Laura Spell Reaches Unofficial NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Milestone

Laura Spell has added another major achievement to a career already defined by high-quality horses and success on some of the industry’s biggest stages. Following her latest victory at the 2026 APHA World Championship Show, Spell is believed to have unofficially surpassed $250,000 in lifetime National Snaffle Bit Association earnings, placing her among the organization’s Quarter Million Dollar Club riders.

The milestone came in fitting fashion. Spell piloted JB Laww And Order to the championship in the Breeders’ Trust 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes, earning more than $8,100 aboard the talented young gelding. Until NSBA publishes its next official earnings update, the Quarter Million Dollar designation remains unofficial, but the result appears to have carried Spell across the threshold.

The Ride That Put Her Over the Line

JB Laww And Order is a 2023 bay solid gelding by Outlaw Enterprise (QH) and out of Breathless In April. Laura and Wade Spell purchased “Wyatt” as a long weanling, and the gelding is now owned by client Teri Nichols of Wright City, Missouri.

“He’s just a good citizen,” Spell said in comments shared by the American Paint Horse Association. “He’s just a lot of fun.”

The APHA World Show win was not Wyatt’s first significant payday of the season. At The Madness in May, Spell guided Laww And Order to the Open division championship in the Three-Year-Old and Over Novice Horse Hunter Under Saddle slot class, earning a $5,000 first-place check for Nichols. Together, those two 2026 victories alone added more than $13,000 to Spell’s season earnings and helped turn the Quarter Million Dollar milestone into reality.

Spell has supported the APHA Breeders’ Trust Pleasure Stakes program since its inception and credited its substantial World Show purses with playing an important role in her career total. “We’ve tried to put a horse in it every year,” she said. “We’ve been lucky to be in the Top Five almost every year, and we’ve won a bunch of money. It’s been awesome and has helped a lot.”

A Record of High-Dollar Wins

The newest victory joins a long list of major checks earned by Spell, particularly through APHA’s Breeders’ Trust program and NSBA-sanctioned futurities. Her career reflects both consistency and an ability to prepare young horses to perform when substantial money is on the line.

All Time Vandal — $10,110 at the 2019 APHA World Show Spell and All Time Vandal captured the Open division of the Breeders’ Trust 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Stakes. The young stallion, known as “Graffiti,” delivered the win in only his second show and emerged from a class offering nearly $40,000 in total prize money.

All Together Now — more than $12,000 at the 2025 APHA World Show Spell guided All Together Now to a Junior Hunter Under Saddle World Championship, a reserve finish in the Gold 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle and a bronze finish in the 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Sweepstakes. Those placings generated more than $12,000 during the show for breeders and owners Tim and Cindy Snapp.

Shesgotdaddyissues — $11,448 at the 2023 APHA World Show Showing that her success extends beyond the English events, Spell rode Shesgotdaddyissues to the overall championship in the Breeders’ Trust 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Stakes, earning an $11,448 payday for owner Heidi Kokemiller.

Only On Company Time — multiple NSBA World titles At the 2021 NSBA World Championship Show, Spell rode Only On Company Time to the Two-Year-Old Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle World Championship and later added the Color Green Hunter Under Saddle title for owner Morgan Hobson.

LX Just Call Me Fancy — APHA futurity and championship success Spell won the 2013 Breeders’ Gold/Silver 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Futurity aboard LX Just Call Me Fancy, earning $2,361.98. The pair later added high-level APHA success, including a reserve world championship in Senior Hunter Under Saddle in 2016.

A Career Built on Developing Good Horses

Spell’s résumé is not defined by one horse, one breed or one class. Her major results span Paint and Quarter Horse competition, hunter under saddle and western pleasure, limited and open divisions, and horses at very different stages of their careers. NSBA has recognized her among its leading hunter under saddle professionals, including a reserve finish in the Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle Rider standings, while her World Show record includes multiple championships and top placings.

What connects those results is a reputation for developing willing, confident horses and giving them the preparation needed to succeed in high-pressure futurity settings. From All Time Vandal’s five-figure breakthrough in 2019 to JB Laww And Order’s milestone-making performance in 2026, Spell has repeatedly turned promising young prospects into major winners for her clients.

An Unofficial Milestone Worth Celebrating

NSBA’s published lifetime earnings report through December 31, 2025, listed Spell among the organization’s leading riders, but official totals often trail current show results. Based on the earnings attributed to her recent wins and the milestone reported at the APHA World Show, Spell is now being celebrated as the newest unofficial member of the NSBA Quarter Million Dollar Club.

Whether the achievement is measured through the final dollar that crossed the line or the many horses and clients behind it, the significance is clear. Quarter-million-dollar status represents years of consistency, major-show success and an extraordinary volume of winning rides.

Congratulations to Laura Spell on this remarkable career milestone, and to Teri Nichols, Wade Spell and the entire team behind JB Laww And Order on the victory that helped make it possible.

Sources

Natashya V.

Founder, StallionCompare.com | Creative Director

Natashya, the founder of StallionCompare.com, is a dynamic force in both the equine and creative industries. As a lifelong equestrian, Natashya’s journey with horses began with Quarter Horses in her hometown in British Columbia, Canada. During her college years she took a brief (and eye opening) hiatus from Quarter Horses to work in the Thoroughbred industry – returning to the AQHA circuit as a young adult. Natashya was also able to reconnect with the quarter horse industry through design. She worked with former owners of Pleasurehorse.com and Show Horse Today on their design needs prior to Robyn Duplisea purchasing the business. Natashya also worked at Horse Canada (HPG) as the Creative Director for many monthly, quarterly, and annual equine magazines. Her passion (read: obsession) for breeding, genetics, and equine pedigrees ran ever-increasingly deep, which lead her to create StallionCompare.com.

Beyond her equine pursuits, Natashya is the Creative Director & Co-Founder of a leading design agency known for its boutique, customer-focused approach. With her expertise, she blends creativity and technology to make a lasting impact in both horse breeding and design.