Photo via Fresno State Athletics

Fresno State athlete and equestrian Brogan Hill, 22, will make her third appearance at the nation’s premier agricultural, livestock and rodeo event as the 120th National Western Stock Show opens this weekend in Denver, Colorado.

Hill, riding her 10-year-old Quarter Horse, Quick Draw McGraw, will compete in the Performance Horse Showdown and the Adult Invitational Reining on January 10-11.

“It’s the largest single-paying competition,” Hill, who grew up in Saint Anthony, Idaho, said about the freestyle event on Sunday. “I am honored to be invited back.”

According to the Director for Horse Show Operations, Kendra McConnell, Hill is considered “elite in the sport.”

McConnell oversees the sold-out horse events. She adds that the stock show draws more than 750,000 visitors each year during its two-week run.

“We are ready and looking forward to it,” Hill said, who has been home in Saint Anthony, Idaho, over the winter break from school, choreographing her new freestyle routine.

“It really comes down to your mental game,” Hill said. “And knowing your horse.” Hill and Quick Draw have been together winning national titles and championships for six years.

“They say you have so many ‘heart horses’ in your lifetime. Well, he’s mine,” Hill said, about the close bond the two share. Hill adds that when she started training Quick Draw, he was difficult and frustrating to ride.

The duo has since made a name for themselves by winning championship titles and awards in National Reining Horse Association-sanctioned events across the country. In 2023, she and Quick Draw ranked fourth internationally for their earnings that year.

Photo courtesy of Melinda Rumsey | Hill (on horse) and her mom pose with her horse, Quick Draw, at the 2023 Year End Show in Rancho Murieta, California.

 

“It took some time, but we understand each other,” Hill said, who is currently training another competition horse, as Quick Draw’s age now makes him ineligible for some reining events.

“They are very majestic animals,” Hill said through tears, reflecting her deep love for the animals. “They trust you. They teach you. They remind you that life is great.”

In 2024, Hill, with Quick Draw, was the youngest rider to compete in the Denver freestyle. In 2025, she came in second place after a tiebreaker for first, according to McConnell.

“There’s not only her talent level, but there’s her energy,” McConnell said, who invited Hill to apply to the stock show competition in 2024. Each applicant undergoes a selection process before getting an invitation.

“We do pay all placings, so we only invite 12 riders, which is not very many,” McConnell said.

In the Performance Horse Showdown on January 10, opening day, Hill will be teamed with two other “elite riders in roping and cow reining to compete in ranch events,” according to McConnell.

In the stock show’s Adult Invitational Freestyle Reining on January 11, Hill is one of two non-professional riders and one of four women competing in what McConnell says is a male-dominated sport.

In Freestyle Reining, riders don’t follow a set pattern or ride on borrowed horses, as Hill does in collegiate competitions for Fresno State, a Division 1 equestrian program in the Big 12 Conference.

“You have more freedom and a chance to express yourself more,” Hill said, adding that in freestyle reining, “you still have to perform a required number of turns to the left, turns to the right, spins and sliding stops,” but not in a specific order.

Each rider and horse performs a four-minute routine set to music, featuring costumes, spotlights, and props. McConnell adds that while the showmanship is fun to watch, it’s the rider’s skill in controlling the horse that is on display.

“She has paid a lot of attention to the technicality,” McConnell said about Hill and Quick Draw’s abilities in the arena. “Her scores reflect that.”

Hill is on scholarship at Fresno State and in her last semester of collegiate eligibility. She completed a bachelor’s degree in ag communications in May 2025 and is working on a master’s in ag education.

“Being at Fresno State has been a great experience,” Hill said, “I have made a lot of connections with girls on the team, and across the country.”

This year, Hill says her freestyle reining performance honors American farmers, specifically her mother and stepdad, Melinda and Randy Rumsey, who farm 3,000 acres of potatoes.

Last year, Hill’s routine was about a childhood memory and set to the song “Ferdinand, the Bull.” Hill wore a long red-and-black gown and worked with a long, traditional Spanish guaracha, used to guide a rider. Her stepdad acted as the bullfighter.

“I am who I am today because of my horses, because of my family,” Hill said, reflecting on the financial sacrifices her parents have made to support her in her sport.

“The first goal is always to do my best,” Hill said. “But, yeah, [she laughs] I would like to win it all.”