This weekend, Fort Worth hosts one of the biggest nights in Western sports: The American Performance Horseman (TAPH). The July 19 event at Dickies Arena brings together the best in cutting, reining and reined cow horse for a high-stakes competition and live concert by Brothers Osborne.
Eight teams, each featuring one rider from the NCHA, NRHA and NRCHA, compete for the 2025 Champion title and a cut of the $1 million prize pool. Star horses include Down Right Amazing, who could become the first in NRHA history to surpass $1 million in lifetime earnings, alongside fan favorite Phil N Dangerous.
The Details
When: July 19, 2025, 6 p.m.
Where: Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St, Fort Worth
Tickets: www.theamericanperformancehorseman.com
What You’ll See
- Cutting: A cow-versus-horse showdown where the horse works independently.
- Reining: Fast spins, precise maneuvers and sliding stops.
- Reined Cow Horse: A dynamic mix of cutting and reining, ending in a high-speed fence run.
Meet Some Of The Key Competitors
Breaking Barriers in Reining
One athlete of note, Kaci O’Rourke, the first woman to win the NRHA Level 4 Open Futurity, returns to compete in reining. Now based in Pilot Point, she credits the region’s proximity to talent, major events and young prospects for shaping her success.
“There’s no other place like it,” O’Rourke tells Local Profile. “I think from one standpoint, I mean, you're close to the major events, but I think also just being around in the center of the industry… I definitely wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
As the 2024 NRHA Professional of the Year, she’s focused on showing young women they can succeed in the sport. “I feel just being able to be a voice for women in our sport and to be able to be an example to show young ladies that they absolutely can do this if they work hard and put their mind to it and are passionate about this,” O’Rourke says. “And so I hope that more young women will step forward in our industry and kind of stick with it because they see now that it can be done.”
O’Rourke also hopes new fans fall in love with Western performance horses: “They're so willing. They're so good-minded. They're so enjoyable to ride for somebody that can take them and go do anything with them.”
Carrying on a Family Legacy
Another North Texan to watch, Cade McCutcheon, reining phenom and NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider, was born into the sport in Aubrey. With deep family roots — his parents and grandparents are all champions — he’s trained in the heart of North Texas his entire life.
“It just makes it way easier,” McCutcheon says. “All our major events are within five hours and most even closer than that. “It makes it easier on our horses and makes it easier on us.”
McCutcheon sees North Texas as the powerhouse for Western sports because of its central location, strong breeding programs and global accessibility.
Thanks in part to the popularity of Yellowstone, which featured his family’s legacy, McCutcheon says the sport has grown "exponentially" in recent years. “It’s hard to even put into words how much our sport and the entire Western industry has changed in the last five years because of Yellowstone and everything that Taylor’s [Sheridan] done.”
For aspiring riders, his advice is simple: “Don’t worry about being big time, just worry about doing your job and the rest will come.”
At TAPH, McCutcheon is eager for a big win with a horse he’s long believed in. “We haven’t gotten it done yet, and we’re kind of running out of chances. It would be fun for me to do it for him and prove to everybody that he is as good as we think he is.”
Don’t miss competitors like McCutcheon and O’Rourke this Saturday. Get your tickets here. Expect fierce competition, elite horses and a stadium-sized concert — Texas style.
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