Paden Bray and Joseph Harrison usually make their living behind the steer. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, they’ll be chasing a cow down the fence at Cowtown Coliseum.
The two heelers are the team ropers in the field for the NRCHA Foundation’s first Big Guns in Cowtown. The fence-work showcase pairs 22 rodeo athletes with National Reined Cow Horse Association professionals during the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Bray will ride with NRCHA Professional Nick Dowers. Harrison is paired with Matt Koch.
Bray, the 2019 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year, is a three-time NFR qualifier (2020–21, 2023). He won the NFR average with Erich Rogers in 2020 and finished second in the 2021 heeling world standings. An all-around hand who ropes calves too, he has more than $1 million in career earnings and has won the all-around this season at Tucson, Oakdale and Kennewick.
Harrison qualified for six straight NFRs (2017–22) and finished a career-best third in the world in 2020, the same year he won The American with Luke Brown. He has more than $1.1 million in career earnings, but he trains horses for a living, and it shows. In Amarillo last week, Harrison won the Open Pre-Futurity Heeling at the 2026 Old West World Championships on Royal Nites. He finished the week fourth among all riders with $57,328.
Each team gets one run down the fence. The winning athlete-and-coach team takes home $20,000, with $10,000 for second and $5,000 for third. More than $100,000 has been pledged in charitable donations, with half going to the charities the athletes picked. The night is the NRCHA Foundation’s newest fundraiser, created to preserve Western heritage, grow the sport of reined cow horse and introduce it to new audiences.
The rest of the roster is packed full of big-time rodeo stars, from barrel racers Hailey Kinsel and Fallon Taylor to tie-down ropers Shad Mayfield and Haven Meged.
How to Watch
Ride TV will carry the event on pay-per-view for $39.95, and no Ride TV membership is required. The pre-show starts streaming at 6:30 p.m. CDT, and the competition follows at 8 p.m. CDT.
Get access to the stream on Ride TV
Be There
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth. Tickets are on sale through AXS.