Shows
Cowboy Office ShowEp # 42 - 2025 In the Rear View MirrorA year in review and taking a peak into 2026
2026-02-081h 12Cowboy Office ShowEp #41 No Foot No Horse with D.J. StoxShoeing high performance western horses in today's market. Where is our industry headed?
2025-11-0750 minCowboy Office ShowEP 40 : 95 and It's Not Over Until It's Over w/ Teresa GoforthWhat a great Ride; 75 year old Teresa Goforth qualifies on her 20 yr old gelding for the Run for the Million Non-Pro challenge 2025 in Las Vegas. Tune in for a great discussion on many industry topics as Teresa shares her insight with the Cowboy Office.
2025-10-061h 00
Cowboy Office ShowEP #39 : AWWA and The Ranch Horse Challenge with Jesse ChaseAWWA and 2023 Champion Jesse Chase talk about the dynamic program and how good it is for him as a trainer and his horses. It builds versatility, fun and quality of working western horses. As we approach 2025 and the Ranch Horse Challenge at the Arabian Nationals in Tulsa, OK, Jesse's input is invaluable.
2025-09-151h 02Cowboy Office ShowAWWA The Ranch Challenge Ep38Ranch Riding is the newest discipline to emerge in the western horse show world. Join us as we discuss the AWWA and WWA as they are focused on the Arabian Western horse and the newest open to all breed discipline, the Western Working Alliance.
2025-05-061h 03Cowboy Office ShowWhich Direction is the NRHA headed?2026 Rule proposal review on this episode. lessons learned as well as historical actions go into this review and where we are headed.
2025-03-271h 23Cowboy Office ShowArabian Working Western Alliance: AWWA EP 36Arabian Working Western Alliance. The newest challenge in western competition to test your skills. Cowboy is cool. Showing horses, western skills, Arabian and Half-Arabian horses as well as all breeds as the western skills needed to work with your horse.
2025-03-021h 23
Cowboy Office ShowThe Man in the Arena: Jim Kiser from Kiser Arena: EP $35The Man in the Arena: Jim Kiser from Kiser Arena shares his insight, moving forward, knowledge learned and how to measure, test and manage ground for better performance in our horses. Keeping horses sounder longer and performing at their best. Multiple discipline ground demand and the investment to explore what we don't know and more.
2025-02-031h 11
Cowboy Office ShowEP 34 Victor Bahna, Racing and Reining, parallels and lessons to be learnedEP 34, Victor Bahna, author of Heliacal Star, the horse racing thrilling novel. We discuss the parallels of our industry's and the pressure to present a quality product to the public. Social License to Operate and much more . This episode looks at thoroughbred horse racing and the performance horse industry as we discuss today's market and the pressure from the public to tend to our horses.
2024-11-251h 01Cowboy Office ShowEP 33 Shawn Flarida #2 All Time RiderEpic insights from the #2 reining rider of all time, Shawn Flarida.
Lesson Learned from Spooks Gotta Whiz and The Run for a Million. Should the Run for the Million be reining's superbowl? Bringing the great Spooks Gotta Whiz back to the Run for the Million in 2024. Along with a great discussion around Open aged event levels and 1 rider and 1 horse entry.
2024-11-1151 minCowboy Office ShowEP 32 Gabriel Borges & Life after the FuturityGabriel Borges, #8 Open Rider in 2023 and climbing the ranks fast. We discuss life after the futurity and 1 Rider: 1 Horse open aged events. Fairness and access to horsepower as life after the futurity is here.
2024-10-091h 05
Cowboy Office ShowNRHA Open Derby: Review & Analysis 2024- EP 30A review and detailed analysis of the 2024 Open NRHA Derby competition. Officiating analytics from the open derby 2024 in OKC. Answering the questions and addressing the myths around officiating are analyzed and discussed. What do the results from this year's NRHA open derby say? This episode compares the 2024 NRHA Open derby to the first half of 2024 open aged events.
2024-08-221h 09Cowboy Office ShowEp #31 Run for the Million 2023 review as 2024 approaches.Million Dollar week is in year 5 as we look at 2023 Run for the Million numbers, stats and best of the best rider' list for 2024.
2024-08-2134 min
Cowboy Office ShowEp 29: The Score: Reining Stats, 2023 Statistics Recap, and the 2024 NRBC and 100X StakesA compilation judging analytics from open aged events in reining officiating from 2023 are analyzed and discussed. What do the results from this year's NRBC and 100X Stales say? This episode compares the 2023 judging trends to the first half of 2024 open aged events.
The depth of Open competition continues to drive forward and set new trends and norms for the industry. This episode looks at the numbers set by 13 major events and over 2000 open entries in 2023 to create the standard. We slice and dice the numbers and scores including penalties applied and not applied along wi...
2024-06-081h 18
Cowboy Office ShowEp 28: The Score - The Run For the Million Qualifier 2024 AnalysisThe top scores were three points lower than the 2023 qualifying scores. The numbers are in and the analysis is complete. What do the results from this years’ qualifier say? This episode compares 2024 to last year’s qualifying event.
Heads Up
This episode is best consumed by video due to the graphic and visual nature of it. Watch directly via the website, or on Youtube or Spotify for the best experience.
The depth of Open competition continues to drive forward and find new peaks and valleys as 10 riders get qualified for the Finals in Augus...
2024-04-102h 05
Pegasus PodcastOur First-Ever Compilation PodcastTo kick off 2024 in the best way imaginable, we are releasing our first-ever compilation episode of The Pegasus Podcast.Rather than giving you a new interview, we took some of the best moments from episodes of the podcast in 2023 and mixed them in one batch.If you’d like to skip to your favorite parts, use the timeline below to see how this episode is mapped out. 0:38 - 6:18: Claire Williams, the Executive Director of the British Equestrian Trade Association, on why it’s so hard to enter the U.S. market.6:19 - 13:41: Cou...
2024-01-0850 min
Cowboy Office ShowEp 27: From Reining History to the IHSA: THE VISION with Bart CorringtonLearning from the past, listening to the present, looking to the future. Bart Corrington taps into his Reining History 101 Facebook group and industry experience to give us insights into the reining industry.
Our Guest:
Bart Corrington
- Owner/Operator of BC Reining Horses, Tallahassee, FL
- Two-time NRHA World Champion
- Horse trainer for 29 years
- FB Group: Reining History 101 with over 15,000 members
In This Episode:
Consider this: The NRHA reported its 2022 membership at 14,384. Reining History 101 boasts over 15,000 members.
2024-01-051h 48
Cowboy Office ShowEp 26: 2023 NRHA Futurity ReviewIn today’s episode, we take a look at the 2023 NRHA Futurity. We talk about the tie for Open Level 4 Champion, scores, spreads, and use of the judging scale. We don’t forget about the Non Pro Futurity and address the industry buzz around Lane Colston and Adam Donahue’s finals runs.
Congratulations to the Winners!
-- Level 4 Futurity Champions Brian Bell, Crystalized Whizkey owned by Wallace Wood
-- Level 4 Reserve Champions Andrea Fappani and Inferno Thirty Five owned by Stephen Archer
-- Level 4 Non Pro Champions Lane Colston and Gunna Be Pai...
2023-12-121h 22
Cowboy Office ShowEp 25: 1985 - Reining Looks Back To Move Forward with John Snobelen NRHA Hall of Fame MemberManeuver scoring was implemented for the first time and reining and the working western industry was changed.
Is it time for a new revolution?
Some years become pivotal points in history. The equine industry, the working western world, and the reining industry can look at 1985 as the year everything changed.
What was this industry altering catalyst?
The introduction of the new reining scoring system. Until this point, judging was subjective with seemingly arbitrary scores assigned based on one judge’s opinion at the end of the run. With the...
2023-11-141h 32
Cowboy Office ShowEp 24: 100X Reining Classic ReviewA Horse Sporting Event Like We’ve Never Seen! Life After the Futurity is Here
The 100X Reining Classic made a lot of claims before the event. They stepped up and delivered, even exceeding expectations. The 100X producers and staff proved that different is better.
This wasn’t a horse show, it was an event. With 1,700 horses competing for $3 million in purse money spread over 9 days and distributed deeper across the competition, they are showing the reining world what the future of this industry looks like.
We can’...
2023-09-131h 16
Cowboy Office ShowEp 23: NARS - The Evolution of Reining Breeding ProgramsDavid McGee and Travis Pufpaff, owners and operators of NARS, may have the keys to making breeding programs sustainable while supporting multiple sectors of the industry.
Breeders programs in the reining industry are growing in number and size. The days of building a great breeding program and selling your foal as a stand-alone, no incentives included, deal are quickly fading into memory. Today, buyers of competition-quality reining horses require them to be enrolled in, or at least eligible for, multiple breeders programs. The number of aged events that won’t let you through the gate without a pa...
2023-08-251h 04
Pegasus PodcastThe Future and Business of Western Horse Sports with Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard from the The Cowboy OfficeThe future and business of Western horse sports with experts, judges, and industry veterans Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard from The Cowboy Office.The Cowboy Office is a podcast about maturing the Western horse sports space.Be sure to listen to this episode and follow The Cowboy Office on your favorite podcast platform.🐴 This episode is brought to you by Pegasus. Pegasus is the game-changer horse shows have been waiting for. It’s the first modern, cloud-based platform built just for equestrian events—free to use, no...
2023-08-081h 01
Cowboy Office ShowEp 22: You Asked, We AnsweredEP 22: Industry trends, growth, and business. Competition, breeding, and officiating. Associations, medications, and international governance.
One of the 12 principles of “The Cowboy Way” is “He must never go back on his word or trust confided in him.” The Cowboys promised to answer your questions and in this episode, they make good on that promise. This straight-shootin’ episode comes directly from questions spurred on by previous episodes.
The Show Rundown
Industry Trends: The Good and Not So Good
Distinctions between weekend shows and major events
Creation of more spectator-focused events
Ep...
2023-08-071h 27
Cowboy Office ShowEp 21: The Score - The Open Finals at the 2023 NRHA Derby AnalysisThe numbers are in and the analysis is complete. What do the results from these 108 horses tell us about the reining industry? Perhaps there’s room for improvement.
As the depth of reining competition skyrockets, the systems in place must work to keep up. The ground is there and purses are rising to meet the challenge. Are the NRHA leveling structures and judging systems keeping pace? The numbers will tell in the analysis of the NRHA Open Derby Finals.
The Show Rundown
Score ranges per section: What this says about leveling.
Maneu...
2023-07-2855 min
Cowboy Office ShowThe Score: The Go Round at the 2023 NRHA Derby AnalysisWith over 300 horses in the running for over $100,00 guaranteed to the winner at the NRHA Open Derby proved that another year of great reining is upon us. This show analyzes the go round at the NRHA Derby, including the breakdown at all 4 levels, the effect of the draw, and the judges scores and performance.
The Show Rundown
Did the draw affect scoring / finals qualifications?
What did it take to make the cut & go to the finals
Purses are growing, creating greater depth of competition in this sport. What does this mean fo...
2023-07-1952 min
Cowboy Office ShowThe Score: Breaking Down the BuckeyeHello horse world from the AI sphere, well not yet. Jody and Brian are still in human form and bringing a jam-packed analysis to The Buckeye Reining in Ohio.
Join the guys as they key in on some of the hidden aspects of the battle that judges face during a competition and the evolution of the sport and competition depth as a whole. How hard is it to separate horses? What’s it like dealing with so many different classes at once?
As our co-host Jody says, “"You know, Brian, it's not like the old days...
2023-06-161h 17
Cowboy Office ShowRide on the Wild Side: A LEG up on the Evolving Business of Horse ShowsYou don’t often get to interview someone who has touched so many facets of the horse industry in her career and knows the evolving ins and outs of the horse show business. Marnye Langer is the general manager of Hansen Dam Horse Park, CEO of the Langer Group, USEF “R” judge, author and award winning writer. She’s also an accomplished hunter/jumper rider who is taking a walk on the wild side as she explores reining and ranch classes.
Will this fifth generation Californian who’s known for her hunter/jumper skills clash with a couple of c...
2023-05-231h 24Cowboy Office ShowTHE SCORE: NRBC Go Rounds, and Score Spreads and the Level 4 OpenA much awaited return of the NRBC, as it settled into its new roots in the great city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Join the hosts Brian and Jody as they analyze the L4 Open Reining and dive deep into the analytics. {Best viewed with a video experience as CowboyOffice.com, Youtube or Spotify}.
This episode is one for our data enthusiasts as we break down the spreads, whether the judges got it right or not, and answer the question of whether it seems better to show in the first or second go to make the finals. In this...
2023-04-291h 21
Cowboy Office ShowNRHA Finds Balance Amid Leadership ChangeReining fans won’t want to miss this episode as we are joined by NRHA President, Mark Blake, and President-Elect, Mike Hancock. We’ll peek behind the gate to see what's happening in the sport of reining today and hear how they are planning for the future.
Cowboy is cool again thanks to the popularity of Yellowstone and innovative producers of The American Performance Horseman and The Run for a Million. Reining is poised to tap into the potential for continued growth and advancement if the leadership can maintain its balance through ever-changing terrain. The Cowboys and NRHA...
2023-04-051h 28
Cowboy Office ShowUnderstand The Score: The Run For A Million Qualifier at the Cactus Reining Classic(BEST VIEWED ON WEBSITE, YOUTUBE OR SPOTIFY) Scores, spreads and the judges perspective explained. A new 10 riders will slide in for their opportunity at one of the biggest paychecks in Reining history as the Cactus Reining Classic hosted the run for a million qualifier.
In this episode, Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard, bring their many years of reining judging and monitoring expertise to the arena. With an overview of statistics, score spreads, and the best runs from the competition, you will learn how to see these runs from the judges chair, better understand how Reining scoring works...
2023-03-311h 32
Cowboy Office ShowIt Takes a Team: Advancing the Horse Industry with Collegiate ProgramsParents and high school students will want to check out this episode of Cowboy Office as Brian & Jody talk to Oklahoma State University Equestrian Team coaches Larry Sanchez & Laura Brainard. You might be surprised to learn that your riding skills aren’t the main focus of collegiate recruitment. Riding skill may catch their attention, but another characteristic may cost you a place on their team.
At the Cowboy Office Today:
Larry Sanchez
OSU Equestrian Team Head Coach since 1999
5 National Championships
8 Big 12 Conference Championships
Former coach at New Mexico State University
2 National Championships
AQHA Judge
AB...
2023-03-141h 20
Cowboy Office ShowFrom Cala to Reining: The Inside Scoop on What Makes a Successful Breeding ProgramIf you have an interest in breeding, bloodlines, or business, you won’t want to miss this episode. The Cowboys meet up with Aldo Ramon of Rancho El Fortin to talk about the history and future of the horse breeding business. Rancho El Fortin and Caballos La Paloma are multinational breeding ranches operated by an industrious and determined family.
What we talk about:
Evolution of the family business
Cala and reining horses
Operating in multiple markets
Science of breeding
Purse structure
Horse prices
At the Cowboy Office Today:
Aldo Ramon
Owner/operator of...
2023-03-071h 19
Cowboy Office ShowSun Circuit: Largest Quarter Horse Circuit Shines Bright in Arizona for 50 yearsDoug Huls, CEO of AzQHA shines a light on producing a Top 10 AQHA show while fostering growth and camaraderie at all levels of competition. Doug joins the Cowboys to discuss industry changes and how to capitalize on the opportunities and meet the challenges they represent.
What we talk about:
Meeting the needs of different sectors from amateurs to professionals
Increased specialization
Finding unique show identity
Career development and professional staffing today
What makes a successful show producers/manager
At the Cowboy Office Today:
Doug Huls
CEO of AzQHA
Show Producer of Sun...
2023-02-211h 18
Cowboy Office ShowNRCHA: Vaquero Traditions and Progressive Thinking with Paul Bailey, NRCHA Vice PresidentThe National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) is steeped in vaquero traditions yet moves confidently into the future with the energy of a cow horse going down the fence. There’s a lot to learn from this dynamic association that is leading the way in membership engagement, growth across multiple sectors of competition, and spectator enthusiasm.
What we talk about:
World’s Greatest Horseman competition
Growth of the NRCHA
NRCHA History & Growth
Customer Service
Payout Structures
Cattle for Competitions
At the Cowboy Office Today:
Paul Bailey
Vice President of NRCHA
NRCHA Past Pres...
2023-02-141h 10
Cowboy Office ShowCowboys & Arabians: Responsible Growth, Bigger Isn’t Always Better with Taryl O’Shea of the Arabian Horse Association of ArizonaBigger isn’t better when it creates barriers to entry and places the economic viability of an industry at risk. This is an interesting stance from the association that hosts the largest Arabian show in the world. Taryl O’Shea, Executive Director of the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA), joins the Cowboys to discuss responsible growth, introducing more people to the horse lifestyle, and creating paths for entry that encourage longevity.
This episode is for all horse enthusiasts regardless of your breed preference. Arabian owners will enjoy the spotlight on their breed while we learn how to w...
2023-02-071h 17
Cowboy Office ShowThe Facility Perspective: What Goes Into Running an Equine Event VenueShow producers and competitors will want to watch this episode of Cowboy Office to catch a glimpse of the challenges shows face now and in the future, learn how we call all remain diligent about biosecurity concerns, and see a side of venue management that you may have overlooked.
The League of Agricultural and Equine Centers promotes and supports facility management, brings people together, and offers a network of experts that bring awareness of best practices, new developments, and looks to the horizon to prepare for the future.
Cammie Pearson & Joe La Follette join the...
2023-01-311h 21
Cowboy Office ShowBreaking Barriers to Entry: What the Equine Industry Can Learn from Bob’s Custom SaddlesChris Weaver & the Cowboys talk saddles, industry growth, and what makes the Cowboy Lifestyle so special.
Parents, you’ll want to catch this one. We sometimes forget the benefits of being in the horse industry and living the cowboy lifestyle. Kids receive lasting impact including: a sense of responsibility, self-discipline and respect. Never underestimate the power of good people speaking into the lives of youth.
We cover a lot of ground in this episode:
Seeds of industry growth
Breaking barriers to entry
Challenging the idea that horses are an “expensive” sport
The dual responsibility of spo...
2023-01-251h 24
Cowboy Office ShowJulie Broadway President of the American Horse Council: Protect & Strengthen the Equine Industry“The Voice of the Equine Industry” isn’t just a motto, it’s a promise. With 30% of households containing a horse enthusiast, the AHC strives to speak out for all of them on Capitol Hill.
Every horseman should actively strive to be aware of changes that have the potential to impact the equine industry. But with all the drama in our nation’s capital, how do we keep track of horse-related legislation? Owners, trainers, breeders, show producers, and hobbyists around the country can rely on the American Horse Council (AHC) to do just that. Since 1969, the AHC has been t...
2023-01-181h 06Cowboy Office ShowRollbacks & Circles: The Challenges of Scoring Them and Showing Them in ReiningWhat are the components of the rollback? If you said the stop and rollback, you are wrong. What about circles? Simple: 3 circles and a lead change. Wrong again.
The 2022 NRHA Open Reining Futurity demonstrated that rollbacks and circles incurred the highest rate of score deviation in the pattern. Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard guide us through these maneuvers and help us understand what makes them more challenging to judge.
What causes greater variances in scores among judges at all levels? This episode dives deeper into maneuver spreads and focuses on the data and statistical deviations in...
2023-01-1154 min
Cowboy Office ShowManeuvers & Spreads: How Reining Judges scored the NRHA Futurity35% of the NRHA L4 Open Finals had maneuvers of 1 point or more. Seasoned exhibitors know the importance of studying their score sheets after they show. But what are they supposed to think when one judge says a maneuver was poor and another says it was good? What does this say about the judging system? Jody Brainard & Brian Dygert examine the maneuver scores from the 2022 NRHA Futurity and share their discoveries and statistics on spread maneuver scores at even the most prestigious events with the most experienced judges.
In this episode the Cowboys tackle hard questions like:
W...
2023-01-041h 18
Cowboy Office ShowFrom The Ground Up: Business & Innovation with Western Performance Horse Footing Expert Jim KiserHow the Kiser name became synonymous with good ground
Footing in the horse show industry has evolved as much as our horsepower. Jim Kiser joins Brian and Jody to discuss how it all began, laugh over the bumps in the road, and discuss footing, business, and horses. What ties us all together is the love of the horse. It’s more than a cliche for true horsemen and is the foundation for the entire industry.
All great horsemen have one thing in common. They are students of the game. They study everything from training techniques to...
2022-12-211h 01
Cowboy Office ShowAnalysis of the NRHA Open Reining Futurity 2022 Scores and Competition"A good set of horses with an incredibly experienced set of officials... made for the best futurity I've ever seen." - Jody Brainard. Score displays, technicalities and tracing technology: a few of the new things at the 2022 Open Futurity at the National Reining Horse Association. With over 16,240 manuever evaluation decisions made in the first go, tenured experts Brian Dygert and Jody Brainard analyze the competition and judging at the Open Futurity, visiting topics like spread scores, percent of differentials, and spreads on runs like Matt Mills and Shawn Flarida's winning run in the Level 4 Finals.
Both hosts have o...
2022-12-111h 22Cowboy Office ShowThe State of the Equine Industry: An Overview of Working Western Performances Horses, Competitions and National organizations"We're trying to do too much with the same people in the same day {at our horse shows} ." - Brian Dygert. The last 5 years in western horse showing has brought massive evolution from the creation of events like the Run for A Million, and American Professional Horseman from Teton Ridge, the development of new shows, the growth of shows through stalls and entries, and more. While in some ways, we are growing, in many others, we are not.
This episode explores questions like: is horse show activity ready for modification? Do our sports like reining, cutting, reined co...
2022-12-091h 13Cowboy Office ShowMeet the Cowboys: The What and Why Behind Cowboy Office ShowSTART HERE: Get to know the stories and experiences of your show hosts - Jody Brainard and Brian Dygert. From training horses, to a change of college plans, Brian and Jody share about the paths they walked and what they've learned along the way. In this episode, the cowboys share about their experience as trainers, judges, teachers, monitors, venue producers and more. They'll share what spurred the idea behind this podcast, and what you can expect from conversations and episodes moving forward. From Reining, to quarter horses, world championships and everything in between: moderator Chelsea Sutton, of the ConsultMent Agency...
2022-12-0844 min