The Run For A Million 2025

🏆 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐤𝐢𝐧 & 𝐒𝐉𝐑 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐲 🏆
Starting off the epic evening of cow work at The Run For A Million was the Youth Cow Horse Challenge fence work. Returning champion William Akin, riding SJR Starlit Rey, entered the arena with hopes of a repeat victory.
William wasn’t born into a “horse crazy” family but says he “hit the family lottery,” as his parents have supported him from the very beginning. He first caught the “horse bug” at age 6 or 7 when his family visited a dude ranch in Colorado, where he rode a horse for the first time. Soon after, they found a lesson barn, then a cow horse trainer, and the rest just fell into place.
“The saying is, 'go fast and make good decisions.' We tried it, and it worked out,” William shared about his run. Coming into the evening with a 220 score from the reined work, he and SJR Starlit Rey added a 218.5 in the cow work for a combined winning score of 238.5.
During the Buckle Ceremony presented by Honda, the duo collected an impressive array of prizes: a check for $7,500, a Bob’s Custom Saddle, a Gist Silversmiths buckle, a Cuttinup Show Blankets authentic blanket, and several other awards from TRFAM.
SJR Starlit Rey is a 2016 gelding by Dual Rey and out of A Starlit Diamond. This was William’s final year competing as a youth, as he will head to Texas Tech in the fall to join the ranch horse team. Horses will remain a big part of his future, as he plans to continue showing and competing in the Non Pro.
William is quick to credit his strong support system, thanking his parents, his girlfriend Faith, and his friend Spur Leathers. Most of all, he expresses gratitude to his faith: “I am so thankful for the Lord. He put this horse in my life. The reason I have this horse is His plan, and being here and having the success we’ve had on him is solely because of His plan.”

Take a break, stretch your legs, refresh, and get ready for one of the most exciting events in reining
The Run For A Million pre-game will kick off shortly, and we plan for the first horse in the pen at 6:30 p.m
Find streaming packages at TheRunForAMillion.com!

you can follow along with the live webcast and score
🔥Tonight the big competition the run for à million at 18:30 pm local time in Vegas in Europe 3:30 am the morning,
16 riders competing for the title,
THE RUN FOR A MILLION is the richest event in the history of Reining. The event will be hosted by the prestigious South Point Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas,
Nevada from August 10 - 16, 2025. Sixteen riders, including some of the most accomplished NRHA Professionals in the history of Reining, will compete for a purse of $1,000,000. In addition to the MILLION DOLLAR Competition, there is the $200,000 Cow Horse Challenge, $150,000 Added Open Shoot Out, $50,000 Bull Fighters Only Fight For Fifty, Cowboy Invitational presented by XIT Ranch, $50,000 Non Pro Championship and Bloomer Rookie Championship— at South Point Arena & Equestrian Center.

We are having a blast here at The Run For A Million!
Tune in to the livestream tonight at to follow along with the action.

🏇💥 The Run For A Million 2025 – Tonight’s Action! 💥🏇
📍 South Point Arena & Equestrian Center, Las Vegas 🇺🇸
🕡 6:30 PM – Settle Cattle
🕖 7:00 PM – $200,000 Cutting Horse Challenge
🕗 8:00 PM – Cutting Horse Challenge Buckle Ceremony (Presented by Honda)
🎤 Followed by – Karley Scott Collins Concert 🎶
🏟 8:00 PM – Cutting Teardown in Main Arena
✨ Get ready for an evening of world-class competition, big wins, and live music!

That 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝-𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫-𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭-𝐭𝐨-𝐓𝐡𝐞-𝐑𝐮𝐧-𝐅𝐨𝐫-𝐀-𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 feeling!
Congratulations to Gina Schumacher, who battled her way into the 2026 TRFAM after an exciting run-off!
She rode Gunnastepya, first to a 225.5, and then bested that in the run-off with a 227.5. Congratulations Gina!
Photo by Chelsea Schneider

follow the live webcast Run For A Million
🌟 Step into a world of wonder at Run For A Million - Cow Horse Challenge, where extraordinary moments await! 🏛️ Located at Arena at South Point Hotel And Casino in dynamic Las Vegas, NV, this event will become the talk of the town. 📅 Join us on August 14th, 2025 at 04:00 PM for a celebration that defies the ordinary. ✨ This curated experience brings together the best of entertainment, culture, and community spirit. Every detail has been thoughtfully planned to ensure an unforgettable experience for all our guests. 🎯 Take advantage of this opportunity to be part of something special. 🎊 Early registration is recommended as space is limited!
— at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa.

🌟 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 - 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡🌟
𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐍𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬
Teresa purchased Little Lenas Solano, also known as “Maverick,” when he was six years old and says he was “instantly perfect.” The pair had an incredible bond from the start. Already boasting a successful show career, the Smart Like Juice gelding, out of Get Down Sassy Sue, simply continued that winning streak with Teresea.
The Run For A Million has long been on Teresa’s bucket list. When she set her sights on competing this year, she began searching for a new horse, but had no luck finding one who could fill Maverick’s shoes. So, she made the bold decision to bring Maverick out of a four-year retirement.
There’s been no training, just legging him back up and getting him into condition. Although he’s now 20 years old, Maverick still “loves his job and is just looking to doing it.”
At 75 years young, Teresa has been showing since the age of five and firmly believes there’s “no deadline.” As she put it, “There is no deadline to anything. As long as you can get on the horse, or even get someone to put you on the horse, and stay on the horse, go ride.”
Age, she says, is no obstacle.
With one run at one show this year, Teresa and Maverick qualified for both The Run For A Million and the AQHA Select World. With shoulder surgery scheduled for 2026, Teresa is calling this her “Horse Year,” showing at both events.
She extends a heartfelt thank you to Brent and Paula Loeske, barn owners and caretakers of Maverick, who encouraged her to bring him out of retirement. “If it had not been for them, I would not be here,” she said.
Going into the show, Teresa knows success is all about strategy with Maverick. “He’s been there and done that,” she noted, “so I just need to warm him up, strategize, and go show.”
Congratulations to Teresa for checking another dream off the bucket list.

𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟐
The Main Arena will be closed for arena maintenance for 1.5 hours following the Rookie 2 Challenge this afternoon.
Following maintenance, the Main Arena will be open for Million Dollar Competition horses until 7:30 p.m.
From 7:30 p.m. until 11 p.m., the arena will be open to Non Pro/Amateur Challenge contestants only.
For the most up-to-date schedule,

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟱 𝗡𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗔 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 $𝟮𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗼𝘄 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗔 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻! 🏆
If you’re headed to Vegas or watching from home, don’t miss any of the cow horse events:
𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟭𝟯
- Youth Cow Horse Challenge & Cow Horse Challenge Draw Party, presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™
𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟭𝟰
- Youth Cow Horse Challenge Reined Work
- Cow Horse Challenge Reined Work
𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝘂𝗴. 𝟭𝟱
- Autograph Session, presented by Priefert
- Youth Cow Horse Challenge Cow Work
- Cow Horse Challenge Cow Work
- Buckle Ceremony
Who’s ready for three days of world-class cow horse action? 🔥