Tucker Field and Joel Lesh claimed one of the largest payouts at the 2026 Cinch RSNC South Central Regional Super Sort, held May 1–3, in Waco, Texas, stopping the clock in 204.74 seconds with 39 head sorted to win the Cinch #13 Gold Shootout. Their effort paid $9,682.
The win was one of many for both men.
Field won the Laredo Conversions #10 with Brea Vardas for another $3,480, while Lesh added wins in the #14 Ranch Hand with Arielle Weeast for $1,884 and the Ride TV Western Heritage All Levels with Larry Newport for $2,238.
But it was their runs together in the high-stakes Cinch #13 Gold Shootout that proved the most lucrative. Field, 16, has been sorting for nearly 10 years, but is only now beginning to find his rhythm.
“I’ve been riding our gelding ‘Big Boy,’ and he’s really been stepping it up in the sorting world,” Field said. “Since Houston, he’s really been doing awesome in it and helping me.”
Big Boy, a paternal grandson of Dual Rey with Smooth As A Cat on the bottom side, is more than a sorting horse for the Field family. He helps doctor yearlings and served as Field’s ranch rodeo mount in at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March.
That outside experience showed up in the sorting pen. In a class where cattle management mattered, Field said Big Boy’s ability to help him stay smooth through the herd played a major role in the win. It also aligned with what Field has been focusing on in his own riding.
“Last year I wasn’t very good, and I’ve just been trying to work on getting better,” Field said. “Last year I would just blow through the herd, and they’d scatter everywhere. I’ve been trying to work on being a lot smoother, and Big Boy really helps me out. He’s the main reason I am where I am.”
Joel Lesh’s Gloves:
Lesh is allergic to alfalfa, so he wears a long-sleeved shirts and gloves to avoid unnecessary reactions. He laughed when asked if his gloves give him a better grip on the reins.
“No, not really” Lesh said. “They’re just gloves. They’re the Buster Welch gloves that are really thin.”
In Waco, Field said, he was confident stepping into the herd knowing one of the industry’s best was behind him.
Lesh, who has known Field since he was a beginning sorter, manned the gate and said the team entered the final run in a strong position and adjusted their strategy to fit the cattle.
“We were in the driver’s seat coming in,” Lesh said. “We just took it easy on them first three or four cows, and then they started lining up and we sped it up from there.”
Lesh leaned on his favorite mare, “Kahlua,” to help keep things together as the cattle became more stirred up. Instead of forcing the action, the pair stayed patient and waited for the run to come together naturally.
Looking ahead, Field is excited to enter several classes at the Cinch RSNC World Finals, including the #10, #18 Rated Youth, Non Pro Futurity, Total Feeds #8, Cinch #13 Gold Shootout, #14 Ranch Hand, and the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout. His goal is simple: make the finals and bring home enough money to make the trip count.
Lesh is looking ahead as well, but from a big-picture perspective. The rising tide of the sorting industry, buoyed by classes like the RSNC-exclusive Gold Shootouts, are raising the bar for competition and horse value.
“These bigger payouts are going to bring better horses to the table, and a market for those as well,” Lesh said.