Manny Egusquiza Jr. piloted Firstt Rebel, owned by Lipan, Texas’s Kyle Kulka, to the Roping Futurities of America High Stakes Heading Championship Feb. 2 in Abilene, Texas, winning $32,000 for stopping the clock on four steers in 25.85 seconds.
The 2018 gelding by the Metallic Cat son Metallic Rebel and out of the Smart Little Jerry mare Jerrys Elegant Girl has been in training with Brad Lund and recently came to Egusquiza’s to show.
Full Results from the Roping Futurities of America High Stakes Heading Slot Roping
“At any moment you don’t know what will happen on about any 4-year-old,” Egusquiza said. “But behind that rope barrier, with Mundorfs’ fresh Mexicans, that horse was so good in the box and scored really, really good, so I could go whenever I wanted.”
Egusquiza’s BFI-winning partner Kory Koontz cleaned things up on the back side aboard his famed dun gelding Remix, with the team winning two rounds 1 and 3 for another $6,000.
“Kory did a good job holding the steer and I got me a good start,” Egusquiza said. “I could get starts a little better than a lot of guys thanks to that. I don’t know the future of that horse, but he made it easy to make good, solid runs all day.”
The event is the first of its kind, produced by Dillon and Latricia Mundorf. The roping was a futurity based solely on time, rather than judging.
“I’ve never won $38,000 on a 4-year-old,” Egusquiza said. “I’m glad they did something like that—it gives you another choice, versus the judged futurities. I’ve always roped on just OK horses. I don’t think my horses would have won if it were judged, but I got good starts, and the horse I rode let me reach at a couple steers. It gives that guy that can’t buy that quality of horse other guys can a great futurity. I don’t mean to say it’s lesser than other futurities because it pays good, the fees are high and it’s a good thing it’s not judged. It’s something else people can go to if the judged part isn’t for you in the young horse business. There will be horses I think that are really good horses that don’t show really good, and this futurity lets them do well.” TRJ
