The Big Sky Reining Classic returns to the Majestic Valley Arena for four days of electrifying equestrian competition that captures the skill and athleticism of western ranch horses, with $50,000 in prizes up for grabs. 

The competition is hosted by the Montana Reining Horse Association and is the largest reining show in the Pacific Northwest, according to the association. The entire event is free and open to the public. More than 275 elite reiners from Washington, Oregon, the Mountain West and Canada travel to Kalispell to compete, with qualification for the National Reining Horse Association Finals in Oklahoma City on the line. 

Competition runs through Aug. 22, with events kicking off at 8 a.m. each day. The excitement peaks on Friday and Saturday evenings with the professional competitors. On Friday is the Futurity class for 3-year-old horses that are just starting in the sport of reining and beginning a career that will take them all over the United States. On Saturday is the grand finale with the Derby Class, where 4- to 7-year-old horses in their prime will compete against each other for the top prizes. 

"This is not rodeo. This is a very difficult equestrian performance. Horses are judged on their agility, their precision," said Jane Corwin, association board member. "They say reinning is probably the most difficult of equestrian sports. People have compared it to figure skating or ballet. People work with the sport for years and years and years, and the reason they keep coming back is because of the challenge, and when you do it right, it's very rewarding." 

In the sport of reining, horse and rider enter an empty arena and, over the course of five minutes, execute a series of challenging maneuvers. Muscles rippling, the horse flies from one end of the arena to the other before sliding to a breakneck stop, dirt flying in the air. The horse spins in a tight, dizzying circle and gallops around the arena at controlled speeds. The horse and rider are moving as one, and the audience watches with bated breath, knowing the smallest mistake can lead to a score of zero. 

The National Reining Horse Association judges each competitor against one of 18 specific patterns that dictate a series of complex maneuvers, including large and small circles, flying lead changes, spins, rollbacks and sliding stops. Judges carefully watch the execution and add or deduct points from a base score of 70 to determine the final placings.  

"Reining is age-neutral and gender-neutral," Corwin said.  

At the Big Sky Reining Classic, men and women compete against one another, and 10-year-olds compete against riders in their 90s.  In an arena, far removed from the sprawling cattle ranches of the West, the movements are still impressive but seem disconnected from the origins of the sport of reining. But every maneuver, from the dramatic sliding stops to the spins, evolved on working ranches, where horses need to turn on a dime and change speed quickly to round up and sort cattle.  

In the first half of the 20th century, accomplished horsemen began to test their skills against one another, but in arenas and without cattle, challenging each other to stop faster, turn sharper. In 1966, the National Reining Horse Association was founded to organize official events and give structure to informal sport. 

While reining evolved from the same ranching tradition of western riding as rodeo, reining is not a discipline found at the rough and rowdy arenas where cowboys test their mettle against bucking broncs and cowgirls whip around barrels. 

The drama found at a reining event is subtler and quieter, Corwin said. Much like gymnastics meets, the audience is quiet and follows the execution of each movement.  

Unlike its more widely known relative, reining remained a niche focus in the world of Western equestrian sports for much of its existence, until Taylor Sheridan's hit television show "Yellowstone" launched it into the national spotlight.  

"Reining is a lot more known in the country because of the 'Yellowstone' series, and that's what's really put it on the map," Corwin said. 

Sheridan, a high-level competitor himself, featured the high-stakes world of elite reining in the show, with multimillion-dollar horses spinning and sliding on the silver screen. The exposure raised the level of national prominence for a sport that was previously only known by those in the ranching community.  

In the real world, Sheridan established The Run for a Million, one of the largest reining competitions in the world, with nine days of competition and a $1 million prize. The event showcases 16 of the top reiners in the world and airs on CBS and Paramount. 

Reining continues to expand as a sport in Montana, and the Montana Department of Commerce is a top sponsor of the Big Sky Reining Classic for the first year. Corwin invites everyone to come see what the action is all about — it's free and family-friendly.  

"It's so exacting and so precise that when people come, they're blown away by what they see," Corwin said. 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.