Matt Gaines

$10 Million Dollar Cutting Horse Rider

No. 3 NCHA All-Time Leading Open Rider

Matt & his wife Tara who herself is an NCHA Non Pro World Champion base their their operation in Weatherford, Texas.

Matt’s breakout year came in 2001, when he marked a 231 aboard Sunettes Dually to win his first Open title in the Super Stakes Derby at the iconic Will Rogers Coliseum. That same year, he also claimed the NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby aboard Nu I Wood—a mare he would later pilot to victory in the 2003 Super Stakes Classic.

In 2005, Matt captured the Super Stakes Derby title again, this time aboard the great stallion One Time Pepto. Over the years, he’s also shown standout performers like Im Countin Checks and Smooth As A Cat—elite athletes that, along with One Time Pepto, went on to become influential sires.

Matt is one of only three riders to have shown two NCHA Horse of the Year winners: Little Pepto Gal and Smooth As A Cat. His career continues to deliver standout moments, including the 2016 NCHA Open Futurity Championship aboard Second Spot, a mare out of Reycy Moon—who was also trained by Matt.

A fierce competitor with a fearless mindset, Matt lives by the motto: “You can’t win if you are afraid to lose!”