NCHA News

FORT WORTH, Texas — The 2026 National Cutting Horse Association Summer Cutting Spectacular will once again offer competitors additional opportunities to earn significant added money through the Valley Equine Super Stallion Incentive, with more than $568,000 set to be paid across eligible divisions during the event. 

The incentive payouts will be awarded to the Top 10 horses within the Open, Non-Pro and Amateur divisions and continue a growing partnership between Valley Equine Reproduction and NCHA competition. For owners and riders competing on eligible horses, the additional earnings create another layer of opportunity at one of the association's Triple Crown events.  

The Valley Equine Super Stallion Incentive continues to see significant growth, with the 2025 incentive year increasing 79% over the previous year. That growth is reflected in the 2026 NCHA Summer Spectacular payouts, which have expanded to pay through the 10th-highest eligible horse from the Open, Non-Pro and Amateur Derby and Classic divisions. 

At the 2025 NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular, the incentive paid a total of $300,000 in the Open divisions and $156,000 in the Non-Pro divisions.  

In the Open Derby, Too Hot To Tagg, by Hashtags, earned the top payout of $34,500 with Kenny Platt aboard for owner JH Nail Ranch Inc. The Open Classic resulted in a three-way tie for the highest incentive payout, with Phil N Dangerous, by Hottish, ridden by Wes Galyean for owner Misty Greeson; LBR Hangem, by Dual Reyish, ridden by Kenny Platt for owner Solo Select Horses; and Kittenish, by Hottish, ridden by Austin Shepard for owner Billy Wolf each earning $26,500. 

The Non-Pro Derby saw earnings of $156,000 with the top spot going to Twice The Style (by Smooth Talkin Style) and Kesley Johnson for owner Curtis & Brenda Weeks for $4,255.

The following breakdown outlines the projected Valley Equine Super Stallion Incentive payouts at the 2026 NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular:

"We built this incentive to put real money back into the hands of the people supporting these stallions and competing on their offspring," said Jeremy Barwick, owner of Valley Equine Reproduction. “It's rewarding the breeders, owners and riders who continue investing in these bloodlines, and we believe that's exactly what strengthens the future of the industry." 

Since its inception, the incentive has continued to increase both participation and payout totals. First paying out in 2023, the incentive will have paid out a total of $5,295,000 after the NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular has concluded.  

The structure behind the program is designed to create a direct connection between the breeding shed and the show pen. Funding is generated through paid breeding’s to enrolled Valley Equine stallions, with $500 from each breeding fee allocated directly into the incentive purse. That approach allows eligible horses to compete for additional incentive money without separate enrollment or sustaining fees for breeders or owners.  

Horses by the following stallions are eligible to earn: 

• Areybe
• Armour
• Badboonarising
• Bama Jelly
• Catolena Cashin In 
• Check Yer Metal 
• Cool N Hot 
• Countin Hot Checks 
• CR Gotcha Covered 
• Dont Stopp Believin 
• Dual Rey 
• Dual Reyish 
• Dual Smart Rey 
• Hashtags
• High Brow Cat 
• Hottish
• Hottish Metal 
• Kinky Bootz 
• Lone Woolf 
• Magicality
• Metallic Cat 
• Metallic Rebel 
• Meteles Cat* 
• Metallic Rey Mink 
• Moms Lil Rebel 
• My Pistols Hott 
• One Fine Vintage 
• Phil N Dangerous 
• Purrn Likeasmoothcat
• Reyzin The Cash* 
• Roasting
• Rollz Royce 
• Smooth Talkin Style* 
• Smart Chic Olena 
• Sniperr  
• Storyteler
• Sugarr Daddy 
• Swing Wide 
• Spots Hot 
• Whiski Sauer 

*Denotes a stallion that no longer stands at Valley Equine; however, eligible foal crops may still qualify for incentive payouts. See website for complete details.

For more information, visit the Valley Equine Super Stallion Incentive page. 

Final payout figures for the 2026 incentive cycle paying out the 2026 NCHA Futurity, 2026 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity and 2027 NCHA Summer Spectacular will be determined following the conclusion of the current breeding season in July, as purse totals remain directly tied to the number of paid breeding’s to enrolled stallions.

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