BREAKING: $1,000,000+ Solo Select Incentive

The highly anticipated announcement is finally here: The Solo Select Incentive, set to payout an estimated $1,000,000 in 2026 across all disciplines, was created to reward everyone who supports our stallions - whether you’re showing one of their foals in the arena, breeding to them now to shape your program for the future, or doing both.

After months of collaboration with industry leaders, breeders, customers, and stallion owners, we built a system that is simple, fair, and easy to understand. 

“Our incentive reflects the diversity of our stallion roster by allowing each stallion to be nominated into one or all discipline incentives, including cutting, reined cow horse, and roping,” Solo Select’s Melanie Smith said. “Instead of tying eligibility to complicated timelines, our model pays out in the same year a stallion is nominated, keeping the process transparent and direct. I hope this program reflects how much we all value the people who believe in our horses. ”

The goal is straightforward: to grow the value of your progeny and create meaningful opportunities for everyone breeding to our stallions and standing on our team.

Each stallion will annouce their chosen 2026 incentives over the coming weeks.

The 60/40 Model

Here’s how the financial structure behind the program works. 

Each stallion contributes a portion of every paid stallion fee into the incentive pot or pots they are nominated to for that year. 

There are separate Solo Select Stallion Incentive pots for cutting, reined cow horse, and roping. Stallions may be nominated to one, two, or all of these incentive pots depending on their discipline focus.

At the end of each breeding season, the total funds for each discipline are tallied, and that discipline’s incentive pot is split 60/40:

• Sire Payout: 60% of the money goes to the horses sired by a stallion nominated in that year, paid out by placing at that discipline’s designated event - for example, the NCHA Futurity, NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, and Solo Select Roping Futurity

• Contract Payout: 40% goes to the paid contract holders, meaning the people who have a paid contract to a nominated stallion in that same year.

  
  

If you are showing a horse sired by a nominated stallion and you also hold a paid breeding contract to a nominated stallion, you qualify for both sides of the payout—100% of the money tied to that discipline’s incentive fund.

This model keeps the focus on rewarding the people who breed, promote, and show horses by Solo Select stallions. It is simple, transparent, and designed to grow value for everyone involved, at every stage in their journey with Solo Select. 

There will be four incentive purses:

CUTTING INCENTIVE

Event: NCHA Futurity – Fort Worth, Texas

Estimated Payout: $527,500 (including $100,000 recip bonus - see below for details)

Divisions Paid: Open, Non-Pro, and Amateur

Payout Distribution:

• Open Division: 60% of total pot

• Non-Pro Division: 20% of total pot

• Amateur Division: 20% of total pot

  Rollover Rule: If all prize money is not awarded through the finals, remaining funds will be paid out in the semi-finals. If any money still remains, it will roll into the following year’s Cutting Incentive purse.

REINED COW HORSE INCENTIVE

Event: NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity – Open, Intermediate, Limited, and Level 1 Divisions

Estimated Payout: $154,500

Division Distribution:

• Open: 39% – $60,041

• Intermediate: 29% – $44,400

• Limited: 17% – $26,231

• Level 1: 15% – $23,828

This structure keeps the Open division as the anchor while ensuring every restricted division has meaningful prize money. The breakdown mirrors actual NRCHA participation rates, encouraging entries across all levels and rewarding both depth and accessibility within the sport.

ROPING INCENTIVE

Event: Solo Select Roping Futurity and designated rope horse events

Estimated Payout: $400,000

Divisions Paid: 4-Year-Old Open Heading, Heeling, Breakaway, and Tie-Down Futurity

The Solo Select Roping Incentive is held as its own standalone event, separate from any other association futurity. It is open exclusively to four-year-old horses, creating a premier platform that highlights the versatility and performance of Solo Select–sired rope horses at the highest level of competition.

RECIPIENT MARE BONUS

Event: Paid at the NCHA Futurity

Estimated Payout: $100,000 total

Divisions Paid: Open, Non-Pro and Amateur

Eligibility: Split between all finalists with a paid Solo Select Recipient Mare Contract.

Get your 2026 recipient mare contract by calling or texting 940-372-8726.

SOLO SELECT INCENTIVE – MARE OWNER FAQ

Q: How do I know which stallions are in which incentive?

A: Incentive announcements for each individual stallion will be coming in the next week. You can browse the 2026 Solo Select Stallion Roster here.

Q: Do I need to pay any additional fees to make my foal eligible for the Solo Select Incentive?

A: No. There are no nomination or enrollment fees beyond your paid breeding contract. If your chosen stallion is nominated to a Solo Select Incentive program, every paid breeding automatically contributes to that program’s payout for the year.

Q: How do I know if my chosen stallion is in the incentive I want?

A: Not every Solo Select stallion is nominated to every incentive program. Stallion owners choose which incentives their stallions participate in each year. Always verify that your chosen stallion is enrolled in the incentive program you want (Cutting, Reined Cow Horse, or Roping) for that year before purchasing a breeding.

Q: Does my foal’s eligibility carry over from year to year?

A: No. Eligibility is tied only to the year the stallion is nominated and contributes to the incentive. If a stallion does not participate in a future year, or moves to another facility, his offspring are not eligible for Solo Select payouts in those future years. If you have questions about a stallion’s nomination status or future plans, please contact that stallion’s owner directly.

Q: How does the Contract Payout work?

A: The Contract Payout rewards mare owners and riders who hold paid Solo Select breeding contracts for nominated stallions in that same year. Before each Futurity, Solo Select will open an online nomination form where you’ll designate which horse entry each contract will attach to.

• Each horse entry must have its own fully paid contract.

• For example, three Futurity entries require three separate contracts.

• Once a contract is attached to an entry, it must be used that year and cannot be rolled over, sold or reused.

Q: What if I buy multiple contracts?

A: Each contract is good for one entry only. If you have multiple Futurity horses, you’ll need a corresponding number of paid contracts. Contracts cannot be split or shared between entries.

Q: Can I transfer or sell my contract?

A: No. Contracts are non-transferable and may not be borrowed, sold, leased, or substituted. Additionally, contracts purchased from another individual or rebreed contracts are not eligible for the incentive.

Q: How do I make sure my contract is applied correctly?

A: It is the sole responsibility of the owner or rider to follow Solo Select’s instructions for submitting and designating contracts. Solo Select anticipates this will be done through an online form prior to the start of each Futurity. Solo Select is not responsible for incorrectly applied, missing, or unsubmitted designations.

Q: What kind of contracts qualify for the incentive?

A:

• Fresh Semen Contracts: Must be attempted in the year purchased or they become void with no return privileges.

• ICSI Contracts: May be purchased up until the start of the Futurity, but must be attempted within one year of purchase or all funds are forfeited.

Q: What happens if my chosen stallion leaves Solo Select?

A: Foals are only eligible for the year in which the stallion was enrolled in the Solo Select Incentive. If the stallion leaves Solo Select or is not nominated in a future year, those foals are not eligible for Solo Select Sire Payouts tied to later events.

Q: Which events pay out for each incentive?

A:

• Cutting & Recipient Mare Bonus Incentive: NCHA Futurity – Fort Worth, TX

• Reined Cow Horse Incentive: NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity

• Roping Incentive: Solo Select Roping Futurity

Q: What is the Recipient Mare Bonus?

A: Any horse can be nominated for the Recipient Mare Contract Bonus with a fully paid Recipient Mare Contract. This bonus is separate from the stallion incentive programs and does not grant eligibility for any other incentive payouts.

Q: Who determines payouts and eligibility?

A: Solo Select retains final authority over all payout and eligibility decisions. All posted payout amounts are estimates only and subject to change based on total funds collected and official event results.

Q: Who should I contact if I have additional questions?

A: For general questions about incentives, contracts, or event rules, contact the Solo Select Stallion Office at 903-436-6615