People always ask about the spade.
“We are calculated gamblers. Transaction junkies. All in, or nothing. That’s who we are,” Melanie Smith said. “But the spade represents WHAT we gamble on: The Very Best.”
When Third Edge walked into the sale ring Sept. 29, it wasn’t business as usual.
Ty and Melanie Smith had chased this horse before, trying to buy him several years back. But since they couldn’t, they bred to him. And his babies have since proven what Ty expected: they were different. Better.
This was the one.
As the numbers climbed, Ty stepped back into the alley.
He leaned back, and hit it again. $5,600,000.
“He didn’t need me, or anyone, to tell him,” Melanie said. “He knew. We weren’t leaving without that horse. He had a gut feeling, and when one of us gets that feeling, we don’t question it. We don’t back off. We go all in. It’s a gamble, sure, but it’s who we are. And it’s never failed us yet.”
Third Edge & Wesley Galyean | Credit: Kiese & Co
BREAKING**: **Solo Select acquired Third Edge at the Teton Ridge Absolute Dispersal Sale on September 29, 2025.
The 2018 red roan stallion, by Metallic Rebel and out of $1.6 million producer Lil Rattler, commanded an astounding $5.6 million.
“Harms” was the NCHA Horse of the Year and earner of $342,528 in his illustrious career with Wesley Galyean. He captivated the cutting industry with his exceptional athleticism and signature eye appeal that consistently put him on the leaderboard.
His oldest crop of foals are yearlings, and he made a statement yesterday in the sale ring with them. A 2025 blue roan mare out of All Spice sold for $450,000 to the Glover Galyean Partnership.
Beyond that, he also set a record as the sire of the highest-selling embryo ever offered at public auction, which brought $450,000. His offspring averaged $132,000 throughout the sale.
He has been bred to some of the greatest mares of all time. The path is perfectly laid for him to become a true industry-changing sire, and now he begins his next chapter at Solo Select, positioned to shape the future of the sport from the breeding shed.
Third Edge. Photo Credit: Teton Ridge
“That horse is the picture of a performance horse stallion," Ty said. "He was made to be a sire. He walks right, walks deep, is good-necked, and has all the presence in the world. He is keen, and when he walks you can see him watch every single step he takes. Doug Carpenter was my mentor in looking at and evaluating horses. He would have been infatuated by this one. He is as right as one can be. He is made to be a sire."
Standing 14.2 hands and 7-panel N/N, Third Edge combines balance, bone, and presence with the athleticism, intelligence, and grit that defined his career. Under the guidance of Wes Galyean, he became one of the sport’s most celebrated athletes, earning more than $342,000 in lifetime earnings, an NCHA Horse of the Year title, and a spot in the NCHA Hall of Fame.
Third Edge at The American Performance Horseman - Photo Credit: Teton Ridge
As Galyean put it: “He was like a train going down the tracks—easy, steady, and unstoppable.”
Every horse tells a story, but only a few rewrite the conversation.
Third Edge sold for $5.6M at The Teton Ridge Absolute Dispersal Sale on September 29. Credit: Teton Ridge
“His legacy in the show pen is undeniable, but his true impact will be measured in the generations to come. Backed by one of the most powerful pedigrees in the industry, he represents the kind of horse that doesn’t just follow the standard, he raises it.” — Melanie Smith
That’s why Solo Select is investing deeper into the cutting horse industry, with both a major new incentive program and a roster stacked with stallions whose names define the sport: LBR Hangem, Once In A Blu Boon, Metallics MVP, The Animal, Meteles Cat, Woody Be Tuff, and now, Third Edge. Together, they form the backbone of a vision built to create opportunity, reward today’s breeders and competitors, and shape the next wave of champions.
“We’ve had a few great customers ask to be part of this horse,” Melanie said. “We’re opening that door to the right people, and in the next few days we’ll share exactly who’s involved. These are people we trust, people we want at our table - we’re excited to let them sit at this one. Shockingly enough, they have a little gamble in them too."
“You don’t get many shots like this," Ty said. "When your gut tells you it’s the one, you don’t flinch. You double down. Third Edge was our shot. And we took it."
