Rodeo Daily

Hays and MoonShineAndTwoAdvil Bring the House Down with World’s Greatest Horseman Win

A sold-out event at Will Rogers Coliseum features top riders competing for the title of the 'World’s Greatest Horseman.' The 2024 champions were determined after an intense battle, with a team hungry for victory following a disappointing finish in the previous year.
Kaitlyn Woodman|
Anna Krause Photography

There is nothing quite like the energy within the Will Rogers Coliseum on Finals night of the World’s Greatest Horseman. A sold-out crowd, standing ovations, and music blaring through the speakers while horse and rider put on the performance of a lifetime. Years of preparation go into this singular event, where anyone in the performance horse industry aims to win this prestigious title. 

The morning brought the final round of the herd work; it was Boyd Rice and Saddling At Sunrise who came out on top, marking a 222.5. The two kept the momentum going into the evening rounds and posted another big score of 224.5 in the steer stopping to take second in the round. Going into the reining, these two looked to be a promising pair in the run for the championship and ultimately took home Reserve honors by close margins. 

Kelby Phillips and Duals Lucky Charm made a huge start to their finals as well, posting a 222 and a 226 in the herd work and steer stopping, respectively. A string of bad luck placed them in an unfavorable position at the end of it, but with the big scores we saw from these two throughout the week, a comeback in 2025 is to be expected. 

All eyes shifted to the arena floor when 2023 Champions Phillip Ralls and Call Me Mitch came in for each round. The two put on a solid performance and put together a beautiful run in the rein work, marking a 223. 

The crowd erupted with applause for the team, and the 2011 Stallion by Metallic Cat beamed with pride after a great run. Although it wasn’t the back-to-back win everyone hoped to see, Ralls had nothing but great things to say of his partner afterward and hopes to have him back for yet another chance at the World’s Greatest Horseman. 

“He’s (Call Me Mitch) been very, very special all along. He is so consistent; if you look at his totals from years past, he’s just been an unbelievable showhorse, especially at this level and at this stage.” — Phillip Ralls

Nick Dowers and Time For The Diamond made everything look easy when they posted a huge 227 in the rein work to top the leaderboard, and an already electric crowd completely exploded when it was time for the cow work. Brandon Buttars and Cuttin Wright Up did not disappoint either, and an arguably flawless run was good enough to mark a 228.5 and take the No. 1 position by 3 points. 

There was one team in the mix, however, that had an unfavorable finals in 2023 and finished in the No. 2 spot on more than one occasion, ultimately taking home the coveted title on Saturday night. Shawn Hays and MoonShineAndTwoAdvil coasted through the finals, marking solid scores throughout, with the cow work being their highest-placing event. 

The two have an incredible partnership, and Hays credits the 2014 Gelding for his versatility, ability to read a cow, and confidence in the show pen. 

“It’s kind of an Iron Man contest, and I have always thought it should be called the ‘World’s Greatest Horse’ instead just because these horses have to be so versatile between all four events. I’ve been second twice, so to finally get over that hump and actually be the winner is really cool; like I said, that horse deserves it; he is such a great horse.” — Shawn Hays

A common denominator among the finalists, no matter what the scorecards revealed, is they would all credit their horse. True professionalism and horsemanship can be observed by watching any of the participants throughout the week, and each contestant will say that on any given day, the results could vary. 

If you can appreciate the best horses and riders matched with an energetic crowd on a Saturday night, you won’t want to miss the World’s Greatest Horseman Finals in 2025. 

Worlds Greatest Horseman Finals Full Results

  1. Shawn Hays and MoonShineAndTwoAdvil, owned by Angela Massey - 885.5 composite score
  2. Boyd Rice and Saddling at Sunrise, owned by Burnett Ranches LLC - 884.0
  3. Chris Dawson and Reyzinette, owned by Holy Cow Perf Horses TX LLC - 883.0
  4. Brandon Buttars and Cuttin Wright Up, owned by David Beckett - 881.0
  5. Nick Dowers and Time For The Diamond, owned by Rod Dowers - 879.5
  6. Todd Bergen and Smartly Starstruck, owned by McSpyder Ranch - 876.5
  7. Justin Wright and Scooter Kat, owned by Epic Freitas - 869.0
  8. Jeremy Knoles and Its That Time Shiner, owned by Chad & Crystal Brunsch - 868.5
  9. Tyler Merrill and Seven S Hesa Cat, owned by Madeline Horton - 865.5
  10. Tucker Robinson and Smooth Outta Style, owned by Julie Weinhardt & F Velazquez - 861.0
  11. Todd Crawford and One Time Legend, owned by Larry Hall Cutting Horses LLC - 856.5
  12. Phillip Ralls and Call Me Mitch, owned by Estelle Roitblat TTE Living Trust - 854.5
  13. Trent Pedersen and CR Dees Be Tuff, owned by Renee Berrey - 850.0
  14. Sarah Dawson and You May Be Wright, owned by Garth & Amanda Gardiner - 657.5
  15. Erin Taormino and Hazardouz Material, owned by Linda Mars - 647.5
  16. Kelby Phillips and Duals Lucky Charm, owned by JB6 LLC - 646.0

                                                           

Published
Kaitlyn Woodman
KAITLYN WOODMAN

Kaitlyn grew up in a small east Texas town called Marshall, Texas, and now resides in the “Cutting Horse Capital of the World” Weatherford. The rodeo lifestyle was instilled into Kaitlyn at a young age as her entire family has a rodeo background. She spent most of her life at Martha and RE Josey’s ranch just down the road from her house.  Kaitlyn was lucky enough to have been surrounded by incredible role models in and out of the arena that got her to where she is today both as a competitor and a person. As a barrel racer, Kaitlyn has competed at just about every level the sport offers. The barrel racing industry is something that she is deeply passionate about, whether it be the futurity and derby scene, the rodeo world, or even the breeding side, she finds herself excited to learn new things and grow the industry as much as she possibly can. Kaitlyn graduated from Sul Ross State University in December of 2023 with a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture degree and knew that upon graduation she wanted to get a start in the western sports media industry. Before graduating from Sul Ross, Kaitlyn was able to start a career as an Equine Insurance Agent and takes pride in protecting her customer’s most valuable assets. Kaitlyn is excited to share her passion for the Western Sports and Agriculture industries through her writing, and she strives to reach audiences far beyond our community to advocate for the betterment of our lifestyle!