Nominations Open for 2026 National Golden Spur and Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Awards

Courtesy of the Ranching Heritage Association — Nominations are open for the 2026 recipients of the National Golden Spur Award and the Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award East and West, three of the highest national honors in the ranching and livestock industries.  

Established in 1978, the National Golden Spur Award is the most prestigious national honor in ranching, recognizing a lifetime of exceptional achievement and service to the industry. The Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award honors individuals who make their living caring for livestock and the land daily, primarily on horseback. 

“The National Golden Spur Award and the RHA Working Cowboy Award represent the very best of our industry,” said Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the Ranching Heritage Association and the National Ranching Heritage Center. “One honors a lifetime of leadership and vision, while the other recognizes the men and women who put in the work every day, caring for livestock and the land. We encourage nominations from across the country so we can properly recognize those whose commitment and character truly set them apart.”  

One recipient will be selected for each award by their respective committees. Nomination criteria, eligibility requirements and nomination forms are available at goldenspurhonors.com/nominations. Submissions may be completed online or downloaded and mailed.  

Nominations for the 2026 awards will remain open through March 31, 2026.  

The National Golden Spur Award and RHA Working Cowboy Awards are presented annually at the National Golden Spur Award Honors event, a joint recognition by six leading ranching organizations: American Quarter Horse Association, National Cattlemen’s Foundation, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas Farm Bureau and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. The 2026 recipients will join an exclusive group of individuals nationally recognized for extraordinary leadership and service to the ranching industry.  

The selection committees rely on nominations from ranching peers and industry leaders to identify deserving individuals. Those who know a ranching leader or working cowboy are encouraged to submit a nomination and help ensure their legacy is recognized.