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 Becky Hanson Horsewoman of the Year
Name: Jordan McBurney
Hometown: Arlington, Washington
What It Means: “I was pretty shocked,” McBurney relates. “It’s a big deal because I really appreciate the people who nominated me and my peers who voted for me. You hope to achieve something like this, but you never know. I strive to be someone who people look up to, non pros and youths. Being an NRHA Professional is a big deal. My main goal is to produce happy reining horses that are also successful in the show pen that go on to be good non pro horses or breeding horses. Nice, happy horses that can do maneuvers at a high level are always my goal.”
Advice to Pros: “A lot of people will tell a young horsewoman that it’s a man’s world,” she says. “But it’s not that way. Find your process. Be organized. Work hard. Stick to your guns. Learn from everyone. It all pays off in the end.”
