Six first-time winners were chosen as American Quarter Horse Association–Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Horses of the Year.
Honorees were named in each of the six timed-event categories (there was a tie in the steer roping), with the lone repeat champion being steer wrestling horse Landrys Cadillac, aka “Cadillac.”
The bulldogging mount, who also won Horse of the Year in 2014 and was second in last year’s voting, is owned by Sterling Wallace of Justin, Texas. Three of the top five cowboys in the steer wrestling WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings rode Cadillac this season.
Ty Erickson, who ended the regular season in the top spot, rode the horse at times in 2016, including picking up a win in Livingston, Montana. Tyler Waguespack, third in the world standings, and Clayton Hass, fifth, each used Cadillac as their primary mount this season. Waguespack won the Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Rodeo on the horse, and Hass was tops at the Cody (Wyoming) Stampede.
“He’s the best horse I’ve ever ridden,” Tyler says of Cadillac. “He stands in the box and doesn’t move, and gives guys an opportunity to score on him. He gives you a great pattern out in the field, and it makes it really easy to win something when you have a horse that good underneath you.”
Timber Moore’s tie-down roping horse, MFO Harvey, aka “Colonel,” was second in the Horse of the Year voting last year and takes over the top spot in 2016.
Moore has owned the horse since 2012, and credits Colonel for helping him reach the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER the past three seasons. The two combined for a huge win in Greeley, Colorado, this season.
“We’ve clicked together really well, and he has given me a chance to win every time I’ve nodded my head,” Moore said. “I’ve had other guys ride him, and they’ve also had some success, so it has been neat to see that. To have him honored as Horse of the Year means a lot, and it’s well-deserved.”
Both winners in the team roping are first-timers.
Header Kolton Schmidt, 22, rode Tuffys Badger Chex, aka “Badger” – a horse owned by his father, Ronald Schmidt – and qualified for the first NFR of his young career. Schmidt and partner Shay Carroll won Wainwright, Alberta, and Schmidt enters Las Vegas fourth in the world standings.
Aboard Zans Colonel Shine, aka “Colonel,” heeler Jake Long enters his sixth NFR third in the world standings. Long owns the horse with his wife, Tasha, and won rodeos in Sheridan and Cody, Wyoming, with partner Luke Brown in 2016.
The steer roping featured a tie at the top spot, with Cody Lee’s At War Leo, aka “Punchy” splitting the honors with Chris Glover’s Tonk Champ, aka “Champ.”
Lee enters the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping fifth in the world, and Glover checks in at No. 12.
In barrel racing, it was Kelly and Ivy Conrado’s homebred Cfour Tibbie Stinson who took top honors, edging out Mary Burger’s Sadiefamouslastwords and Kimmie Wall’s TKW Bullysfamous Fox.
Here are the full results in each event:
STEER WRESTLING
1. Landrys Cadillac (Skip Me Dandy-Bayou Peppy Gal by Bayou Sugar Bar), owned by Sterling Wallace and bred by Jared N. Dirickson
2. Say Rey Doc (Tivito Sonny Rey-Say Easy Bug by Easy Gigolo), owned by Tom Duvall and bred by Emmit J. Duvall
3. Derecho Wood (Whiskey Ike HK-Quick And Direct by Eagles Flight), owned by Jule and Heidi Hazen and bred by Cinco and Kincaid Light
TEAM ROPING-HEADING
1. Tuffys Badger Chex (Tuf Country Chex-Chili Jody Page by Oregon San Badger) owned by Ronald Schmidt and bred by Doug and Kelly Wilkinson
2. RK Tuff Trinket (Tuffys OO Buck-Tall Pine Wickett by Knock My Sox Off), owned by Riley Minor and bred by Rod and Kristine Chumley
3. My Frosty Cocoa (Skid Frost-Sissy Truck by Texas Truck), owned by Dustin Bird and bred by Jim Welsh
TEAM ROPING-HEELING
1. Zans Colonel Shine (Zans Diamond Shine-Foxy Angelo by Col J Jigger), owned by Jake and Tasha Long and bred by Dennis Schroeder
2. Circle Back Jack (Nu Circle N Cash-Shiners Reylena by Shining Spark), owned by Dugan and Brittany Kelly and bred by Danny L. and Joanna Berry
3. Rey Shines On Top (Shiners Lena Rey-Kings Sly Sugar by Kings Zantanon), owned by Brady Minor and bred by Margie Denton
TIE-DOWN ROPING
1. MFO Harvey (Mr Freckles Olena-Miss Pebble Lady by San Peppys Pebble), owned by Timber Moore and bred by Gary Green
2. Sort Of Popular (Popular Resortfigure-RR Quick Bernice by Quick Emotion), owned by Fred Werneck and Marcos Costa and bred by Mike Denney
3. Smokin Reata (Jereminah Lena-Henrietta Daniel by Johnny Nance), owned by Shane Hanchey and bred by O.L. “Buck” Daniel
STEER ROPING
1. (Tie) At War Leo (Tamuleo-Arrowhead Dance by Arrowhead Badger), owned by Cody Lee and bred by J Slash Cattle Co.
1. (Tie) Tonk Champ (Hunkey Tonk-Miss Cody B Doc by Smokin B Neville), owned by Chris Glover and bred by Debra Hulm
3. Zans Roany Jae Bar (Zan Parr Roany-Jae Bar Sonita by Jae Bar Milo), owned by Shay Good and bred by Cecil W. Jones
BARREL RACING
1. Cfour Tibbie Stinson (Eddie Stinson-Little Fancy Granny by Del Puerto Bill), bred and owned by Kelly and Ivy Conrado
2. Sadiefamouslastwords (Sadies Frosty Drift-Porky And Bess by Dash Ta Fame), owned by Kerry and Mary Burger and bred by Jeff and Kristie Thorstenson
3. TKW Bullysfamous Fox (Bully Bullion-Gateway Ta Love by Dash Ta Fame) bred and owned by Travis and Kimmie Wall
