Byars, Oklahoma - June 9, 2003 - Ron Ralls of Gainesville, Texas became the 2003 World's Greatest Horseman, earning $30,000 for the win on his favorite mount, Cowgirls Are Smart, a 5-year-old mare owned by Jim Babcock and George Heckaman.

Ralls was the last to go in the finals in front of a capacity crowd at the Amarillo National Center in Amarillo, Texas, at the event hosted by Cowboy Roundup USA. The Cow Work finals were held during the Coors Ranch Rodeo.

In spite of the noise and excitement, plus a live band and play-by-play from top rodeo announcer Bob Tallman, Ralls stayed focused. He had gone into the cow work finals tied for the lead with Todd Bergen. When Bergen went just before him on Nic It In The Bud, he posted a score of 144 that gave him the composite lead and a 589 point total.

As Bergen rode out of the arena, Ralls rode in. He felt that he was lucky to draw last in the cow work and tried to keep his mind on his job. "Every time I rode through the gate all week, I tried to picture a good, solid run. After Todd went I knew if I could stay out of the penalty box, I'd be all right," said Ralls. He added, "If he'd marked 150, I'd have probably overshown my horse!"

After a sterling work that netted a score of 148, and a composite of 593, Ralls became the new World's Greatest Horseman.

According to Cowgirls Are Smart owner Jim Babcock, it was especially fitting that Ralls won the title on this particular horse. "Three years ago, Ron (who was living in California at the time) came to the ranch and spotted Cowgirls Are Smart. She was his top pick so we sent her to him to train, and having this mare in training with Ron began the relationship that ended up with him coming to the Ranch as trainer."

Ron showed the mare at the Snaffle Bit Futurity, but a fall caused her to miss the finals. Then, he won the Southwest Reined Cow Horse Futurity, plus the Georgia and Florida futurities.

According to Babcock, the ultimate direction for the mare all along was to eventually go for the World's Greatest title and winning the 2003 National Reined Cow Horse Association's World's Greatest Horseman, presented by Western Horseman, was a crowning victory for her career. He explained that she will likely be shown primarily in cutting from now on.

For Ralls, this was the first major win in a career that had been steadily successful, with multiple aged event finals qualifications. Interestingly, he never showed a horse until he was 28. Raised on large California ranch, he ran cattle until the droughts made him consider a new career. He went to work for Monte Roberts and quickly became known in cow horse circles. Now, at 48, he's earned one of the industry's top titles.

Besides the $30,000 first place check the Ron received a specially designed Champion Bob's Custom Saddle sponsored by 6666 Ranch, of Guthrie, Texas, a Skyline Buckle presented by Johnny Trotter's Bar G Feedyard of Hereford, Texas, a monogrammed Saddle Pad from NRCHA Corporate Partner Classic Equine of Granbury, Texas, a matted and framed signed and numbered print, Winter Chores, by Dwayne Brech from World's Greatest Presenter Western Horseman and a Rambo Turnout Sheet from Horseware Ireland. Ron also won $2,000, plus a Skyline Trophy buckle sponsored by Foust Feeds, of Amarillo for topping the preliminary herd work competition.

Finishing as reserve champion was Todd Bergen on Nic It In The Bud, owned by Arcese Enterprises and Eric Storey of Henagar, Alabama. Bergen won $20,000 and a Skyline Buckle from West Texas Western Store of Canyon, Texas. Plus, he won both the cow work and rein work preliminaries. Those distinctions earned buckles from Stuart Ranch in Waurika, Oklahoma and from Billingsley Ford, of Ardmore, Oklahoma and a Lawson Bronze, courtesy of the National Reining Horse Association.

For Bergen, competing neck-to-neck with Ralls was "awesome", especially with the huge Saturday night crowd. "That's a great reward – having that many people appreciate what you're doing."

Third place went to Californian Russell Dilday on Miss Plain Plain, owned by Scott & Darnell Trueblood. Dilday, who had won the West Coast Horse Expo's Magnificent 7 All Around competition just a week earlier, earned $13,000.

"This was great," commented Dilday. "Plus we got all this great stuff!" He was referring to the awards given after the event and earlier in the week when contestants received embroidered custom back numbers from the NRCHA, jackets from Corporate Partner Bayer, monogrammed briefcases from Sundowner Trailers, special-edition splint boots from Classic Equine and 10 lb. tubs of Platinum Performance Equine Supplement from Platinum Performance.

Winning the World's Greatest Horseman preliminary Steer Stopping High Score Buckle sponsored by Ellison Carter Cattle Company of Santo, Texas was Allen Walton of Abilene, Texas riding Lone Star Chicolena.

Total payoff for the event was $120,000.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through the support of a Corporate Partner family that includes Bayer Corporation, Bailey Hat Company, Bob's Custom Saddles, Cinch, Inc., Classic Equine, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Nutrena, Skyline Silversmiths, Sundowner Trailers, Quarter Horse News & Western Horseman magazine, the Reno Hilton, horsecentral.com, Rios of Mercedes and the Silver Legacy, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 580-759-4949 or visit the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.