Reining Horse World Devastated by Crash and Loss of 4 Horses

A nightmare is the only way to describe what the occupants of the vehicle and trailer went through in a crash in Nevada.

Nicole Renick Johnson

A devastating day with a horrific ending is one way to describe September 4 and the events that occurred on a highway in Nevada. A miracle is another way.

Complete devastation was expressed by many on social media when the reports were coming in that four reining horses had been killed in an accident involving assistants who worked for Nicole Renick Johnson and Adam Johnson.

The trailer was in route to the High Roller Reining Classic held in Las Vegas at the South Point Event and Equestrian Center. This is one of the top four elite shows in the National Reining Horse Association. The reining horse competition is scheduled to kick off September 6 and continue through September 14.

Unfortunately, four of the scheduled participants will not be there.

According to an interview with Quarter Horse News, Nicole Renick Johnson stated that the rig was traveling from Washington to Las Vegas on Route 318.

As the rig went southbound, they were forced off the road by an oncoming vehicle around 7:30 a.m. Social media reports stated that the driver of the oncoming vehicle was suffering from fatigue and may have fallen asleep.

The rig consisting of a truck and six horse trailer full of horses exited the roadway and went through a ravine after the crash.

Looking at the picture of the truck and trailer, it is a miracle that the two people inside the truck had only minor injuries. One had a broken thumb and the other a sprained ankle. The same could not be said for the horses.

Four of the six horses did not make it and the other two are in a vet hospital recovering.

“Two are at the vet hospital, both of those two horses will make it,” Nicole said. “One had minor cuts and wounds, the other one had quite a bit of damage to the one side of his face but he’s put together and both of them will be fine."

This is absolutely every person's nightmare when traveling with horses. Often times the schedule is tight and drives have to be made overnight.

Broken hearts are certainly had by the trainers, assistants and owners of the horses involved in the accident. Nothing can bring back those talented equine athletes that were lost in such a tragic accident.

Nicole expressed her gratitude to have her team alive.

“It was a terrible day, but at the end of the day, I’m glad that the two girls that were in that truck came out alive,” Nicole said. “Because I don’t know how they did it, it was definitely a miracle.

“We’ll move on. Everybody’s been so supportive so we’ll get through it, and move on and that’s all we can do.”

Our hearts go out to everyone involved and we certainly send condolences for all the people touched by the horses that were lost.