Jake Smith has been toiling away in his arena in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, training horses and paying his dues in anticipation of this moment. Smith, 31, is sixth in the PRCA World Standings with $110,777 won on the head side after spending most of his career a heeler.

Smith is a Wildfire Open to the World Champion as a heeler, and in 2023 he won the Riata Championship Open with Douglas Rich, his best friend and rodeo partner.

We called Smith to discuss which horse should be Head Horse of the Year, but in Smith had plenty to say, so we’re sharing the whole interview because it’s well worth it.