The finale of the NRCHA’s World’s Greatest Horseman competition unfolds Saturday, Feb. 28 inside the Will Rogers Coliseum with 15 of the best bridle horses and riders vying for the crown and a piece of $300,000 in added money.
WGH Need-to-Knows:
Table of contents
Where to Watch the World’s Greatest Horseman
Livestream
Watch the Finals LIVE on the NRCHA website.
If you missed any of the action, though, log in to Ride TV following the event’s conclusion to watch the 2026 World’s Greatest Horseman on demand.
Herd Work
Catch the herd work in-person, even without tickets. This first event is free and open to the public. Herd work will be held in the John Justin arena. Event begins at 1:00 p.m – settle at 12:40 p.m.
WGH Archives
Relive past WGH events from 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 on the Ride TV archives.
2026 World’s Greatest Horseman Finalists
| RANK | BACK | HORSE | RIDER | OWNER | HERD WORK | REIN WORK | STEER STOPPING | COW WORK | COMP. |
| 1 | 2 | CRC 1942 | TODD CRAWFORD | TIMMI-JO OR WADE LISAC | 219.5 | 222.5 | 223.5 | 221.5 | 887 |
| 2 | 32 | ZAK 34 | CHRIS C DAWSON | MELISSA FISCHER | 219 | 220 | 227 | 221 | 887 |
| 3 | 14 | PEPTOS STYLIN TIME | ABBIE PHILLIPS | KELBY AND/OR ABBIE PHILLIPS | 222 | 220.5 | 218 | 225 | 885.5 |
| 4 | 10 | METALLIC CASANOVA | CLAY VOLMER | PITZER RANCH/DACK CATTLE LLC | 218.5 | 221.5 | 221 | 223.5 | 884.5 |
| 5 | 17 | PURRN LIKEASMOOTHCAT | ADAN BANUELOS | ASCENCION BANUELOS | 223.5 | 210.5 | 221 | 229 | 884 |
| 5 | 7 | WR ICEMAN | COREY D CUSHING | ERIC & WENDY DUNN | 220.5 | 222 | 220 | 221.5 | 884 |
| 7 | 66 | SMOOTH OUTTA STYLE | TUCKER J ROBINSON | JULIE WEINHARDT & F. VELAZQUEZ | 218.5 | 219 | 222.5 | 223 | 883 |
| 8 | 77 | A STARLIGHTS MAGNUM | KYLE TRAHERN | KYLE TRAHERN | 216 | 222 | 221.5 | 222.5 | 882 |
| 8 | 25 | CUTTIN WRIGHT UP | BRANDON C. BUTTARS | DAVID I BECKETT | 216 | 223 | 221.5 | 221.5 | 882 |
| 8 | 64 | SON OF A MITCH | PHILLIP J. RALLS | THE TRUST OF BILLIE JO RALLS DTD | 222 | 220.5 | 219 | 220.5 | 882 |
| 11 | 35 | ONE TIME MELODY | CLAYTON M EDSALL | COOPER SMITH | 219.5 | 215 | 221.5 | 225 | 881 |
| 12 | 6 | BRING IT SKIPPY | JAY MCLAUGHLIN | BRUCE LOGAN | 216.5 | 222 | 222 | 219.5 | 880 |
| 12 | 80 | JAYMES BOND | JORDAN WILLIAMS | BONDS RANCH | 222.5 | 222 | 223 | 212.5 | 880 |
| 14 | 49 | MPH VOODOO BADGER | MATT J KOCH | DAVID MIZE | 218 | 220.5 | 216.5 | 224 | 879 |
| 14 | 48 | ONE TIME SANNMAN | LUKE J. JONES | CHARLIE PORTER | 217.5 | 218.5 | 223 | 220 | 879 |
Finalist fast facts:
2025 WGH Champion Erin Taormino:
When is the World’s Greatest Horseman?
Feb. 28, 2026 will be the day to catch the World’s Greatest Horseman finals action. The steer stopping, rein work, and cow work finals will all be held in the Will Rogers Coliseum beginning at 4:00 p.m., with the herd work being held in the John Justin arena earlier in the day. The herd work is open to the public, while the 4:00 p.m. finals is a ticketed event.
What is the World’s Greatest Horseman?
Since its inception in 1999, this event is considered the crown jewel of reined cow horse events. NRCHA’s World’s Greatest Horseman competition challenges riders and their horses with a gauntlet of four events including cutting, reining, fence work, and steer stopping that proves challenging to even seasoned horsemen. Exhibitors may only show one horse, in the same bridle for each event, and the World’s Greatest Horseman is open to all breeds of any age regardless of show history.
This competition challenges riders and their horses to master four events in order to join the 15-rider finals and get a shot at taking home the winner’s purse and prestigious World’s Greatest Horseman title. Title sponsors, Western Bloodstock and Ray Shell Ranch, are bringing you another exhilarating event featuring a field of 15 talented horses and riders.
How to Win the World’s Greatest Horseman
The World’s Greatest Horseman highlights the athleticism and versatility of the cow horse, challenging competitors in four demanding events:
- Herd Work – Showcasing precision and control as riders work to separate a cow from the herd.
- Reined Work – Demonstrating finesse while riding a pattern of spins, circles, and sliding stops.
- Steer Stopping – Riders put their roping and dallying skills to the test as they break from the box to catch and stop a steer.
- Cow Work – A crowd favorite, where riders circle a cow and then take it down the fence at breakneck speeds.
As these talented teams slide, stop, turn, and cut cattle, they prove that the reined cow horse truly can do it all. The horse-and-rider pair to garner the highest cumulative score across all four events will be crowned the World’s Greatest Horseman.