Les Henderson and Tucker Weatherford topped the Ride TV Western Heritage #6 at the 2026 Cinch RSNC World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, sorting 24 head in 219.85 seconds over four rounds for $8,784 — their first win together as a team.
Best Ever
Henderson, of Springfield, Tennessee, and Weatherford, of Lester, Alabama, met through the sport a little over two years ago. Outside a few shows they put on themselves in Alabama and a shared event in Tennessee with the Stanfields, the Finals is the biggest thing on their calendar.
“We got some second-place finishes, but this is our first win,” Henderson said. “It’s the best win ever.”
The duo won against more than 370 teams, and the pressure was on them every round.
“It was extremely hard,” Weatherford said. “You just got to breathe; just try to stay alive until you get back to the top 10.”
After surviving the first three rounds, the team headed back into the final round with the goal of staying clean — a simple strategy that paid off. Three of the teams that made the top 10 returned with 19 head, within striking distance of the top spot.
“It was a very tight race,” Henderson said, noting he was sweating bullets watching the final team sort.
The Horses Behind the Win
Both riders achieved the first-time feat on horses somebody else built first.
Henderson rode Mozart (Metallic Rebel x HL Sheza Playful Rey), a 2018 sorrel gelding known as “Mozey.” Mozey belongs to Henderson’s niece, and Henderson only climbed aboard the horse two months before the World Finals when his own horse came up injured.
“I’m here with my brother, who’s the trainer,” Henderson said. “I’m lucky: I got a trainer and a horse.”
He’s grown attached enough that he’s thinking about buying Mozey off his niece for good.
Weatherford rode a 10-year-old mare named Cat, who spent several years training under fellow RSNC ranch sorter PD Shelton before Weatherford picked her up at one of his own shows about a year ago.
Champions of the Year
Not only did the team take first in the Ride TV Western Heritage #6 class at the World Finals, they were also named Year-End Points Champions in the Western Heritage #6 division, with Weatherford winning No. 1 and Henderson on his heels at No. 2.
In addition to their winner’s checks, each man earned Professional’s Choice championship belt buckles, and Weatherford was awarded a Cinch RSNC trophy saddle and jacket, while Henderson earned a Professional’s Choice saddle pad.
Ride TV Western Heritage #6 — 2026 World Finals Champions
| Champions | Les Henderson (Springfield, Tennessee) & Tucker Weatherford (Lester, Alabama) |
| Winning run | 219.85 on 24 head |
| First-place payout | $8,784 |
| Total class payout | $33,136 |
Top 10 Payouts
| Place | Team | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Henderson / Tucker Weatherford | $8,784 |
| 2 | Sherri McDonald / Joe Meals | $6,204 |
| 3 | Ricky Hightower / Hannah Skalsky | $4,448 |
| 4 | Wyatt Erb / Renee Amidon | $3,114 |
| 5 | Matthew Hicks / Lana Beisner | $2,646 |
| 6 | Amy Lambert / Jenny Buchanan | $2,180 |
| 7 | Steve Compton / Frances Lochhead | $1,868 |
| 8 | Shelby Wright / Riley Lawless | $1,556 |
| 9 | Kathy Doornink / Phyllis Sickels | $1,246 |
| 10 | Mark Lindsey / Jake Lindsey | $1,090 |
