Bud Lyon Crosses $500,000 in NSBA Earnings

History was made at the 20th annual NSBA World Championship Show, held Aug. 7–17, where more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes were awarded. Among the biggest winners was ranch horse trainer Bud Lyon, who added another milestone to his career by surpassing $500,000 in NSBA lifetime earnings.

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that the NSBA only began offering ranch classes in recent years, and Lyon first started earning NSBA money in August 2019 and joined the NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club just last year. He doubled his earnings in record time to hit this huge NSBA milestone at the 2025 World Show. With multiple AQHA, APHA, and NSBA world championships, countless points and money earned across ranch and versatility events, Lyon sits at the top of the ranch horse discipline’s elite ranks. 

[LEARN FROM RANCH RIDING EXPERT BUD LYON]

His standout roster of horses includes SUMAC Gunnabeflashy (Gunnatrashya x Chics Graceful Whiz) fondly known as ‘Romeo,’ the 2023 NSBA Horse of the Year and 2024 AQHA Superhorse. Romeo became the first ranch horse to secure both titles, a groundbreaking moment for the ranch riding discipline. At the 2025 NSBA World, Lyon added to that record with wins aboard Romeo, Bet Boon Gone Blue, and CBK Lyle Loves It, sweeping a range of ranch classes.

The milestone marks a defining point in Lyon’s career and demonstrates the rapid rise of the ranch horse in the show pen, as the discipline continues to capture attention at the highest levels.

Final Ranch Results from the NSBA World Championship Show: