Matt
Mills

A California Kid Who Fell in Love With Reining

Matthew "Matt" Mills was born and raised in Long Beach, California. He began riding horses as a child and later developed a strong interest in reining while competing in open horse shows in Southern California. Although he did not grow up on a traditional ranching operation, Mills became increasingly focused on western performance horse training during his teenage years.

A significant turning point came the day after his high school graduation, when Mills left for what was meant to be a summer 1997 internship with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Dell Hendricks. That internship stretched into roughly five years and essentially launched his career as a reining horse trainer. He went on to build his own training operation in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was based for about 25 years before relocating to Texas.

Team USA Gold Medal — Aachen, Germany

Mills established himself professionally during the early 2000s and steadily rose through NRHA competition. One of his early major accomplishments came in 2006 when he won the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Open Reining Championship, earning qualification for the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Riding Easy Otie Whiz, Mills helped Team USA win the gold medal in reining at the 2006 World Equestrian Games and also finished fourth individually at the event.

Easy Otie Whiz — sired by Topsail Whiz — became one of the horses most closely associated with Mills' career. In interviews, Mills stated that Easy Otie Whiz played an important role in advancing his professional career and helping him reach major finals at the highest level of the sport.

Million Dollar Rider and Consistent Finals Presence

Throughout the following decade, Mills became a regular finalist at major NRHA competitions, including the NRHA Futurity, National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), High Roller Reining Classic, and other leading futurity and derby events. His accomplishments included NRHA Intermediate Open Futurity Reserve Champion honors and championships at events such as the RMRHA Summer Slide, SWRHA Futurity, and NRHA Cowtown Classic.

In 2020, Mills became an NRHA Million Dollar Rider after surpassing one million dollars in NRHA lifetime earnings — all within the discipline of reining. The designation recognizes professional riders who surpass one million dollars in NRHA competition earnings and is considered one of the major milestones within the sport.

• 2006 USEF Open Reining Champion — qualified for WEG
• 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games — Team USA Gold, Aachen, Germany (Easy Otie Whiz)
• 2006 FEI WEG — 4th place individual finish
• 2000 NRHA Intermediate Open Futurity Reserve Champion
• RMRHA Summer Slide Champion
• SWRHA Futurity Champion
• NRHA Cowtown Classic Champion
• 2020 NRHA Million Dollar Rider

The Last Cowboy, Yellowstone, and Weatherford, Texas

Mills gained broader public visibility through television and media appearances. He appeared in the Paramount Network series The Last Cowboy, a program centered on elite reining horse competition and western performance horse culture.

In later years, Mills became associated with Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas — an equine facility connected with western television productions including Yellowstone and 1883. Promotional materials described him as the premier horse trainer for the ranch and a brand ambassador for Ranch Hand and CURT Manufacturing.

Outside the show pen, Mills became widely involved in horsemanship education through Matt Mills Reining Horses, developing clinic programs, online instructional content, and educational training systems designed for riders ranging from beginners to advanced competitors. His programs focused on futurity horse preparation, maneuver development, showmanship, and practical reining drills.