Here we are, already in the second quarter of 2026, and the leaderboards are beginning to tell a fuller story. The opening months of the AQHA show season may be influenced by a limited number of results, but updated Q2 earnings provide a stronger statistical basis for identifying the bloodlines gaining ground within their respective categories.
The four-part Q2 series begins with Western Performance Stallions, presenting two separate standings: the Top 25 Western Pleasure Stallions and the Top 25 Western All-Around Stallions. Each leaderboard is calculated independently using progeny earnings, number of money-earners, and average earnings per performer. The first focuses specifically on Western Pleasure, while the second reflects results recorded across the broader Western category.
Western Pleasure Stallions: Smooth Going, Strong Returns
Western Pleasure rewards balance, cadence, responsiveness, and consistency. The Q2 standings measure which stallions are producing offspring capable of translating those qualities into earnings within the discipline.
Presenting the full Top 25 Western Pleasure Stallions for Q2:
| Rank | Stallion | Progeny Earnings | Money-Earners | Avg. Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VS Code Red | $60,049.00 | 17 | $3,532.00 |
| 2 | Machine Made | $57,878.00 | 45 | $1,286.00 |
| 3 | Heart Stoppin | $29,870.00 | 14 | $2,134.00 |
| 4 | No Doubt Im Lazy | $22,832.00 | 16 | $1,427.00 |
| 5 | Hay Goodlookn | $22,721.00 | 13 | $1,748.00 |
| 6 | Cool Breeze | $20,048.00 | 8 | $2,506.00 |
| 7 | Fiire N Ice | $17,812.00 | 4 | $4,453.00 |
| 8 | Lazy Loper | $13,801.00 | 19 | $726.00 |
| 9 | Its A Southern Thing | $11,696.00 | 9 | $1,300.00 |
| 10 | The Best Martini | $11,205.00 | 5 | $2,241.00 |
| 11 | The Lopin Machine | $10,445.00 | 10 | $1,044.00 |
| 12 | Makin Me Willy Wild | $7,374.00 | 5 | $1,475.00 |
| 13 | CP Surely The Best | $6,660.00 | 1 | $6,660.00 |
| 14 | VS Flatline | $6,653.00 | 7 | $950.00 |
| 15 | Madefourit | $5,425.00 | 1 | $5,425.00 |
| 16 | SST Festus | $5,237.00 | 1 | $5,237.00 |
| 17 | Justa Creepin | $5,166.00 | 2 | $2,583.00 |
| 18 | RL Best Of Sudden | $3,437.00 | 10 | $344.00 |
| 19 | Gone Viral | $3,362.00 | 5 | $672.00 |
| 20 | Batt Man | $2,954.00 | 10 | $295.00 |
| 21 | Certainly A Vision | $2,557.00 | 3 | $852.00 |
| 22 | VS Code Blue | $1,940.00 | 9 | $216.00 |
| 23 | The Born Legacy | $1,744.00 | 2 | $872.00 |
| 24 | Outlaw Enterprise | $1,500.00 | 2 | $750.00 |
| 25 | Nothin But Nett | $1,497.00 | 2 | $748.00 |
At the top of the Western Pleasure standings is VS Code Red, with $60,049 in progeny earnings from 17 money-earners, averaging $3,532 per performer. Only $2,171 separates him from second-ranked Machine Made, whose 45 money-earners have accumulated $57,878, with an average of $1,286. Although Machine Made is represented by 28 more money-earners, VS Code Red currently holds the advantage in both total and average earnings.
Heart Stoppin completes the leading three with $29,870 from 14 money-earners, averaging $2,134. The figures show three different production profiles near the top: VS Code Red leads through stronger earnings per performer, Machine Made brings the largest performer base, and Heart Stoppin combines a moderate number of earners with a competitive average.
Those results establish the current Western Pleasure order, but they reflect earnings from that discipline alone. The next leaderboard is calculated separately and widens the scope to Western All-Around, where additional results and a broader performer base create a different statistical picture.
Western All-Around Stallions: Broader Reach, Bigger Totals
The Western All-Around standings recognize progeny earnings recorded across the broader Western category. Because the ranking covers a wider range of results, it provides another measure of sire influence, particularly for stallions represented by large groups of money-earners.
Here are the Top 25 Western All-Around Stallions for Q2:
| Rank | Stallion | Progeny Earnings | Money-Earners | Avg. Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machine Made | $214,151.00 | 87 | $2,462.00 |
| 2 | VS Code Red | $83,811.00 | 33 | $2,540.00 |
| 3 | RL Best Of Sudden | $51,100.00 | 55 | $929.00 |
| 4 | Heart Stoppin | $34,611.00 | 22 | $1,573.00 |
| 5 | No Doubt Im Lazy | $28,320.00 | 26 | $1,089.00 |
| 6 | Lazy Loper | $27,288.00 | 35 | $780.00 |
| 7 | Its A Southern Thing | $26,852.00 | 24 | $1,119.00 |
| 8 | Hay Goodlookn | $25,190.00 | 15 | $1,679.00 |
| 9 | Cool Breeze | $20,070.00 | 9 | $2,230.00 |
| 10 | Fiire N Ice | $17,812.00 | 4 | $4,453.00 |
| 11 | Nothin But Nett | $17,221.00 | 7 | $2,460.00 |
| 12 | VS Flatline | $16,547.00 | 17 | $973.00 |
| 13 | The Best Martini | $14,104.00 | 12 | $1,175.00 |
| 14 | The Lopin Machine | $13,136.00 | 15 | $876.00 |
| 15 | VS Code Blue | $11,762.00 | 20 | $588.00 |
| 16 | Only In The Moonlite | $11,262.00 | 11 | $1,024.00 |
| 17 | Makin Me Willy Wild | $8,243.00 | 8 | $1,030.00 |
| 18 | Batt Man | $7,935.00 | 17 | $467.00 |
| 19 | CP Surely The Best | $6,952.00 | 2 | $3,476.00 |
| 20 | Blazing Hot | $6,471.00 | 5 | $1,294.00 |
| 21 | Extremely Hot Chips | $6,326.00 | 13 | $487.00 |
| 22 | Madefourit | $5,425.00 | 1 | $5,425.00 |
| 23 | Justa Creepin | $5,254.00 | 3 | $1,751.00 |
| 24 | SST Festus | $5,237.00 | 1 | $5,237.00 |
| 25 | Mechanic | $4,744.00 | 8 | $593.00 |
Machine Made leads the Western All-Around standings with $214,151 in progeny earnings from 87 money-earners, averaging $2,462 per performer. His total places him $130,340 ahead of second-ranked VS Code Red, whose 33 money-earners have earned $83,811.
While Machine Made holds the clear advantage in total earnings and performer count, VS Code Red records a slightly higher average of $2,540 per money-earner. RL Best of Sudden ranks third with $51,100 from 55 money-earners, averaging $929. Together, the figures show how a large performer base can drive overall production, while average earnings provide a separate measure of how concentrated those results are.
Reading the Q2 Western Stallion Standings
The clearest pattern is the change at the top: VS Code Red leads Western Pleasure, while Machine Made takes first in Western All-Around. The reversal shows how the leading sire can differ when performance is measured within one discipline versus across the wider Western category.
As the Q2 season develops, those positions may continue to shift with every new result. Stay with StallionCompare as the series moves next to Western Performance Dams, featuring the Top 25 Western Pleasure Dams and Top 25 Western All-Around Dams.
