Top 10 Cutting Sires of 2023

With last year closed out and all the dollars added up, the top 10 cutting sires of 2023 have been named. A few movers and shakers have made their way into the top this year, pushing out legacy stallions that have produced the high-earning progeny in years prior. This year's top sires have collective progeny earnings in excess of $29 million.

With data pulled from QStallions, these are the top 10 AQHA cutting stallions for 2023:

10. Dual Smart Rey

Pedigree: Dual Rey x The Smart Look x Smart Little Lena

2024 Stud Fee: $5,000

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $330,436; 2005 Semi-Finalist NCHA Open Futurity, 2006 NCHA Open Super Stakes Champion, 4th Abilene Spectacular Open Derby, Split 3rd Brazos Bash Open Derby, Top 10 PCCHA 4-Year-Old Open Stakes, Matt Gully Memorial Open Derby Reserve Champion, Finalist Music City Open Derby, AQHA World Champion Junior Cutting Horse, Bonanza Open Derby Champion, Finalist Breeders Inv. Open Derby, Finalist Augusta 4-Year-Old Open Futurity, Top 10 Western Horseman Cup Open Cutting, and Fort Worth Stock Show AQHA Junior Cutting Class Co-Champion

Offspring Earnings: $1,599,798

Money Earners: 211

No. 1 Money Earner: Hiss N Vinegar | 2015 Mare | Dual Smart Rey x Hissy Cat x High Brow Cat | $391,588

Offspring Incentives: BVSS Super Stallion Incentive, Breeders Invitational, NCHA Super Stakes, PCCHA, NRCHA Stallion Stakes

9. Kit Kat Sugar

Pedigree: High Brow Cat x Sugar N Dulce x Smart Little Richochet 

2024 Stud Fee: $5,500

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $240,903; 2011 Finalist NCHA Open Futurity, 2012 NCHA Horse Of the Year, Bonanza Open Derby Champion, Cattlemens Open Derby Champion, Calgary Stampede Open Derby Champion, Finalist NCHA Open Derby, Southern Open Derby Champion, 3rd Idaho CHA World Series of Cutting Open Class, 7th El Rancho World Series of Cutting Open Class, NCHA Open Super Stakes Reserve Champion, Brazos Bash Open Derby Champion, El Rancho Open Derby Champion, Finalist Breeders Inv. Open Derby, Idaho CHA Open Derby Reserve Champion, Split 5th West Texas Open Derby, Top 10 Abilene Spectacular Open Derby

Offspring Earnings: $1,607,668

Money Earners: 151

No. 1 Money Earner: Scooter Cat | 2015 Stallion | Kit Kat Sugar x Scooters Daisy Dukes x Dual Smart Rey | $513,556

Offspring Incentives: NRCHA Stallion Stakes, NCHA Super Stakes, PCCHA Stakes, Breeders Invitational, Southern Futurity, Augusta Futurity, Gold Buckle Futurities, Kit Kat Sugar Bonus

8. Dual Rey

Pedigree: Dual Pep x Nurse Rey x Wyoming Doc

2024 Stud Fee: $5,625

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $105,038; AQHA Hall of Fame, split 6th at the 1997 NCHA Open Futurity, split 5th at the 1998 NCHA Open Super Stakes, 1999 Memphis 4-Year-Old Open Futurity Champion, 3rd at the1998 Steamboat Spring Open Derby, 5th at the 1999 Augusta Open Classic and Gold Coast Winter Open Derby, finalist in the Abilene Spectacular and El Cid Open Derbies

Offspring Earnings: $1,647,727

Money Earners: 301

Offspring Incentives: BVSS Super Stallion Incentive, Breeders Invitational, NCHA Super Stakes and NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Gold Buckle Futurity

7. Once In A Blu Boon

Pedigree: Peptoboonsmal x Autumn Boon x Dual Pep

2024 Stud Fee: Private Treaty

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $316,564; 2014 AQHA Sr Cutting World Champion, NCHA Open Classic/Challenge Champion, West TX Open Classic Champion, Cattlemens Open Classic Champion, Brazos Bash Classic Champion, Chisholm Trail Classic Champion, Open Classic Champion at OKC Non-Pro Plus OPEN, Cotton Stakes Classic 3rd., 2013 Arbuckle Mtn Open Classic Champion, Cattlemens Open Classic Champion, Chisholm Trail Classic Champion, 2012 Brazos Bash Open Derby Reserve Champion, Chisholm Trail Derby Champion, Arbuckle Mtn 4-Year-Old Open Futurity Champion, Derby Open Champion at the OKC NON-PRO Plus OPEN, West TX Open Derby Reserve Champion, split 3rd at NCHA Open Derby, NCHA Open Futurity money earner

​Offspring Earnings: $2,166,927

Money Earners: 224

Offspring Incentives: Breeder’s Invitational, NCHA Super Stakes, NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Riata Buckle, Royal Crown, Gold Buckle

6. Reyzin The Cash

Pedigree: Dual Rey x Spookys Cash x Miss N Cash

2024 Stud Fee: $5,000

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $278,381; 2015 CHA Open Derby Champion, PCCHA Open Derby Champion, NCHA $10,000 Novice Super Stakes Champion, Finalist Brazos Bash Open Derby, Top 10 Abilene Spectacular Derby $15,000 Novice Horse Open, Split 6th NCHA Open Super Stakes, Split 6th Breeders Inv. Open Derby, Finalist Abilene Spectacular Open Derby, Finalist Idaho CHA Open Derby, 2016 NCHA Open Classic/Challenge Champion, PCCHA Open Classic/Challenge Co-Reserve Champion, Idaho CHA Open Classic Champion, Arbuckle Mountain Open Classic Champion, PCCHA Derby World Series of Cutting Open Class Co-Reserve Champion, Brazos Bash Open Classic Reserve Champion, Cattlemens Open Classic Reserve Champion, El Rancho Open Classic Champion, 6th Abilene Spectacular Open Classic, Finalist NCHA Open Super Stakes Classic, 2017 South Point Mane Event World Series of Cutting Open class winner, Finalist Bonanza Open Classic, Finalist NCHA Open Super Stakes Classic

Offspring Earnings: $2,328,327

Money Earners: 167

No. 1 Money Earner: Catolena Cashin In | 2017 Stallion | Reyzin The Cash x Dual Catolena x High Brow Cat | $436,150

Offspring Incentives: Foals eligible for the NRCHA, Stallion Stakes, PCCHA, and NCHA Super Stakes

5. High Brow Cat

Pedigree: High Brow Hickory x Smart Little Kitty x Smart Little Lena

2024 Stud Fee: $6,500 (ISCI Only)

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $110,800; AQHA Hall of Fame, Augusta Open Classic Champion, Chisholm Trail Open Classic Champion, split 3rd at the Abilene Spectacular Open Classic, 4th at the PCCHA Open Derby, finalist in the NCHA Open Super Stakes, NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic, NCHA Open Classic

Offspring Earnings: $2,678,104

Money Earners: 318

Offspring Incentives: NCHA Super Stakes, PCCHA Cutting Stakes, Breeders Invitational, NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Riata Buckle, Gold Buckle Futurity, Royal Crown

4. Metallic Rebel

Pedigree: Metallic Cat x Sweet Abra x Abrakadabracre

2024 Stud Fee: $6,000

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $438,315; 2017 NCHA Horse of the Year, NCHA World Champion Stallion NCHA Hall of Fame, semi-finalist in the NCHA Open Futurity, 5th NCHA Open Derby, The Ike 4-Year-Old Open Futurity Champion, PCCHA Summer Open Derby Champion, finalist NCHA Open Super Stakes, 3rd Abilene Spectacular Open Derby, West Texas Open Derby Champion, 6th Breeders Inv. Open Derby, PCCHA 4-Year-Old Open Stakes Champion, 3rd Cotton Stakes Open Derby, 8th PCCHA Open Derby, Abilene Spectacular $25,000 Novice Derby Champion, finalist Brazos Bash & Bonanza Open Derbies, NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic Champion, Brazos Bash Open Classic Champion, 3rd NCHA Open Finals, NCHA Open Classic/Challenge Reserve Champion, Abilene Spectacular Classic Open Champion, PCCHA Fall Open Classic/Challenge Champion, 3rd Breeders Inv. Open Classic, PCCHA Summer Open Classic/Challenge Champion, split 3rd Bonanza Open Classic, PCCHA Summer Derby World Series of Cutting Open Reserve Champion, Arbuckle Mountain Open Classic Champion, West Texas Open Classic Reserve Champion, Idaho CHA Open Classic Co-Reserve Champion, finalist in The Ike Open Classic, 3rd El Rancho World Series of Cutting Open, split 3rd Idaho CHA World Series of Cutting Open, 4th El Rancho Open Classic, finalist Southern and Cattlemens Open Classics, 3rd NCHA Open Top Ten, PCCHA Open Top Ten

Offspring Earnings: $3,850,840

Money Earners: 189

Offspring Incentives: BVSS Super Stallion Incentive, Breeders Invitational, NCHA Super Stakes, NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Royal Crown Roping Incentive, Riata Buckle, and PCCHA

3. Stevie Rey Von

Pedigree: Metallic Cat x Miss Ella Rey x Dual Rey

2024 Stud Fee: $9,000

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $420,903; 2015 NCHA Open Futurity Champion, Semi-Finalist NCHA Non-Pro Futurity, NCHA Limited Non-Pro Futurity Champion, 2016 AQHA World Champion Junior Cutting Horse, 3rd Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro Derby, West Texas Non-Pro Derby Champion, PCCHA Non-Pro Derby Reserve Champion, PCCHA 4-Year-Old Non-Pro Stakes Champion, 3rd Cotton Stakes Non-Pro Derby, Semi-Finalist NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes, Abilene Spectacular Open Derby Reserve Champion, 7th Breeders Inv. Non-Pro Derby, Finalist Breeders Inv. Open Derby, Finalist The Ike 4-Year-Old Open Futurity, 9th Brazos Bash Non-Pro Derby, Finalist NCHA Non-Pro Derby, 2017 Split 4th Bonanza Non-Pro Classic, Semi-Finalist NCHA Open Super Stakes Classic, 5th AQHA World Junior Cutting, Cattlemens Non-Pro Classic Co-Reserve Champion, State Fair of Texas Open Classic Champion, Finalist Arbuckle Mountain Open Classic, 2018 NCHA Open Super Stakes Classic Champion, 4th NCHA Open Classic/Challenge, 5th Arbuckle Mountain Open Classic, Cattlemens Open Classic Champion, West Texas Open Classic Champion

Offspring Earnings: $4,208,589

Money Earners: 245

No. 1 Money Earner: Janie Wood | 2018 Mare | Stevie Rey Von x Junie Wood x Nitas Wood | $311,771

Offspring Incentives: Breeder's Invitational, National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes, National Reining Breeders Classic, NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Riata Buckle, PCCHA Stakes, Chrome Cash, Gold Buckle Futurity, IQHA Ranch Horse Futurity

2. Hottish

Pedigree: Spots Hot x Stylish Play Lena x Docs Stylish Oak

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $306,339; 2012 NCHA Open Derby Champion, 2012 Breeders Invitational Derby Champion, 2012 NCHA Non-Pro Super Stakes Champion, NCHA Reserve Horse of the Year, 2014 NCHA Non-Pro Classic/Challenge Champion, top 10 at the 2014 Bonanza Open Classic and NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic, finalist at the 2013 Bonanza Open Classic, finalist at the 2011 NCHA Open Futurity, 2012 South Point Open Derby Champion, 2012 ID CHA Open Derby Champion, 2012 Calgary Stampede Wrangler Open Derby Reserve Champion, 6th at the 2012 Brazos Bash Open Derby

Offspring Earnings: $4,240,285

Money Earners: 248

1. Metallic Cat

Pedigree: High Brow Cat x Chers Shadow x Peptoboonsmal

2024 Stud Fee: $10,000

Stallion Performance Record: LTE $637,711; NCHA Horse of the Year, NCHA Open Futurity Champion, NCHA Open Super Stakes Reserve Champion, NCHA Open Futurity Champion, Equi-Stat #1 Leading Cutting Money-Earner in All Divisions, NCHA Open Super Stakes Reserve Champion, Equi-Stat #1 Open Cutting Money-Earner, Breeders Invitational & Abilene Spectacular Open Derbies' Champion, 3rd NCHA Open Derby, Music City Open Derby Champion, Tunica 4-Year-Old Open Futurity Reserve Champion, NCHA Hall of Fame

Offspring Earnings: $6,940,033

Money Earners: 715

Offspring Incentives: NCHA Super Stakes, NRCHA, NRCHA Stallion Stakes, Breeder’s Invitational, PCCHA, Riata Buckle, Gold Buckle Futurities

2023 was a great year for cutting stallions, but there’s something to say about the stallions that stand the test of time. 

Here are the top five cutting stallions of all time:

1. High Brow Cat | Total Earnings: $92,498,893
2. Metallic Cat | Total Earnings: $57,848,202
3. Dual Rey | Total Earnings: $50,867,542
4. Smart Little Lena | Total Earnings: $40,789,962
5. Smooth As A Cat | Total Earnings: $34,096,011

For the most up-to-date stallion data, refer to QStallions.com. All information for this article was pulled on Jan. 1, 2023.