The Million Dollar Competition at The Run For A Million is limited to sixteen riders who have to qualify at one of three events in the 2023-2024 show season: 2023 TRFAM, Las Vegas, NV (5 Riders), 2023 Equita Lyon, Lyon France (1 Rider) and 2024 Cactus Reining Classic, Scottsdale, AZ (10 Riders). These riders will have the opportunity to participate in this one go-round, all out competition for $1,000,000, with the Champion receiving $500,000! NRHA Category 13 Approved.
Top 5 Placings from The Run for a Million Open Shootout, The Winner from Equita Lyon and the Top 10 from the Open Qualifier Cactus Reining Classic in the Following Years Million Dollar Competition.
- Gabriel Borges
- Casey Deary
- Andrea Fappani
- Luca Fappani
- Shawn Flarida
- Casey Hinton
- Duane Latimer
- Jared Leclair
- Francesco Martinotti
- Jordan McBurney
- Cade McCutcheon
- Dominik Reminder
- Fernando Salgado
- Craig Schmersal
- Dany Tremblay
- Jason Vanlandingham
MILLION DOLLAR COMPETITION
Equita Lyon to Host Only TRFAM Million Dollar Qualifier Outside U.S.
Las Vegas – August 7, 2023 – The Run For A Million (TRFAM), reining’s hottest and richest event, is expanding overseas with the addition of a third qualifier for its Million Dollar Competition.
Traditionally, in order to gain entry to TRFAM’s Million Dollar Competition (MDC), riders had to qualify at one of two events: the Cactus Reining Classic, during which the top 10 riders were invited to the MDC; or TRFAM’s $100,000 Open Shootout, which called back the top six.
Now, thanks to an agreement with Equita Lyon, the host of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) European Derby, European riders will get a shot at qualifying for the prestigious competition on their home turf. The qualifier, which will be the only one held outside the United States, will take place Nov. 4 during this year’s NRHA European Derby in Lyon, France.
“TRFAM’s goal from inception was to increase attention to the Western lifestyle, traditions and the Western performance horse industry,” said Amanda Brumley, co-producer of the event. “It has achieved this on an international scale. It only makes sense for us to branch out to include a Million Dollar Competition qualifier outside the U.S.”
As an NRHA Category 1 open class, the European qualifier will be the same format as the other two qualifiers in the United States. The qualifier will run concurrently with the European Derby finals, and only the champion will be eligible for the 2024 TRFAM, limiting the entry list for the MDC to 16 of reining’s best riders. Any ties will be run off, and if the person who wins cannot compete, the next rider in the placings will move up into the qualifying position.
Reining is increasing in popularity in Europe, and many top riders now hail from the old continent. The additional qualifier abroad will help facilitate more opportunities for Europeans to come compete on American soil.
“The quality of reining competition in Europe continues to improve, and we are thrilled that the talent is being acknowledged by The Run For A Million,” said Gary Carpenter, Commissioner of the NRHA. “This event has garnered fans from all over the world, and we look forward to seeing them be able to participate.”
The qualifier will be managed by GL Events, the world-class production team responsible for producing the equestrian portion of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“The key was to find an event that was the perfect fit, which we have with Equita Lyon,” Brumley said. “This event is an entire equine experience — a festival celebrating the horse and incorporating multiple disciplines. Equita Lyon is a destination event, and we are very excited to be working with GL Events.”
“We are delighted to provide European riders with the opportunity to qualify for the prestigious ‘Run For A Million’ event. The Equita Lyon Western Horse Show, organized as part of Equita Lyon, the Salon du Cheval de Lyon, will be the only European qualifying leg for this exciting competition whose development we have followed over the last few years. I would like to warmly thank Amanda Brumley and Taylor Sheridan, the organizers of the Run For A Million event, for trusting us for the next three years. Equita Lyon has been one of the main ambassadors for Western riding in Europe, and particularly reining, a discipline that all our visitors have adopted, for almost two decades. Hosting the Run For A Million European leg is an acknowledgement of our event’s role internationally, both in terms of sport and the quality of its enthusiastic, passionate and knowledgeable spectators,” Sylvie Robert
Chairman of GL events Equestrian Sport.
Watch for promotions for the European qualifier at the 2023 TRFAM, which will take place Aug. 16-19 at the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas. The TRFAM production team will be in France broadcasting from the event showing highlights, interviews and competition commentary provided by Steve Ross. The action can be seen online at https://www.trfamlive.com/.
To view the 2023 TRFAM schedule visit trfam.com. You can also like and follow TRFAM on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to the official YouTube channel.
For additional information please contact therunforamillion@gmail.com
