Western Reining

Tim McQuay got started in reining in the 70s and earned his first National Reining Horse Association money in 1978. That landmark event came at the NRHA Futurity when it was still held in Columbus, Ohio. Tim rode Band Of Glo to a 13th place finish, earning a little over eleven hundred dollars.In the years since, McQuay’s wins have gotten larger and his paychecks more lucrative. He became the first-ever $2 Million Dollar rider in National Reining Horse Association history – and was the NRHA’s All Time Leading Money Earner for an incredible 11 years.Tim has been a trailblazer in the industry throughout his career. He has won every major NRHA sanctioned event, including the NRHA Futurity, the National Reining Breeders Classic, the NRHA Derby and the NRHA Superstakes.  In the past 31 years, Tim has earned reining prize money on an astounding 229 different horses!

In 2000, he was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame.  In 2001, even after being sidelined mid-year with a life-threatening illness, he was still an NRHA Futurity Finalist on Smart Miss Marker owned by Kanjiro Tokita.

In 2002, McQuay tied for the win of the NRHA Derby, finishing as the Reserve Champion of that event on Kid Whiz, owned by Brian Fix.  One month later, at the Bayer/USET CRIO Nation’s Cup in Gladstone, New Jersey, he competed as a member of the Gold Medal winning US Team riding Okie Dun Did It, owned by Monica Hicks.

2003 was a great year for Tim. He won the NRHA Derby Open Championship on RR Star, owned by Richard and Rose Lundin. A few months later he was riding into the winner’s circle again – this time as the American Quarter Horse Association Senior Reining World Champion on the great roan mare, Custom Red Berry, owned by Stone Canyon Ranch.

In 2004, Tim won the USEF Qualifier at the NRBC on Custom Red Berry and was a top ten finisher at the NRHA Futurity.

Literally, everywhere in the world of reining, Tim McQuay has left his mark – he is a five-time All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity Champion and a four-time Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity Champion. He is also a two-time AQHA World Champion and multiple National Reining Horse Association World and Reserve World Champion.

Tim won a Silver medal at the FEI Masters Reining in Italy in 2005, riding Mister Montana Nic, then won the Reining Masters at the NRHA Futurity that same year.  Also in 2005, he finished in the top five at the NRHA Futurity on Great King Pine, one of his three horses in the finals.

In 2006, Tim traveled to the World Equestrian Games and earned Team Gold and Individual silver medals on Mister Nicadual owned by Jerry Kimmel.In 2007, he won the Southwest Reining Horse Association Futurity on Dun It On The QT, also owned by Jerry Kimmel.

Tim McQuay has qualified for the NRHA Futurity finals every year but one since 1978 and in 2008, he qualified three horses for the finals.

That wasn’t nearly enough – at that same futurity Tim showed that a lifetime of dedication to reining can still result in a coveted NRHA Futurity Championship when he, at the age of 56, rode Carol Rose’s Shining And Sassy to win the $150,000 first place check and an amazing $187,300 in total earnings from the event.That boosted his career earnings over the $2.5 million mark!

With a worldwide clientele, McQuay travels stateside and abroad where he presents reining clinics and consults with horse owners and professionals.  His training program for professionals and Non Pros is one for the ages – and one that many others admittedly have imitated.

The McQuay philosophy puts the horse first – and is a total program to attain a long-term career for a reining horse.

You can’t talk about Tim McQuay without talking about McQuay Stables – the operation that has been making a difference in the industry in breeding and training for over three decades.

Tim and his wife Colleen have literally helped shape the performance horse environment and the great horses they have been involved with make a who’s who in the equine world.

Originally from Minnesota, the McQuays moved to Tioga, Texas, in 1989 and since then, McQuay Stables has made the north Texas town a focal point.

Visit Tim’s Website:  Mcquaystables.com

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