male narrator: Previously on "The Last Cowboy"...
We've got no horse coming up to this million-dollar deal.
This is getting to be ridiculous.
- Is there anybody in line right now on this horse?
'Cause I'd like to be first to try him.
You had somebody else first. I shook hands with Cade.
- Everybody knows who's in charge, right?
- We shook hands on it, though.
Now that was bull[bleep].
- Not only do I only have one horse,
but I'm sharing it with the owner.
That's a lot on a horse, physically.
- Yep.
- I would love to try him.
- I am just coming off a knee replacement.
I know I can't make any mistakes.
That horse stepped on his tail, I almost fell down.
- He's out. - Son of a bitch.
- Jason Vanlandingham with the lead!
- I'm disappointed in myself.
And before the run for the millions,
I'm gonna need to step it up.
[dramatic country music]
♪ ♪
[bird squawks]
[Robin Loxley's "Find My Way"]
- ♪ Be cool ♪
♪ On the ready ♪
♪ Are you ready for me ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
- I better not drop that, huh?
Winning the NRBC is very special,
but the number one rider for this year is gonna be
whoever wins The Run for a Million.
- ♪ Don't go, don't go ♪
♪ Don't go ♪
- I don't think it was a great NRBC.
That's a tough horse show.
Most shows, we can show three horses.
In Vegas, they're gonna allow us to show one,
so we have one b*llet.
- ♪ If I can find my way ♪
♪ ♪
- At the NRBC, Sandy and I both showed Ace,
and that's three hard runs.
Not very many horses can take what he's been taking
and still perform like that.
I have another horse that I'm gonna go try out,
because the real test is coming
with the Run for a Million.
- ♪ Baby, won't you let me be free ♪
- Craig hasn't won this year.
We're never really happy unless we're the winner.
- The things I didn't like at the NRBC
I'm gonna take care of,
and I don't wanna miss an opportunity.
I know what to do.
- ♪ You, you're taking my religion ♪
- I had a very successful NRBC,
but I'm still not close to being competitive in Vegas
at the Run for a Million.
- I thought this NRBC was pretty good for all of us,
didn't you?
both: No. - [laughs]
- I hate my family.
After the NRBC and not making the finals,
I'm really looking forward to Vegas.
I need to redeem myself.
♪ ♪
- Now the NRBC's over, I give myself a strong B.
I know the horse was good, but it is what it is.
- That's just what it comes down to.
- It's becoming clear to me
that I need horses that can score
to win the Run for a Million.
I need more horsepower under the hood.
- ♪ Yeah ♪
♪ ♪
- I'm definitely a superstitious guy.
I started doing really well at the horse shows
with the beard on, and then things fell apart
at the NRBC.
So we're changing the look.
We're gonna go with a shaven face now,
and we'll see if things get better.
- ♪ My way ♪
Can you open a bottle of white wine
for fettuccine pasta?
Pull 'em out, and I'll take care of it.
As long as it tastes good,
I think usually everybody's happy.
For me, it was a really bad week.
When I lost like I did at the NRBC,
spending time with my family is extremely important for me.
It tells me and reminds me of what's important in my life.
See if you grab it like this,
that way you can stomp it from the top.
- You ready?
- I don't even know what I'm gonna show.
I wasn't happy. Maybe part of it is me.
I'm gonna let a little bit of time go by
and really think about what I did,
but I was really disappointed
that I couldn't be more competitive.
The one thing that I know is that making it
here in the states, got me to know my wife,
I've got two great kids now,
and it's given me a life
that I would have never imagined.
Luca got himself a big plate tonight.
- I know, he's... - He was running earlier.
I was born in Bergamo, Italy.
When I was about four years old,
I was introduced to horses.
I started taking lessons at a local equestrian center.
I came to the states when I was years old,
because I wanted to be a horse trainer.
That's not what my family wanted me to do,
but I left.
The minute I made that decision, I was on my own.
It was a challenge, and it was lonely.
I don't think my dad ever quit loving me,
but we didn't feel it very much for a few years,
that's for sure.
Luca, are you doing anything at school,
or is it pretty much over?
- He has all his tests.
- Every single day is testing.
- And you're good with all of them?
- Yeah.
- To be successful and be able to win
the Run for a Million,
everything has to go right.
So making sure that my family's behind me
and I've got their % support
and having all the confidence,
it's gonna be the most important thing for me.
[owl hooting]
[bluesy music]
♪ ♪
- How 'bout that NRBC, huh?
- With my two, you know, getting two in the finals,
you know, is good, but it might be Slidewinder.
- Always for sure a good show horse,
and he tries hard, but that's all he's got
in the t*nk, I think.
- There's no doubt its wasn't gonna be enough for Vegas.
- Every time you show him, he gives it all, but...
- Yeah. - You know, even when he was...
- I don't think it's enough.
[horse grunts]
It's the biggest opportunity of my career,
and I don't have a horse.
This has never happened before,
where I haven't been able to find a horse to compete on.
I think everybody that's going in the Vegas deal,
going to the million dollar was in the finals.
Abby, she was in there.
Andrea, Craig--he was up there in the top ten,
all the usual players.
But other than Jason's horse,
I didn't see a horse there that looked like
it was the caliber for Vegas.
- I didn't either.
- Just terrible timing.
I mean, I don't know why this is happening.
Andrea's trying to horde every horse out there.
He's trying to lock it down.
He's trying to find the best possible horse,
but then also get those horses out of the mix
for any of us to ride.
It's smart.
I'm not surprised, but you can only ride one.
You know, I've just gotta trust staying patient
and that the right one will pop up.
[hooves pounding]
[horse whinnies]
- Seems everybody thinks
I'm getting to be the old guy now.
I'm gonna get as good a horse as I can find.
Before I have to pass the torch to ol' genius here,
I'm going...
- I'm pretty sure you already did pass the torch.
- One good horse show and you think you're King Kong.
The NRBC, absolutely hate not making the finals.
It drives me crazy. I just...
The Run for a Million.
This is the biggest event of all time.
I have to win it.
I'm gonna try and go there
with the absolute most horsepower that I can.
I asked a buddy of mine, Joe Schmidt,
to bring over a horse
that I've been looking at for a long time.
His name is Duke.
He did well at the NRBC.
- Coming to us is Gunna Cash Ya, Joe Schmidt.
- He's a big, big stopper, he's got a lot of turn,
he circles really cool,
and he wants to be a show horse.
[cheering]
A horse like Duke is in ,.
It can take you several years to come up with one that good.
For the million, I'm gonna make the deal.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
Can he be for sale? Can I buy him?
- Pfft.
I don't know, dude.
You know how much I like this horse.
- I do.
- I'd feel comfortable you having him,
but, you know, I really don't wanna turn him loose, but...
- Yeah. - It'd have to be a lot, dude.
Like, mid-six figures at least. You know that.
They're so hard to find. - Yeah, no, I know.
It's hard to spend that much money, for sure for me,
'cause I'm a Midwestern cheapskate,
originally, you know? - [laughs]
- But if your guy will sell him,
I think I have some guys that would fire on one right now.
- Okay, I'll call him, and, yeah, we'll go from there.
- Okay, let me know. - Okay.
Tom wants to buy Duke.
Okay, talk to you later.
Hey, Tom.
He said he'd consider selling him.
He's gonna think about it,
and then message me a number here pretty quick.
- I mean, I gotta call my guys.
I can't guarantee I can get the deal done,
but soon as you get the number, just sh**t me a text.
- Okay. Sounds good, man.
- Hello.
- I've got something to run by ya.
- Okay. - You know what they cost.
I mean, we're gonna have to step up
and spend some money on him,
but I'm just wanting to know if you're in
if I put this deal together.
It is a lot of money,
and it's the most money that I've ever spent on a horse.
In our business, you can't do it halfway.
You're either gonna do it or you don't.
- What's up, dude?
- My guy said they'll take him.
You're gonna lose your favorite horse.
We're good to go.
- It's all right. - Happy I'm gonna get him.
- Yeah. I ain't gonna cry or nothing.
[chuckles]
- Thanks, Joe. - All right, thanks, dude.
- Can't deny the inevitable.
I mean, at some point,
the wear and tear is gonna catch up.
For the million,
the motivation is so much more than the money.
It's about the event.
It's the importance, it's the spotlight.
I need to show I still got it.
- ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
narrator: After sharing Ace in the competition at the NRBC,
Abby Lengel is breaking away
and trying out The Rock...
- Are you ready to try The Rock?
- I'm ready. I'm ready.
narrator: A talented champion
known for spectacular spins and stops.
- Stay.
Just yell at me when I-- if I'm doing something wrong.
- [chuckles]Okay.
- If I won the Run for a Million,
that kind of money right now in my career,
this is my first year starting out,
that would change my life.
An advantage to taking The Rock,
that horse has proven that he can lay down big scores.
I think it's extremely important
to have that caliber of horse.
[dramatic music]
- There we go.
Now just cluck and use your leg.
Put your hand down. Yeah, that's it.
- [clucking tongue]
♪ ♪
- Now we're talking.
- Oh, he definitely has a lot of turn.
First impressions are he's super, super nice.
Doesn't feel too complicated so far.
He can do a lot more than Ace.
Ace is more consistent,
but The Rock's capable of plus one-and-a-halfing,
turns, huge stops, huge circles.
Whether I can get that out of him...
it has to work just right, but if it does,
his capabilities are a lot higher.
- [clicks tongue]
- You see, that's why you shouldn't say "whoa."
- Yep. - Which you did.
- Never have I ridden a horse that you run down
and don't say "whoa."
And the reason that The Rock-- you don't do that with him is,
he wants to stop so bad, if you say "whoa,"
it's too abrupt and harsh.
[clucking tongue]
I think I might have accidentally said "whoa."
- You did.
- Even with all The Rock's amazing qualities,
I've seen some guys show him in the past,
and he's tricky to get stopped.
I'll try to get it right one time,
and then I'll leave you alone.
[clucks tongue]
- Much better. - He's so cool.
He's definitely different than what I'm used to.
I just gotta adjust myself a little bit to him.
The Rock is an amazing, talented athlete,
and he can do everything big.
Very simple to turn and circle,
but stopping make it a little bit of a challenge for me.
It's gonna take me a little bit to adjust.
He's doing his job, I just gotta--I gotta get with him.
- So, what do you think you wanna do?
You think he's a-- he's a candidate?
- We need to make sure that, you know,
I can get along with him in the show pen.
Thiago said he would be happy to have me ride his horse,
but he had one stipulation.
If I took his horse, I would need to show it.
That one will be my number one horse.
That's just one more thing that makes that choice
a little bit risky for me.
After today, I--you know,
I feel like I get along with him well,
and I get along with Ace well.
I feel like it's, you know, a very hard decision.
[exciting music]
♪ ♪
narrator: After winning the NRBC
with his championship horse, Coal...
- It's still kind of hard to believe.
- Yeah.
narrator: Jason Vanlandingham has little time
to revel in victory with the Run for a Million
right around the corner.
- Coal, all the interviews that people are doing,
that's the first thing they ask about is,
whether or not he's gonna win the Run for a Million.
There's an awful lot of pressure, I think.
Winning the NRBC means that I'm doing my job.
It's not like you win it, and, you know, your job's done.
You go back home, and you get back to workin'
'cause there's more work to do.
- I assume Coal's your--your sh*t for the Run for a Million.
- I mean, I think he's my only sh*t.
- Yeah.
Well, I think at this point, Coal's...
- Yeah. - Coal's the man.
- We're working on getting a ranch paid for in Oklahoma,
and it's a larger debt than we've ever had
in our lifetime.
By winning the Run for a Million,
it's gonna take the financial stress
of worrying about the payments for the next year.
So the pressure's there to win.
We'll probably end up taking a backup horse of some sort,
because just if--you know.
- Well, you'll have to.
- If something goes bad, wrong, then we'll have one.
I did talk to Craig and Ginger.
So Ice is a possibility
if they don't show him out there
as a backup horse too.
[bluesy country music]
♪ ♪
- How'd the horses ride today?
- My Vegas horses feel good.
Trying to make a decision on which ones I'm gonna show.
- I mean, they're all good ones.
I'm happy we are where we are.
- Right now, if I had to pick, I'd pick No Smoking Required,
but Phantom Face is riding good.
- Lot of money riding on your decision, for sure.
- I know.
Sometimes I think it would be better
if I just had one horse.
- [chuckles] I don't think so.
Be careful what you wish for.
We've got all these great horses,
and I feel like we've got a huge advantage.
We have horses in training.
So if somebody needs one, we've got 'em.
It would be great publicity for the Schmersal brand
and good for them to have a great horse to show.
I did reach out to Abby, you know,
offering a backup horse.
She's just got the one that she's had to share
with a non-pro all year.
I really feel like that puts her at a disadvantage.
But I probably need to make a few more calls.
- Ginger looking into other riders
riding some of our horses at the Run for a Million
is a win-win for us,
because we get half of their earnings,
what the rider earns that night.
It makes good business sense.
I know Casey's got one or two that...
- No, he's gonna show the Ricochet horse, isn't he?
- Or Topsail Whiz. - Matt should ride one.
- You should reach out to him and let him know.
- Right. I called Jason.
He's gonna show the black horse.
I want Craig to win,
but the Run for a Million is a million-dollar purse.
Craig and I wanna get as much of that money
in our bank account as we can.
It would be great if one of those other riders
rode one of our horses.
We're just gonna have to see how it shakes out.
- We'll see.
[upbeat country music]
♪ ♪
- So, I heard that Custom's still in Italy.
narrator: Back in Texas,
Cade McCutcheon worries that he'll have
little time left to practice
with the horse he's chosen for Vegas,
as it's being transported from Italy.
- We've been dealing with some issues on Lacey
since the NRBC.
- and one half.
- She wasn't ready. - Yeah, I know.
- It was stupid to think I could have done--
- You knew that going in,though.
- So for the Run for a Million,
I've chosen Custom Made g*n.
Everything is so solid with him.
Be a good one for that event.
- If you're can have another run
like your team run at the games...
- Custom Made g*n, I was when I started riding him.
He taught me so much about how to horse show
and what it's like on the bigger stages.
I won over , on him.
Well, he was always there for me,
even when I wasn't ready.
I'm % confident in him.
That horse, I feel like I got a sh*t
at doing something there.
This is a huge competition. This is a huge deal.
- I'm sure he's the only horse flying in from anywhere
for this competition. - yeah.
- I know Custom really well,
but it's been a long time since I've ridden him.
He could be out of shape and get hurt when he's here.
He could get sick on the trip over.
There's a lot of things that could go wrong,
but we just gotta hope that it doesn't
and hope for the best.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
narrator: Back in Weatherford, Texas,
Casey Deary is facing a win-less season
and an unfinished house.
With the Run for a Million right around the corner,
he needs to focus on improving his training regimen,
but the house also needs attention.
- We have a house meeting.
We got home from the horse show,
and they didn't have enough done to make Nicole happy,
so she was on 'em all day.
I haven't won a major event yet this year.
We've got a lot of bills at home that have to get paid,
and with the new house going...
winning is not just a want for me...
That's coming along.
It's a need.
So, they started on that house last year,
and we're hoping to move in, I don't know...
- How did the new tub look when they pulled it out...
- It was good. I pulled it out myself...
- Okay. Yesterday.
- Okay. - No chips, nothing...
- No chips.
This is not something we planned
from the one year ago budget.
- Here, would you like a single piece?
- Yes, please. - Got it.
- It's an expensive house.
We've gone through, and, you know,
redone electrical stuff and redone plumbing
and roofed it, sided it.
- That's three times as much. - Yes, ma'am.
[tense music]
- If you wanna put another parking spot
on the backside--that, you can.
I don't know what that's gonna do to the cost of it,
'cause you're gonna add another x on that side.
- It's almost double.
- You know, winning the Run for a Million
would be huge.
- You weren't doing the outdoor barbecue?
'Cause that was kind of off the table--
- Yes. - We are doing it?
- Yes, this has maxed out my money.
You know, the trickle-down effect
for what that money could do would be,
you know, life changing.
[upbeat rock music]
narrator: The Run for a Million
is now just around the corner.
After months of intense practice,
the competitors must make their final choice
for the one horse they will ride
before their journey to Las Vegas
to battle for the largest cash prize
in reining history.
- All right, Ace.
- ♪ We don't stop... ♪
- I think Abby's in a difficult situation.
Does she go with the new horse
and kick the other one on the curb?
What do you do?
In my barn, I've got a five-year-old,
a six-year-old, and an eight-year-old.
A lot of people think it's unfair
that I have, maybe,
some of the best horses in the last few years,
but I think I've earned it.
Whoa.
- I know Andrea will come back super motivated
for the Run for a Million.
- Don't be late.
- I have six more to ride, so...
- Yeah, well, ride quick.
- Craig's gonna be tough.
He's got more high, high quality horses
than anybody in the country.
I think the toughest decision for Craig is gonna be
which one he's gonna show.
- ♪ Read the paper... ♪
- Every day he's getting better,
I just don't know if I can have him ready
by the Run for a Million.
So, time will tell.
- Jason has had a little concern about
not having a large number of horses to choose from.
But his horse fires that day,
it could easily be Jason that wins it.
- ♪ On your knees ♪
♪ Spare me with the third degree... ♪
- Casey's always joking around and laughing,
but I know deep down, he's trying to figure out
how he's gonna win, how he's gonna b*at me,
how he's gonna b*at everybody else.
And the whole time, I'm doing the same thing.
- Atta girl.
- But I'm trying to figure out
how I'm gonna b*at him.
- ♪ I will show you ♪
♪ If you let me I will show you... ♪
- Duke's doing good.
I like him a lot.
This another level of horse.
- My dad had a rough start to this year,
but he's got a good horse now,
and I believe that he's still got it,
he's just gotta prove it to himself.
That's Custom? - In great shape.
- As long as he's happy, healthy...
nothing else I could ask for.
- Surprisingly, Cade is right now,
probably on the hottest streak of anybody.
I would say Cade is the wildcard.
- I'm discouraged,
but I'm also not gonna go begging.
- I know Matt has been hunting for a horse
to go to the Run for a Million on.
- Speed her up just a little bit more.
- And if he gets on the right horse,
he's capable of winning the whole deal.
- ♪ Third degree ♪
♪ I've gotta figure you out ♪
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
narrator: Andrea takes stock of his horses
to see who will give him the best sh*t in Vegas
for the Run for a Million.
- Ah, it's the one I showed at the NRBC,
that Shine Plum Shine.
It came home from the show totally fine,
and then the next morning
she's got blood going everywhere.
Somehow he got that foot caught into something.
Definitely need to disinfect it.
Just ripped it down low.
- Uh, Dr. Vidal's comingtonight.
- I won the Cactus Classic with Shine Plum Shine
[cheers]
We perform well together,
and in this sport, that's everything.
I mean, one of my best horses getting hurt
before the million-dollar competition
is definitely putting a lot more pressure on me
for this show.
I'm counting him out.
- Well, I was just gonna see what you think we need to do,
trying to get him better.
- At this point,
I don't even know what I'm gonna show.
The pressure to pick the right horse
for the million,
it's probably the biggest pressure we have right now,
to really make that decision.
"Is this the right horse for this competition?"
I have really good horses out there
for the Run for the Million, but there's always
a chance for a mistake.
And I'm scared of that, knowing that I've got
two or three that could win it, maybe,
and making a mistake and not picking the right one.
He can relax a little bit,
but there's no relaxing for me and you.
- Yeah.
[rock music]
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
- This is Whiz Gata Prize.
[smooching]
Whoa.
It's almost good.
narrator: In Weatherford, Texas,
Casey's going all out to make sure he has
the right horse to win in Vegas.
- Whoa.
The pressure of going in there and competing on my horse
is really stressful.
But at this point, to be able to make the house payment,
winning the Run for a Million is crucial.
This is Gunna Ricochet.
This one is for sure going in Vegas.
I think two potentials for the Run for the Million
are gonna be the Whiz Gata Prize horse
and the Gunna Ricochet horse.
[smooches]
Once we get to the horse show,
whoever gets rated the best
is gonna be the one that I choose.
I just don't feel like I got her riding
as well as I need to be.
If I don't win, everything I have
could go away completely.
The hunger before was to get there,
and the hunger now is to stay there.
[bluesy music]
narrator: In Scottsdale, with no better horse options
on the table and little time left to search,
Matt is ready to tell the Ruckmans
he'll be riding one of their horses in Vegas.
- We have news.
[tense music]
- Been talking to some of the other owners,
and it just so happens that I don't think
Fappani's got horses sewed up.
You can only ride one,
so we might have found a couple horses for you
to try out.
- What horses? - So what are they then?
What are they?
- Chick Dreaming.
- And then the other one... - Tinker With Dreams.
- Those horses are spectacular.
I mean, those two are as good as there are out there.
[laughter]
- Yeah! Thank you.
- Two horses? - Yes.
- My back has been completely against the wall.
Everything was going against me.
We tried to be patient.
I've got my hands on two horses now,
two rock solid horses to pick from
for the Run for a Million.
I could do a backflip right now I'm so happy to have these two.
How did you get these horses?
Like, they-- they're selling them to you?
Like, you're buying them?
- These type of horses are never for sale.
And we've kind of come to the realization
that what's good for Matt Mills is good for the ranch.
So even though that we don't own him,
these guys have talked about letting you ride these horses.
I would rather own the horses,
but no time on the clock anymore.
So we need to get something going.
Well, now that we got you high-caliber horses,
I just don't know what is left in the excuse wagon.
- All right, fair enough.
I got some serious pressure on me to perform.
It's not just about, "Oh," you know,
there's another event."
It might mean you gotta find another facility to train at,
so there's no excuses now.
I mean, everything falls on me.
- Well, the ball's in your court now.
- Well, I'm ready to ride.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- [smooching]
narrator: It's down to the wire.
Abby must make a final decision
for the Run for a Million between Ace and The Rock.
- Sandy's coming over.
I gotta have the meeting with her,
and I need to make my final decision
on what horse I'm gonna choose.
- Well, what are you thinking?
- Couple good horses I'm choosing from.
Ace is--feels great, and I know him,
but I know The Rock is a good horse too, so...
My loyalty to Sandy does not
and will not affect my decision
as far as choosing Ace for Run for a Million.
I'm gonna choose what horse
I think I have the best chances on.
- What are you doing?
- Just putting Ace up.
I'm a little stressed right now.
[horse brays]
Run for a Million is a couple weeks away,
and there's a lot on the line for me.
- Yeah.
- Just trying to make the right decision
with my options that I have right now.
- [chuckles] I sure wouldn't wanna be in your boots.
You know, ultimately, Abby, it's gotta be your decision.
You know?
- I've given it a lot of thought.
The Rock is--I mean, he's a great horse...
♪ ♪
But he's not Ace.
I'm choosing Ace.
- So, really? You're gonna do him?
- I mean, I have to.
He's not let me down one time,
and he's been consistent all year.
I don't think I have a choice, in my mind.
Ace is the guy for me.
- Yes!
[laughs]
[squeals]
Thanks for believing in our guy.
- Thanks for giving me the chance.
- [sighs]
Brilliant.[laughs]
You hear that, Ace?
You wanna go run for the million?
Huh, buddy?
I think he's ready, Abbs.
- ♪ Inside of me ♪ - ♪ Inside of me ♪
- ♪ I'm digging deep ♪
- ♪ I'm digging deep ♪
♪ ♪
narrator: Jason Vanlandingham
is taking his top horse Coal
and a string of backup horses to a special arena
for a unique practice session for the Run for a Million.
- We're still up in the air on which horse
we're gonna take to the Run for a Million.
Vintage Smoke is my frontrunner.
I just call him Coal.
Having said that, I do have younger horses
that are coming up.
They're really, really nice horses,
and they're coming on strong.
So hopefully, over the next few days,
preparing for this event, they'll step on up.
- ♪ Turn the TV down ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
- Before a major event,
we will go rent a facility somewhere,
and I ride them more like I'm showing.
In that environment, I'm gonna be able to find out,
"Okay, we are we weak right now?"
"What do I need to work on?"
♪ ♪
Oh, they've got the arena ready.
Let's go with Magic next.
I'll be doing things here much differently
than I do at home.
We try to make it as realistic as possible
for being at a horse show.
Similar to what we do at a horse show,
we'll start off and warm my horses up over here
in the smaller arena, and then bring them
into the bigger arena
and just going like we're showing 'em.
[cheers and applause]
You got the volume up on that?
- Yep, it is. - Turn it up on the speaker.
narrator: To accurately mimic the show experience,
Jason even has crowd noise pumped in
to help get the horses acclimated.
- I try to trick the horse into thinking
that they're being shown,
and so I can make corrections
where they are making mistakes.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
Whoa. [clicking tongue]
Whoa. [smooches]
[chuckles]
I can tell you right now
this horse has no chance of going to Vegas.
This is a nice horse, but he's not good enough.
Coal is gonna be my best chance
to gain a big check at the Run for a Million.
I'm just gonna go back in and have a nice, quiet ride
to finish up his day.
You know, Run for a Million I'm gonna guess
that I'll be the only one there on a four-year-old.
Everybody's gonna be on more physically mature horses.
You know, if he goes out and has his perfect run,
he's gonna give us a chance.
[horse snorts]
[exciting music]
♪ ♪
narrator: With Shine Plum Shine
out of commission,
Andrea is onto another championship horse.
- For the Run for the Million,
we're bringing back horses, maybe,
that are a little bit older.
Oh, this is Platinum Vintage.
Feels like a nice horse.
Platinum Vintage is probably a frontrunner in my group.
First gear.
He's a horse that I was really successful on.
So he finished at the top of his career
with the best runs of his career.
And then we gave him some rest.
Second gear.
He was the best he's ever been
in Vegas in that same arena.
One thing that older horses do
is cut that corner a little bit before the run down,
and as he's thinking about running to the pen,
he's gonna start drifting in a little bit on his own.
There he goes. So I'm gonna make him stand up.
This time, he's waiting for me, so I can come up the pen.
Now he's waiting. I look up.
[clicks tongue]
The Run for the Million,
it's definitely not another horse show.
We've never done anything like this
in the history of our sport.
I've never competed for that much money
in one single event.
So winning would be the cherry on top
of a long career that I've had,
so it would mean the world to me.
He's not as comfortable on the right lead at stopping
as he is on the left lead.
But everything has to go right.
You can't make any mistakes.
It just takes one run to kind of lose it
and not be on top anymore.
Third gear...and stop.
[dramatic country music]
♪ ♪
narrator: At their Texas ranch,
Tom and Cade are practicing nonstop
to get their recently acquired horses
ready in time for the Run for a Million.
♪ ♪
- Duke's doing good.
- Custom made it over here good.
He was in good shape for me when he got here.
narrator: While bringing horses that have been untested
so far this season is a risk,
both McCutcheons are betting big
on the horse's raw talent and intense training schedule
to pay off big time in Vegas.
- So, we got some things we need to work on,
but hopefully, we can put the finishing touches on.
- If he has his day,
I feel like he can...
he can be as good as any of 'em.
- Well, you didn't buy him
thinking he wasn't as good as any of 'em.
- Really, the pressure comes from
going to that big of a reining event
with that many great riders in that spotlight,
you wanna be able to play at the very top.
I don't want everybody to think I'm the loser.
[smooching]
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
I expected that to work better than that.
He can still be a little abrupt sometimes.
♪ ♪
[groans]
- I don't really know what's going on there.
- You know, in Vegas, it's gonna be a big event.
It's gonna be loud, there's gonna be pressure.
The hard part is, there's eight maneuvers
you screw up any part of it and you're...
[blows raspberry]
♪ ♪
- He's just going to the ground too hard.
If I don't get it fixed, I'm not gonna win anything,
so I better I get it fixed.
- Cade and I are feeling the pressure
of carrying the legacy forward,
but we're gonna have to step it up a notch.
I wanna be the winner.
- I don't want my whole career to be overshadowed
by my parents.
I wanna become the youngest million-dollar rider
in history.
Everybody says, "Oh, there's that kid
that's part of the reining family."
I don't wanna be known for being the son
or the grandson or the kid that's in that family.
I wanna be known for me.
I want people to know Cade.
[rock music]
♪ ♪
- [clicks tongue] Ho.
- That was better.
narrator: While Ginger has done her part
to ensure more than one Schmersal horse
will be at the Run for a Million,
Craig is busy preparing his horses for the big event.
- He looks really good, Craig.
- The Run for a Million is new this year,
so we don't know exactly how to prepare for it.
They're pulling out all stops, I promise you.
Stop.
Little rusty today.
Don't, don't.
[horse snorts]
- Ride your horse.
narrator: Craig has brought in legendary reining judge
Al Dunning to give him some tips and tricks.
- When you're correcting him,
just make sure you're getting on the inside.
- You just don't get any better than Al Dunning.
He's a judge, he's a competitor,
he's a master.
[tense music]
- Craig's waiting to use his legs
till the last little bit...
- Oh. - Then the horse is raising up.
So, you're kind of sitting up here,
letting him run.
I'd go ahead and use your feet in him
a little bit as you go.
- Okay.
I didn't go to college.
I drank, slept horses, reining in particular.
I've had no other goals in my life
but to win a major event.
♪ ♪
- He just checked off just a tick.
- Picking the correct horse for the Run for a Million is--
it's extremely important.
I'm gonna take my most consistent player.
If I make the wrong decision, it's gonna cost me.
- What judges should look for is straightness.
When they come across that center,
that horse should be able to maintain his lead
without throwing his hip to the inside
like some of 'em do.
- Just to say that you won
the largest purse that's ever been offered
to a reining horse, that's what I'm sh**ting for.
I want the bragging rights.
♪ ♪
Can't try much harder than that.
[country rock music]
♪ ♪
narrator: The Ruckmans have made arrangements
for Matt to bring two horses to Vegas,
but he can only compete with one
and has to pick a frontrunner.
He's testing the horses today...
- This is Chick Dreaming right here.
narrator: And using the little time he has left
to get ready for the Run for a Million.
- Whoa.
Everything's just so instinctive.
You know, for him to have his head low,
I mean, that's just his natural way of going.
Oh. Oh.
[horse grunts]
Hit.
- Time is definitely is definitely running out.
It's not your friend right now.
- Yeah.
I had no horses.
I thought I was gonna be riding out on a stick horse.
But now, it takes time to get that connection
between horse and rider,
and I'm just worried
that there's not enough time to where we have a sh*t
to win this thing.
Tim Ruckman, he's definitely the boss.
He's the guy with the money that built the ranch.
What he says goes.
But if I win this thing, Karen and I could have
the resources to own our own ranch
and start our own thing and control that.
It would be huge.
Oh, he here is, Tinker With Dreams.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
Halt.
- We got one that we're looking at
with a huge turn.
- Mm-hmmm.
- We got one that we're looking at
with a huge stop.
- Watch this.
♪ ♪
- Yeah, it's better therealready.
- Yeah. - Wow.
- This one probably turns better
than Chick Dreaming.
Chick Dreaming probably stops better than this horse.
- They both circle well.
You know, you would think Chick Dreaming
maybe has a little edge,
but Tinker With Dreams is younger.
He's got youth on his side.
- We got a short amount of time,
and most of these other players have got
years on their horses by now.
- That's true, that's true.
But I'm not most any other player, though.
Tough decision, not a lot of time,
two great horses...
you know, I'm gonna have to definitely
burn the candle on the both ends
and make sure I'm taking care of business,
but if one's not ready, I'm hoping they'll let me know.
- Yep. - I'll go wash him off.
- All right. - Looked good.
- Yep. - Really good.
- You know, the only rider that I'm worried about
at the Run for a Million is myself.
If I do my part, and I'm prepared and go out
and give it my best, I'll live with the results.
[intimidating music]
- ♪ Oh-oh-oh, whoa ♪
♪ Whoa-oa, oh-oh-oh-oh ♪
- This is it. - ♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪
- It's time.
- Let's go. We're gonna do it.
- ♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh, whoa ♪
- The Run for a Million in Vegas
is an opportunity of a lifetime.
I wanna win this thing. I'm serious about it.
- All right. We'll see.
- It's changed what we're doing when we get out of bed
in the morning.
His front end dropped down too low.
- This is the biggest event of all time.
Go bring that money back to Texas.
- guys, horses, one run, a million dollars.
♪ ♪
- The highest money we've ever ran at ever.
- That's just as good as it gets right there.
- When you add that kind of money
and you put that kind of crowd
and that kind of noise and pressure...
[cheering]
- You're gonna have to push your horses to their limit.
- Ginger offered me a really nice horse
as a backup, 'cause anything can happen.
With this much on the line...
- We're probably gonna have a few more train wrecks
than what we would generally have.
- Oh! - Oh, no.
- One misstep and you're out.
- Not what he was looking for.
- When you run through that gate,
you gotta drop the hammer.
- You better be ready to go,
'cause it's gonna be an absolute Kn*fe fight.
♪ ♪
- Hopefully, we have to buy a bigger suitcase
to get all the money home.
[both laugh] - ♪ Whoa-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh ♪
- Finally here.
- There's a lot on the line.
I don't want any excuses.
[dramatic music]
- That didn't feel very good.
- With that horse getting hurt, it's a lot of pressure.
- Feels like he's not locked in.
- I've been [bleep] a brick the last week and a half.
- Go big or we need to go home.
[cheers and applause]
[dramatic country music]
♪ ♪