Watch your step, because another glass ceiling shattered into the legendary arena dirt of the Will Rogers Coliseum, in Fort Worth, Texas, the night of March 1, 2025 when Erin Taormino became the first woman to win the World’s Greatest Horseman title.
Aboard Hazardouz Material, the seasoned cow horse competitor dominated the prestigious event, earning a final score of 884.5 (Herd: 219 | Rein: 223.5 | Steer Stopping: 221.5 | Cow Work: 220.5) and securing the coveted championship at the 2025 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman in Fort Worth, Texas.
Listen to Erin Taormino on The Ride Podcast
The Road to Victory
From a grain farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, to becoming a top horse trainer in the NRCHA, Erin Taormino has built her career marked by grit, passion, and an unrelenting work ethic. She entered the NRCHA ranks in 2014 and quickly made waves, claiming the 2015 Snaffle Bit Futurity Reserve Champion title with a jaw-dropping 228 down the fence. Her journey as a professional trainer began at Gardiner Quarter Horses, where she worked as head horse trainer, while also being featured in the award-winning documentary Down The Fence.
Apprenticing under NRCHA Hall of Famer Ron Ralls and Million Dollar Rider Todd Bergen, Taormino honed her training philosophy that centers around allowing each horse to show its potential. Alongside her husband, Anthony, and their son, Westley, she now operates Taormino Performance Horses. Anthony builds up a strong foundation in the young horses, and Erin continues their training in the show pen.
Her dedication in and out of the arena set her down this trailblazing path, culminating in her historic win at the 2025 World’s Greatest Horseman.
“Let Him Work”
As Taormino prepped to head down the fence, a few friends had advice to calm her nerves and grow confidence.
“I had a couple of my closest friends tell me, one told me to watch my cow and not get too amped up. Keep control of my emotions, stay relaxed, take a deep breath, and let him work,” Taormino said of her mindset as she rode in for the cow work. “Another one of my closest friends told me to treat it like I was working a cow at home, with no pressure, no stress, just another day in the office.”
And that’s just what she did.
“Last night, going into the fence work, I just walked in, didn’t trot in, called for my cow and let it happen.”
Taormino didn’t keep tabs on the scores, so after the fence work she was happy with her horse, and that’s what she was focused on.
“I knew it was a good run. But I also knew I didn’t have as fast a cow as some had.” Reflecting on her partnership with Skeeter, she said, “But I knew he did his job and I did my job…I did all I could do and so did he, so I was really happy.”
Another glass ceiling shattered at the 2024 NRHA Futurity
Hazardouz Horsepower
Taormino’s mount, the 2016 red roan stallion, Hazardouz Material, has already made his mark in the NRCHA with his undeniable talent and elite pedigree. Sired by Metallic Cat and out of Scooters Daisy Dukes, a champion-producing mare (by Dual Smart Rey), this 14.2-hand, 1,100-pound powerhouse combines cow sense, athleticism, and a competitive edge that sets him apart.
“He is game everyday. He was so tired last night, and he was like, one more, let’s go.”
Erin Taormino on Skeeter’s grit
Taormino has had the powerhouse red roan since late in his two-year-old year, buying him from Travis Stewart who started the horse. And she knew Skeeter was something special.
“The farther we went, the better he got. Any time I feel like he can’t get better, then he does.”
Owned by Linda Mars and piloted by Erin Taormino, “Skeeter” has amassed $259,638 in lifetime earnings. His win record speaks for itself, including a 2021 Stallion Stakes Championship title, 2024 Run For A Million Reserve Champion victory, and now the crown of the 2025 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman champion. With his oldest foal crop born in 2022, Skeeter will continue to be shown in 2025, and then stand to a limited book of mares via frozen semen only, at The Ranch Equine. But for now, the impressive horse gets some down time.
“He gets a pretty long rest now, he’ll just hang out, we’ll regroup, and see what we want to do next.”
Follow Your Heart
As far as winning the World’s Greatest Horseman, Taormino came in with a dream, but knew that she had the horsepower to make it happen.
“It was always something that I dreamed of, I looked up to everyone who did it. To have a horse who could it at that level… that is unbelievable to have an animal underneath you that you know, no matter what they will give their all in all four events.”
“It was something I always dreamed of, but to then have a horse underneath me that I knew could win it all, and deserved to win it all…It’s Skeeter, this horse is so special, they don’t make many like him.” She spoke of the stallion’s ‘X-Factor’, “This horse has such a great mind. He’s so physically talented, and he has the whole package. He’s got a great mind, he’s so physically capable to do anything and everything you ask…but his mind is second to none. He is game everyday. He was so tired last night, and he was like, one more, let’s go.”
When asked what advice she would give her younger self about achieving such a historic milestone, for Taormino, it all comes down to living out your passion.
“I would tell her to trust the process, stay true to her path, and believe in herself. Trust what your heart and mind tell you, it’s what you’ve always wanted and dreamed of. Never second-guess that feeling.” She added, “Don’t doubt what’s in your heart. Put in the time, stay on your path, and trust that what you believe you’re meant to do will work out.”
Crawford and Robbie Take Home the 2025 Reserve World’s Greatest Horseman Championship
The legendary duo of Todd Crawford and One Time Legend bring home the Reserve Championship win at the 2025 WGH event.
Coming in ranked #1 after the prelims and their steer stopping win, the duo finished out the competition with a fantastic composite score of 880. One Time Legend (One Time Pepto x HR Playin Legend) and Crawford, a NRCHA $2 million rider, are no strangers to the winners circle. “Robbie” has carried both professional and non-pro riders to big wins, and Crawford has multiple World Championships under his belt.
Final Results from the 2025 World’s Greatest Horseman
| Rank | Score | Money | Horse | Rider | Bloodline | Owner | Breeder |
|---|
| 1st | 884.5 | $150,000 | HAZARDOUZ MATERIAL | ERIN L. TAORMINO | METALLIC CAT x SCOOTERS DAISY DUKES | LINDA A MARS | TAYLOR CARBO |
| 2nd | 880.0 | $75,000 | ONE TIME LEGEND | TODD CRAWFORD | ONE TIME PEPTO x HR PLAYIN LEGEND | LARRY HALL CUTTING HORSES LLC | COWAN SELECT HORSES LLC |
| 3rd | 876.0 | $45,000 | SPRINKLD CONFETTICAT | SHANE L. STEFFEN | WR THIS CATS SMART x PPH ESPECIAL NITRO | SOUTH COVE RANCH LLC | DANELLE MARKHAM |
| 4th | 866.5 | $25,000 | PURRN LIKEASMOOTHCAT | JUSTIN T. WRIGHT | SMOOTH AS A CAT x PURR N LIKE MAGIC | ASCENCION BANUELOS | KATHRYN L BROWN |
| 5th | 865.5 | $17,500 | SJR REYGUN | BRADY E. WEAVER | DUAL REY x PLAYGUNS KING BADGER | GARY EWELL | SAN JUAN RANCH |
| 6th | 858.0 | $14,500 | GOTITTOGIVE | JAY MCLAUGHLIN | DUAL REY x DARK AND SULTRY | JAY AND/OR WENDY MCLAUGHLIN | KELLY MAHLER |
| 7th | 857.5 | $10,000 | WR ICEMAN | COREY D. CUSHING | WR THIS CATS SMART x LEAN IRISH PLAYGIRL | ERIC & WENDY DUNN | MARY SCOTT BROWN |
| 8th | 853.5 | $8,500 | PHYSICALITY | GUSTI W. BUERGER | MAGICALITY x SHIRLEY SHINE | HOME RANCH PERF HORSES LLC | ANNE M REYNOLDS |
| 9th | 846.0 | $8,000 | METALLIC ACTION | WADE MEADOR | ONE TIME ROYALTY x MORIA METALLICA | CLYDE METZLER | TEN/27 RANCH LLC |
| 10th | 845.0 | $7,500 | RICATO SUAVE | CLAY VOLMER | METALLIC CAT x HIP HIP SUE REY | SHALEAH HESTER & M FOUNTAIN | FLAG RANCH LLC |
| 11th | 844.5 | $7,000 | MY BOOTS ARE ROYAL | BOYD J. RICE | ROYAL FLETCH x MY BOOTS ARE TUFF | MONCRIEF QUARTER HORSES LLC | KIT AND CHARLIE MONCRIEF |
| 12th | 842.5 | $7,000 | HAY SWEET FREYA | DALE E. CLEARWATER | HAY MAKER x SHESSWEETERN PEPTO | TRACY BRAND | DOUG HINES |
| 13th | 827.0 | $7,000 | SIR STYLISH ONE | SHAWN HAYS | ONE TIME PEPTO x MOST STYLISH MOM | TIMOTHY E DRUMMOND | CHARLES R DRUMMOND |
| 14th | 666.5 | $7,000 | PEPTOS STYLIN TIME | ABBIE PHILLIPS | ONE TIME PEPTO x STYLIN JEWEL | KELBY AND/OR ABBIE PHILLIPS | HANGING H RANCH LLC |
| 15th | 663.0 | $7,000 | LENALILTOTHEWRIGHT | RANDY J. PAUL | LENAS WRIGHT ON x SHINING SURVIVOR | LINDA S KATZ | RICHARD M BELL |
Horsemanship at its Finest
Walking to the pay window to collect her purse of $150,000, Taormino’s victory wasn’t just a historic moment—it was a statement of skill, precision, and horsemanship against some of the best competitors in the industry.
The NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman is one of the most prestigious and grueling titles in the Western performance horse world. Each year, the best horse-and-rider teams compete in four demanding events—herd work, rein work, steer stopping, and fence work. With a total purse of $396,000, the 2025 edition of the event brought the industry’s elite to Fort Worth, Texas, where history was made on championship night.
Competing across the four events, on one horse, in one bridle requires a horse and rider team that is equally adept at reading cows, roping and dallying, rein work, and going down the fence.
