Taylor Sheridan Recognized as NRHA Reiner of the Year

The inaugural recipient of the new NRHA Reiner of the Year award is Taylor Sheridan, executive producer, screenwriter, director and actor, known for his gritty western on-screen storytelling. The NRHA Board of Directors voted to approve both this award and candidate for recognition.

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fame Committee, supported by the Reining Horse Foundation (RHF), developed this new NRHA Reiner of the Year award to recognize and honor a person/entity who enacts a measurable, positive influence on the reining horse industry.

Sheridan, a Texan and a horse enthusiast since childhood who started reining after his Hollywood acting and directing career took off, elevated his commitment to reining by producing The Last Cowboy, a reality-based TV program on Paramount Network, which tied into August’s Run for a Million reining show event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Last Cowboy put reining center stage by chronicling the journey of eight reining professionals as they prepared elite horses for the Million Dollar Invitational, the marquee event during the Run for a Million. Both the television series and the Run for a Million event in Las Vegas brought reiners together in a unique way and exposed a new audience to the sport of reining.

The Last Cowboy highlighted the many positive aspects of reining, from the family atmosphere to the care riders invest in their equine athletes to maintain their welfare, and brought some of NRHA’s largest events to the attention of an expanded audience.

The enduring positive energy, new relationships, and fresh perspective that Sheridan has brought to the sport of reining qualified him as the ideal recipient of this prestigious award.

“Taylor is a man of great vision and determination,” said NRHA President Mike Hancock. “His tenacity and persistence helped drive the production [of The Last Cowboy and the Run for a Million] faster and farther than anyone else could have. We’re so happy to announce that he’s our Reiner of the Year.”

Sheridan will be recognized alongside this year’s class of NRHA Hall of Fame inductees during the NRHA Futurity at Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch on December 4 at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. On this special night, RHF will recognize new and previous NRHA Hall of Fame inductees as well as the Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and celebrate the sport’s legacy and bright future.

For details on how to host a Hall of Fame table or become a major event donor, contact RHF Executive Director Leslie Baker at lbaker@nrha.com or (405) 946-7400.