Dashing Company “Ernie” spent most of 2026 getting the call from Brenten Hall, no matter what kind of setup they were headed to.

After a hectic Horse of the Year voting process ended with Ernie earning the 2026 Nutrena Head Horse of the Year title, Hall joined The Short Score to tell the story behind the 11-year-old gelding—from being bought off the track by Hall’s father-in-law, Guy Howell, to becoming Hall’s main mount throughout the 2026 ProRodeo season.

Hall estimates he rode Ernie on roughly 85% of his runs this year, relying on the gelding everywhere from tight indoor setups to long-score rodeos. For Hall, that versatility is exactly what separates Ernie.

“It’s taken me until Ernie that I felt like I had one that was good inside and outside,” Hall said.

Hall also talks about how well Ernie handles the ProRodeo pressures like the long hauls and big crowds, the family connection that makes the award especially meaningful and some of his favorite runs from their season together.

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The 2026 Old West World Championships paid out $1.13 million in Amarillo, pushing Old West’s total awarded money for the year to $5.1 million—and championship Saturday brought together some of the best young horses and horsemen in the business.

On this episode of The Score, hear from all the winners across the Non-Pro, Limited, Intermediate and Open as they break down their championship runs, the horses that got them there and what it means to compete in the middle of a rapidly-growing industry.

The episode includes Brooke Wilson, Sy York, Culley Morgan, Brodie Boyce, Jackie Crawford, Jordan Allyn, Trevor Boatwright, Andy Holcomb and Clyde Bolejack before moving into the Open champions with Joseph Harrison and Royal Nites, Hunter Koch and Rockk Star and Trevor Brazile’s sweep of both Open heading championships.

Brazile finished the week as Amarillo’s highest-earning rider with $166,472—more than double any other rider at the event—as another Old West World Championships came to a close. X Performance Horses, owners of Rockk Star, were the top-earning owners with $91,343 won on seven horses.

Jake Long knows what a Horse of the Year feels like, but after three-time winner Colonel, he wasn’t sure he would ever find another one of that caliber.

Then came 7-year-old Hezaluckysonofagun “Copper,” the horse that carried Long to his first world championship and is now the 2026 Nutrena Heel Horse of the Year.

On this episode of The Short Score, Long talks about Copper’s traits that make him a Horse-of-the-Year-type of horse, several of those reminding him of Colonel. But for Long, what makes Copper special goes beyond his ability in the arena. He’s a horse that wants attention, wants to be his buddy and, as Long puts it, “tries his hardest every single time.”

Long also reflects on the horse that helped build his career. After winning his first gold buckle aboard Copper, Long went home to Oklahoma to see Colonel, hugged the retired Horse of the Year and told him, “We got one.” Now, with Copper adding that same title to his résumé, Long has found another one he plans to keep for life.

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