When the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo kicks off on December 4, first-time NFR qualifier Lane Mitchell will be backing in the box on a 10-year-old gray stallion named Oz on a Hot Streak, owned and raised by Nebraska breeder Nate Osentowski.

Oz is a 14.3 hand rocket by A Streak Of Fling and out of Oz One Hot Mama, a One Hot Jose daughter. He is fast, honest and about as drama free as a stallion can be. And he’s making history, having won the 2019 AQHA Junior Heading World Championship, he is the first AQHA roping world champion to ever go on and qualify for the NFR in team roping. He’s a Riata, Gold Buckle and Future Fortunes sire, as well as a Cornhusker Classic Barrel Racing sire.

In this episode, you will hear how Oz got his name, why Nate bought him back after selling him as a baby, how Lane ended up with the ride, and what makes this stallion the same horse whether he is running at Salinas, Odessa or under the bright lights of the Thomas & Mack. We will also talk about his growing breeding career, his special day in Nebraska and what this NFR run means to everyone behind him.

Today’s episode of The Score is brought to you by Fast Back Ropes, proud supporters of team ropers and the presenting sponsor of this show. Find them in the Convention Center during Las Vegas’s Cowboy Christmas or at the NRS Booth at the South Point during the Ariat WSTR Finale.