Paint stallion Golden Coins and exhibitor Kole Price pushed their chips to the center on August 15 at the 2026 The Run for a Million in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bet paid off in spades: the team marked a record-breaking 237.5—the highest score ever marked in a reining to date—and scoring them the championship, a $500,000 windfall and glory as Las Vegas legends.
Golden Coins is a 2020 bay overo stallion by Spooks Gotta Gun and out of Electric Cha Ching (QH). Coin Toss LLC of Pilot Point, Texas, owns the stallion; he was bred by Silver Spurs Equine of Scottsdale, Arizona. Prior to The Run for a Million, Golden Coins won the 2025 National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open and was reserve champion at the 2025 NRHA Level 4 Open Derby; he was the 2024 The Run For a Million Open Reining Shootout champion, too. Kole Price is a $2 Million Rider with NRHA.
Their historic run in Vegas wasn’t an isolated incident at the high-stakes reining competition. The industry’s Top 16 riders converged on South Point Arena & Equestrian Center for a shot at a million-dollar purse, and their efforts didn’t disappoint. Six teams marked over 230. Gabriel Borges and Spooks Gotta Ice tied the 19-year-old record score of 236.5 before it was shattered just a few runs later. APHA-eligible Spooks Gotta Ice ended up reserve champion of the 2026 The Run For a Million, earning $95,000. Alpha Viking, a 2021 palomino solid stallion, marked 234 with Andrea Fappani; they finished third for $85,000.
Open Cow Horse Challenge
The 2026 Open Cow Horse Challenge on August 14 featured a $250,000 purse, featuring 15 of the best National Reined Cow Horse Association competitors. Justin Wright piloted Snapdragons to the 2026 The Run For A Million Cowhorse Challenge reserve championship, worth $40,000. They scored 223.5 in the rein work and 221.5 in the cow work for a composite 445.
Snapdragons is a 2017 sorrel solid stallion by Gunnatrashya and out of Catnaps (QH). He’s owned by Snapdragons Partners and was bred by Flying V Ranch.
Open Reining Shootout
Perfect On Ice and Casey Deary topped the leaderboard of the 2026 Open Reining Shootout at The Run for a Million on August 14 with a 230.5 score, earning $29,154. Amy Meadows owns and bred the 2021 sorrel solid stallion, who is by SG Frozen Enterprize (QH) and out of TR Pats Silver Whiz.
But they weren’t the only Paint representatives in the Top Five. GPB Smokingvintagegun, ridden by Jason Vanlandingham, found themselves in a three-way tie for second place with a 229.5; they took home $14,154. Dust Off Ya Gunns and Peter DeFritas marked a 228.5 to snag fifth place and $10,140. GPB Smokingvintagegun is a 2021 black solid stallion by A Vintage Smoke (QH) and out of Gunners Best Stop; bred by GPB Ranch Enterprises LLC, he is owned by Vaughn Zimmerman and Robert Santagata. Dust Off Ya Gunns is a 2018 sorrel solid stallion by Gunnatrashya and out of One Mighty Aphrodite (QH); he’s owned and bred by Double Run Farm.
The Top Five riders from the 2026 Open Shootout qualified for the 2027 The Run For A Million competition.
Open Cutting Horse Challenge
Three Paints made their mark in the 2026 The Run For a Million Open Cutting Horse Challenge, which had $250,000 up for grabs on August 13. Breykin Bad and Beau Galyean tied at 224 with Reyzin The Limit and Adan Banuelos to capture co-reserve champion honors and $36,000 each. LBR Hangem and Kenny Platt rounded out the Top Five with a 222 score, earning $21,000.
Breykin Bad is a 2020 sorrel solid stallion by Stevie Rey Von and out of Sweet Abra (QH); he’s owned and bred by Fults Ranch LTD. Reyzin The Limit is a 2021 red roan solid stallion by Reyzin The Cash and out of Metallistic (QH); he’s owned and bred by Kate Banuelos. LBR Hangem is a 2020 sorrel solid stallion by Dual Reyish and out of Hangem High Pep (QH); bred by Charles Burger, he’s owned by Shotty Syndicate.
Full results from the 2026 The Run For a Million are found online at therunforamillion.com/draws-results.
Article by Jessica Hein & Amy Olson
Photo by Amy Olson
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