With a patriotic performance aboard Live Love Laugh, Sharee Schwartzenberger earned her third career National Western Stock Show Freestyle Reining championship at the Events Center at National Western Complex on Jan. 11, 2026.
The 2026 NWSS Invitational Freestyle Reining delivered a night of elite performances, emotional tributes, and multi-generational storytelling — led by one of the most iconic families in the sport.
Sharee Schwartzenberger, of Longmont, Colorado, topped a world-class field to claim her third career NWSS Freestyle Reining title aboard Live Love Laugh, owned by Patrice Lee. Her winning score of 227 adds to previous championships in 2020 and 2022 and further cements her legacy as one of the most accomplished freestyle reiners in the world.
Her championship ride was dedicated to members of the Armed Forces and their families, with retired Sgt. Phillip Boyce presenting the flag in the arena. The tribute carried deep personal meaning for Schwartzenberger, who comes from a military family. Both of her grandfathers served in the U.S. Air Force and Navy, and her uncle served as a Purple Heart medic during the Vietnam War.
The night also marked a meaningful milestone for the Schwartzenberger family. Sharee’s father, reining pioneer Steve Schwartzenberger, returned to the freestyle spotlight for one final appearance aboard the legendary Game Day Surprise—the same horse Sharee has piloted to a previous freestyle championship and who was honored last year as a limited edition Breyer Horse.
Steve was not only part of the first NWSS Freestyle Reining event that took place in 1996, he won it.
Steve and Game Day Surprise (Hang Ten Surprize x Dunit N Continental) finished fifth and were also named the People’s Choice winners, drawing one of the loudest ovations of the night from the crowd.
Together, Sharee and Steve’s performances underscored the deep roots the Schwartzenberger family has in freestyle reining at the National Western Stock Show—an event Steve helped shape from the very beginning.
Finishing just behind Schwartzenberger was another NWSS veteran freestyle reiner Shane Brown, who earned the reserve championship aboard Who Whiz Brandon, owned by Katherine Timmerman.
Listen to Sharee Schwartzenberger on The Ride to Learn More About Her Freestyle Journey
Adding another layer of family legacy to the evening was the Warren family, who took center stage as a rare father-and-son duo in the Invitational field.
Devin Warren, who has won the NWSS freestyle multiple times in previous years, earned a third-place finish aboard Gotit Going on Tonite, while his son, Gavin Warren, made his own mark in the arena aboard HF Call Me Ronda, owned by Garth Hystad.
Seeing Devin and Gavin compete side by side mirrored the Schwartzenberger story—a powerful reminder of the generational tradition that defines freestyle reining and the National Western Stock Show itself.
Widely regarded as the premier freestyle reining event in North America, the $30,000 National Western Invitational Freestyle Reining brings together the top reiners in the nation for a one-of-a-kind showcase that blends elite horsemanship, choreography, and production.
Since its debut in 1996, the event has grown into one of the most anticipated performances on the Western performance calendar. Unlike traditional reining classes with prescribed patterns, freestyle reining allows riders to design their own routines with music, costumes, lighting, props and special effects — all while executing the sport’s most demanding maneuvers, including spins, sliding stops, rollbacks and speed transitions.
Place | Rider | Horse | Owner | Score | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sharee Schwartzenberger | Live Love Laugh | Patrice Lee | 227.00 | $8,100 |
2 | Shane Brown | Who Whiz Brandon | Katherine Timmerman | 225.50 | $5,700 |
3 | Devin Warren | Gotit Going on Tonite | Devin Warren | 223.00 | $3,900 |
4 | Drake Johnson | Star Spangled Top | Marie L. Skolout | 222.00 | $3,300 |
5 | Steve Schwartzenberger | Game Day Surprise | Sharee Schwartzenberger | 220.00 | $2,400 |
6 | Brogan Hill | Quik Draw McGraw | Brogan Hill | 219.00 | $1,800 |
7 | Aaron Ralston | Bud Lyte | Meg Griffith-Ralston | 218.50 | $1,500 |
8 | Randall Dooley | Magnificent Misty | Steinhauer | 217.00 | $1,200 |
9 | Dakota Harvey | Shez Pretty Trashy | Linda Palmer | 215.00 | $900 |
10 | Bub Poplin | Olenas Gunshot | Kelly Johnston | 213.00 | $600 |
11 | Gavin Warren | HF Call Me Ronda | Garth Hystad | 212.50 | $300 |
12 | Angelina Widmoser | Spooks Golden Tune | Real Cool Ventures, LLC | 212.00 | $300 |
The next generation of freestyle reiners also took center stage during the 2026 NWSS Youth Freestyle ReiningShowcase, where young riders performed choreographed routines earlier in the day.
The showcase highlighted the creativity, horsemanship and showmanship of freestyle’s rising stars featuring youth riders Hayden Walker on Barbies Voodoo Doll, and Donna Fern on BT Muy Bueno.
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