The Championship of the National Reined Cow Horse Association World’s Greatest Horseman contest held at the First Community Credit Union Spur Arena in San Angelo, Texas, came down to the very last run. The four-event competition ended with Randy Paul being crowned as the World’s Greatest Horseman. Paul rode Smokeelan, owned by Jill Smiekel George, to the title.

Paul and Smokeelan, by Elans Playboy out of Smart Little Smokee, began the finals competition with a herd work run that placed him in a tie for seventh place. “I felt my horse wanted to be good in everything, but I had a little trouble getting good cattle in front of him. We were just average – but nothing bad happened so we were ok,” he explained.

Friday, October 2, was a day of anticipation, heartache, defeat, and victory at the Reno Livestock Events Center. As the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro finalists began the cow work, it was clearly a horse-race between three contestants.
Coming in as draw two was four-time NRCHA Non Pro Champion Anne Reynolds on her horse, Shiney And Verysmart. The pair had already set the pace in the herd and rein work, marking a 216 in the herd and following that with a 219 in the rein work to gain a one-point lead after the rein work.
With the championship within reach, Reynolds and Rick (Shiney And Verysmart) managed to score 216. “The fence work was shaping up to be 75s, but we had trouble getting up to the cow in the circles. I’m pleased though, because I did the best I could.”

It’s hard to believe that Nics Black Diamond has not won a Championship at a National Reined Cow Horse event. Although the 5-year-old stallion has made the finals at every event he has been to, he hadn’t snagged any titles. That is, until Saturday night at the Reno Livestock Events Center in Reno, Nevada. The Eagle Point, Oregon, trainer piloted Nics Black Diamond to a 217.5 in the rein work and 217 in the herd work for a 434.5 total to win the Open Hackamore.