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 NRHA Horseman of the Year
Name: Nathan Piper
Hometown: Whitesboro, Texas
What It Means: “All I could think was how neat this is,” Piper says. “I didn’t expect to even be on the list, let alone win it. This is such an honor because I feel so blessed to be part of the reining industry. There are so many who’ve helped me get here. I appreciate that we all help each other out, so to be voted to receive this honor is a testament to the entire industry. The Good Lord has gotten me through so much to get here. It was tough for me in the beginning; I had no real horse background, so there were lots of hard times and mistakes. When I crossed one million in earnings, I had to reflect. The same with winning the Run for a Million. Wow, the Lord did all of that to get me to this point. Reflecting on it and recognizing how it all happened was so important. He pulled me through.”
Advice to Pros: “It’s a tough business,” he shares. “There are times it’s so hard. Lean on the Lord and don’t quit. You’ll go through hard times and question if you’re in the right place and ask yourself if you should be doing this. Every time I’ve felt down, I reach to the Lord and He led me where to go. Also, put the horse before the sport. Got calls on us to take care of these animals. Take your time; go at the horse’s pace. Every horse is an individual.”
