Russell Klostermann and Scott Stresen-Reuter Win Western Heritage Legends Title at the 2026 Cinch RSNC World Finals

For Russell Klostermann and Scott Stresen-Reuter, “Legends” wasn’t just the name of the class. It was a fitting title for two competitors who have spent decades in the ranch sorting pen.

At the 2026 Cinch RSNC World Finals, the Texas sorting partners leaned on that experience—along with trusted horses and a game plan built around their strengths—to win the #10 HC Western Heritage Legends Class. Their 25-head performance in 180.93 seconds across three rounds earned them $3,734 and Professional’s Choice World Championship belt buckles.

Klostermann, of Raymondville, wasn’t about to take the title too seriously, though.

The Right Horses for the Job

En route to their success, the pair leaned into what both they and their horses did best.

“We decided to go in and have Russell run the gate while I did all the sorting,” said Stresen-Reuter, who lives in Whitesboro. “It worked out great from the start.”

Klostermann relied on Uno High Brow, aka “Baby Doll,” a 2013 mare by High Brow CD and out of a Smart Little Lena mare that he purchased from Ronnie Mitchell at last year’s World Finals. Although the mare missed six months because of an injury, she quickly proved herself as the dependable horse he was looking for.

“I love her,” he said. “She’s good at anything, but she’s a really nice gate horse.”

On the sorting end, Stresen-Reuter counted on Peppys Indian Jewel, a 2007 mare by Hickorys Indian Pep and out of a Young Gun daughter that had only recently returned to competition.

“She ripped her whole pectoral muscle in half,” Stresen-Reuter said, remembering how he thought he might have to put her down. “She was at the vet for seven months. I just got her back in February.”

The mare’s years of working cattle at a trot made her especially well-suited for the Western Heritage class.

“I’ve had her for 15 years,” Stresen-Reuter said. “She’s been trotted her whole life that I’ve had her.”

Throughout the three rounds, Klostermann credited his partner for making the gate work easy.

“Scott did an excellent job of not bringing too many cows at one time,” he said. “He made it pretty easy on me.”

That teamwork proved especially valuable in the Western Heritage format, where riders must sort without loping or using excessive vocal cues.

“It’s a very difficult event,” Klostermann said. “You’ve got to remember not to yell. You can’t run. You’ve got to think about a lot of things at one time. It’s a tough class.”

Years of Experience Pay Off

Although the partners don’t often have the opportunity to ride together, they make the most of it whenever their schedules align.

“We don’t get together very often,” Klostermann said. “But if we’re at a show, we ride together.”

Stresen-Reuter has been ranch sorting for about 15 years, while Klostermann has been part of RSNC since its earliest days.

“RSNC was started in 2007,” Klostermann said. “And I was here at the World Finals.”

That experience showed throughout the Finals as they stayed patient, adapted to the cattle in front of them and let their horses shine at their jobs.

“We just said we’ll take what the cows give us and read them at the end and see what happens,” Klostermann said. “It turned out good.”

It turned out even better than they could have imagined. The victory marked the biggest championship of the longtime competitors’ careers together.

#10 HC Western Heritage Legends — 2026 World Finals Champions

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From The Ranch Sorter

Summer 2026 Issue

This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of The Ranch Sorter.

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