Topsails Rien Maker and Russell Dilday

The house was packed, with folks standing in the aisles and anywhere they could catch a view of this exciting bridle spectacular. Though the cows proved to be difficult, Hes Wright On (Lenas Wright On x Shesa Lota Nic x Reminic), owned by Gardiner Quarter Horses, and Doug Williamson came out like gangbusters, marking an event-high 223 in the herd work, and they played a beautiful cat-and-mouse game with their cows. They followed that with an aggressive second-place 219 run in the rein work, making them the team to beat going into the final fence work with a commanding 442 composite. But a pesky cow made the final fence work difficult for last year’s champions, and their 212 score let the other competitors know that they were indeed mortal.

Bobby Starlight and Zane Davis were one of the teams that were in striking distance, and Davis left the back gate with gusto. The pair was having an excellent run when it looked as though Bobby Starlight slipped and Davis came tumbling from the saddle, causing screams and concerns from the jam-packed house. As help stormed onto the playing field, Davis lifted himself and was visibly disappointed in the wreck. However, the good news is that he came out of it unharmed.

When it was Dilday’s turn, he knew he had a green light to possibly score the come-from-behind win holding a 434.5 composite score going into the fence work.

“I knew I had a shot,” Dilday said. “He [Williamson] was way ahead of me, but he had bad luck on a tough cow. You know you have to go in there and lay it all down cause he can be huge and all of them [the rest of the competitors]. I didn’t even know what the scores were. I knew that Doug and Phillip [Ralls] were ahead of me.”

Williamson and Hes Wright On held on for the Reserve Championship with a 654 composite score, but Williamson was itching for a second victory, saying he’s tired of being reserve.

“I’ve really won only one big deal [with Hes Wright On] and [last year’s victory] was the only one he’s ever won,” Williamson said. “It reminds me of the World’s Greatest Horseman, the Magnificent 7, and all those that I was second at. But I kinda wanted to win it again, but I just didn’t have quite the cow.”

Topsails Rien Maker and Dilday marked a solid 217 in the herd, a 217.5 in the rein work and a second-place 221 in the fence work for a composite 655.5 to take the victory.

Topsails Rien Maker (Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay x Toby Gay Bar), owned by Dilday and Kevin Cantrelle, has had a storied career with Russell Dilday in the saddle. Among their accolades, the duo has won the World’s Greatest Horseman three times in a row, and 12-year-old stallion Topsails Rien Maker, aka “Slider,” is the all-time leading cow horse money-earner with more than $320,000.

BBR Mardi Gras Time and Mark Luis finished in third place, followed by Nics Black Diamond and Phillip Ralls in fourth.