Five stand-out pros set the bar high for the reining industry, from youth riders to the highest-level open competitors.
By Jennifer Paulson
Being an NRHA Professional holds you to a high standard in your horsemanship, your showmanship, your customer relations, and your business management. Annually, NRHA recognizes various Professionals of the Year who exemplify excellence in all that they do, in and out of the arena. The pool of candidates comes from the general membership—your customers. The final selections are made by your peers—anyone with an NRHA Professional membership in good standing had the opportunity to vote online for who was most deserving of these distinctions. Then the NRHA Professionals Committee validates the selections before they’re shared with the world.
2023 Up-and-Coming Professional of the Year
Name: Jack Daniels
Hometown: Aubrey, Texas
What It Means: “I was so thankful my peers voted for me,” Daniels says. “I honestly didn’t think I’d get it—some of these guys have much more experience than I have. I started riding reiners after I broke my wrist and couldn’t rope. I watched a reining clinic and called after to see if I could come learn from him and work for free. He thought I looked pretty good. I moved to the States in 2016 and worked for Craig Schmersal. I met my wife in 2018 (Kaci O’Rourke). She really challenged me to start showing. Otherwise I’d have just kept with the 2-year-olds. I’m a competitive person, so I enjoyed showing. Wanting to get better is what keeps me going.”
Advice to Pros: “It doesn’t matter what anyone else says; don’t listen,” he advises. “People thought I should just stick to 2-year-olds. If you really want to do it, do it. Soak up all the knowledge you can. Ask a lot of questions, even if you think you know the answer. A lot of times, you’ll learn something you didn’t expect.”
