The 2026 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel has been a record-breaking event from start to finish, and the Open Derby Finals were no exception.
With more than $1 million paid out across the Open Derby divisions, the finals featured some of the deepest competition the Derby has seen in recent memory. In a field stacked with proven champions and rising stars, NRHA’s first-ever Ten Million Dollar Rider, Andrea Fappani, rose to the top with a record-setting performance.
Fappani and Alpha Viking (Gunnatrashya x Rock It With Sass) marked an impressive 236, setting a new NRHA Derby Finals scoring record and earning nearly $475,000 for owners Alpha Quarter Horses LLC and Vargo Quarter Horses LLC.
The 2021 stallion was bred and nominated by Alpha Quarter Horses LLC.
Level 4 Open Derby Champions
Andrea Fappani and Alpha Viking delivered the performance of the night, topping the Level 4 Open Derby and setting a new benchmark in Derby Finals competition with their 236.
Levels 3 and 2 Open Derby Champions
Sam Flarida and TR Gunna Dream (Magnum Chic Dream x Xtra Gunna Get Itdun) claimed both the Level 3 and Level 2 Open Derby championships with a 226.
Owned by Royal Wire Products Inc. and bred and nominated by Tamarack Ranch LLC, TR Gunna Dream added another major title to an already successful resume. The horse entered the finals with lifetime earnings of $53,104 and added just about $320,000 when the dust settled.
Level 1 Open Derby Champions
Wyatt Deary rode Danger Zone (Americasnexttopgun x Dainty Little Step) to a 222 to secure the Level 1 Open Derby Championship.
Danger Zone, owned by Jody Puno and Puno Performance Horses and bred and nominated by Brooke Wharton, entered the finals with lifetime earnings of $18,746 and will walk away adding a little more than $47,000 to the earnings for the 2022 stallion.
A Record-Setting Derby
The 2026 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel will be remembered for its record-setting purses, record-breaking participation, and exceptional competition. The Open Derby Finals provided a fitting conclusion, highlighted by a Derby-record score and more than $1 million paid out across the Open divisions.
From the first section to the final run, the 2026 Derby showcased the strength of today’s reining horses, riders, owners, breeders, and nominators, continuing the event’s tradition as one of the premier competitions in the sport.
