Top 5 Professionals from NRCHA, NCHA and NRHA Standings Each Advance to The American Performance Horseman at Globe Life Field

Ground-breaking evening set to bring together top-ranked professionals from across the performance horse industry at inaugural The American Performance Horseman on Friday, March 10

Making its debut during The American Western Weekend at Globe Life Field, The American Performance Horseman will feature the Top 5 professionals from the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA), National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) and National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) standings on Friday, March 10, 2023.

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Corey Cushing, TAPH finalist and $3 million earner, riding Hesa Dual Bet. (Photo credit: Anna Krause Photography)

For the first time ever, the top five year-end money earning professionals from the NRCHA, NCHA and the NRHA will come together at the 42,000-seat Globe Life Field competing for $1,000,000 in prize money. The competitive exhibition format will fuse the elements of history and competition in an ode to the past, present, and future of western performance horse sports.

The unprecedented team concept will see five teams of three athletes, alongside some of the most well-known and respected Quarter Horses in the industry. Each team will consist of a Reiner, Reined Cow Horse professional and Cutting professional. The evening’s fast-paced exhibition competition will begin with the Cutting, then move into the Reining pattern and close out with the Reined Cow Horse athletes.

The Top 5 qualifying NRCHA athletes who will represent the reined cow horse industry at the inaugural event include Sarah Dawson (Perrin, Texas), Lee Deacon (Marietta, Oklahoma), Justin Wright (Santa Maria, California), Chris Dawson (Perrin, Texas) and Corey Cushing (Weatherford, Texas).

The Top 5 qualifying NCHA athletes who will represent the cutting horse community on March 10 include Adan Banuelos (Weatherford, Texas), Austin Shepard (Summerdale, Alabama), Lloyd Cox (Marietta, Oklahoma), Wesley Galyean (Claremore, Oklahoma) and Lindy Thorn (Claremore, Oklahoma).

The Top 5 qualifying open NRHA athletes who will represent the sport of reining at the inaugural event include Shawn Flarida (Springfield, Ohio), Andrea Fappani (Scottsdale, Arizona), Casey Deary (Weatherford, Texas), Fernando Salgado (Gainesville, Texas) and Matt Mills (Weatherford, Texas).

For fans wanting to make this one-of-a-kind weekend even more memorable, a variety of VIP and premium offerings are available for both The American Performance Horseman at 6:45 p.m. CST on Friday, March 10 and The American Rodeo at 5:45 p.m. CST on Saturday, March 11. Guests can enjoy exclusive dining and cocktail options, field-side VIP seating, commemorative credentials, floor access during concerts, exclusive photo opportunities and much more throughout the weekend.

For more information or to purchase VIP and premium experiences for The American Rodeo, eventgoers can visit www.americanrodeo.com/tickets. Those interested in purchasing a table for The American Performance Horseman or learning more about the unique offerings available, can email tickets@tetonridge.com.

To apply for media credentials to cover the March 8-11 events, please visit www.americanrodeo.com/media-credentials.

About The American Western Weekend:

The American Western Weekend March 8^th -11^th, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, features four nights of action-packed entertainment, world-class talent and western sports that culminates with The American Rodeo. Hailed as The Crown Jewel of Rodeo™, The American Rodeo is an unrivaled celebration of the pioneering spirit of the American West. The national sporting event offers fans a unique choice - to cheer on western sports’ finest, champion athletes, or root for the underdog “Contenders” chasing a $1 million bonus – through every rodeo, roping and riding effort. For the first time ever, a new competitive exhibition called The American Performance Horseman brings together the western equine sports disciplines of reining, reined cow horse and cutting for a $1 million prize. All combined with star-studded music, a western festival and more. Acquired by Teton Ridge in 2021, The American Rodeo is an annual western sports and entertainment celebration that matches professional rodeo’s top athletes against the world’s most aspirational cowboys and cowgirls, who have put up their own money to bet on themselves in this high stake’s showdown. For more information on The American Rodeo, please visit americanrodeo.com or @TheAmerican.TR on Instagram @TheAmericanTR on Facebook and Twitter.

About Teton Ridge:

Teton Ridge is a multi-platform, wholly American-owned brand and media company devoted to the iconic American western way of life. Teton Ridge’s Sports division was created with the singular focus of elevating classic western sports and America’s western culture on the world stage, while broadening audiences around the globe as well as at home. In 2021, Teton Ridge acquired The American, the iconic event of the rodeo circuit, to continue to expand the audiences for rodeo sports and make it the world’s premier western culture event. For more information about Teton Ridge, please visit tetonridge.com or @tetonridge on Instagram @tetonridgeusa on Facebook.

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