], Spooky Whiz and last year with All Bettss Are Off) and as of the season two premiere of The Last Cowboy was nearing the $7 million marking in earnings. His wife, Tish, and one of his sons, Luca, are top non-pro riders.
Earnings: $6,901,405
Horses: Platinum Vintage, Starjac Vintage
Shawn Flarida
Springfiled, Ohio
Bio: The top money-earning reining rider of all time, Shawn Flarida knew he wanted to be a horse trainer as a child. He’s ridden champions that went on to become cornerstones of the reining breeding industry, including stallions EquiStat Elite $12 Million SIre Wimpys Little Step & NRHA Triple Crown Champion Spooks Gotta Whiz, as well as the all-time great mare Wimpys Little Chic. His son, Sam, is a successful non-pro.
Earnings: $6,934,097
Horses: Hollywooddirtysecret, Spooks Gotta Spark
Arno Honstetter
Scottsdale, Arizona
Bio: German native Arno Honstetter began his riding career in Europe before moving to the United States. His top finish to date was in 2011, when he and Show Me The Buckles earned the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Co-Championship.
Earnings: $877,279
Horses: Gunna Cash Ya, Ms Dreamy, Special Made Whiskey
Cade McCutcheon
Aubrey, Texas
Bio: A son of trainer Tom McCutcheon and leading reining non-pro Mandy McCutcheon, who also attempted to qualify for this year’s The Run For A Million, Cade McCutcheon was a co-champion of the first edition of million-dollar competition at The Run For A Million as featured on the first season of The Last Cowboy. He went on to win that year’s NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open with Super Marioo, and quickly became the sport’s youngest EquiStat Elite $1 Million Rider.
Earnings: $1,614,648
Horses: Americasnexttopgun, Americas Supermodel, Modern Gun, Super Marioo
Tom McCutcheon
Aubrey, Texas
Bio: Originally from the Upper Midwest, Tom McCutcheon has been immersed in the horse industry from childhood. His father, Bob McCutcheon, competed in a variety of disciplines and helped found the North Central Reining Horse Association. His brothers, Scott and Jim, are both reining horse trainers, and another brother, Terry, was a long-time rodeo team coach.
Earnings: $2,009,357
Horses: Gunners Rockstar, Spooks Gotta Crush, Spooks Gotta Outfire
Matt Mills
Scottsdale, Arizona
Bio: An EquiStat Elite $1 Million Rider, Matt Mills grew up in Southern California riding in a variety of disciplines. He switched to reining, and has represented the United States in international competition and also has won multiple titles at the sport’s biggest events.
Earnings: $1,109,377
Horses: Americas Gunslinger, Money Carlo, Peptos Little Step, Walla Walla Starbuck
Martin Muehlstaetter
Scottsdale, Arizona
Bio: An Austrian native, Martin Muehlstaetter grew up wanting to be a horse trainer. He rode many breeds of horses as a youngster, but focused on reining horses and moved to Texas to pursue his love of the sport. He’s now one of the sport’s million dollar riders. His wife, Kim, is a successful non-pro.
Earnings: $1,075,940
Horses: Copyride, Seven On Seven, Spooks Grand Slam
Nathan Piper
Pilot Point, Texas
Bio: A Texas native, Piper is nearing the prestigious million-dollar mark in earnings. His contender for this year’s The Run For A Million, Patriot, is a horse he rode to the American Quarter Horse Association Junior Reining World Championship and the co-championship of the National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open. A great team, they also were second in the NRHA Derby.
Earnings: $961,653
Horses: Patriot
Kole Price
Pilot Point, Texas
Bio: An Illinois native, Kole Price started his training business in 2015. Since then, he’s won more than $604,000 and was the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion with Isnt She Perfect. He later rode Gunna Stop, one of his horses in The Last Cowboy, to the NRHA Futurity Level 3 Open title.
Earnings: $604,819
Horses: Gunna Stop, Gunnin For Chics
Craig Schmersal
Scottsdale, Arizona
Bio: Ohio native Craig Schmersal was co-champion of the first Million Dollar Invitational with No Smoking Required, a feat that was featured in Season One of The Last Cowboy. As Season Two airs, Schmersal is on the verge of becoming one of the few reiners in history to exceed $5 million in earnings. His wife, Ginger, and daughter, Addi, both compete as non-pro riders.
Earnings: $4,984,015
Horses: Face The Attitude, No Smoking Required and Setting Off To Town
Gina Maria Schumacher
Gordonville, Texas
Bio: A non-pro taking on professional trainers, European rider Gina Schumacher is one of the top non-professionals in the world. Her mother, Corinna Schumacher, also competes in reining and is an NRHA One Million Dollar Owner. Her father is F1 auto racing champion Michael Schumacher and her brother, Mick, also is a race car driver.
Earnings: $707,907
Horses: Alittlewhitetrash, Gunnastepya, One Revolution Gun (PT)
Dany Tremblay
Overbrook, Oklahoma
Bio: French Canadian Dany Tremblay hit the million-dollar mark in earnings in 2021. Now based in Oklahoma, he operates Tremblay Performance Horses with his brother, Fred.
Earnings: $1,026,020
Horses: PS Mega Shine Chic, Tinker With Dreams
Jason Vanlandingham
Whitesboro, Texas
Bio: Based in Texas, Jason Vanlandingham is the only rider to pilot two horses, A Vintage Smoke and Not Ruf At All, to what is considered the NRHA Triple Crown – winning the NRHA Futurity, the NRHA Derby and also the National Reining Breeders Classic.
Earnings: $2,507,680
Horses: A Vintage Smoke, Best Shine, Stopping In Jersey
* (PT) designates the horse is a registered American Paint Horse. Horses without a designation are registered American Quarter Horses.
