NRCHA Extends 2026 Point Year — What It Means for You

The item that should actually change your fall schedule: the NRCHA has extended the 2026 point year all the way through December 31, 2026, as a one-time bridge to a new calendar-year system that kicks in January 1, 2027. That means any approved event you run between November 16 and December 31 of next year counts toward your World Show qualification and year-end standings. That's real. If you've been treating late-fall shows as tune-up runs with nothing on the line, think again.

I like this move. The calendar-year shift has been a long time coming for people trying to plan a show season that actually makes sense on a normal calendar. The bridge year is the right way to handle it — nobody loses points they've already earned.

Meanwhile, Ryan Gallentine and One Ata Time went out and won the first 2027 Run For A Million Cow Horse Challenge qualifier at the Hackamore Classic with a 448.5 composite — 221.5 on the reined work, 227 on the cow. That's a horse doing both jobs. Five more invitations are available at the NSBA Pre-Futurity in August, and five more at the 2027 Kimes Ranch Derby.

Practical takeaway: pull up your fall 2026 schedule today and see what events fall in that November–December window. Those runs just got more valuable. #reinedcowhorse