After collecting the two biggest paychecks of the year, Austin Shepard wrapped up the season as the National Cutting Horse Association’s leading money earner of 2007. Shepard won six major limited age event titles in the calendar year, including the NCI Building Systems NCHA Futurity on High Brow CD (worth $250,000) and the MillionHeir on San Tule Uno (worth $300,000). All told, Shepard picked up $984,791 during the calendar year.
Matt Miller, whose biggest individual payday came with a $76,456 paycheck in the Open finals of the NCHA Futurity on Snoop Cat, was the top ranked Non-Pro with earnings of $338,632. Miller’s major aged event winners in the Non-Pro division included Swimmin Dual, Soda Rey Bay and Travs Scooter.
Philip Layne, who was 17 at the end of the year, was the youngest rider to make $100,000 or more. Meredith McCullar was the oldest.
Here’s a look at NCHA’s top riders of 2007:
| Rider | 2007 Earnings |
| Austin Shepard | $984,791 |
| Phil Rapp | $604,718 |
| Clint Allen | $601,230 |
| Lloyd Cox | $527,065 |
| Roger Wagner | $488,232 |
| Philip Hanson | $411,714 |
| Darren Simpkins | $339,431 |
| Matt Miller | $338,632 |
| Tag Rice | $323,257 |
| Skip Queen | $319,252 |
| Tim Smith | $308,493 |
| Shannon Hall | $293,707 |
| Paul Hansma | $274,935 |
| Dan Hansen | $274,901 |
| Matt Gaines | $264,921 |
| Brad Mitchell | $264,363 |
| Chad Bushaw | $262,514 |
| Gary Gonsalves | $260,590 |
| Wesley Galyean | $237,037 |
| J B McLamb | $234,869 |
| Matt Sargood | $234,047 |
| Aaron Wheatley | $232,029 |
| Mary Ann Rapp | $231,765 |
| Dustin Adams | $226,592 |
| Jason Clark | $225,416 |
| Bubba Matlock | $223,108 |
| Boyd Rice | $218,077 |
| Lee Francois | $208,667 |
| Ronnie Rice | $188,409 |
| Beau Galyean | $186,987 |
| Robert Rust | $184,000 |
| Jody Galyean | $178,920 |
| Craig Thompson | $172,171 |
| Eddie Flynn | $164,821 |
| Allen Crouch | $164,185 |
| Scott Weis | $162,062 |
| Curry Diehl | $161,931 |
| Jim Vangilder | $161,411 |
| Tarin Rice | $161,161 |
| Kory Pounds | $161,070 |
| Jeremy Barwick | $160,479 |
| Michael Cooper | $158,845 |
| Stacy Shepard | $157,265 |
| Sean Flynn | $156,292 |
| Elizabeth Queen | $150,998 |
| Winston Hansma | $149,411 |
| Deena Adams | $137,153 |
| Paula Wood | $132,479 |
| Philip Layne | $130,727 |
| Faron Hightower | $130,369 |
| Julie Hansma | $127,965 |
| Andrew Coates | $125,726 |
| Meredith McCullar | $124,790 |
| Tommy Marvin | $121,988 |
| Russ Miller | $121,530 |
| Rock Hedlund | $120,406 |
| Clay McCullar | $118,965 |
| Tracy Barton | $116,474 |
| Bonnie Martin | $115,427 |
| Gavin Matthew Jordan | $114,423 |
| Zeke Entz | $110,959 |
| Russ Westfall | $108,882 |
| Tom Long | $108,692 |
| Greg Coalson | $103,518 |
| Jason McClure | $102,450 |
| Shad Platt | $102,450 |
| Tim Barry | $101,575 |
| Mark Pearson | $101,417 |
| Will Nuttall | $101,076 |