08/29/2026
2026 Judge Chris Maxon
We welcome back judge, pro, competitor and Chris Maxon!
Chris grew up in a rural farming community in Michigan where he spent most of his younger years doing plenty of small farm related things. His folks had draft horses so he learned to drive teams long before he rode a horse. As a teenager, when Chris wasn’t working on the farm, he played sports, hunted or fished and enjoyed going to the local rodeos. He always wanted to be a cowboy but his life in Michigan didn’t provide the best opportunity to be one. Because of trips out west for high school rodeo finals a few years in a row Chris knew he had to get out of the Midwest. After one year in college he took a summer job in the mountains of Colorado leading trail rides all summer long at a guest ranch, grateful to be horseback and not farming or milking cows.
When he left Michigan, Chris aspired to be a horseman and stockman. He found work in almost every state in the Rocky Mountain region, on cattle and horse ranches; guest ranches and private ranches. He rode horses and started colts, cared for cattle, became a farrier, outfitted, packed and guided.
Chris has considered himself fortunate to have learned from and been inspired by some great hands, both horsemen/women and stockmen/women. It was through some of these people that Chris was introduced to the signal and balance system of horsemanship. Chris has said “there is no better way for the horses, stock, and people alike. The second the balance is disrupted at any point things become difficult. If we only work toward restoring the balance at the moment and not the end result, this system undeniably stands out to me. It will take you places you didn’t think of, most all of them better than any place you have been with your horses, stock and those around you.”
Chris has put these words into practice.
It is safe to say Chris has become the cowboy, horseman, stockman he dreamed of being when growing up in Michigan.
Chris has been deeply involved in the Skills since 2015 when he came as an Open competitor and placed 2nd in the Open Stock Horse Hackamore and on the 3rd place team in Open Reata Calf Branding. He was valuable in keeping our event running smoothly as a ground crew member whenever he wasn't competing. In 2017 He was 5th in Open Ranch Horse 2-Rein and in 2019 he was awarded the Ray Ordway Top Buckaroo in the Open Division. He became an event judge in 2021 and on our Pro teams in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and returned to the judge’s booth 2025. Some competitors have been fortunate to have been awarded bosals Chris braided and donated to our prize cache.
Chris now lives in Montrose, Colorado starting horses, running cattle, training dogs, braiding and squeezing in some time for hunting and fishing, all of that after helping raise his new baby boy.
photo credit: Bev Pettit @ https://www.bevpettit.com
