Our full breakdown of the pedigrees that stand out at the 2022 Riata Buckle Open Futurity.
BY CHELSEA SHAFFER | NOVEMBER 5, 2022
The Riata Buckle Pro Futurity kicks off Nov. 4, 2022, stacked with 104 of the most heat-tested 5-&-Under head and heel horses in the game set to compete for $400,000 payout over five head at the monster Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Most-Entered Offspring
DT Horses’ Hickory Holly Time leads the field in number of horses entered with seven offspring competing, all ridden by different jockeys who chose their Hickory Holly Time colts as their ready-for-speed mounts in the time-only, 5-and-under stallion incentive.
The Hickory Holly Time colts are all out of different mares with different dam sires, with three 4-year-olds and four 5-year-olds in the field. Only two were raised by Dean Tuftin of DT Horses, and he only owns one of the two he raised competing: DT Hickory Mistycat, ridden by Dakota Kirchenschlager.
Hickory Holly Time Offspring in 2022 Riata Buckle Pro Futurity
Up Next
Rolling V Performance Horses’ Smart Nu Shiner has six offspring entered, the second-most in the event. That includes two full siblings—a 5-year-old stallion by Smart Nu Shiner out of Miss Good Thang by Duke Joe Jack ridden by Mountain States’ heading champ Clayton Van Aken and a 5-year-old mare with the same pedigree ridden by Gralyn Elkins. Both of those siblings were bred by the Pitzer Ranch, where Smart Nu Shiner stands, and are owned by Mike Van Egdom.
Smart Nu Shiner Offspring in 2022 Riata Buckle
Mare Power
Billie Jack Saebens and Dixon Flowers’ AQHA/PRCA Horse of the Year DT Sugar Chex Whiz will have two offspring competing in the Riata Buckle Pro Futurity: Chelsi Dickerson’s mare DT Hickory Blu Steel by Hickory Holly Time, ridden by BFI Champ Cade Passig, and Shane Boston’s stallion The Notorious B I G ridden by Saebens. Both horses are 4.
Meanwhile, Clay Smith and Cory Petska will rope together at team 47 on a team of mares, Apache Promise and Sun N Sushi—both by Promise Of The Sun and owned by David James.
Speed Demons
Of the 104 horses entered, only 14 are by predominantly running-bred sires.
Up N Back
Two horses are competing on both ends: Dulces Royal by Dulces Metallic Cat out of Miss CD Royal by CD Olena, ridden on both ends by Portales, New Mexico’s Bubba Garcia and owned by Garcia and Jed Nelson; and CKC Jesse, ridden in the heading by World Champion Heeler Wesley Thorp and in the heeling by three-time World Champion Heeler Jade Corkill. That horse is by Colonel Kai Cola out of Washata Lil Chick by Nifty Nig, owned by Shawn Gray and bred by Wayne Smith.
Dam Sire Dominance
Ropers opted for Dual Rey as the dam sire to more horses—by far—than any other. They all have different breeders, and they all have different sires.
Pitzer Pride
Nebraska’s Pitzer Ranch bred six horses in this year’s Riata Buckle lineup, the most of any breeder in the draw of 52 teams and 104 horses.
Proven Talents
Reigning American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Champ Sevens Star Glo and Cade Rice will heel for Strait Slver Classic and Kelton Hill. Royal Crown Champs Hankies Version and Rhen Richard will head for Logan Medlin and Mr Spanish Rey. And Royal Crown 4-&-Under Champs CR Woody Be A Dual and Richard will heel for Shes Mischevious and Kaden Richard. Tuckin Away Buckles is currently the No. 4 all-time earner in the rope horse business (outside of rodeo) according to QData, and Trevor Brazile will head on him for Joseph Harrison and Shine Jose.