The NRCHA Foundation’s Big Guns in Cowtown event took place at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 21st. Top rodeo athletes competed with NRCHA Professionals coaching them, and all proceeds went to charity.
The 2019 PRCA tie-down roping world champion, Haven Meged, and Bets R Dual emerged as the winners with a score of 232 points. They earned $20,000 and raised funds for the charity Golden Circle of Champions.
Haven Meged shared, “I knew I had good fence turns, so I just had to take care of business and get circled. I got to do this a little in high school, so I knew if I set the cow up in the middle of the arena there, that’s what the judges like.”
Meged’s coach, NRCHA $3 million man Justin Wright, also owns the 2017 Dual Smart Rey gelding.
Wright mentioned, “Haven and I have been friends for a while, through horses and him looking for calf horse prospects. So when I moved from California back to Texas, he sent some cattle up for me to work. When this deal came out and Haven was on the list, I said, ‘I want Haven, for sure.’
Bets R Dual had been semi-retired after Wright purchased him from longtime client Jan Handtmann earlier this year. Wright commented, “He looked bored sitting in the pasture, and he’s a great horse, smart on a cow, and I knew he’d be good in this little pen.”
“Haven could do [cow horse] if he chose to do it. There’s a reason he’s a World Champion; he’s a very good horseman.” – Justin Wright
The Cowtown Coliseum’s unique dimensions posed a challenge for several competitors, but Meged and Bets R Dual tackled it successfully. They navigated two fence turns and circled in the center of the arena.
Wright added, “I wasn’t nervous going into it. We’ve had a few practice sessions, and Haven reads a cow so good, he rides so good, and he’s very aggressive. I wasn’t nervous till we got here tonight, and the competitiveness kicked in.”
For their victory, Meged and Wright received Gist belt buckles, which Wright plans to wear during the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals.
2026 Big Guns in Cowtown Results
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Coach | Score | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HAVEN MEGED | BETS R DUAL | JUSTIN WRIGHT | 232.0 | $20,000.00 |
| 2 | SHAD MAYFIELD | MC COWHAMMER | TREVOR CARTER | 231.0 | $10,000.00 |
| 3 | JACKIE CRAWFORD | BAD TO THA BOON | ERIN TAORMINO | 228.0 | $5,000.00 |
| 4 | JD STRUXNESS | CD SMART BRAT | CLAY VOLMER | 226.0 | – |
| 4 | SHELBY MEGED | STYLISH IN SOCKS | TODD BERGEN | 226.0 | – |
| 4 | WYATT CASPER | STYLISH BOONE | JAY MCGLAUGHLIN | 226.0 | – |
| 7 | LUKE BRANQUINHO | JERRY SMOKE | TODD CRAWFORD | 221.5 | – |
| 8 | CLAYTON SELLARS | STYLISH HAWKEYE | TYSON BENSON | 220.5 | – |
| 9 | SARAH ANGELONE | DIRTY LOOK | BEN BALDUS | 218.0 | – |
| 9 | SAGE NEWMAN | SMOOTH CAT PLAYER 17 | ABBY MIXON | 218.0 | – |